Would a DUI arrest by Mickey Mantle have been such a big story? Photo: AP file
Why is ANY story about an athlete getting arrested for DUI that big of a news story? While I do understand the ink about Miguel Cabrera‘s off-season DUI arrest (since his Alcohol issues caused him to miss games in a critical series two years ago for his team), recently I saw this link critiquing the reactions of three MLBers who got busted for DUI this past off-season (Cabrera, Austin Kearns and Adam Kennedy: side note is it ironic or just coincidental that the latter two are Nationals washouts?). Then late last week one Coco Crisp was arrested for DUI as well. I began to wonder; why are these revelations such big news stories?
Think about your job. You probably sit in an office and stare at a computer 8 hours a day. Your boss has no idea what you do the other 7-8 hours of your day, nor any idea what you do all weekend. You could have a massive drug problem, or get arrested on a friday night and spend the whole weekend in jail … but as long as you show back up at work Monday, don’t miss any work and don’t miss any deadlines/don’t let it affect your work product … then who cares?
I guess the real answer is something along the following. MLB players are celebrities now. They’re for the most part multi-millionaries and live lives that most Americans cannot comprehend. In today’s TMZ-inspired celebrity news cycle what used to pass as a personal matter is now rabidly reported as breaking, important news. Do I care that Coco Crisp tied a few drinks on last weekend and (like a moron) got into his car and drove? No, not really. It may show bad judgement on his part but it has nothing to do with his performance on the field. It certainly didn’t affect Wade Boggs‘ career (he was notorious for his beer drinking abilities, reportedly drinking “50-60” beers on cross country trips).