12/21/24
August 17, 2006
Vikings' Robinson Arrested; Season May Be In Jeopardy: Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Koren Robinson, after a comeback season that saw him win the Korey Stringer Good Guy Award, the Ed Block Courage Award, a trip to the Pro Bowl, and a new three-year contract, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with one felony count of fleeing in a motor vehicle, two counts of DWI and three other misdemeanors.
posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 05:21 AM - 26 comments
Look, I know that Koren Robinson had a lot of problems in Seattle and has a lot of baggage going in Minnesota but com'on guys, give the guy a break. Alcoholism IS a disease that afflicts so many people and destroys families. When did we,as a people, become so de-sensitized that when an individual like Koren gets into a situation like this, he's labeled as a 'bad guy'? I understand that he's a grown man and should be held accountable for his actions, but even he said that it'll be difficult dealing with his addiction going into the NFL season. I myself, have not suffered from alcoholism but had an uncle (God rest his soul) that dealt with this problem ever since he came back home from Vietnam, different situation but the same outcome. People of all nationalities have suffered from this and they do deserve the benefit of the doubt to try to take control of their lives. It's a shame and I hope that he does recover from this because regardless of what the guy does on the field, he still is a human being. Life is about learning from your mistakes and people need to stop being so damn judgmental. Live and learn
posted by BornIcon at 07:32 AM on August 17, 2006
Really? Sometimes I think like that. And then sometimes I think that we are not judgemental, enough. Right and wrong and personal responsibility and all that. I believe someone's alcoholism deserves sympathy. I also believe that someone's continuing pattern of getting hammered and jumping in the car deserves nothing but the finest in ass-kickings.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:08 AM on August 17, 2006
They have big signs along Texas highways that say "DWI: You CAN'T Afford It". I personally found out that they are correct a few years ago, and the State legislature has only made it tougher since then. Mr. Robinson will probably have plenty of court ordered "help and counseling" to assist him in his journey towards sobriety, and hopefully he will take advantage of it. (If not, I hope he realizes that cab fare is a much cheaper(and safer) option than drinking and driving.) All he can do now is hire decent counsel, and the rest is up to him.
posted by mjkredliner at 08:12 AM on August 17, 2006
give the guy a break. Alcoholism IS a disease that afflicts so many people and destroys families. When did we,as a people, become so de-sensitized that when an individual like Koren gets into a situation like this, he's labeled as a 'bad guy'? I never said anything about Robinson as a regular person, and never called him a bad guy. All I commented on was that he was highly-touted as a player coming out of college and has been absolutely putrid as a pro. With regards to his disease/weakness, whatever, I'm truly sorry. Instead of raking in big money for zero results, Robinson will ultimately (most likely) be cut free fairly soon and left to deal with all of life's stressors like the rest of us, with the added stress of making shit for salary for a day-to-day job (provided he can get one). I, too, drink, and have for some time, but it's never impacted my ability to go to work each day. It's not about being "de-sensitized." It's about using some resources he probably has available and picking himself up so he doesn't continue blowing his one-more-last-chance.
posted by dyams at 08:14 AM on August 17, 2006
The best situation for Robinson might have happened. Take the season off, hit the A.A. meetings, and maybe he'll get his LIFE back on track. Who cares about football for this guy. It's kinda like the Vin Baker ordeal. Not a bad guy...just gotta admit the alcoholic disease and move on with it. Only cure is abstinence.
posted by Cyr78 at 08:53 AM on August 17, 2006
Dyams, you hit home for talking about the stress of making a day-to-day salary for regular folks. Gosh that truly is a struggle. As for my own thoughts, I don't care if Robinson is an Alcoholic. Or if Alcoholism is disease. F-him and his behavior. What does society need to wait for this loser to kill somebody? Get the poor baby a tissue. Speeding to evade police at over 100mph is disgusting. Who gives a shit about his disease (if he even has one). Seems like when any "star" gets busted for intoxication they "have a disease" or "just need treatment" or "they had it rough." Hey, they can keep the bull and they can keep the shit because that's all it is.
posted by T$PORT4lawschool at 09:04 AM on August 17, 2006
You sound like a promising young prosecuter to me.
