It has been a pretty entertaining and confusing week for fans of the Los Angeles Kings. Just a few days ago the Kings learned that their winger, Dustin Penner, wouldn’t be able to play for a couple games because of back spasms brought on by eating pancakes. The media were all over the seemingly silly injury, and for good reason.
Dustin Penner decided to pen an exclusive letter for Mayor’s Manor, a LA Kings blog to address the incident. Here is the letter and it is brilliant:
So it seems as though I need to address Pancakegate for those in the sports media world, as well as those following #pennercakes on twitter, in light of the recent phenomenon I’ve created.
Right off the bat, I’d like to clarify a few things.
For example, they were vegetarian pancakes. The injury happened as I was sitting down to eat, not mid-bite. And yes, I did finish them.
There has been some feedback from the media as a whole regarding the lack of transparency involving injuries. So, I decided to be candid.
First and foremost, I think we can agree that having delicious pancakes that your wife made for breakfast, for a 1pm game, is not out of the norm. Secondly, “SOBS” (Sudden Onset Back Spasms) can occur at any moment, doing just about anything you can think of, and is a very serious issue.
Those who have experienced “SOBS,” know it is no laughing matter. I’m a little hurt, to tell you the truth, that the plight of my people isn’t being taken seriously.
Frankly, I don’t mind the attention and there’s no such thing as bad press, right? Apparently, I made it onto ESPN’s ‘Around the Horn’ and joined Kings’ ATH alumnus Dustin Brown (see water bottle incident) and have also became a twitter sensation overnight (with hashtag #pennercakes). So, I’m hoping to get an endorsement from IHOP or Denny’s.
The main thing here though is that we were able to bring attention to a serious issue like “SOBS” and hopefully find a treatment and unmask the mystery of it all.
In closing, for those who know how to laugh and find humor in life I hope they’ve enjoyed this as much as I did.
In an effort to end the entire experience on a high note, I’m partnering with MayorsManor to sponsor a ‘Pancakes with Penner’ breakfast. In the weeks to come we’ll be setting up a special raffle. Fans will be able to purchase tickets for $1.00 for a chance to have a pancake breakfast with me. All the money raised will go to charity…while we enjoy some delicious pancakes!
Be on the lookout for more information soon.
Thank you for your time,
Dustin Penner
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