This sucks bigtime. My hat is off to OldSchool for the scoop. Dylan, how about not doubting Old School anymore...every time I can remember that he posted something as a fact, it has turned out to be true. However: I am almost sure that more than 50 % of the people on this board have at least once had a few beers or other alcoholic beverages and still driven a car. So let us not blow this completely out of proportion. As DaDakota said, it is bad, but not THAT bad. It is a very stupid thing to do because you endanger not only yourself, but also others - and as a public figure which kids look up to, you have even more of a responsibility not to do something stupid like that. Plus, one should think that this is not exactly the best way to recover from an injury. But it is something stupid that a young person would do and it is not like strangling your coach or similar things. It's not the end of the world. I would not scream "Trade Francis" because of that. Still, this franchise is in turmoil.
Wow, I'm surprised that you seem so accepting of this after what you said in the Mo T thread. Let's recap a bit... So Taylor, who didn't put a single person into danger, is "a sad pathetic loser", should have his contract canceled, knew the rules but broke them anyway, etc. And Francis, who could have killed every single person who was on the road with him last night, is "bad but not that bad"? What happened to teaching those idiots that they could not break rules? What happened about stopping idiots from doing drugs? Man those just seem like some messed up priorities...
so it's official then .. i wonder if this will affect his chances of making the all star team this year.... hmm.
Maybe I am an exception here but I think this is a very big deal. Maybe a lot of people have driven after drinking. 1) That doesn't make it right and 2) Maybe they were't influenced enough to run a red light and potentially kill someone. I'm not in favor of trading Francis but I also think he should be sternly punished, not just by the team/NBA but by the law. There is just never any excuse for driving under the influence of any mind altering substance...
I want to see some Blood Alcohol levels... If he was at .08 or .09, then that adds to probably a beer or two...hardly enough to affect his driving ability that much... Also, it's not like Francis was swerving all around the road and that the cop knew he was drunk at the outset. Francis simply ran a red light, which is something that anybody could do, and the cop caught him. When he pulled him over, he probably smelled alcohol on his breath and made him take a breathalizer... Now, if this had happened during the offseason, it wouldn't be that big of a deal...Heck, if he was playing and we were in the playoff chase, it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal. To call it disasterous and start dreaming up trade scanarios is a little outragous...Heck, didn't Rudy T slam into a tree a few years ago? Maybe he can provide some guidance to Steve or something... Now, I'm not condoning what Steve did or saying that what he did was right, but let's not blow things out of proportion...
I think that DWI is Driving While Intoxicated (ie alcohol) and DUI is Driving Under the Influence (ie other drugs like pot) but I am not sure. Hopefully someone else can confirm or deny this...
I believe DWI is Driving While Intoxicated which is alcohol related only. While DUI is Driving Under the Influence of an Illegal Substance. DWI = Booze DUI = Other Drugs I'm not positive about this, this is just what I always thought...
I didn't say it does, so please do not imply that. Regarding priorities: I would actually have to agree that driving drunk is worse than just smoking marihuana (and not driving). Just because you endanger others if you are drunk and run a red light, whereas you do not really endanger anyone if you smoke marihuana and sit at home.
<B>Also, it's not like Francis was swerving all around the road and that the cop knew he was drunk at the outset. Francis simply ran a red light, which is something that anybody could do, and the cop caught him. When he pulled him over, he probably smelled alcohol on his breath and made him take a breathalizer... </B> Yeah, drunk driving is OK as long as you don't kill anyone. I'm sure people who've lost friends and family due to DWI's are thrilled that so many people have this lovely attitude.
Sorry, I dont think its that big of a deal. If he had a couple of beers and drove home, I dont see how people are overreacting to this. "Dude, he could have killed like 83 people." No, a couple of beers dont blind you and make you swerve across 3 lanes a lot. Dylan especially, chill dude.
What the hell? Your driving a ton or more of steel at 60-80 mph, its a ****ing big deal if your impaired in any way. You're putting my life, and the life of everyone else on the road at danger with your ****ing stupid behaviour, stop it. As far as Francis, if found guilty, the guy should be suspended by the team for at least 5 games, and that doesn't even touch what the law should do to him. This is far, far worse than anything Maurice did.
<B>Sorry, I dont think its that big of a deal. If he had a couple of beers and drove home, I dont see how people are overreacting to this. "Dude, he could have killed like 83 people." No, a couple of beers dont blind you and make you swerve across 3 lanes a lot. </B> Yeah, I'm sure that's what most people think before they go out driving drunk and accidentally kill someone. Let's only take it seriously once someone's hurt or dead. BTW, since you're obviously oblivious to the realities of driving drunk, people DO kill people by running red lights drunk. It's not just the extreme case of "swerving across 3 lanes" that gets people killed, and it's not just that extreme case that should be penalized. Francis did something stupid, and he should suffer whatever consequences come of it. Sadly, I'm guess many people's reactions would be different if it was Cato.
Tell you what: when your best friend's sister is killed by someone who had 4 beers then drove home from a bar, you can tell me to chill. First of all you don't know how drunk Francis was. I don't either. Maybe he had 2 beers, maybe 6. But if was intoxicated he put everyone's life at risk. I find it laughable to think that someone has to be falling down drunk for you to think they shouldn't be driving.
Dylan, Alcohol is a LEGAL substance, and due to MADD being such a vocal voice they have managed to get the legal blood alcohol level to .08, that is 2 DRINKS in one hour..... TWO !!! So if you are at dinner, have 2 glasses of wine and drive home, you are DANGED close to being intoxicated, under the law. The difference is that MO Taylor used an ILLEGAL substance, while Francis may have been driving while intoxicated. I will withold total judgement until the facts come out. I have known TOO many people charged erroneously with Drunk Driving. While EVERYONE that tests positive to Drugs has broken the law. Clear? DaDakota
Drinking while driving is horribly stupid. Your risk for being involved in an accident is increased exponentially. A friend of mine had a bad alcohol problem for a while. He ended up running into a minivan with a family of four, killing one kid, causing internal damage in another, and breaking bones in the mother and father. I didn't know that family at all. But my friend has such a burden of guilt that he's been... sort of ruined by guilt, ever since. Smoking pot at home endangers nobody. Pot isn't even addictive. Drinking and driving can ruin lives.
Dude, it was 5AM. He probably just ran the light because nobody was around. It's not like he was out driving over medians or on the wrong side of the road or something. Besides he was arrested on suspicion of DUI. It can't be suspicion if you don't have a breathalyzer to confirm. That means he may not have been over the limit. Oh, no question. The hypocrites usually come out in full force at times like these. The reaction was a lot worse when Pippen did it, though...I wonder why? Are you saying it's not okay? Because that would be a little weird to hear you say that....I don't really care to elaborate on that though.
well, the media circus has begun. It's "the big story" on kprc channel 2 news. They were just getting fans reactions at some sports bar. so much for it blowing over quietly....
