Two ways to keep athletes like Marshawn Lynch out of jail
Jul 17, 2012, 9:08 AM | Updated: Oct 11, 2024, 1:21 pm
 Why do stars like Marshawn Lynch keep getting into trouble? (Lynch mug shot courtesy Alameda County Sheriff’s Office) |
“Why do superstars keep getting DUI’s?” It’s a question
many are asking after the arrest of Seahawks’ star
Marshawn Lynch on suspicion of DUI.
“Can’t you, for the duration of your NFL career, just not
drink before you get in a vehicle, or since you’re making
a pretty good salary, if you’re going to have something
call a cab or have your driver come get you? How
difficult can that be?” ponders Dave Ross in the wake of
the weekend arrest that landed
Lynch in a Northern California jail.
Lynch has become one of the main faces of the
organization, recently inking a four year, $32 million
deal.
And after several past brushes with the law, including a
weapons violation and hit and run, there’s plenty of
speculation Lynch could lose a chunk of that new salary.
“My hunch is that (NFL Commissioner Roger) Goodell would
say ‘Okay, three strikes, we will hand you a suspension
this time,'” predicts 710 ESPN’s Bill Swartz.
Swartz says the NFL and individual teams do what they can
to help keep guys out of trouble, including a mandatory
orientation for all rookies entering the league.
“They get a speech from a lot of the veterans, they get a
speech from a lot of the coaches, from the security
people in the NFL, they go through this all day, all
weekend seminar,” Swartz says.
Clearly, it’s not working. And it’s not just the NFL.
NBA star Jason Kidd got busted over the weekend in New
York for driving under the influence and crashing his car,
and goalie Ondrej Pavelec of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets was
reportedly charged with driving under the influence in his
native Czech Republic after crashing his car.
Since the trainings and warnings aren’t helping keep the
stars out of trouble, Luke Burbank has a simpler, albeit
impractical solution:
mandatory ignition interlocks. And while he’s at it, he’d
mandate vasectomies to cut down on the spate of
illegitimate children spawned by overly active athletes.
“Those are totally reversible and those will save you so
much money over time,” Burbank says half-jokingly.
