04/19/24
March 17, 2003
Aberdeen manager admits drink problem.: Which caused him to miss his team's weekend match with Dundee. His bosses have decided to support him in his struggle with his drink problem. He's not the first football manager with a taste for the hard stuff, Brian Clough being possibly the most famous example, and rumours abounding about Bryan Robson in his spell at charge of Boro. Is it any wonder given British football's drink culture? Did Aberdeen do the right thing, standing by their manager, and more importantly, any other interesting tales of managers (in any sport) on the booze?
I think it's admirable that they did stick by their manager. They would have been within their rights as a company to fire him for missing the match.
posted by grum@work at 02:36 PM on March 17, 2003
FWIW, I agree with you both, it's good that they value the fact that he told the truth rather than trying to hide the real reasons behind his absence. Anyway, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't missed a days work due to excess drinking. ;-)
posted by squealy at 03:12 PM on March 17, 2003
I think that Aberdeen acted honorably in standing behind Paterson, but he also deserves some respect for being upfront about the reason for his absence instead of making excuses. Mickey Mantle immediately sprang to mind when thinking of athletes and booze:
"There is no doubt in my mind that alcohol hurt my career terribly. In the end, all you really have are the memories and the numbers on paper. The numbers are important because baseball is built on them, and this is the way you are measured. And the point is, I played in more than 2,400 games, more than any Yankee player in history, and I hit 536 home runs, and I shouldn’t be griping about my career. But I know it should have been so much better, and the big reason it wasn’t is the lifestyle I chose, the late nights and too many empty glasses."- Mickey Mantle as he was quoted in 'Mickey Mantle: America's Prodigal Son' And Billy Martin was a baseball manager quite notorious for his love of the drink:
In 1969, Billy became the manager for the Minnesota Twins. The pattern that would become his hallmark emerged. He would lead the team to a better finishing record than they had the previous season. But then Martin would be involved in a well-publicized fight, usually involving alcohol, his reputation--as well as the reputation of the club-- would be marred and he would get fired. The pattern repeated itself during one season in Minnesota, three in Detroit, two in Texas, and three in Oakland.from here (scroll down)
posted by pfuller at 03:14 PM on March 17, 2003
This is a pretty stand-up thing to do on Aberdeen's part. The connection between popular sports figures and alcohol abuse is incredibly widespread. To be fair, I live a pretty modest life and I still end up drinking too much with unsettling frequency. I can't imagine what the temptation to party every night must be like when you actually have the means. I'll be the last person to judge guys like Steve Paterson. I hope he learns to take it easy.
posted by Samsonov14 at 03:58 PM on March 17, 2003
And I'll never forget John Kruk's response when he was admonished by a woman for drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette:
"I'm not an athlete, I'm a professional baseball player."I'm not sure how this adds to the discussion, but whenever I think of it I smile. :)
posted by pfuller at 04:00 PM on March 17, 2003
[ this is a great link ]
posted by BigCalm at 06:21 PM on March 17, 2003
Yes, they did the right thing.