Chamberlain apologizes for 'an error in judgment' after DUI

[dickay]

Complete loss of respect for him as a person. Nothing wrong with cheering for him on the field, but as a person, he's an idiot...and I say that about ANY person who drives while intoxicated. The "oh, lots of people do it, it's not that big of a deal" excuse is absolute BS. It onlly takes ONE time for you to get a little careless and kill somebody..then you'll be blubbering in court and saying "oh, I didn't mean to" and other crap. Playing with people's lives by driving drunk is just completely unacceptable.....too bad there are so many idiots in the world who do think it's okay.

I'll go out on a limb and say you've done it before. Have you ever had a couple beers at a bar and gotten behind the wheel? New years eve party? Wedding? Have you sped while driving? Rolled through a stop sign? Or are you perfect in every way because that is how you present yourself.

Speeding is something people do KNOWINGLY. Driving while intoxicated very often someone has a couple glasses of wine and maybe a beer and they don't even know they are above the level. You have to know the circumstances before you can judge.

I don't see anyone saying 'its not a big deal'. I agree that excuse would be absolute BS. But those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones fits better.

[dickay]

I was just posting some pertinent information. Also, just to clarify, I didn't post anything prior to that.

I can swear I read where you posted stated you had 'lost respect' for him. Maybe I mistook you for someone else, or maybe it disappeared.

[HoustonGM]

I can swear I read where you posted stated you had 'lost respect' for him. Maybe I mistook you for someone else, or maybe it disappeared.

It never happened. I generally don't care at all about the off-field lives of athletes, unless they're particularly good (Albert Pujols, Mariano Rivera, etc.) or particularly bad (can't think of any such baseball players off the top of my head).

[KowboyKoop]

I'll go out on a limb and say you've done it before. Have you ever had a couple beers at a bar and gotten behind the wheel? New years eve party? Wedding? Have you sped while driving? Rolled through a stop sign? Or are you perfect in every way because that is how you present yourself.

Speeding is something people do KNOWINGLY. Driving while intoxicated very often someone has a couple glasses of wine and maybe a beer and they don't even know they are above the level. You have to know the circumstances before you can judge.

I don't see anyone saying 'its not a big deal'. I agree that excuse would be absolute BS. But those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones fits better.

I've never had a drink of alcohol in my life.

Trying to equate drunken driving with "rolling through a stop sign" is just ridiculous. Drinking and driving is CLEARLY way worse than going 5 mph over the speed limit. I don't drive excesively over the speed limit b/c that would also be very stupid and I wouldn't feel the least bit sorry for someone who did and got in a wreck. Same for someone who went through a red light/stop sign and got hurt..wouldn't feel sorry one single bit.

[dickay]

I've never had a drink of alcohol in my life.

Trying to equate drunken driving with "rolling through a stop sign" is just ridiculous. Drinking and driving is CLEARLY way worse than going 5 mph over the speed limit. I don't drive excesively over the speed limit b/c that would also be very stupid and I wouldn't feel the least bit sorry for someone who did and got in a wreck. Same for someone who went through a red light/stop sign and got hurt..wouldn't feel sorry one single bit.

But drinking and driving is LEGAL so long as you don't drink too much whereas going over the speed limit or 'rolling through a stop sign' is ALWAYS ILLEGAL.

I'm not trying to minimize a dui in any way....its horrific. But millions of americans could be pulled over and be found in excess of the legal BAC. I know someone pulled over because of a burned out taillight and the officer smelt booze and put them through a breathalizer which was failed by the slightest amount. In his case, one could say he was driving more 'safely' than you who are speeding as he wasn't pulled over because of any moving violation.

[KowboyKoop]

But drinking and driving is LEGAL so long as you don't drink too much whereas going over the speed limit or 'rolling through a stop sign' is ALWAYS ILLEGAL.

I'm not trying to minimize a dui in any way....its horrific. But millions of americans could be pulled over and be found in excess of the legal BAC. I know someone pulled over because of a burned out taillight and the officer smelt booze and put them through a breathalizer which was failed by the slightest amount. In his case, one could say he was driving more 'safely' than you who are speeding as he wasn't pulled over because of any moving violation.

I'm obviously talking about being over the legal limit. I'm not saying if you have one beer and drive you should go to the electric chair.

Again...trying to compare drinking and driving to driving a little over the speed limit is just embarrassing. I shouldn't have to tell you why.

Millions of americans could be pulled over for it. That's the problem..it's so stupid yet it's so common today. I wish they would all get pulled over and I wish their punishment would be harsh. Just because they didn't happen to kill somebody one time doesn't mean the law shouldn't be harsh in trying to prevent it. As for your friend, I'm glad they caught him. If he was over the legal limit, he should be punished for it. No sympathy here...just because he didn't kill someone that time doesn't mean he won't next time. I believe we should prevent it from happening again...but if he's like most people, he'll just do it again and keep pressing his luck.

[filihok]

It never happened. I generally don't care at all about the off-field lives of athletes, unless they're particularly good (Albert Pujols, Mariano Rivera, etc.) or particularly bad (can't think of any such baseball players off the top of my head).

Umm...any baseball player of the last 20 years or so who was knowingly breaking laws by taking, buying, or distributing illegal substances.

