Surprise, Surprise
Well. Dwight Gooden has been arrested again for DUI. And he has a pending domestic violence charge as well. Truly, this is getting so old. I mean, Dwight was such a talented ball player back in the day. I can remember going through baseball cards in the seventh grade locker room and trying to do whatever it took to get a sweet deal on the Gooden cards.
The 1984 Rookie of the Year and the 1985 NL Cy Young Award winner while with the New York Mets, Gooden went 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA before retiring in 2001. He also pitched for the Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
And then, out of no where, it was trouble with drugs. Then he gets rehabbed and comes back. Then it's more trouble. Are we surprised then to see that yet again the man is under the influence?
Gooden was arrested by Tampa police in 2002 on a drunken driving charge, but later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and received a year probation. He was arrested in March and charged with hitting his live-in girlfriend in the face during an argument.During his playing days, Gooden was suspended for 60 days in 1994 for testing positive for cocaine while with the Mets. He tested positive for cocaine again while on suspension and was sidelined for the 1995 season.
It has been said before, I know, but allow me to vent for just a moment. These guys have no concept of the fact that young kids look up to them. What sorry role models most of them are. How could they not take the responsibility they have been given more seriously? Just today I heard about a football player for the New Orleans Saints who will miss several games because the coach is unhappy with him for missing pre-season practice. And why did he miss pre-season practice? Because he was serving a federal sentence on drug charges! Crikey!
I must say that I am glad Brad continues to find stories of the good guys in sports who are interested in making a difference in the lives of young people.
