Hackin' Away At Denny's

Is there nowhere safe to go anymore? I mean, you would figure that a Denny’s restaurant on a Saturday night would be as innocuous a location as you could find to have a quiet spot to work on your laptop. That’s what one guy in LA thought until he was beaten unconscious by a group of men, including former Panthers defensive back Ricky Manning, Jr.

I am sure that there may be more to the story, but the early report is that the group was making fun of the guy, calling him a geek and a nerd. When he complained to the manager, he was beaten for having the audacity to want to enjoy his late-night Grand Slam and coffee in peace.

The next morning he probably woke up in the hospital.
The next morning Ricky Manning, Jr hosted a conference call about his new $21 million dollar deal with the Bears.

Here’s one thing Manning had to say about the incident.
"I was pretty down this morning because of the situation," Manning said. "But when I found out I was a Chicago Bear, it kind of brought a little light to the day. ... I can't let something like this let me have a bad start to my football career in Chicago."

Here’s one thing the victim had to say about the incident.
“I was pretty down this morning because of the situation,” Joe Victim said. “But when I found out that they had boxed up the rest of my Denny’s meal for me and that I could drink it through a straw now, it kind of brought a little light to the day…. I can’t let something like getting beaten by an NFL player and his friends let me have a bad start to my otherwise swell week.” *note: not an actual quote from the victim

I am sure that another version of the story will come out, like the computer nerd said something to the group. Whatever he said, I don’t think it could have been worth being beaten unconscious by several assailants (Manning has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon because he had accomplices and he used excessive bodily force).

And perhaps it was simply that he had the audacity to challenge an elite athlete by complaining to a manager, and pride wouldn’t allow Manning to let him get away with that. I’ll be interested to see what comes of this as the story unfolds.