11/05/24
August 10, 2009
The Devil Is Still In Josh Hamilton: Josh Hamilton claims he's been sober since October 2005. Since then he's rejuvenated his career, saved his marriage, devoted himself to Jesus, and become America's flawed, homer-derby hero. Last winter, while he was alone in Tempe, Arizona, Hambone kinda slipped.
Problem? I don't see a problem with 3, pretty decent looking skirts all up on him, although he is married. I know that the barkeep said that he offered Hamilton a beer but in any of those pics, Hamilton doesn't have a drink in his hand. He does seem to be having one hell of a time though but if alcohol is one of the reasons for his past drug use, then he should really stay clear of bars.
posted by BornIcon at 10:50 AM on August 10, 2009
That is a very tough demon to exorcise. Hang in there Josh.
posted by dbt302 at 12:10 PM on August 10, 2009
Hamilton has admitted he fell off the wagon that night. He reportedly ended that picture session by asking the women where he could score some blow.
As a Rangers fan, I was surprised by how fast the guy turned sobriety and Christianity into national stardom last year. It's pretty amazing that he would pose for pictures that could ruin his reputation and damage his career, no matter how drunk he was at the time.
posted by rcade at 12:36 PM on August 10, 2009
It's pretty amazing that he would pose for pictures that could ruin his reputation and damage his career, no matter how drunk he was at the time.
If he could control himself while drinking he never would have had a drinking problem in the first place. Like Hamilton said, some people can't handle drinking.
posted by cjets at 01:10 PM on August 10, 2009
I don't buy the excuse that taking a drink removed all capacity for rational thought from his brain. I think it's more likely that he posed for those pictures because on some level he didn't want the burden of being a poster child for sobriety and Christianity any more.
posted by rcade at 01:43 PM on August 10, 2009
I don't buy the excuse that taking a drink removed all capacity for rational thought from his brain.
If it was one drink, sure. But he looked like he had been doing some serious partying. He was drinking beers and doing shots. You can get fucked up pretty quickly when you're drinking like that.
And there's no doubt he had opportunities to stop before this happened but isn't that what makes an alcoholic different than the rest of us? The inability to control their drinking?
posted by cjets at 02:08 PM on August 10, 2009
Is there any evidence that he finds it a burden to be the poster boy for sobriety and Christianity?
posted by tron7 at 02:10 PM on August 10, 2009
I was not surprised that he fell off the wagon and drank. I was just surprised that he added the self-destructive decision to pose for a bunch of pictures too.
Mike Freeman of CBS Sports adds a combustible element to the story -- race. "Hamilton is the kind of athlete fans and media normally despise. He's covered with tattoos, is a long-time drug user, has been violent and for years wasted his brilliant talent."
posted by rcade at 02:20 PM on August 10, 2009
Is there any evidence that he finds it a burden to be the poster boy for sobriety and Christianity?
Aside from these photos, no. But the guy's living under a treatment plan that requires he be tested every three days for drugs. He's been lionized as a hero saved from drugs and drink by Christ. It's not hard to imagine that it could become a burden.
posted by rcade at 02:30 PM on August 10, 2009
I don't buy the excuse that taking a drink removed all capacity for rational thought from his brain. I think it's more likely that he posed for those pictures because on some level he didn't want the burden of being a poster child for sobriety and Christianity any more.
I'm not sure if you've ever battled substance abuse rcade but in my experience, that's an over-complication of what is actually a fairly universal phenomenon. The waking up the next morning with no rational explanation of why you did what you did is what drives most people to seek help in the first place (that, and the aftermath that ensues).
If Hamilton didn't want to be sober and a Christian, he wouldn't be pushing the fact that he's both sober and a Christian again.
posted by dfleming at 02:32 PM on August 10, 2009
Some of my close relatives are alcoholics. I'm not attempting to diminish the seriousness of it. But Hamilton was able to avoid taking cocaine that night after he left the bar for the strip joint -- if the drug testing is legit -- and he was able to avoid driving too. So I'm thinking he probably had enough brain cells left to avoid posing for pictures.
posted by rcade at 02:39 PM on August 10, 2009
One would think that the women wouldn't have wanted to be in these pictures as well. From the article it doesn't appear that they knew the photographer, so one would think a person wouldn't want something like that on the internet.
