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Irsay talks about Pain Med problem.....


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For the FIRST TIME, Irsay is speaking publicly about his personal problem.   Gave an interview to Bob Kravitz of the Indy Star newspaper.  

 

Anyway.....   I don't have an account and not sure it would be readable here, so I'll post a summation article that is now posted on NFL.com....    this will tell you hi-lites of Irsay's interview......

 

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000357156/article/colts-owner-jim-irsay-opens-up-about-recovery

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What a ridiculous, pathetic thing to say.

Beating alcoholism should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

What a load of garbage. One is chosen, the other is not .

I just lost a great deal more of respect for that guy.

Edit: and let me just add, Irsay got to recover in a posh, high-end luxury treatment center. Cancer patients can't do the same.

Stupid.

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What a ridiculous, pathetic thing to say.

Beating alcoholism should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

What a load of garbage. One is chosen, the other is not .

I just lost a great deal more of respect for that guy.

Edit: and let me just add, Irsay got to recover in a posh, high-end luxury treatment center. Cancer patients can't do the same.

Stupid.

 

That's not what he said.

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What a ridiculous, pathetic thing to say.

Beating alcoholism should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

What a load of garbage. One is chosen, the other is not .

I just lost a great deal more of respect for that guy.

Edit: and let me just add, Irsay got to recover in a posh, high-end luxury treatment center. Cancer patients can't do the same.

Stupid.

People choose alcoholism and addiction?

Stupid is right.

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What a ridiculous, pathetic thing to say.

Beating alcoholism should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

What a load of garbage. One is chosen, the other is not .

 

He didn't equate them.  He was speaking of the similarities between the two, if even that.

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Cliff notes from the article on Indystar:

 

1) He did rehab in several different facilities, for addiction to pain meds. He paints the picture of becoming addicted after his surgeries, but says he hasn't had alcohol in over a decade. Not many specifics, on the record, but he says he's still on pain meds that are closely managed by his doctors, and that with his addiction, "surgery and pain management can be very tricky waters."

 

2) Kravitz says he physically looks better.

 

3) He's agreed to random drug testing to be done by the prosecutor's office, and that the results will be shared with Goodell.

 

4) He believes his addiction is genetic, that his father and grandfather suffered from it and eventually died because of it, and the he will have to continue dealing with it. He also says that he feels "the journey is great because it forced you to grow spiritually. There's a lot of gratitude and spiritual growth. And it's rewarding because it makes you more virtuous when you have success." He believes there's a stigma associated with addiction, where the person is judged, rather than looked as someone who is sick. (This is where the somewhat messy comparison to cancer comes into play.)

 

5) He said him having that amount of money on him is not rare or unusual. (I hope he rethinks this, especially after publicizing this to the world, for his own safety.)

 

6) He declined to go record about what the league might do, what kind of conversations he's had with Goodell, whether he thinks he should be held to a higher standard than players, what he plans to do from a legal standpoint, and exactly what happened the night he was arrested. Kravitz suggests that's because the case is still pending, and because his recovery is private and personal. He doesn't seem inclined to meekly accept any kind of full suspension from the league, saying that players aren't told they can't monitor their investments, etc. 

 

7) Irsay says fans should know that he's focused on the season, he's always been completely engaged, even when he was in rehab, and that he's "deeply invested in continuing to make the Colts great." He doesn't seem inclined to meekly accept any kind of full suspension from the league, saying that players aren't told they can't monitor their investments, etc. 

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What a ridiculous, pathetic thing to say.

Beating alcoholism should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

What a load of garbage. One is chosen, the other is not .

I just lost a great deal more of respect for that guy.

Edit: and let me just add, Irsay got to recover in a posh, high-end luxury treatment center. Cancer patients can't do the same.

Stupid.

 

No worries, I never really had any respect for your owner either. So it's all evening out now.

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What a ridiculous, pathetic thing to say.

Beating alcoholism should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

What a load of garbage. One is chosen, the other is not .

I just lost a great deal more of respect for that guy.

