Yesterday we pointed out the fishiness of the Artemi Panarin StoryWhile any domestic violence / sexual assault story is worth a closer look, the circumstances surrounding this story weren’t right from the start. First, the claim of a declared political enemy of Panarin came to former coach Andrei Nazarov, not the victim himself. Given the political alignment of all parties and what happens to outspoken critics of Vladimir Putin, either by Putin himself or his cronies, it all deserved a bit of a cocky look. The fact that the details were lackluster didn’t help the cause, and some of the facts didn’t match either.
That seems to be even more the case today. Slava Malamud, who is all about news about Russian hockey players or Russian hockey, has a few threads outlining the problems in the story and some new details that take away from its stability.
The details that don’t line up – Panarin’s teammates denounce the claims, the wrong currency is mentioned and the team’s itinerary that doesn’t tie in with Nazarov’s story – seem to be behind Nazarov’s unhinged sucker is. It sounds like he’s the Russian version of Don Cherry, but instead of being limited to seven minutes of TV time a week like Cherry was, Nazarov has turned his popularity and bellicose achievements into actual coaching jobs and influence.
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Also, reporters in Latvia apparently can’t find any police or hotel employees of the night in question to confirm the story. It should also be noted that the tabloid in which Nazarov’s story appeared, Komsomolskaya Pravda, has a reputation for being a state-supporting rag for the truly lost. Past highlights include a front-page story that the The US was responsible for the Charlie Hebdo shootingMore reputable newspapers in the country would fail to tell the story due to lack of credibility.
This is far from over, as Panarin said goodbye for some reason, although it was likely due to fear of his family in Russia. Nazarov doesn’t seem to be the type to withdraw, and neither did the tabloid who ran with it.