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Recapping Al

Here's what we know:

 

  • Al was pulled over for driving under the influence and will be due in court sometime in April. 
  • Al has been suspended without pay by the Wolves for 2 games, costing him nearly $300,000 in salary. 
  • Al has issued a heartfelt apology. 
Here's what we don't know:
  • The exact BAC. 
  • How many drinks he had before getting into his vehicle. 
  • If the NBA's CBA allows for the Wolves to preemptively take away 2 games worth of pay before any legal outcomes. 
We have had a fairly mixed reaction to the news of Al's arrest on the site.  Everything from "get rid of him now" to "don't judge the guy" has been expressed.  After thinking about the matter for a day, it appears that the Wolves have acted appropriately considering past NBA DWIs, and somewhat proportionately, considering what an average citizen would have to pay if they were pulled over for driving under the influence.  

At the end of the day I think the general sense from the comments on this subject is a feeling of disappointment.  Al Jefferson makes nearly $150,000/game and he couldn't find the good sense to hop in a cab.  Did he think he was OK to drive?  Who knows?  I'm sure all of you have heard the commercials that say "Buzzed driving is drunk driving".  I think that probably applies to the situation with Al.  No matter how little alcohol you think you have put into your system, you don't really know how much is in there in terms of BAC, or how that amount has affected your ability to properly operate a vehicle.  

Whatever the case, it will be up to Al to prove that this sort of thing will never happen again and it will be up to his fans to decide whether or not to forgive him.  He is going to have to earn this.  By all accounts (including some sent to us today from folks with the team), Al is a fantastic individual.  This may be true (and we think it is), but even wonderful people can do awful and stupid things.  Al is lucky more than anything else.  He is lucky that no one was injured.  He is lucky that he is so financially blessed so as to be able to absorb the high costs associated with getting a DWI.  He is lucky that most people will judge him by his on-court performance rather than his after-hours activity.  If he is a good and decent person (and we have no reason to believe otherwise), than he should also be lucky and blessed enough to regain the good graces of his many fans.  

 

Until later. 

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Comments

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Well said.

Al’s apology seemed honest and unrehearsed … unlike other apologies we’ve heard lately.

by memyworldkj on Mar 1, 2010 5:50 PM CST reply actions  

Agreed

And agree about TIger’s “speech.” Everything seemed honest and sincere. I’m glad he mentioned people seeing his mugshot on TV. Him acknowledging the embarassment seems very real.

He smacked his lips a lot though… someone should have gotten him a drink

by Mplax on Mar 1, 2010 7:46 PM CST up reply actions  

re: someone should have gotten him a drink

…of Gatorade.

Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Mar 1, 2010 9:34 PM CST up reply actions  

I'm not a "Nanny State" guy

But I am really starting to wonder if society would benefit if alcohol serving establishments were required to install breathalyzers that people could check before leaving. It would be a little costly, but maybe the cost could be offset by insurance “dram shop” premium reductions.

by Rumblebee on Mar 1, 2010 7:02 PM CST reply actions  

Some bars have devices in the urinals

that make a warning sound if you’re over the limit. I doubt they’re very reliable, and most dudes would just laugh at them anyway.

"Never make predictions, especially about the future." Casey Stengel

by uncle rico on Mar 1, 2010 9:36 PM CST up reply actions  

smoking

maybe we could let people smoke again but not let them drink and drive.

by littleboxes on Mar 1, 2010 10:55 PM CST up reply actions  

lord knows i like ta git thowed too mayn

I feel bad about de whole situation mayn. Watchin Al dis year been rough on me mayn cuz i wuz like maynnn Al iz DAT DUDE befo dis year mayn an now im like maynnn iz he dat dude ufeel me?!?!?!? Mayn all i kno iz i live mad close ta de blue Door mayn an im finna git thoweeeeddd tanigh an walk mah zz home an chief on sum uv dat kill mayn

an nah mayn ya boi dont drive thowed mayn dis kill i got too good fo dat mayn shit ll have you ucked up on de real mayn specially when i mix it wit de Henn mayn who wit me

MAYN HOL UP!

by MAYNHOLUP on Mar 1, 2010 8:11 PM CST reply actions  

Uh . . .