Edit: and let me just add, Irsay got to recover in a posh, high-end luxury treatment center. Cancer patients can't do the same.

Stupid.

Can you provide quotes where Irsay said beating addiction should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

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What a ridiculous, pathetic thing to say.

Beating alcoholism should be considered heroic the same way that beating cancer is?

What a load of garbage. One is chosen, the other is not .

I just lost a great deal more of respect for that guy.

Edit: and let me just add, Irsay got to recover in a posh, high-end luxury treatment center. Cancer patients can't do the same.

Stupid.

Maybe you should re read the comments. If that is what you took out of what you did read then I am sorry to inform you your reading comprehension is very poor.

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Cliff notes from the article on Indystar:

 

1) He did rehab in several different facilities, for addiction to pain meds. He paints the picture of becoming addicted after his surgeries, but says he hasn't had alcohol in over a decade. Not many specifics, on the record, but he says he's still on pain meds that are closely managed by his doctors, and that with his addiction, "surgery and pain management can be very tricky waters."

 

2) Kravitz says he physically looks better.

 

3) He's agreed to random drug testing to be done by the prosecutor's office, and that the results will be shared with Goodell.

 

4) He believes his addiction is genetic, that his father and grandfather suffered from it and eventually died because of it, and the he will have to continue dealing with it. He also says that he feels "the journey is great because it forced you to grow spiritually. There's a lot of gratitude and spiritual growth. And it's rewarding because it makes you more virtuous when you have success." He believes there's a stigma associated with addiction, where the person is judged, rather than looked as someone who is sick. (This is where the somewhat messy comparison to cancer comes into play.)

 

5) He said him having that amount of money on him is not rare or unusual. (I hope he rethinks this, especially after publicizing this to the world, for his own safety.)

 

6) He declined to go record about what the league might do, what kind of conversations he's had with Goodell, whether he thinks he should be held to a higher standard than players, what he plans to do from a legal standpoint, and exactly what happened the night he was arrested. Kravitz suggests that's because the case is still pending, and because his recovery is private and personal. He doesn't seem inclined to meekly accept any kind of full suspension from the league, saying that players aren't told they can't monitor their investments, etc. 

 

7) Irsay says fans should know that he's focused on the season, he's always been completely engaged, even when he was in rehab, and that he's "deeply invested in continuing to make the Colts great." He doesn't seem inclined to meekly accept any kind of full suspension from the league, saying that players aren't told they can't monitor their investments, etc. 

Thanks for the recap on the articles, nicely done.  My opinions about what he said:

 

1) I hope the best for Irsay, but if he was using the meds years ago for a recreational buzz, he wouldn't admit it.

2) Great. I hope Irsay succeeds.

3) Fantastic.  Seems like a reasonable position for the NFL.  Hopefully they accept it as part of whatever punishment he gets.

4) Some people have addictive, obsessive personalities that makes it easier to fail like this.  And it is inherited via DNA.

5) Bull.  He is probably guilty of obtaining the drugs illegally and has to say this.

6)  Suspension is subject to debate.  He makes a good point about "monitoring his investment"  he owns the team, not the league.

7) A point I tried to make, but rather sloppily in another thread.  If he has been addicted since 2002, his judgment, when stoned, is better than a lot of people's judgment when sober.

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Some things have certainly been taken out of context, I believe.

 

Maybe it's not heroic to beat an addiction,  but it is defintely admirable.  

 

 If you've ever known anyone with an addiction, and watched them struggle for years, and Finally  FINALLY  were able to come to grips with the fact that they indeed had an addiction, and were able to  take the first step and admit this, take the 2nd step and seek help, and take the many other steps along the way to learn to live with this truth, day by day for the rest of your life,  then you might understand what he is trying to say.

