Quote:He's plain stupid.  He may or may not be also addicted to alcohol and/or drugs.  If he is addicted to alcohol, that just makes him even dumber.  He was drunk when he got stopped, not when he had the first drink.  If you KNOW you've got a problem and you're still not smart enough to safeguard yourself (and others) by making transportation arrangements before you start, you're an idiot.  It's not like he couldn't afford a taxi!

 

I feel the same way, but at the same time I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt this one last time.  Why? During his time in college he was coddled, protected, and enabled by the athletic department as we all see in our fine establishments of higher learning.  He then stepped into the pros and continued with the partying atmosphere coupled with the fact that suddenly he had pockets full of money.  Like you, I thought a four game suspension would get his attention, and I'm sure it did, but it didn't go far enough to really get to the root of his problem and solve it.  Now that he's losing huge amounts of money and potentially facing the end of his career, hopefully he's getting the long-term treatment he needs to face his demons and learn how to deal with them.

 

Blackmon is still a youthful and unformed individual.  Unfortunately, fame and fortune does not imbue maturity and good sense.  More often than not it accomplishes the opposite.  If JB is getting the real help he needs to give him the tools to succeed in life and deal with the trappings that come with professional sports, then I see no reason not to give him another chance.      

---