Gallardo arrested for OWI - Blood level nearly three times limit at .22

[danzig6767]

Pretty judgmental thread. I too would be a lot more upset if he was scheduled to start today. This is his first offense, he's a guy in his 20's that made a really stupid decision.

 

Plenty of people reading (and writing) in this thread have had way too much to drink and gotten behind the wheel at least a time or two. I have friends that do it all the time and it bugs me, but I'm not their father and if you've ever tried to do something about that in the past - you know that real life is not like an after-school special where your friend hands over their keys and thanks you for helping them.

 

I'm glad nobody got hurt and hopefully he doesn't risk it next time.

 

 

It's not judgmental enough. He had a .22. He's multi-millionaire with every means in the world to get home without driving, he is married with children. If all those things aren't enough to make the right decision then you deserve every ounce of criticism you get.

 

No kidding

 

IMO anyone who blows above .20 should get at minimum 3-6 months in jail, no exceptions and that includes first time offenders.

 

People that drunk are a serious danger to everyone else on the road. I know someone who ended up being paralyzed from the neck down because of a very drunk driver. On top of that, his wife couldn't handle to burden of his injury and left him after awhile, along with their two kids. His life absolutely devastated.

 

The drunk driving laws in Wisconsin are pathetic in just how lenient they are. This is a life and death issue which destroys innocent victims and families. I've lost respect for Yo to selfishly endanger the lives of others on the road last night, especially given his financial well being to call a cab.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I've had a random driver call my boss once when I was in a company vehicle with the number on the side and leave him a message saying I was driving drunk. I was pulling out of the parking lot of a bar and had zero drinks, just stopped in because it was the nearest ATM since I was in the middle of nowhere. I didn't cut anyone off or do anything wrong. I almost got fired the next day. Never underestimate what random people will do.

 

What kind of car was he driving too? Probably draws even more attention

 

 

Rationalizing a little bit? It could have been the car, or whatever. Fact is, someone called it in, and he got pulled over, and he blew a .22. I think there's enough here to leap to the conclusion that there was a reason the random motorist called it in.

[bjkrautk]

Surprised by the number of negative voices on this one (pleasantly so, mind you). About the best thing I can say about the incident is that he didn't kill anyone, and didn't pass out at the wheel (like Tony LaRussa - never forget).

 

 

Am I the only one slightly put-off by the underlying reality that, given the larger news events of 4/15/13 - which is to say Boston - Yo's response was to go out and get plastered? (I cut him a slight break as to the timing, given that it was an off-day for the team, but still makes it hard to emphathize with the guy.)

[thebruce44]

I've had a random driver call my boss once when I was in a company vehicle with the number on the side and leave him a message saying I was driving drunk. I was pulling out of the parking lot of a bar and had zero drinks, just stopped in because it was the nearest ATM since I was in the middle of nowhere. I didn't cut anyone off or do anything wrong. I almost got fired the next day. Never underestimate what random people will do.

 

What kind of car was he driving too? Probably draws even more attention

 

 

Rationalizing a little bit? It could have been the car, or whatever. Fact is, someone called it in, and he got pulled over, and he blew a .22. I think there's enough here to leap to the conclusion that there was a reason the random motorist called it in.

 

Not rationalizing. Just saying we don't know all the facts. Again, I don't want to put myself in the position of defending anyone who is drinking and driving. All I am saying is that some of the comments here are just as over the top in the other direction as comments defending Yo.

[logan82]

My first though was "crap, now we are like the Cardinals."

 

 

Using BAC calculators on the internet, it would take 15 beers over 4 hours to get a .22 BAC based on Gallardo's weight. Just food for thought. Not saying he does or doesn't have a problem with drinking or anything. But obviously that's a lot. Nothing that most young people haven't done before, or done often though. I'm sure most have. It's the driving part that is the part to be upset about with him about.

15 Beers over 4 hours may be a lot but mix in a shot an hour. Extend the drinking time and you have to drink less per hour. Change it to mix drinks. It is very easy to hit a 0.22 BAC. I guarantee you I have been over 0.22 BAC several times in my lifetime. Is it so out of the question he spent the afternoon drinking then went out? Driving on the other hand, stupid stupid stupid.

[RobDeer 45]

I don't like the whole, that means he had 14 beers thing. He could have been drinking for 12 hours, 2 beers an hour as well. That's too much to drive obviously (not debating that), but I've seen a lot of people be pretty normal drinking 2 drinks an hour. It's not really our place to criticize him for getting drunk, that part is legal. If it's not effecting his ability to do his job, and he's not hurting anyone, then really it's not our place. Now he made it our place by driving, so that is fair game. I choose to forgive him and call it a one time mistake. I hope he doesn't do it again. If it does, questions need to come up and severe penalties as well.

 

I think most of us our on board that what he did was dangerous and very wrong.

 

Some of us can forgive a first time mistake (that we know of), and some can't.

 

The biggest debate I guess is whether or not getting drunk is bad.

[PrinceEatMeat]

My first though was "crap, now we are like the Cardinals."

 

 

Using BAC calculators on the internet, it would take 15 beers over 4 hours to get a .22 BAC based on Gallardo's weight. Just food for thought. Not saying he does or doesn't have a problem with drinking or anything. But obviously that's a lot. Nothing that most young people haven't done before, or done often though. I'm sure most have. It's the driving part that is the part to be upset about with him about.