 

There is no such thing as a "recovered alcoholic"  or a "recoverd addict".  There are however   "Recovering alcoholics, or Recovering addicts"   

 

No it's not the same as someone with cancer,   but it is a disease and / or illness just the same.    I have a lifelong friend that has been an alcoholic for MANY of those years, and has recently  faced this truth, so I have seen first hand just how hard it is for him to overcome.   Today is his 68th day of being clean and dry, and he has attended AA meetings every single day of these 68 days since admitting he had a problem and seeking help. It has been a bumpy road, the first month was definitely the hardest and he continues to struggle with this daily.  He remains one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever had the pleasure of calling my friend, and I am proud of what he continues  to do and overcome.

 

I'll step down off my soapbox now. :Cry:

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Thanks for the recap on the articles, nicely done.  My opinions about what he said:

 

1) I hope the best for Irsay, but if he was using the meds years ago for a recreational buzz, he wouldn't admit it.

2) Great. I hope Irsay succeeds.

3) Fantastic.  Seems like a reasonable position for the NFL.  Hopefully they accept it as part of whatever punishment he gets.

4) Some people have addictive, obsessive personalities that makes it easier to fail like this.  And it is inherited via DNA.

5) Bull.  He is probably guilty of obtaining the drugs illegally and has to say this.

6)  Suspension is subject to debate.  He makes a good point about "monitoring his investment"  he owns the team, not the league.

7) A point I tried to make, but rather sloppily in another thread.  If he has been addicted since 2002, his judgment, when stoned, is better than a lot of people's judgment when sober.

 

1) Honest question: Do people use pain meds like Oxy and Vicodin for recreational purposes? I would think it's always a slide from pain management to dependence. There are better things to do than pain pills if you want to be high or numb.

 

5) If he had money to obtain drugs, I would think he'd either have money or have drugs. Not both. It's not unrealistic to me that a rich guy like Irsay would have $29k on him at any given moment. Pinning it on obtaining drugs is speculative. Also, some people have said that the investigation determined that he did have prescriptions, and that's why the possession charges weren't pursued further, but that's not been concretely determined to this point. Either way, while it might not be the smartest thing in the world, for someone like Irsay to have $29k on him is like a regular person having a couple hundred bucks on them. Might not be everyday walking around money, but it's not rare or unusual.

 

7) If you look at pictures of him over the last two years, you can see a difference in his skin tone, complexion, how slim his face is, etc. I tend to think -- and this is speculation, obviously -- that after his surgeries, this pain pill addiction became an issue again. Meaning it's not something that's been going on for the last decade or so. Could be, but I doubt it. But I do think Irsay has been one of the very best owners in the league throughout his tenure.

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How can you beat the addiction to painkillers if the pain is still there? hard to blame on him

Don't get me wrong I am not for Irsay being addicted to drugs but like you I can understand it at least in terms of pain meds.

 

With that said what is the real issue was him getting behind the wheel and driving while under the influence of them.  That I can completely blame him for.  There is zero reason/excuse for Irsay driving under the influence of them.  He has enough money he should be able to have a driver anytime he wants. 

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1) Honest question: Do people use pain meds like Oxy and Vicodin for recreational purposes? I would think it's always a slide from pain management to dependence. There are better things to do than pain pills if you want to be high or numb.

 

5) If he had money to obtain drugs, I would think he'd either have money or have drugs. Not both. It's not unrealistic to me that a rich guy like Irsay would have $29k on him at any given moment. Pinning it on obtaining drugs is speculative. Also, some people have said that the investigation determined that he did have prescriptions, and that's why the possession charges weren't pursued further, but that's not been concretely determined to this point. Either way, while it might not be the smartest thing in the world, for someone like Irsay to have $29k on him is like a regular person having a couple hundred bucks on them. Might not be everyday walking around money, but it's not rare or unusual.

 

7) If you look at pictures of him over the last two years, you can see a difference in his skin tone, complexion, how slim his face is, etc. I tend to think -- and this is speculation, obviously -- that after his surgeries, this pain pill addiction became an issue again. Meaning it's not something that's been going on for the last decade or so. Could be, but I doubt it. But I do think Irsay has been one of the very best owners in the league throughout his tenure.

