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Author Topic: Another Way of Thinking About Irsay  (Read 3885 times)

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the judo madonna

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Another Way of Thinking About Irsay
« on: March 18, 2014, 07:42:34 pm »
I didn't write this, it comes from KissingSuzyKolber.com

I'm not sure i agree with entirely, but it is interesting, and JJ always say he likes to hear from people that have opposite opinions from his own. I bolded the part where the author quotes Kravitz's article (The indy beat writer who was on the show today)

"Substance addiction is a serious problem, but it isn’t a license to be a dangerous asshole. Yet if you believe people like The Indy Star’s Bob Kravitz, Irsay needn’t even ask for redemption. It’s already come.

[Now comes the wake-up call.

Do you hear it, Jim? Do you hear it? Or do you press the snooze button and continue on this downward spiral?

There’s no shame. There’s no embarrassment. Fact is, if Irsay gets the help he needs, he’d be a public beacon for the multitudes who also need help with alcohol and drugs. Just as Chuck Pagano has taken the lead on finding a cure for cancer and more specifically leukemia, Irsay can be a guiding light for those in the grips of addiction.]


That’s right, Jim Irsay f*cks up and it’s immediately framed as his shot to become a hero. Must be nice.

But perhaps Kravitz has adopted a similar tone with players who gotten in trouble while intoxicated? Oh, nope, it’s heavy handed derision for them. Take his reaction to Pat McAfee’s 2010 arrest for public intoxication for swimming drunk in a canal:

[I’m supposed to be taking this more seriously. I’m supposed to be body- slamming Phelps — that’s Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee from now on — for his drunken, early-morning dip in the Broad Ripple Canal, a body of water that is known as “the city’s primary conduit of raw water.”

What’s next, Phelps?

The Love Canal?]


Where are the attempts at understanding and concern? After all, McAfee’s crime was certainly less hazardous to others than Irsay’s. I guess McAfee should’ve come closer to hurting someone then perhaps he could’ve been a hero too! Then again, Kravitz is a toadying Colts beat writer. A positive relationship with an NFL owner is much more important to his job than a punter who will be gone from the team in a few years, at most. It’s regrettable but not entirely surprising that he would think this way.

Unfortunately, many others who cover the NFL think the same way, even without the clear conflict of interest. NFL owners have had enough breaks in life, they don’t need an obedient media prepared to immediately absolve them of their mistakes on top of it.



Read more: http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2014/03/jim-irsay-arrest-wake-up-call-stupid.html#ixzz2wMgF4wfI

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cmgww

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Re: Another Way of Thinking About Irsay
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2014, 12:32:21 am »
Here is my take. First, great show by JJ today. Hearing from someone in the sports radio world that is in recovery sheds a lot of light for the rest of folks that don't understand the power and fury of addiction.

Now, my take on Kravitz. I'm an Indy local and read his work all the time. He's a hack. Has been for years. He is privately probably laughing his ass off at Irsay's troubles. They claim to be close...right. During the Peyton Manning saga that unfolded when the Super Bowl was in town there was quite a feud between the two. So I take what he writes with a grain of salt.

Now, on to Pat McAfee. To put it simply, he was a 2nd year player at the time, went out as many 23 year olds do, and got too drunk. Ended up swimming in the canal in Broad Ripple on a dare. Got busted for PI, suspended one game, and apologized in his own words (not some prepared statement). I'm sure most of us did pretty dumb things in our 20s. And he hasn't had an issue since. Since then he has become favorite around town. He does a lot of charity work, has his own radio show during the season, and is seen as a pretty likable guy and good dude. He also doesn't have a noted history of drug/alcohol abuse, so it's really an apples to oranges comparison.

Kravitz shills to the lowest common denominator. Occasionally he will write some good stuff, but most of it is typical modern day crap journalism. That said, the two incidents were night and day different in nature. McAffee was a kid having a bit too much and acting like a typical 20 something. Irsay is 54, and has battled addiction in the past.

Just my two cents, as I live here and have a more local take on things.

BuryCats

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Re: Another Way of Thinking About Irsay
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2014, 03:15:41 pm »
Irsay clearly has a legal entanglement, if not a drug "problem". McAffee was being a bonehead. The bigger problem about various drugs is a big public misunderstanding about addiction. Even with opiates, addiction is surprisingly rare. Among heroine users, the rate of addiction (versus "casual use", i.e. "used in last month or year") is like 10% - 15%. Drug policy people I read say that the pharmaceutical alternative (e.g. Oxycodone) are more addictive, yet still less than 30% for off-prescription users.

We don't really know where Irsay actually falls on the continuum. He might just like partying occasionally with the stuff, and until now, has kept his favorite way of having fun under the radar. The DUI is inexcusable, and he should make amends for that. But to beat the possession rap, he will probably have to admit a problem and complete some kind of treatment, regardless of whether he has a problem or a hobby that we frown upon.

I don't think we'll know Irsay's real deal for awhile.

cmgww

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Re: Another Way of Thinking About Irsay
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2014, 06:18:44 pm »
Living in Indy...we see him a lot more than those not from here. His physical appearance has deteriorated drastically over the past several years. He went from a robust 235 lbs (and in good shape) to 170 or so. Just do a Google image search of him from around the time the Colts won the SB to recently. He claimed the weight loss was bc of hip surgery and his docs advised it to ease his hip pain. He also has recurring back pain from football injuries he sustained while playing at SMU. The physical changes seem to indicate a pattern of addiction, not "recreational use." It's amazing and sad to know he's only 54. He looks 10 years older easily.

 As someone who works in the addictions field i can also say that opiate (painkiller) addiction is one of the most dangerous of all of them. Due in part to the over prescribing of painkillers by physicians, and the addictive power of opiates. The road to becoming fully addicted to painkillers takes months in a lot of cases, not years. In lab tests with mice, they have observed opiate withdrawal after one dose of heroin. As more and more states are cracking down on physicians over-prescribing painkillers, heroin is making a big comeback. And unlike in the 70s, this stuff is nearly 100% pure. It's supply and demand. Less painkillers on the street, higher prices. Heroin is cheaper, and most new users aren't injecting it...they snort or smoke it. The stigma associated with IV drug use is still strong, so by snorting or smoking heroin, users think they're not "junkies". That said, heroin is still highly addictive.

Since I don't know the man personally, I can only speculate, but his usage is highly indicative of addiction, not just recreational "partying"

Jim may do well on a drug called Suboxone. It takes away the withdrawal symptoms and cravings, but does not produce a "high" (well in those addicted to painkillers anyway). It also blocks the effects of other opiates if someone taking it relapses and swallows a handful of pain pills.

Painkiller addiction is a huge epidemic, here is a good article about it.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/addiction/painkiller-addiction-worse-than-marijuana-or-cocaine-study-finds-8751.aspx
« Last Edit: March 23, 2014, 06:23:25 pm by cmgww »

Absinthe

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Re: Another Way of Thinking About Irsay
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2014, 01:32:31 am »
Didn't realize he lived (or at least bought a house) down the street from me. Me and Jimbo coulda been hangin out much ago!