And if you believe that story...

Unfortunately, work has been extremely crazy lately so my blog has really suffered. I have a brief moment now to catch my breath, so I thought I'd post a message. So, what's happened in the last week? Well, over the weekend I learned that Nick and Jessica officially announced their split; I'll need years of therapy to get over my grief... :) In other news, in an act of desperation, on Wednesday night the floundering 8-13-5 Bruins shipped captain Joe Thornton to San Jose for three guys whose names are familiar only to NHL diehards (do those exist anymore?). What else? Oh, another case of a prominent sports celebrity acting badly (or maybe it was his friend...or his brother). Here's the story: About a week ago, former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Fame semi-finalist Michael Irvin was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after Plano, TX police officers searched his vehicle during a traffic stop. The incident started when Irvin, now 39, was stopped for speeding while heading with his wife to a furniture store. The cop pulled him over and found what the media is labeling a "drug pipe"--in interviews, it has been called a "crack pipe" and Irvin didn't correct them--and a baggy with marijuana residue.


What's interesting about the story is not that Irvin has been found with drugs but rather the convoluted story that he's using to deny the charges. He's saying the drugs weren't his. He told ESPN's Dan Patrick that he took the pipe off a friend who he's been trying to help kick a drug addiction, a friend Irvin says skipped out of a Houston rehab center earlier in the week and came to his house for Thanksgiving dinner. But, according to the police report, Irvin told the officer who stopped him that the pipe was left in the car by his brother. Then he told the AP on Monday that he called his friend a "brother" because the two are so close, but they aren't related. Irvin said he was going to toss it in the garbage, but instead put it in his car intending to drop it in a dumpster at a nearby grocery store later. Police found the pipe under the seat of the car, where Irvin admits he placed it. Now, whether the police officer had probable cause to search the car is something the lawyers will have to sort out. By all accounts, it was not in plain view and Irvin apparently did not give the police permission to conduct a search.

So where does this leave Michael Irvin? Since the arrest, Irvin has been suspended by ESPN for one week for not disclosing the arrest. However, the sports world is an extremely forgiving place, especially if someone is honest with the public. Part of Irvin's appeal as an ESPN analyst is that he's outspoken, opinionated, and frankly a bit of a rogue. Remember, this isn't his first arrest for drugs. In 1996, he pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession in exchange for four years of deferred probation, a $10,000 fine and dismissal of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges. He also was arrested on drug possession charges in 2000, but they were later dropped. But still he found work, first as an analyst on Fox Sport's "The Best Damn Sports Show" and now ESPN. This time, however, his evasive explanation isn't helping his case. Not surprisingly, this mystery friend/brother has not surfaced. Nor has Irvin submitted to a urinalysis test, which seems like it would be a logical way to vindicate himself. Hey, Michael, if you're clean, take a drug test to prove your detractors wrong. If not, let's hear the truth; trust me, it will be much easier for you.