Adding insult to injury
Baggage claim! When United Airlines kicked a bloodied Dr. David Dao and his wife off their flight Sunday evening, it also added insult to injury.
◆ Translation: While Dao was being wheeled off to the hospital, it was wheels up with his luggage.
“The airline didn’t even have the courtesy to give the Daos their luggage after Dr. Dao was dragged off their flight [ by Chicago aviation security police officers] and transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital,” said their powerhouse attorney, Thomas A. Demetrio.
“Instead, the airline flew their luggage to Louisville, Kentucky. And instead of delivering it to their home, they sent it to their medical practice office,” he added.
“They were not happy. They had nothing, none of their stuff,” added Demetrio.
“Still missing two front teeth and suffering from a concussion, Dao has now been released from the hospital,” he said.
Although Demetrio would not say where the Daos are now residing, Sneed is told the couple has not returned to Kentucky and are staying within reach of their family members who live in the state.
“Dr. Dao’s wife is not being treated for trauma due to the incident, is fine and is now taking care of her husband, who is undergoing medical evaluations and spending time on consultations for future medical care.
“He [ Dao] has memory of being dragged off the plane but has no memory of rushing back on the plane. He is still missing two of his teeth, which were knocked out by his forcible removal, although I hear one of them may have been inventoried by the Chicago Police Department.
“It may be difficult for him to eat, but it’s his nose and sinuses that are his biggest problem.
“This was assault and battery, taking rudeness to the extreme for a paying passenger.”
Holy Cow!
The bases were loaded at Chicago Cut Steakhouse on Tuesday night!
In a private backroom, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, Cubs presi- dent of baseball operations Theo Epstein and Cubs manager Joe Maddon were covering all bases for Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, whom they were honoring for having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The party, tossed by former Blackhawk Chris Chelios — who had a replica guitar cake accompanied by 1990 champagne corked the year Pearl Jam was started — was attended by former Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, puckster Reid Simpson, uber Cubs fan/ actor/ Chicago native John Cusack, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and retired Cubbie catcher David Ross, who was still on his twinkletoes from his “Dancing With the Stars” performance Monday night.
“What fun. What a night. I’m so grateful for everything,” said Ross, who was working the room filled with sports greats and star gazers.
Meanwhile, Vedder, a drink in hand, left his private dugout and headed over to a window side table to shake hands with a quiet and scraggly bearded Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher who failed to prevent the Cubs from clinching a seat on the rocket to their first World Series since 1945.
“Hey, hey,” chirped former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser, pointing to Kershaw and whispering to Sneed: “This guy could easily be described as the world’s greatest pitcher ever!”
Then, Cy Young Award winner Hershiser mentioned what he described as the room’s grand slam: “When was the last time you saw three Cy Young Award winners huddled in one place — pointing to Kershaw and Bret Saberhagen.
And, egads, there was Cubs pitcher Jon Lester with wife Farrah, their parents and all three of their kids in a second private dining room.
Sneed may have been heading to dinner, but it would not have seemed weird to shout “play ball” that night.
Who knows who else would have come out of left field?
It was a wowser!
Sneedlings . . .
Holy moly! Also in the Cut dining room were Michael Brandt, executive producer of NBC’s hit series “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P. D.,” dining with cast members Taylor Kinney [ Lady Gaga’s ex- boyfriend] and Randy Flagler. . . . Today’s birthday: Abigail Breslin, 21; Pete Rose, 76, and Bobbi Brown, 60.