Peter Karmanos seems to have a thing for second chances. Not only did the Hurricanes owner re-install Paul Maurice as coach of the Hurricanes five years after he fired him, he recently gave disgraced former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick a six-figure sales job at one of his software companies.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Karmanos hired Kilpatrick for Covisint, a Compuware affiliate, a week after he got out of jail, the same week Compuware, Karmanos' software company, laid off 250 employees.
Kilpatrick, for those unaware, was convicted of three felony counts of obstructing justice and generally disgracing his office like a text-message Rod Blagojevich during an eight-month scandal. He spent 99 days in jail, but a week after he was out, Karmanos hired him to a high-profile sales position in Texas.
Mitch Albom may not have many fans among Hurricanes backers, but he's dead on point with this column, headlined: Is Kilpatrick really the right man for this Compuware job?
Of course, Canes fans would know better than anyone that Karmanos will always take care of his cronies, appearances be damned.
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 829-8947 or 
Comments
Sports news IS business news
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 11:21 — Biff_BeersI don't see much distinction between the professional sports industry and the larger entertainment industry. Image is everything. When the majority owner of the Hurricanes hires a convicted felon for a high-dollar sales position at one of his other businesses, that's not going to help the Hurricanes' image.
I don't object to seeing this kind of reporting in a sports blog. PK has said he would take a more active role in the operations of the Hurricanes this year. This story, combined with the earlier public bad-mouthing of Laviolette, makes me hope he will stay pretty far behind the scenes.
Loyalty vs the Good Old Boy Network?
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 08:10 — SkylinerSo Mr. Karmanos gives a six-figure sales job to a convicted fellon while laying off 250 computer company people who had worked to make his company a success. Could it possibly be that one of those dislocated 250 employees might be better suited for that sales job? Why would that surprise anyone. He deep-sixed Peter Laviolette after that coach helped contribute a Stanley Cup to his hockey team. Now there's loyalty! Was there any compassion for those 250 former employees, for Mr. Laviolette? Remember how Mr. Karmanos seemed to discredit Mr. Laviolette on a recenty visit to Raleigh by saying he didn't like the coach....that's after saying 10 minutes earlier he liked him. Is Mr. Karmanos abandoning loyalty and keeping the "good old boy" network in tact. Disgusting! Doubt that. Didn't he install his son at a top job with the Hurricanes? Pity that Mr. Marmanos' access to all of that money can influence so many people's lives in an apparent not- so- positive way. Could it be he needs to use some of it in the right way. Oh, I forgot, money can't buy integrity, can it? Who knows, Kwame Kilpatrick might become the Canes next coach or GM. Makes it difficult to support any interprise he is associated with, even the Hurricanes. Is there any hope for local ownership???
Sports News
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 22:37 — CanarseFurther evidence that the owner of the Hurricanes is a scumbag is sports news. W
hat I really want to know is how pointing out facts is a "personal attack?" I didn't notice Luke making a lot of judgements in the blog entry.
Another thing that makes me wonder is why C-Leaguer would get his/her panties in a wad over this? Methinks thou dost protest too much.
A quick response
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 10:05 — C_LeaguerStatement 1: "Further evidence that the owner of the Hurricanes is a sumbag is sports news"
Statement 2: "What I really want to know is how pointing out facts is a 'personal attack'?"
In statement 1 you make a personal attack on Mr. Karamanos. In statement 2 you wonder howthe article is a personal attack. Do you see how you're proving my point? You do not say he is a "scumbag of a sports owner". You say he is a "scumbag". That's a personal attack. It does nothing to bring attention to the fact that the Hurricanes are poorly run.
As I've said before Luke is a better writer that this. I protest because this is poor journalism. I protest because as a consumer of news I demand a better product. I protest because I would prefer that the News & Observer not turn in to the New York Post. I protest because when the media makes personal attacks nothing gets accomplished.
If you don't care what drivel you read then skip over my comments. However, if you do care about the quality and objectivity of the news then you have to call out columnists when they step over the line.
Logic
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 14:20 — CanarseC-Leaguer, you seem to either have a reading or logic problem. I made a personal attack on Mr. Karamonos. Luke did not. Luke stated facts. I passed judgement.
The bottom line is you are wrong about Mr. DeCock's journalism.
As a customer I do not like the way Mr. Karmanos does business. I'm not a journalist, so I'll call 'em as I see 'em. The only drivel I see here is your journalistic analysis.
please, enough
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 10:57 — ldecock (author)I thought Hurricanes fans would be interested to know that the owner of their team is taking a lot of flak for a hire many people would consider odd. Those exact same words — taking a lot of flak for a hire many people would consider odd — could also describe his decision to bring back Paul Maurice.
Where's the "personal attack" in drawing a parallel between someone's actions with their sports team and their actions with their real business?
Just me talking — and don't take this as a "personal attack," because it's not — but I think you may be tilting at windmills here.
Don't take the parallel too far
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 14:00 — Biff_BeersThere's a big, big difference between hiring Kilpatrick and rehiring Maurice. Kilpatrick is a convicted felon who was hired for a job for which he is not obviously qualified at a time when others were being laid off. Maurice is an experienced and at least competent hockey coach who was available at a time when we needed a coach. PK can credibly defend the decision to rehire Maurice.
Great job, Luke
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:38 — xpukguyLuke doesn't need any defending here but PK does a good enough job of opening his mouth and inserting any part of his extremities. This type of hire is a PR nightmare, much like his hire of Mo is a PR nightmare. The man will never learn.