And, given that this wasn't the strip joint, you would think the bar personnel might have stepped in. Or, perhaps I just go to the wrong bars that are filled with the wrong women...damn.
Any word on how his wife took it? I'd be missing at least one nut.
posted by dviking at 05:37 PM on August 10, 2009
I think he handled the whole situation with aplomb. Mea culpa - enda storia. Others should take note.
Deadspin - kinda the TMZ of sports.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:23 PM on August 10, 2009
But Hamilton was able to avoid taking cocaine that night after he left the bar for the strip joint -- if the drug testing is legit -- and he was able to avoid driving too.
That's assuming that the cocaine was available (he did ask for it, right? Maybe he just couldn't find any). And maybe he didn't drive there.
And even if he did drive, maybe avoiding DWI's has become instinct for him.
Any word on how his wife took it? I'd be missing at least one nut.
"But honey, alcoholism is a disease!"
Deadspin - kinda the TMZ of sports.
Can't argue with that (and TMZ is scum). But, as mentioned above, if you're a national sports hero because you found sobriety through religion, salacious photos like this do become news.
That being said, I admire the way he's handling it as well.
posted by cjets at 08:18 PM on August 10, 2009
BTW, the local media doesn't seem to care too much. They ran a story a few days ago, and now nothing is said.
Seems as though bad behavior from T.O, Michael Irvin, and others stayed in the news a bit longer...double standard? Or, was the way Hamilton stepped up and made his apology the difference? A little of both?
posted by dviking at 02:43 AM on August 11, 2009
Seems as though bad behavior from T.O, Michael Irvin, and others stayed in the news a bit longer...double standard? Or, was the way Hamilton stepped up and made his apology the difference? A little of both?
I'd say a combination of the up-front apology and admission of guilt, combined with the fact that really, people don't care about Josh Hamilton. He is simply not the same level of athlete/fame as the other examples.
posted by inigo2 at 09:43 AM on August 11, 2009
But Hamilton was able to avoid taking cocaine that night after he left the bar for the strip joint -- if the drug testing is legit -- and he was able to avoid driving too.
Huge assumptions there. He asked for cocaine but that doesn't necessarily mean that a couple of college girls are going to know where to get it.
We also don't know that he didn't drive.
Even if both of those were decisions on his part, the severity of them is immediate; getting caught up with a couple of hotties and posing for pictures is the kind of thing that would be easy to forget is going to do you wrong. There's also the possibility that he didn't think the photographer would run to the nearest news station with the photos too. Trusting someone while drunk who you shouldn't is what most drunk people do.
The bar looked deserted outside of these people. I think he probably felt like it was a safe environment.
posted by dfleming at 09:51 AM on August 11, 2009
He asked for cocaine but that doesn't necessarily mean that a couple of college girls are going to know where to get it.
Where does it say that these girls were college girls?
posted by BornIcon at 10:06 AM on August 11, 2009
people don't care about Josh Hamilton. He is simply not the same level of athlete/fame as the other examples.
On a national level I would agree, but I live in Dallas, and he's pretty big here, and it's a relatively slow sports news time of the year.
There was coverage of his wife's blog today, lots of feel good, born again forgiveness talk. I don't doubt she is being sincere, just wouldn't expect her to make a public rant about what she did with his left nut. (though my wife has confirmed that mine would be on display in a trophy case) As far as the actual local journalists, one ran a story about his father's battle with alcoholism, and that seems to be about it.
posted by dviking at 10:33 AM on August 11, 2009
Where does it say that these girls were college girls?
Way to pick out the important point.
posted by yerfatma at 12:17 PM on August 11, 2009
The college girl guess comes from the fact that the bar was near the Arizona State University campus and a caption described it as a "popular ASU hangout."
posted by rcade at 12:40 PM on August 11, 2009
Way to pick out the important point.
So you don't know the answer either.
...the bar was near the Arizona State University campus and a caption described it as a "popular ASU hangout.