posted by mjkredliner at 09:08 AM on August 17, 2006
Dyams, I never pointed u out as a the person who called Koren Robinson a 'bad guy' or even made any mention about u, I was just speaking in general. Koren wasn't speeding at 100 mph to avoid the police, he was clocked at 100 mph trying to get to the training facility that the Vikings were at. He was trying to get there before the mandatory curfew that Head Coach Brad Childress had implemented. Now, don't get me wrong, I in no shape, form or fashion am condoning what he did or didn't do. I'm just saying that the guy is dealing with 'personal issues' just like every other person in the world. Just because we see these athletes on TV, does that make them any more/less human? As for my own thoughts, I don't care if Robinson is an Alcoholic. Or if Alcoholism is disease. F-him and his behavior......Get the poor baby a tissue. T$PORT4lawschool, u are exactly the type of person that I speak of. Just put urself in his shoes. Ur telling me that u never went to a bar/club and after having a few, got behind the wheel? I'm sure that a lot of people have, but have not been caught. It's a shame that people cannot look at themselves as if they cannot make a mistake or have any type of problems until they do. People all over the world have suffered greatly because of doing just that and if caught, may they deal with the consequences after the fact. But answer me this, does that automatically make them less than u or does that make them human? If a person takes a life while driving intoxicated, that's one thing. One horrible, tragic thing. But that's not what happened here so let's just let this guy deal with his own problems without people making him look like he just doesn't care.
posted by BornIcon at 10:00 AM on August 17, 2006
AOLspeak is enough to drive anyone to drink. (hint: it's "you".)
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:04 AM on August 17, 2006
Perhaps that will be a key part of Mr. Robinson's defense.
posted by mjkredliner at 10:10 AM on August 17, 2006
He had a chance at redemption,and he threw it away.he does not deserve another break.talent and opportunity,two things most people don't get,yet here is another person who chooses to lose.everybody gets to make a choice wether or not to destroy themselves.I have no sympathy for the idiot who would rather piss everything away than be successful.
posted by mars1 at 11:03 AM on August 17, 2006
This just really surprises me because he has already been through this episode before. He has previously admitted to his alcoholism and took responsibility to attend alcohol prevention programs and clearly seemed on the right track. He genuinely appeared thankful that the Vikings gave him a second chance and performed admirably during a time when the final shit seemed primed to hit the fan. Everyone's worst fear was that he would be given a large contract and throw it all away again, and to a small extent, this seems to be what's happening. It is a huge slap in the face to the Minnesota crowd that so willingly took him in and showered his "comeback" with praise.
posted by PublicUrinal at 11:58 AM on August 17, 2006
As for my own thoughts, I don't care if Robinson is an Alcoholic. Or if Alcoholism is disease. F-him and his behavior. What does society need to wait for this loser to kill somebody? Get the poor baby a tissue. posted by T$PORT4lawschool Do you just copy and paste that into every similar thread? I can imagine it would save you some time.
posted by justgary at 01:33 PM on August 17, 2006
Just put yourself in his shoes. I can't afford his shoes, nor can I afford the high buck attorney he will have to, drag this out for the next year or so. ur telling telling me that you never went to a bar/club and after having a few, got behind the wheel? I am sure if we are honest with our self's, most of have, but not at over 120MPH. For his driving to amount to the level of a felony goes well beyond that. Not a day goes by that there is not a story about some young sports star fucking up. But rarely do you here what the out come is. Eighteen months from now there will be a small storey in the back of the Saturday paper that says he got community service and a fine. But if on the front page there is a story about him catching two TD passes or making a great catch, well, no one will give a shit.
posted by CB900 at 01:56 PM on August 17, 2006
Not a day goes by that there is not a story about some young sports star fucking up. But rarely do you here what the out come is. Eighteen months from now there will be a small storey in the back of the Saturday paper that says he got community service and a fine. This is all true; however, not a day goes by that there is not a story about some young non-sports star person fucking up. That's what young people tend to do, because they haven't been schooled by life yet, and even if they have an intellectual comprehension of consequences, it just doesn't sink in for a lot of them without the experience to go along with it. And, as with young sports stars, you rarely hear what the outcome is with the non-sports stars unless you happen to know them or live in the same small town, and eighteen months from now there will be a small story (if that) in the back of the paper about how they got community service. End of story. In other words, there are plenty of young people of non-star status who get a wrist-tap the first go around. If they've got significant priors it can go down differently, but otherwise, a lot of foolishness seems to be regarded as a virtual right of passage if it's perpetrated by a young person.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 02:49 PM on August 17, 2006
Actually, off-field trouble has historically correlated to on on-field success for the Vikings (last season's Love Boat debacle aside). Whenever Tommy Kramer fell off the wagon, the Vikings won.