(raises hand sheepishly)

I’m, uh, wit you.

by PoorDick on Mar 1, 2010 8:23 PM CST up reply actions  

yall legendary mayn

less go less git it! I’m finna git wasted like de boi Gucci sez BRR! WHO BUMPIN Z-RO ROUN HERE MAYN I KNO I IZ LISTEN TA DIS AN TELL ME U AINT THOWED

http://dirtyglovebastard.blogspot.com/2010/03/audio-willean-ft-z-ro-j-dawg-lil-o-what.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

MAYN HOL UP!

by MAYNHOLUP on Mar 1, 2010 8:43 PM CST up reply actions  

I came,

I clicked,

I was thowed.

by PoorDick on Mar 2, 2010 9:33 AM CST up reply actions  

responsibility

People seem to forget that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is a huge responsibilty to yourself and others using the roads. I sure hate to hear of stories like this. I wish people would not “play” with their lives like this and the lives of others. What a meathead!

by scottysnowski on Mar 1, 2010 9:26 PM CST reply actions  

agreed

I still have a high level of respect for Al and believe he is a good person on and off the court. I wouldn’t throw him in with other athletes who have done stupid things and or act like a douche cough Jared Allen cough when it comes to making personal choices. Until we hear a BAC, I’m convinced he simply had 2 or 3 drinks and was just barely over the limit, probably not even realizing he was over the limit.

That being said, you gotta hold him accountable and you gotta be disappointing in him. Even if he was just barely over the limit, he still needs to know better. There’s nothing more selfish or stupid than drinking and driving.

I think his play this season has caused for most of the people yelling for a trade, but isn’t this a sign that we should stick with him? His value will never be lower than it is right now. Whether it be coming off the knee surgery, this incident, or his decline in production over the last month which causes more questions about his knee, you won’t get the value for him that you will get with him on the team next year if you trade him after the season (unless a remarkable second half happens, in which case, wouldn’t you want to keep him then too?). I say just shut him down until the last 2 weeks so he can rest and then give him a little taste of something to work for next year by playing him the last few games

by uofmike on Mar 1, 2010 9:30 PM CST reply actions  

for sure

His value is low now, and you are right a trade now would not net egual value. Stick it out for a bit. Understand the responsibilty to others when you drive!

by scottysnowski on Mar 2, 2010 9:20 PM CST up reply actions  

Because they're high profile

star athletes eat the most crap over their mistakes. Had Al been born to privilege and money, he wouldn’t have made this mistake. And if Al wasn’t famous, he’d have suffered no penalty for this arrest other than the fine and loss of driving privileges.

I grew up in the ‘50s and ’60s and drunk driving was considered normal. The arrests back then required serious weaving or an accident. As a result, my generation grew up (those of us who survived) with pretty good drinking and driving skills. It takes practice to know when you’ve had too many and experience to overcome your erroneous instincts when you’re drunk. It speaks well of Al that he had none of that to guide him.

Blame? Blame the team. Al is their investment. If players want to hit a club after the game, a smart team would tell them to leave their vehicles at Target and would give them a driver. Why? Because we’ve got a team of nice kids, and nice kids are more likely to drive drunk than discipline cases who already know the drill.

by TMiss on Mar 3, 2010 10:55 AM CST reply actions  

"it speaks well of Al that he had none of that to guide him"

I guess I dont exactly follow what you are trying to say here why does it speak well of Al?. Also why would he have not made the mistake “had he been born to privilege or money?” and again how do you get to the conclusion that Al was more likely to drive drunk than say someone who has a history of partying and drinking? I guess I dont follow pretty much your whole post, hopefully you can try to explain this a little more…….

by thealmtyb on Mar 3, 2010 5:02 PM CST up reply actions  

People who drink a lot

don’t need to be told that DWIs are serious business. Two kinds of people get caught on DWIs: chronic drunks, and lightweights.

Drinkers understand the penalties and how to avoid them (don’t speed, use your turn signals, etc.). They also know you don’t drive home at bar closing time if you can’t blow under .08.

People raised in the upper crust of society are trained to take cabs. That’s an obvious option for people with money. People who don’t come from money, especially if they’re from a rural area, don’t think in terms of cabs, they think in terms of getting home.

I used to be very active in a labor union (which has since become part of the Steelworkers). Unions hate drunk driving laws because every time there’s a sweep, the cops watch the working class bars, not the country clubs and fine dining establishments.

Rich people make the news when they get DWIs because it’s not an every day thing. Regular people get popped all the time. Drunk driving is not an equal enforcement law and had Al been closer to home the cops would have probably given him a pass.

I’ve never had a DWI btw, despite having been pulled over while drunk and despite having been pulled over when my eyes were extremely bloodshot. Your best defense against a DWI is and always will be DRIVING WHILE WHITE.

by TMiss on Mar 4, 2010 4:39 PM CST up reply actions  

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