We reported a few weeks ago that while there has been a bunch of millionaire athletes protesting the national anthem across a number of sports in North America, Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban decided to create P.K. Blue Line Buddies, a program which aims to build a bridge between police officers and underprivileged youth.
We have to admit it is an absolutely wonderful initiative. As The Tennessean's Joe Rexrode reported yesterday, we can already feel the effects of this program. The journalist told the story of Subban's latest guests:
"They laughed. They took pictures with Subban. And then it was off to dinner for Metro Nashville Police officer Kristen Morgan; her wife, Lindsey; Hunters Lane High sophomores AJ Branham and Brandon King; and DeAngelo Bennett, father of Brandon and uncle of AJ. Those five people, who would not have had any reason to get together otherwise, were about to spend the next five hours together...
A day later, it was still being discussed.
“The boys haven’t stopped talking about this, and I think they will look at things differently from now on,” Bennett said. “Even me, I’m 41, I’ve never sat down and had a conversation with a police officer before. Hell, it changed my view.”
Subban takes care of the game tickets, dinner and meets with the group prior to and after the game to lift their spirits and give them a few hours to forget about everything on the outside.
This is the second time the flamboyant defenseman makes such a huge commitment to the community, after donating $10 million to Montreal Children's Hospital.
I mean, this guy is a real class act. Whether you like the Nashville Predators or not, it's almost impossible not to respect someone who's using his influence to make the world a better place.
Hats off to you, P.K.