posted by kirkaracha at 03:19 PM on August 17, 2006
I'll bet all you bleeding hearts who feel sorry for this looser and say he deserves another chance and all of you who fall for the garbage that alcoholism is a ''disease'' would be singing a different tune if you lost someone to a drunk. Alcoholism is brought on by a weak person who cannot control his behavior, someone who cannot face reality. Disease MY A$$. With these athletes it's always the same story, it is the pressure, etc. They should try working their a$$e$ off at 2 or 3 jobs and still have a struggle. This a$$hole should be kicked to the curb.
posted by joromu at 03:50 PM on August 17, 2006
ur telling telling me that you never went to a bar/club and after having a few, got behind the wheel? Not once. Ever. I don't think I could ever live with myself if I caused serious injury (to myself or others) as a result of driving a vehicle while impaired in any way. Heck, I pull off the highway and park in shopping mall lots to snooze for a bit if I feel the least bit tired while driving long distances. Driving a car is like wielding a gun: if you fuck up, someone is going to get hurt or killed.
posted by grum@work at 04:11 PM on August 17, 2006
So, your saying I shouldn't shoot when I drink?
posted by tron7 at 04:28 PM on August 17, 2006
Gun's don't kill people, but when placed in the hands of such rascals as Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Johnny Walker, and Jose Cuervo, they damn sure become much more dangerous.
posted by mjkredliner at 05:02 PM on August 17, 2006
Guns don't shoot people in the face...I shoot people in the face!
posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:00 AM on August 18, 2006
While I agree these same problems are present with a great deal of society, not just famous, or semi-famous individuals, it's still a shame guys like Robinson can't seem to pull it together and understand they've been given a short window of time in which to make huge amounts of money. Those close to him should do whatever it takes to keep him on track and focused because the money he makes from these contracts he keeps being offered (which are basically gifts, since he's never earned anything at all, professionally) could set him up for the rest of his life. Not knowing the guy, I doubt seriously once football's out of the picture and he's barely into his 30s that there's any occupation he's going to jump into that will allow him to live well, if at all. It's just hard watching weak-minded people piss their opportunities away.
posted by dyams at 07:52 AM on August 18, 2006
dyams, I hear ya...but I'm also thinking of a local teenager who could have been one of the best distance runners in the country, and who,as you say, just couldn't pull it together. Her payoff wouldn't have been in the form of millions of dollars like Robinson, but just as with Robinson, it could have set her up for the rest of her life, in terms of getting her an education at a Div I school, getting her name known, etc. (to give you an idea, one of her male counterparts at the same school, also an excellent distance runner but just a shade behind this girl in terms of where he'd place in a big regional race, got a full ride at Columbia). I think that most of us have "big payoff" opportunities in our lives, not million-dollar ones, but opportunities that could make a significant difference in our lives...and most people blow it.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:33 AM on August 18, 2006
Ha ha, TBH, yep, I think Cheney was consorting with someone in that list o' rascals that day... lbb, I think your last sentence is very true. Maybe Koren Robinson hasn't used all his chances, but he's got to be getting close.
posted by mjkredliner at 09:51 AM on August 18, 2006
Okay, I understand that alcoholism is a disease. But not stoping when the police tell you to and then evading them and taking them on a high speed chase isn't. That is just stupidity and puts a lot of innocent people at risk.
posted by kidrayter2005 at 06:38 AM on August 19, 2006
This guy just can't get it together, or keep it together. With regards to football, he's been one huge, gigantic bust, but his behaviors only serve to tell why he's been such a flop. It's too bad for Vikings (and their fans) because they really need all the help and depth at receiver they can find. People in Minnesota must be quite used to getting up each morning and hearing about another off-field issue that will damage hopes for another season.