 

1)  I don't know if recreational is the best term, but I think people like the feeling.  I don't know how it differs from alcohol, really.  Myself...I hate the feeling of a buzz, which is why I stopped drinking several years ago and take as few pain pills the few times I've been prescribed them. 

 

5.) Its not how rich he is...its what anybody needs to buy with 29K cash, or a similar amount, on a routine basis.  Speculative? Of course.  Again, I think he is nonsense'ing and doesn't really have that much money on him on a routine basis anyway.

 

7) I think in the linked article in the other thread he said he has battled pill addiction since 2002 (kind of switched from drinking).  Yes, the last several months have been really bad.  I think he handled the whole transition from Polian/Caldwell/Manning to Grigs/Pagano/Luck exponentially better than Al Davis or Jerry Jones could have, and he was probably fighting demons at the time.

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No worries, I never really had any respect for your owner either. So it's all evening out now.

That's amusing, considering that Kraft is credited by Jeff Saturday for being the primary person responsible for ending the lockout. Kraft has never done anything remotely reprehensible, unlike Irsay.
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Picking up a bottle for the first time is a choice, yes.

I know many people whose parents were alcoholics. Know what they did? They chose not to drink.

Yeah, it's a choice.

Oh so they knew they were alcoholics by magic did they? They were told upfront what they were getting themselves into?

No. It's painful to discover, and difficult to recover from. Kudos to your "people's" parents. Hopefully they never see your posts, because it undermines their struggle completely.

It's not printed on your birth certificate, "Addict: Do not give addictive substances."

The moronic things you post are absolutely mind blowing.

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That's amusing, considering that Kraft is credited by Jeff Saturday for being the primary person responsible for ending the lockout. Kraft has never done anything remotely reprehensible, unlike Irsay.

Saturday did credit Kraft with that, although that really doesn't have anything to do with the topic.  As far as Kraft never having done anything remotely reprehensible, unlike Irsay, that is not quite true.  After the biggest scandal in NFL history (largest fines, most draft picks taken away) he did not fire the cheater(s)s responsible.  By not doing that Kraft said that he condoned the actions taken and may even of had knowledge of what was going on.  That is as reprehensible as being addicted to pain meds and driving erratically.

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That's amusing, considering that Kraft is credited by Jeff Saturday for being the primary person responsible for ending the lockout. Kraft has never done anything remotely reprehensible, unlike Irsay.

Wait THE Jeff Saturday?!?!?!

Moral compass for an entire generation, Jeff Saturday!!?!?!?!?!

THE PARAGON OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE, JEFF SATURDAY?!?!?!

Why didn't you say so in the first place?? Clearly your life is without sin, or anything "remotely reprehensible" if you carry the approval of Jeff Saturday.

Clearly a man who wanted to end a lockout, that effected his finances, brand, and well being negatively, is beyond reproach. What a transcendent individual.

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Saturday did credit Kraft with that, although that really doesn't have anything to do with the topic.  As far as Kraft never having done anything remotely reprehensible, unlike Irsay, that is not quite true.  After the biggest scandal in NFL history (largest fines, most draft picks taken away) he did not fire the cheater(s)s responsible.  By not doing that Kraft said that he condoned the actions taken and may even of had knowledge of what was going on.  That is as reprehensible as being addicted to pain meds and driving erratically.

Enh I don't think you can say spygate is the same as this.  No one is in danger of dying from spygate.  Things could have gone a lot worse for Irsay than they did.

 

With that said it's a mistake.  A very big mistake that Irsay is going to pay for but a mistake none the less.  It doesn't change the fact that Irsay is one of the most charitable people in Indianapolis and has done many good things a million times over that people who are interested in attacking him like to pretend like didn't happen.

 

As for Kraft I am sure he's not a saint.  With that said I wouldn't compare spygate to this.  I think it's apples to oranges.  One was an organization thing and the other is a personal thing and should be treated as such IMO. 

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Wait THE Jeff Saturday?!?!?!

