The first loss for last season’s Denver Broncos came at the hands of a team owned by a man believed by many to have drug addiction and alcohol abuse problems.
Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, was arrested this past weekend on DUI and drug charges, law enforcement officials said.
In the 24 hours after his arrest, articles appeared on a number of sports websites urging the owner to get help with not only his legal problems, but suspected health and addiction troubles as well.
A police officer stopped Irsay Sunday night. Irsay was reportedly driving slowly, not using turn signals and apparently came to a stop in the road near his suburban home.
He reportedly failed more than one roadside sobriety test before being taken into custody. Officials said drugs were also found in his vehicle. The drugs are reportedly Schedule IV drugs; Schedule IV drugs can include Xanax, Ambien and Darvocet.
He has been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance as well as drunken driving.
Irsay is credited with helping build the Colts team into a powerhouse behind now-Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, and later with QB Andrew Luck.
A CBS Sportsline column contained an impassioned plea for the billionaire to get treatment for what are believed to be ongoing alcohol and substance abuse struggles.
Late last year, Irsay claimed to have abstained from alcohol for more than 15 years.
About a dozen years ago, he acknowledged that he had developed dependency on painkillers following orthopedic surgeries. He said treatment had helped him overcome the problem.
Whether or not Irsay is struggling again with those problems, we don’t know. But we do know that many people in a similar legal predicament are trying to overcome alcohol abuse and prescription drug dependency. They will often lean on an experienced DUI/DWI attorney to help them sort out their legal options as they pursue treatment for their problems.
Source: Newsday, “Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts owner, arrested for suspected drunken driving,” March 17, 2014