The San Francisco 49ers said they weren't going to comment about owner Jed York getting caught up in a prostitution sting over the weekend because the legal matter is closed , but that policy collapsed in coach Kyle Shanahan's first press conference since the incident.
Shanahan became the first 49ers official to face questions, and he felt obliged to provide answers.
(Dude is a saint).
Shanahan said York's arrest and ensuing no-contest plea to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools charges in a deal with an Ohio prosecutor has no effect on the Bay Area football team.
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"My view is, as the coach, does it have effect on us as a team?" Shanahan said. "And that's what I continue to answer on from a football standpoint. It has no effect on us. I mean, as far as what we do day to day, what we talk about, it hasn't been mentioned in a meeting today. It doesn't have to do with what happens on the field."
Shanahan, who was involved in a head-on collision in July that affected how much he was on the field early in training camp, doesn't believe that or York's legal trouble will distract the football team in the upcoming season.
"Well, the one thing that went on yesterday I don't think pertained to our players much," Shanahan said. "And if you guys talk about me getting in a car accident, I think that's kind of a joke that people think that's a distraction to our team.
"So I think it's been training camp as usual."
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This, of course, is a head coach's spin on an uncomfortable situation. The majority owner of the team spent a day in jail and was splashed across national headlines because, police documents say, he went on a website in Ohio and tried to enlist the services of a prostitute on Sunday.
Three times.
And he got caught because what he was actually doing was connecting with an operation run by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which arrested him with the help of East Palestine police.
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Despite those details, Shanahan said he has not changed his opinion about the club's owner or his family.
"Obviously, it's a very tough situation," Shanahan admitted after saying he has spoken to York the last two days. "I mean, the views for the organization going forward is the same as usual. There won't be any difference in that.
"But I know it's extremely fresh. I think it's a very, very personal situation. I got a lot of respect for Jed. I got a lot of respect for Danielle. Their family does mean a lot to me. So I'm like, you know, with it being a personal [matter], I'm trying as hard as I can to keep it that way."
Danielle Belluomini is York's wife of 15 years, but even the marriage has become a newsworthy drama. Multiple reports have cited a divorce petition filed by York almost four months ago with the reason for the break being "irreconcilable differences."
NFL owners are scheduled to gather on Wednesday to vote on the sale of the Seattle Seahawks and the York situation will almost definitely be discussed in some capacity. The league released a statement on Monday saying it is aware of York's situation, and he is subject to discipline under its Personal Conduct Policy.
So, whether Shanahan admits it or not, the football team could be affected if York is disciplined and that rises to a suspension or even removal - the latter of which is not likely but cannot be ruled out.
None of that is a concern right now for the coach, and he believes his players aren't moved by the publicity of York's troubles.
"That's what these guys deal with their whole careers," Shanahan said. "I got cameras on all the time. They got cameras in their face right after games, when they're not feeling right or something very emotional could have happened.
"I feel something like this is actually easier for them than some of the stuff they have to deal with in the heat of battle of things that are more personal to themselves."
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