And, remember, this is our team, our tradition.
Hey CLeaguer
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:05 — esteban1949While i understand your point,and rest assured that Luke DOES NOT need me or anyone else to defend what he writes..I saw the irony of the situation that led to Luke's writing the kind of article he has. So remember sir...this is america..and even the likes of me & you have the right to have opinions,just like we have back pockets on our jeans and slacks.But don't forget something many if not all grandmother's taught...if you aint part of the solution, then you must be part of the problem or if you can't say something nice, then sit down and and shut the heck up.But seeing I am not your grandmother,I'll allow her to remind you,cause you seem to have a short memory span as grandma never taught anyone of us to think and act like we are more important than any onle else did she ? have a nice week...and i hope and pray you don't get laid off...with that kind of additude,you'd make a wonderful customer service rep...for someout fit in India ! Go canes !
Funny thing
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:13 — C_LeaguerEsteban, it's funny that you admonish me for not having anything nice to say when I admonish DeCock for not having anything nice to say. Then you felt the need to insult me by saying that "with that kind of additude (sic), you'd make a wonderful customer service rep . . for someout (sic) fit in India!"
So, first you missed the point of my comment, which was to call out DeCock for bashing Karamanos on a personal matter. Something that has no business in a newspaper or on the site of a newspaper and something that must be pointed out if we desire to have our papers stay bastions of objective facts and not opinionated rants. Then you admonish me for having nothing nice to say, even though I complimented Luke and noted some of his valid points. Then you insluted me.
I don't intend to start a flame war here. I would greatly like to discuss this like two logical people. Can you tell me where what I have written in the two previous paragraphs is incorrect? Can you also explain why you needed to insult me on a personal level even though we've never met? Can you further reconcile the first part of your post, which is to stay quiet if you have nothing nice to say, with your implied hope that I get laid off at the end of your comment?
Isn't this the sports section?
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 09:15 — C_LeaguerWhat exactly does this have to do with sports? Furthermore, what does this have to do with journalism? It may be a blog, but this is still a newspaper. This seems to be a smash piece for the sake of a smash piece. Don't get me wrong, crony-ism runs amok in the Hurricanes and it's one of the problems of the team. However, that's not what this story is about. It's about bashing a business decision Karamanos made. Last I checked, the link to this blog was under sports, not business.
Luke, you should be ashamed of yourself. You're better than this. If you want to do a story on crony-ism in the Canes, then do that. It's not that hard of a story to do. But don't bash PK like some muckraker.
Remember ... this is a Blog by a Columnist
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 16:22 — JRs_FaultI don't see much fault with Luke pointing out a parallel in behavior between PK's actions as Compuserve CEO and those as Hurricanes owner. Shame? That's all on Kwame & Pete in this case. What does it have to do with Sports? It's a decision made by the same guy that is effectively also the CEO of the lone Major pro sports franchise in the Triangle.
Take even a few minutes to look at Kwame's record and you will have no doubt that Karmanos demonstrates a significant lack of judgement and taste. Luke doesn't even scratch the surface of the multiple controversies that led to this guy leaving office.
The hiring was announced on the heels of laying off 250 people. Kwame has been linked with multiple unscrupulous deals, coverups and lies. It's hard to believe he lasted 6 years in office.
Kwame's downfall was largely a result of the print media's investigations, despite the city hall deals, coverups, etc. Part of the media's role is to shine some light on garbage like this, no matter what section you read it in.
Rock on Luke.
It's just business ;-)
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 16:50 — C_LeaguerSo the subject is a bit of a pun, but all your points are business points. There's nothing to do with sports in that. Brind'Amour isn't mentioned. The salary cap isn't mentioned. Inconsistency on the ice isn't mentioned. DeCock doesn't show how Karamanos hirinig Kwane is a corollary to how he runs the team. That's what makes this a personal attack, which has no business in a newspaper, and not a critque of how this owner manages his team, which should be talked about at length.
If Luke wants to write a business article and inform us that investing in Peter Karamanos' company is a bad idea because he makes bad choices in who he hires, then do it. But that's not what he's done here. He's posted a mans bad business decision and tried to pretend it's sports.
I've already said this, but I will say it again: DeCock is a good writer, but this is not good writing. It's a personal attack. It has nothing to do with Hockey or with sports. He has done better and he can do better.
me thinks Luke is still
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:32 — crazyjoedavolame thinks Luke is still upset they traded Erik Cole.
Agreed
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:18 — C_LeaguerI can agree with you on that front, but that's still no reason for what is, at least in my opinion, a personal attack.
What really upsets me the most is that DeCock is a fine juornalist. One of the best hockey writers I know of. He's better than this. A little research and a little more hockey centered could have made this an informative and entertaining article that would have elevated the discourse and focused attention where it needed. Instead, this is more like something on Jim Rome's radio show that whips the callers in to a froth for a few minutes and accomplishes nothing.
Again, I'm just disappointed. I think DeCock could have done better. Every piece doesn't have to be up to the standards of the piece he did on suspensions in the NHL earlier in the season. I understand he simply doesn't have the time to churn those articles out on top of everything else he does. That said, this should have been better, or better yet, never posted.
Yep that is Karmonos
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 08:51 — Caniac324To hell with performance, just as long as you are a friend you have a job! See Paul Maurice