1. "Nothing we didn't already know, I guess" In response to Reply # 0
Some parts of it made you feel for him, others made you feel for the people he fucked over. It sucks that he has a sense of guilt about his son. Really nothing he could have done but it feels weird to be out doing greasy shit when something tragic happens. I know a couple people who went through some real similar shit. Anyway the important thing is that he's on a better path now. You wonder had he gotten to a better space sooner if it could have helped his career and his relationships but there is no going back, I guess.
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
2. "Odom's honesty was revealing. " In response to Reply # 1
He pulled us behind the curtain and showed how deep his issues were. Like you said he is responsible for how he hurt his wife and his kids and seems to have turned things around. Addiction is a horrible disease and he may have setbacks along the way, but he is in a 'better place' and seems to have crawled out of the worst of his issues.
The drug use during his career was shocking to me. At least during the period he was with the Lakers because he played so well. IIRC, some folks in the press mentioned that Lamar seemed to coast at times and his cocaine use would explain his inconsistency.
I have a question for you Charlie. You've worked a beat before, right? I know the NHL is different in some respect to the substances the players use, but when you hear rumors about a players substance abuse, do you feel any kind of obligation to offer a report? Or do you respect the privacy of the athlete?
3. "RE: Odom's honesty was revealing. " In response to Reply # 2 Sat Jul-29-17 04:56 PM by ConcreteCharlie
it was cool to see a consolidated, linear and candid look but i think anyone who's followed his career closely could have written for him. very sad that a guy with so many talents and such a positive presence got dragged under a lot of stuff that was just out of his hands. then he started fucking up and that just pulled him down deeper.
i met lamar a handful of times and know guys who worked with him all the time. great guy by all accounts. but yeah i figured he started using in his 20s. he was pretty shot out by his 30s. crazy how some guys can maintain a pretty high level while doing lots of drugs. lawrence taylor was the ultimate. there are definitely a lot of guys in every sport though, though there are also a lot who flame out prematurely despite being great players.
as for your question, i could have broken a pretty big story that eventually came out about an nhl player and substance abuse. the big thing that made it come to light was a border patrol investigation and obviously that hadn't happened when i had the information. i had no interest in doing it even though there was some upshot to it.
this is a guy's livelihood and also his freedom at stake given the drug laws we have in most of the world. i've definitely gotten wind of guys with drug or drinking problems in other situations, too. i think it's a cheap story to write, personally, and i am guessing that is the general consensus because there are people way more connected than me that must know of these and other instances. there were some pretty big-name players with known issues and they never really made it to the public. i think a lot of times people get the idea when a young guy with a low salary and lots of potential gets traded. i would say when you see that there is a good chance substance abuse is involved, and often it comes out later somehow.
there was a story about the NHL and cocaine a couple years ago but it didn't seem to have much legs. obviously some guys in the league do it and like the nfl prescription painkiller abuse was a thing. i do see teams veering away from that as much as possible and veering away from ambien and other sleeping pills. they turn that over to a nutritionist now, giving the guys extra zinc, magnesium, selenium, etc to get better sleep naturally.
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
5. "Great article - dude has been through the struggle" In response to Reply # 0
Addiction is something that is very personal to me (have seen 3 close individuals struggle with it, one died - heroin overdose which, fun fact, is the most common route because cats who relapse will take their prior dosage and it ends up flooding their CNS and shuts down their respiratory system) and I'm glad he's finally in a place where he might be able to deal with it. It's truly a day to day thing.
Dude has been through a lot - props for writing this, many people can relate.
--------------------------------- <--The drought is over
"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS
"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left." -Kobe speaking to investigators
liked his game and talent, and respected the way he played team ball and came off the bench and did whatever was needed to win during those two Lakers chips. Always seemed like a good guy and teammate. Wish him the best.
7. "selfless guy professionally, also charming and funny" In response to Reply # 6
my favorite odom story is that he once asked why he went to rhode island and his response "let's put it this way, when i got drafted i took a pay cut."
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
"Odom, in New York last month for a slain cousin's funeral, was a passenger in a car that crashed with a motorcycle, leading to the death of a pedestrian. 'I've been burying people for a long time,' says Odom, whose mother died when he was 12 and who lost an infant son in 2006."
14. "I'm reluctant to watch for two reasons." In response to Reply # 11
I hate how Nore conducts his interviews. he talks too much and changes subjects so often. sometimest they can't even answer. hopefully, he's gotten better.
the other reason is Odom. I last saw him on Kweli's show. Odom doesn't seem all there. his answers seemed frank, but something felt like it was missing. almost like he wasn't 'feeling' what he was dealing with. as if he was talking about someone else and not having first hand experience with everything. I may be reading his tone and body language incorrectly, but it just felt off.