Ambiorix Burgos who killed two women with his Hummer and then drove away? Class act for sure

Any of these numb****s like Joba have the potential for doing just that every time the make these "errors in judgement".

As society we need to (make the laws a lot tougher) quit giving them a free pass and go back to the old "shame" routine.

[filihok]

he'll just do it again and keep pressing his luck.

He can press his luck all he wants, I don't care. When he's pressing MY luck, or my niece's or nephew's luck, or my mom's luck, that's when we have a problem.

[KowboyKoop]

He can press his luck all he wants, I don't care. When he's pressing MY luck, or my niece's or nephew's luck, or my mom's luck, that's when we have a problem.

Yup.....that's the point. Everytime a person drives drunk (no matter how drunk they are or how "in control" they think they are) they put other people's lives in danger...yet it's so acceptable among people today..especially my generation (I'm 24 years old) and it's not going away until the laws get a LOT tougher.

[dickay]

As society we need to (make the laws a lot tougher) quit giving them a free pass and go back to the old "shame" routine.

I wish they would all get pulled over and I wish their punishment would be harsh.

I agree with all of this. The laws aren't strict enough to really discourage this activity. It should be much much stricter. There is a reason why CDL holders are much more responsible....their legal limit of .02 allows for zero tolerance really and they lose their CAREER. It definetly effects judgement.

Immediate jailtime, loss of license for 3 years, etc. would immediately greatly reduce these instances.

[HoustonGM]

Umm...any baseball player of the last 20 years or so who was knowingly breaking laws by taking, buying, or distributing illegal substances.

I don't classify that as "particularly bad."

Ambiorix Burgos who killed two women with his Hummer and then drove away? Class act for sure

This guy, I would.

Let me clarify my statement though. I barely concern myself with the off-field life of athletes at all, even in the particularly good and bad cases. I'm just more apt to say "That guy's an *******" if he was part of a hit and run, or "That guy's a good guy" if he does a bunch of charitable work like Albert Pujols. But, frankly, I don't give a crap about the off-field lives of athletes unless it somehow has an effect on the field. They're people just like us and as such there's going to be jerks and nice dudes.

[filihok]

I'm all for that. Let's all write to our representatives...or go get some petitions signed...

and...tumbleweeds blowing across the desert...

[justanewguy]

I've done it a couple of times. I know a lot of people who have as well. I'm not a bad person necessarily, and the people i know who've done it are not necessarily bad people.

It doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a person who is obviously very capable of executing poor judgment.

It's similar to having unprotected sex. The difference being legality, but it's a very poor choice. Though it's probably not going to end up with life-altering consequences, it very well could, and it's unwise. But it doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a person who didn't practice good judgment in a given situation where practicing "good judgment" and "better safe than sorry" were competing with convenience and "a good time."

[KowboyKoop]

I've done it a couplel of times. I know a lot of people who have as well. I'm not a bad person necessarily, and the people i know who've done it are not necessarily bad people.

It doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a person who is obviously very capable of executing poor judgment.

It's similar to having unprotected sex. The difference being legality, but it's a very poor choice. Though it's probably not going to end up with life-altering consequences, it very well could, and it's unwise. But it doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a person who didn't practice good judgment in a given situation where practicing "good judgment" and "better safe than sorry" were competing with convenience and "a good time."

Yes...very similar to unprotected sex. Having unprotected sex..you might catch a disease or get a girl pregnant. Drunk driving, you can kill yourself and more importantly, kill multiple other people.

Yeah...same thing....WTF!??!?!?



Drunk driving makes you a bad person. If you stop doing it, you won't be a bad person. Keep doing it, and you're still a bad person. If/when you are driving drunk and you kill somebody, try telling the victim's family that you "aren't a bad person" and just used "poor judgement." I'm sure that will make them feel better.

[justanewguy]

Yes...very similar to unprotected sex. Having unprotected sex..you might catch a disease or get a girl pregnant. Drunk driving, you can kill yourself and more importantly, kill multiple other people.

Yeah...same thing....WTF!??!?!?

Think about it for a second.

Think about it.

Seriously, you didn't grow up in a barn, did you?

Also, I didn't say "same thing," I said "similar."

Drunk driving makes you a bad person. If you stop doing it, you won't be a bad person. Keep doing it, and you're still a bad person. If/when you are driving drunk and you kill somebody, try telling the victim's family that you "aren't a bad person" and just used "poor judgement." I'm sure that will make them feel better.

I am torn between saying I agree, because I generally do, and... on the other hand, someone who has "never taken a drink" in their life is difficult to attempt to reason with on something like this, so I don't really agree with you.

The whole "if you stop doing it" thing only goes so far. Practically nobody does this as a thing. It's not like smoking crack or beating your wife. It's something that HAPPENS sometimes. If you would think it through, you'd see that's the point I was making when comparing it to "unprotected sex."

It's something that people do in a moment, when their judgment is lacking. It's not something people TEND to do, or SET OUT to do.

It's an issue of lack of good judgment. Lack of good judgment can cause bad things. Talking on the cell phone while driving can kill people (and has been proven, in many studies, to be just as dangerous as drunk driving). Plenty of bad judgment can kill people.

It's a STUPID thing to do. Continuing doing it is STUPID. But it's little more than that, whatever the consequences. It's STUPID. It doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you someone who is capable of doing something STUPID.