I’ve been reading up on all the events in the ECHL’s current labor battle over the past few days, with games postponed since yesterday afternoon. Granted, I think Jason and I have talked about all the topics The hockey show on Thursday, and I know I wrote a lot about what seemed to be the main points of contention on Monday. Today, however, a new wrinkle has emerged in the ownership ranks as it appears that one team owner is in a lot of trouble legally, and this could certainly affect the operation of one franchise called the Allen Americans. You may see some additions to their logo above.
In 2023, former NFL linebacker Myles Jack became the new majority shareholder of the Allen Americans after retiring in August 2023. This was a big moment as Jack became the first African-American owner of a professional hockey team, so it seemed he was working on building a successful second career as he also bought minority stakes in the Jacksonville Icemen and Savannah Ghost Pirates with the Zawyer Sports and Entertainment Group.
But eight days ago, Myles Jack was arrested by Frisco police after officers responded to a residence in Denton County, Texas for “a welfare issue.” Upon arrival, police officers heard gunshots coming from the residence, and Jack reportedly broke a second-floor window and fell through the broken window from the residence, where he was taken into custody and transported to a nearby hospital for non-serious injuries related to his fall.
A search found no one else inside, so police were forced to arrest Jack on “charges of deadly conduct, including the third-degree felony of discharging a firearm and the class A misdemeanor of discharging a firearm in certain municipalities.” Jack has posted the $100,000 bond to be released from jail, but the investigation by the Frisco Police Department continues.
What concerns me most about this story is that Myles Jack was alone in his house early in the morning with a gun. This whole situation feels like the Junior Seau story where the former NFL linebacker took his own life after a gunshot wound to the chest. That became apparent later Seau suffered from CTE according to “five brain specialists consulted by the National Institutes of Health”.
I want to be clear that I’m not saying Myles Jack is suffering from CTE, but the similarities between Seau’s tragic end and what Jack did last Friday are hard to ignore. The fact that both men played linebacker in the NFL is also a great similarity.
Forget his ownership stakes in ECHL teams for a moment, but if Myles Jack is truly suffering from CTE, he needs to seek help immediately. There could have been other symptoms that we have no information about – mood swings, memory disturbances, tremors or uncontrolled shaking – but it appears that the arrival of the police at Jack’s home when they did may have averted a tragedy. After all, there was no one in the house and he randomly fired a gun – that alone raises suspicions about his mental state that morning.
I hope Myles Jack will undergo a thorough examination by a doctor with training in concussion treatments and CTE, but I suspect this will not even be considered by him or anyone in his immediate circle of advisors. It appears he is headed for a misdemeanor conviction based on the evidence the Frisco Police Department shared, but I’m letting the investigation wrap up before I rule in the court of public opinion because it doesn’t look good.
I can side with the players in this ECHL labor dispute, but it’s hard not to have empathy for someone who may be quietly suffering from CTE. I could certainly be wrong and he may have thought playing with guns early on a Friday morning before the holidays was a good way to pass the time, but I prefer to be overly cautious when it comes to CTE diagnoses. Doing a check is the only way to be sure.
Again, I hope Myles Jack gets a thorough examination by a doctor, because owning the Allen Americans of the ECHL does not mean he has to be part of the gun crime statistics plaguing America.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#alleged #criminal #cry