Thanks rcade, that's all I needed to hear.
posted by BornIcon at 01:37 PM on August 11, 2009
Leave it to an alcoholic and drug addict (recovering in this case, of course) to have a group of willing college girls draping themselves all over him and he asks for cocaine. What's next: a former NBA player receiving provocative pics from the unmarried chick next door and sending her a zillion texts and he doesn't score either?
What good are all those millions if you can't even manage a bit of extra-marital man-sluttery?
posted by THX-1138 at 01:48 PM on August 11, 2009
What's next: a former NBA player receiving provocative pics from the unmarried chick next door and sending her a zillion texts and he doesn't score either?
What good are all those millions if you can't even manage a bit of extra-marital man-sluttery?
Dude, you are in top form today!
*That's truly a compliment my friend
posted by BornIcon at 02:04 PM on August 11, 2009
So you don't know the answer either.
No, mainly because I don't see how it matters. He was out doing something that's not good for him with women who he's not married to. I'm not sure how their educational status is relevant to the story.
posted by yerfatma at 03:39 PM on August 11, 2009
No, mainly because I don't see how it matters
It mattered enough for you to comment on it, now didn't it? It was a question that I threw out there because I didn't see anywhere that said that these girls were in college and someone made a "college girls" comment. It had less to do with their "educational status" and more to do with me wondering if they were of age to be in a bar.
posted by BornIcon at 08:20 AM on August 12, 2009
You have a tendency to be argumentative about everything, BornIcon. The fact that the women were in college was in the link, if you had read the captions.
A comment like "It mattered enough for you to comment on it, now didn't it?" is empty noise. Once you assert something you dig your heels in and keep hammering it over and over when people disagree with you, as if you've taken offense at their challenge. That's not really conducive to open discussion.
posted by rcade at 09:16 AM on August 12, 2009
I asked a question about whether these girls were in college. Even though I'm the one that posted this story, I didn't notice anything about this bar being a college hangout (I was really just looking at the pics in disbelief considering what Josh Hamilton already has gone thru in his life and fell off the wagon) which is why I questioned the "college girls" comment.
Having someone reply to my question with "Way to pick out the important point" isn't being "piddly"? I have no beef with anyone, especially if someone disagree with my opinion, isn't that what this sports blog about anyways? One gives their opinion, another individual provides their own opinion and you discuss it regardless if the two agree or not? I just rather do it without the condescending tone directed towards me for my inquiries.
posted by BornIcon at 09:37 AM on August 12, 2009
What Yerfatma said wasn't piddly, it was snarky. There's a difference. He raised a valid issue about whether the women's educational status mattered.
Speaking personally, I think the reason you're getting more pushback here than others is that it's difficult to argue a subject with you. You dig your heels in on every point you make and never concede any ground.
There's nothing wrong with argument -- it drives the site -- but you gotta know when to stop beating a dead horse.
posted by rcade at 09:46 AM on August 12, 2009
There's nothing wrong with argument -- it drives the site -- but you gotta know when to stop beating a dead horse.
Fair enough. I just don't want you or anyone else thinking that I'm here to fight with people. I'm here to talk about sports and am truly interested in other people's opinion. If I come across a certain way, it's because I'm passionate about what I believe in but I mean no disrespect to anyone as I'm sure there's no malice intent by anyone else. We are all grown here and the last thing anyone wants is to be bickering like 12 year olds.
posted by BornIcon at 09:58 AM on August 12, 2009
Thanks. As I said in an email, you're a good contributor here. Everybody takes arguments too far sometimes. I probably did it on the Ortiz/Ramirez discussion while I was doing some drive-by posting during a road trip.
posted by rcade at 10:09 AM on August 12, 2009
I appreciate that, rcade. I think we can all get a bit hot under the collar when having a discussion about sports. By the way, I wouldn't really worry to much since I don't believe you left any witnesses during your verbal drive-by crime spree. The coast is clear.
posted by BornIcon at 10:29 AM on August 12, 2009
If that kind of thing happens to Josh Hamilton every time he drinks, I can see why it has become a problem for him.