As most major league managers are tinkering with their rosters for opening day, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Tony La Russa decided there were still lessons to be taught. Unfortunately, his child-learns-from-parents’-mistakes style probably wasn’t the right choice. If one of the Cardinals players had been arrested for drunken driving, he would have faced discipline from both the league and the team, in addition to the normal judiciary consequences. I wonder if the St. Louis players will get a chance to paddle La Russa’s bottom.
To drive under the influence means you’ve decided that having your car in your garage the next morning is worth risking other people’s lives. It is not like a coach at the major-league level has a lack of funds to pay for a taxi, especially one who just won the World Series.
Running back Dominic Rhodes had just finished a very solid Super Bowl performance for the Colts. He was able to run the ball successfully against a very strong Bears defense and allow Indianapolis to run the clock out and grab the Vince Lombardi trophy. He was set to test free agency and make some big-time money when he, too, decided a taxi wasn’t fit for a man of his stature, even after a few drinks. I bet he regrets it now. He eventually signed a deal with the Raiders, but he definitely cost himself a few million in guaranteed cash because of his discipline issues.
Then there is tight end Jerramy Stevens. After five seasons with the Seahawks, he was released because Seattle was tired of his discipline problems. Stevens could have definitely signed with another team because he is talented and runs well for a 265-pound man. Apparently he thought driving under the influence by more than twice the legal limit wouldn’t get noticed by Arizona police.
These guys didn’t just all make the mistake of drinking and getting behind the wheels of their cars; they all took for granted their place in the world. How many of us wouldn’t relish the chance to be a player or coach for a professional sports team?
Guys with that kind of money could easily rent a limo for the evening, but still they make the choice to drive after a night of booze. It’s not like celebrities are the only people who screw up, but they’ve got to realize people admire them and how much they’ve achieved in life. I guess it doesn’t matter how many times these guys are told they are role models for the youth of society.