Moral compass for an entire generation, Jeff Saturday!!?!?!?!?!

THE PARAGON OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE, JEFF SATURDAY?!?!?!

Why didn't you say so in the first place?? Clearly your life is without sin, or anything "remotely reprehensible" if you carry the approval of Jeff Saturday.

Clearly a man who wanted to end a lockout, that effected his finances, brand, and well being negatively, is beyond reproach. What a transcendent individual.

 

was-that-sarcasm.jpg

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1)  I don't know if recreational is the best term, but I think people like the feeling.  I don't know how it differs from alcohol, really.  Myself...I hate the feeling of a buzz, which is why I stopped drinking several years ago and take as few pain pills the few times I've been prescribed them. 

 

5.) Its not how rich he is...its what anybody needs to buy with 29K cash, or a similar amount, on a routine basis.  Speculative? Of course.  Again, I think he is nonsense'ing and doesn't really have that much money on him on a routine basis anyway.

 

7) I think in the linked article in the other thread he said he has battled pill addiction since 2002 (kind of switched from drinking).  Yes, the last several months have been really bad.  I think he handled the whole transition from Polian/Caldwell/Manning to Grigs/Pagano/Luck exponentially better than Al Davis or Jerry Jones could have, and he was probably fighting demons at the time.

 

1) I've taken Vicodin. It doesn't make me feel good. It can take pain away. If you want to "feel good," you take something other than Vicodin. If you want to get rid of pain, you take Vicodin, then because of "chronic pain," you can become dependent on it to function. That's the way I have usually heard addiction to pain killers described. I'm sure there are exceptions, but given Irsay's surgeries and prior issues with addiction, I doubt that he's one of them.

 

That's not to say he couldn't have used other recreational drugs back in the day. I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

 

5) He didn't say "routine." He said it's not rare or unusual. He also brought up his philanthropy, which is well-documented, but it came across as sort of heavy handed and defensive in this case. Either way, they investigated the cash, I'm sure, and evidently, nothing stood out. That's not surprising to me. It's hard to imagine Jim Irsay being involved in any kind of drug distribution, and $29K is a lot for personal use of ANY recreational drug. It just doesn't add up. He could have started out with $30K and bought a stash of pain pills. That's not unfathomable. But people who keep bringing up the cash, as if it indicates that Irsay was involved in something nefarious, are missing the point, I think.

 

7) I, too, think he handled the transition better than other owners would have. The GM/coach transition wasn't a big deal, IMO; Irsay has done that before. The Manning transition was the tricky one, and things got a little messy at the time, but I think it got blown out of proportion. And if Irsay was in fact dealing with issues like this at the time (his hip surgeries were after the transition, so I'm not sure he was), then yeah he handled it well, all thing considered.

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1) I've taken Vicodin. It doesn't make me feel good. It can take pain away. If you want to "feel good," you take something other than Vicodin. If you want to get rid of pain, you take Vicodin, then because of "chronic pain," you can become dependent on it to function. That's the way I have usually heard addiction to pain killers described. I'm sure there are exceptions, but given Irsay's surgeries and prior issues with addiction, I doubt that he's one of them.

 

That's not to say he couldn't have used other recreational drugs back in the day. I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

 

5) He didn't say "routine." He said it's not rare or unusual. He also brought up his philanthropy, which is well-documented, but it came across as sort of heavy handed and defensive in this case. Either way, they investigated the cash, I'm sure, and evidently, nothing stood out. That's not surprising to me. It's hard to imagine Jim Irsay being involved in any kind of drug distribution, and $29K is a lot for personal use of ANY recreational drug. It just doesn't add up. He could have started out with $30K and bought a stash of pain pills. That's not unfathomable. But people who keep bringing up the cash, as if it indicates that Irsay was involved in something nefarious, are missing the point, I think.

 

7) I, too, think he handled the transition better than other owners would have. The GM/coach transition wasn't a big deal, IMO; Irsay has done that before. The Manning transition was the tricky one, and things got a little messy at the time, but I think it got blown out of proportion. And if Irsay was in fact dealing with issues like this at the time (his hip surgeries were after the transition, so I'm not sure he was), then yeah he handled it well, all thing considered.

