I learn.
It takes me a while to put the pieces together. I read articles, find websites that track teams’ engagement online or interest from the press. I read endless comments sections on videos and social media posts.
When the full picture forms, I can’t even imagine feeling triumphant about finally understanding.
Lex’s comment about me of all people having to understand the media climate of New York is especially humiliating, mostly because it’s true.
When it comes to professional sports, it doesn’t affect only hockey. It’s for all of it, football, baseball, basketball. They all get a lot more press, and therefore more scrutiny—from fans, from the leagues themselves—and the general expectation for them to perform is always higher.
Is it unfair?
Maybe.
It also brings these teams a lot more money.
It shows how the Ellsworths have succeeded in helping the Barclays—and Harrison ever since he bought the football team—find staggering financial success even when the teams haven’t done particularly well.
Another piece of the puzzle is the narrative around Lex.
He was named Rookie of the Year after his first season with the Empire, so that would put anyone under the magnifying lens, but he’s also a Jankowski, the youngest in what many refer to as a dynasty that also includes the Waynes since they’re such a close-knit group. He also instantly became the best player in the Empire roster, and yeah, that means he gets more media.
Every one of his words when doing press, every game, every move has been dissected since he was drafted, but it’s been getting more intense as the years have gone on, and now in New York...
Objectively, I knew he’d always been a celebrity for being Lyla’s son, but the fervor of hockey fans is a different beast. In hockey circles, his family is worshiped and hated in equal measures.
His cousins are also world-renowned musicians, but the unexpected mid-season trade happening right after a teammate deliberately shoved him—which is something that’s apparently now widely accepted as a fact, at least on social media— means that literally everyone who cares about hockey is talking about him, the trade, and what to expect once he’s better and playing again, this time wearing red and black instead of black and gold.
Sports news networks, retired players, and fans from all over the country are talking about this. And the reactions I find online vary from intrigued to horrified.
Sure, hockey isn’t as big in the US as in Canada, but the only place who might have a tougher time with the media than New York is Montreal.
And yeah, I don’t find any evidence to reasonably conclude that this will die down once he gets back on the ice. It might actually get worse—and that doesn’t seem to be depending on whether he plays well or bad. Whatever the outcome of his first game, he’s for sure going to stay under the spotlight unless another huge story breaks out. Even then, it would have to be about someone from the Jankowski-Wayne clan to rival the level of attention, and I know for a fact Lex would hate that even more than this.
I’m furious as I keep reading, at myself mostly, yeah, but also at some of the fans, talking about the shove like it wasn’t truly serious, like it’s something Lex should have to endure to pay the price for being who he is.
The sum of everything I find points to a very bleak outcome.
I understand Lex’s, Ruko’s, and later Vinny’s reactions to the news of the trade.
Just as painful, powerful regret and helplessness start to consume me, I come across a video of Lottie doing a press conference earlier today—no, yesterday since it’s already three in the morning.
No wonder Lex was—is raging mad.
Maybe if he’d had a say in telling Tucker about him waiving his no-trade clause, he still would’ve wanted me to do it, but I didn’t ask.
All of this is happening and he didn’t haveanysay over it. Over the huge change in his life and over the consequences he now has to face—and they’re nothisto face for fuck’s sake.
There’s one more post that makes me want to destroy my office.
@15alexei15stan
I bet Alexei’s best friend is real happy about this smh
My body starts to tremble with yet another realization.
With the harsher spotlight on Lex, even with everything I’ve done to change the narrative of us, if we make our relationship public—whatever’s left of it after I beg him to forgive me—there’s a real possibility no one will care about us being “best friends.” Maybe they’ll only care about Lyla and Dad’s marriage certificate. And beyond that, who knows how the coach, the management of the Demons, and possibly the team might react to it.
I could’ve fucking moved anywhere—to fucking LA if it came to that.
