Runners-Up: Michael Vick and Eddie Griffin, redeaux
Atlanta Falcon’s former star quarterback Michael Vick, who made the “under watch” section in the August 2007 issue of TAR due to being indicted for allegedly participating in a dog fighting ring. I wrote, “Vick is linked to the ring because he owns the property at which the dogs were sometimes housed. While there is otherwise no public information on Vick to suggest alcoholism, animal cruelty is almost always rooted in the disease. Of the 65 dog fighting arrests he’s made in the last five years, Sgt. David Hunt of the Franklin County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office says, ‘There’s only been one where we didn’t find drugs.'” Hey Michael, here’s a way to get upgraded from “under watch” to “runner-up”: get a pre-trial release on charges of being involved in a dog fighting ring. Have the Magistrate issue restrictions such as “refrain from use or unlawful possession of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances.” Then go ahead and test positive for marijuana use, which you know is easily detectable and will jeopardize your freedom and career. I’d call you an idiot as so many other observers do, but I know better.
The late former NBA player Eddie Griffin, who made Top Story in the September 2007 issue of TAR by dying instantly after crashing his SUV into a moving freight train in August. The medical examiner’s office in Harris County, Texas, determined that Griffin’s blood alcohol level was .26 per cent, over three times the legal limit for driving. This does not surprise the addiction aware.