Credit needs to go to Manning there too.  He could have easily used this to go after Irsay and make it really messy had he wanted too.  That's part of the reason I don't listen to people who think there is bad blood between Manning and Irsay, neither fired all the bullets at each other that they could have if there was legit bad blood between each other.  I am sure things got heated at times and they weren't the best of friends but in the end I think that went about as smooth as it probably could have on both sides. 

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Being an addict isn't a choice. Educate yourself

My grandparents were alcoholics. By definition , addicts. Yes?

My father knew that, genetically, he'd most likely be an edict himself.

So he didn't pick up a bottle.

THERE'S the choice.

Otherwise, once hooked, you're right , there's no choice.

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Nope here is how It goes. You CHOOSE to do a drug or drink or what not the first time you try it. You don't choose to become addicted or have the disease of addiction.

 

Nobody says to themselves "Wow I am gonna try heroin this weekend and hopefully become a full fledged addict." The choice comes from trying......the addiction comes from within something much worse then a choice.

 

People can be in pain and choose painkillers to ease pain. They do not say to themselves "I am going to become an addict by choice." But, they choose to try methods to ease the pain.

 

The big question is why so many in our country choose to try drugs even if on a recreational level in the first place? What drives this choice? There are deeper issues here then just drugs and alcohol and many cannot handle those because it often blames things they don't want to look into.

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Enh I don't think you can say spygate is the same as this.  No one is in danger of dying from spygate.  Things could have gone a lot worse for Irsay than they did.

 

With that said it's a mistake.  A very big mistake that Irsay is going to pay for but a mistake none the less.  It doesn't change the fact that Irsay is one of the most charitable people in Indianapolis and has done many good things a million times over that people who are interested in attacking him like to pretend like didn't happen.

 

As for Kraft I am sure he's not a saint.  With that said I wouldn't compare spygate to this.  I think it's apples to oranges.  One was an organization thing and the other is a personal thing and should be treated as such IMO. 

No one was in danger from Irsay (in this instance, I can't say never).  Driving 10 mph in a 35.  But yes, I would say both are equally reprehensible.  IMO wrong is wrong.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Irsay, I have a sever dislike for people that drive under the influence of some mind altering drug and I won't go into what I think about people that do drugs (illegal and legal drugs have taken more and destroyed more lives than guns ever will, yet our govt. wants to take away the latter and legalize the former, makes no sense to me but alas, that is for a different forum).

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No one was in danger from Irsay (in this instance, I can't say never).  Driving 10 mph in a 35.  But yes, I would say both are equally reprehensible.  IMO wrong is wrong.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Irsay, I have a sever dislike for people that drive under the influence of some mind altering drug and I won't go into what I think about people that do drugs (illegal and legal drugs have taken more and destroyed more lives than guns ever will, yet our govt. wants to take away the latter and legalize the former, makes no sense to me but alas, that is for a different forum).

Putting yourself behind the wheel while under the influence of any kind of substance has a chance to end very badly.  Spygate did not Pats get an advantage from it and maybe win some games because of it, not good but clearly not on the same level as maybe putting people's lives in danger.  It is not the samething as what Irsay did.  One was a team thing the other was a personal thing and should be treated as such.  Wrong is wrong does not work and never has worked.  That's why different crimes have different punishments and there isn't one universal punishment out there for everything.  Not everything is equal. 

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1) Honest question: Do people use pain meds like Oxy and Vicodin for recreational purposes? I would think it's always a slide from pain management to dependence. There are better things to do than pain pills if you want to be high or numb.

 

5) If he had money to obtain drugs, I would think he'd either have money or have drugs. Not both. It's not unrealistic to me that a rich guy like Irsay would have $29k on him at any given moment. Pinning it on obtaining drugs is speculative. Also, some people have said that the investigation determined that he did have prescriptions, and that's why the possession charges weren't pursued further, but that's not been concretely determined to this point. Either way, while it might not be the smartest thing in the world, for someone like Irsay to have $29k on him is like a regular person having a couple hundred bucks on them. Might not be everyday walking around money, but it's not rare or unusual.

 

7) If you look at pictures of him over the last two years, you can see a difference in his skin tone, complexion, how slim his face is, etc. I tend to think -- and this is speculation, obviously -- that after his surgeries, this pain pill addiction became an issue again. Meaning it's not something that's been going on for the last decade or so. Could be, but I doubt it. But I do think Irsay has been one of the very best owners in the league throughout his tenure.

 

Yeah, Oxy and other opiates have similar effects to Heroin, which is an opiate itself. They call pain pills "Hillbilly Heroin." Opiates is the most addictive thing somebody can be on. Even more addictive than Cocaine, and while there are a lot of "Junkies" running around begging for money to get a fix, There are a lot of regular people who have become addicted to pain pills for various reasons. I've known Nurses, A school secretary, and other decent, honest people that have become addicted to pain pills. Opiates gives you a warm, peaceful, confident, happy feeling while numbing your body at the same time. The feeling it gives you is comparable to sex. Other drugs don't give you a feeling that can compare to it. Other than the Physical dependence, the mental dependence is a big reason opiates are so addictive. When people get off of them, even for a year or so they don't feel the same, they miss the feeling it gives them, and almost feel lost without it. It's like, you get use to that blissful feeling while your on pain pills, then you get off of them and normal doesn't feel like normal anymore (Referring to your mental state) Since Irsay has been addicted so long, he was probably doing several milagrams a day, and I would think the best way he could get clean is Suboxone.

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1) I've taken Vicodin. It doesn't make me feel good. It can take pain away. If you want to "feel good," you take something other than Vicodin. If you want to get rid of pain, you take Vicodin, then because of "chronic pain," you can become dependent on it to function. That's the way I have usually heard addiction to pain killers described. I'm sure there are exceptions, but given Irsay's surgeries and prior issues with addiction, I doubt that he's one of them.

 

That's not to say he couldn't have used other recreational drugs back in the day. I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

 

5) He didn't say "routine." He said it's not rare or unusual. He also brought up his philanthropy, which is well-documented, but it came across as sort of heavy handed and defensive in this case. Either way, they investigated the cash, I'm sure, and evidently, nothing stood out. That's not surprising to me. It's hard to imagine Jim Irsay being involved in any kind of drug distribution, and $29K is a lot for personal use of ANY recreational drug. It just doesn't add up. He could have started out with $30K and bought a stash of pain pills. That's not unfathomable. But people who keep bringing up the cash, as if it indicates that Irsay was involved in something nefarious, are missing the point, I think.

 

7) I, too, think he handled the transition better than other owners would have. The GM/coach transition wasn't a big deal, IMO; Irsay has done that before. The Manning transition was the tricky one, and things got a little messy at the time, but I think it got blown out of proportion. And if Irsay was in fact dealing with issues like this at the time (his hip surgeries were after the transition, so I'm not sure he was), then yeah he handled it well, all thing considered.

 

If you just take like one 5 MG Vicodin, or take them as prescribed it doesn't give you that blissful feeling. If you had taken 20 or 30 MG's you would have felt it since you didn't have a tolerance to opiates. Addicts can do anywhere from 100 to 300 MGs per day, which would be 10-30 Vicodin 10's. Sometimes even more than that.

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Saturday did credit Kraft with that, although that really doesn't have anything to do with the topic. As far as Kraft never having done anything remotely reprehensible, unlike Irsay, that is not quite true. After the biggest scandal in NFL history (largest fines, most draft picks taken away) he did not fire the cheater(s)s responsible. By not doing that Kraft said that he condoned the actions taken and may even of had knowledge of what was going on. That is as reprehensible as being addicted to pain meds and driving erratically.

Except that your whole second of your statement isn't true. At all.
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