15 Beers over 4 hours may be a lot but mix in a shot an hour. Extend the drinking time and you have to drink less per hour. Change it to mix drinks. It is very easy to hit a 0.22 BAC. I guarantee you I have been over 0.22 BAC several times in my lifetime. Is it so out of the question he spent the afternoon drinking then went out? Driving on the other hand, stupid stupid stupid.

 

I agree. I was just using an example. Could be the case that he was drinking over a longer period of time. I agree that most people have been over that several times. I'm sure I've been over that too. Driving is definitely the issue here. No one knows the rest of the details, so we can't really judge him on how much he drank or what not. I think a lot of people would be surprised at how often they've been at or above a .22 BAC. Drinking throughout a whole day can get it up there for sure.

[sargennm]

If nothing else, hopefully this gets discussions about drunk driving (like the one in this thread) happening at the stadium and bars this week, and it causes at least a few more fans to change their behavior.

 

Yo made a terrible mistake and he will have to do things like JimH5 suggests to earn back that respect. Hopefully he realizes how lucky he is that things didn't end much worse for him, and he makes the best of his situation going forward. I'm not sure what else can be said about what happened at this point.

[MJLiverock]

I haven't seen anyone rationalizing it away or saying there was nothing wrong with drunk driving. I see pointing out differences in opinion on whether anyone who gets drunk needs to go to rehab, if 20 somethings should ever get drunk, if anyone should ever get drunk, if people handle alcohol differently but I have yet to see a post where anyone says he didn't do anything wrong. I think some people just don't take to the moralizing and soap box of others, from both sides of the do as I say not as you say arguments.

[zzzmanwitz]

I don't think anyone thinks that drinking and driving is no big deal, but things happen. Being a professional athlete doesn't make a person infallible. He made a mistake, he is going to pay a fine and will lose a lot of credibility in the court of public opinion. That's the punishment that has been deemed worthy by the state of Wisconsin. It doesn't mean he has a problem with alcohol and it doesn't mean he's a bad person. Now, if he doesn't learn from this mistake and continues to get behind the wheel when impaired, then he does have a problem and should go to jail, but to condemn him for this one act is wrong.

[trwi7]

but to condemn him for this one act is wrong.

 

Why? Not only did his recklessness endanger his own life, it also endangered the lives of the innocent motorists around him. I have zero tolerance for people who get behind the wheel while drunk. If that makes me wrong, I don't want to be right.

[zzzmanwitz]

You can fully disagree with his actions without thinking he has a problem with alcohol or that he is inherently bad. He made a mistake and was lucky to not kill himself or anyone else. It happened and he has to move on with this mistake. He has paid for it already and there isn't much more that being mad at him for it will do.

[Nottso]

As to the whole "how many drinks over what period of time" thing I can add a little more. I didn't mention it earlier as I did not want to pick nits in my discussion with Jim, although Jim did touch on it when he mentioned that alcohol is largely absorbed in the stomach/small intestine. More specifically, the duodenum (first part of the small intestine after the stomach).

 

I had Roux En Y Gastric Bypass surgery in '08 (down 225 pounds, thank you). Anyways, the gist of RNY is that a portion of the duodenum is removed along with stapling the stomach so that it has less capacity. My surgeon was adamant that I don't drink afterwards as it could be fatal. Bypass patients have died from alcohol poisoning after very few drinks because without the duodenum, the alcohol is pretty much "mainlined" right into the bloodstream.

 

The point here is that different people have different lengths/function of the duodenum (as well as many, many other variables) and all of these BAC calculators are based on averages. Yo very well may have had 12 beers in 5 hours... or maybe he only had 6 beers in 5 hours... or maybe he had 37 beers in 5 hours. Without counting, we simply cannot know and no online calculator can tell us. And what does it really matter anyways?

 

Yo did a bad thing. I hope he doesn't ever do it again. But any outrage based on supposition, or based on numbers that are gleaned from supposition, seems rather pointless to me.

[thebruce44]

As to the whole "how many drinks over what period of time" thing I can add a little more. I didn't mention it earlier as I did not want to pick nits in my discussion with Jim, although Jim did touch on it when he mentioned that alcohol is largely absorbed in the stomach/small intestine. More specifically, the duodenum (first part of the small intestine after the stomach).

 

I had Roux En Y Gastric Bypass surgery in '08 (down 225 pounds, thank you). Anyways, the gist of RNY is that a portion of the duodenum is removed along with stapling the stomach so that it has less capacity. My surgeon was adamant that I don't drink afterwards as it could be fatal. Bypass patients have died from alcohol poisoning after very few drinks because without the duodenum, the alcohol is pretty much "mainlined" right into the bloodstream.

 

The point here is that different people have different lengths/function of the duodenum (as well as many, many other variables) and all of these BAC calculators are based on averages. Yo very well may have had 12 beers in 5 hours... or maybe he only had 6 beers in 5 hours... or maybe he had 37 beers in 5 hours. Without counting, we simply cannot know and no online calculator can tell us. And what does it really matter anyways?

 

Yo did a bad thing. I hope he doesn't ever do it again. But any outrage based on supposition, or based on numbers that are gleaned from supposition, seems rather pointless to me.

 

Some of the posters here must really hate the awesomeness that is Wade Boggs.

[ELCABALLO45]

Before they banned it there used to be beer in the clubhouses after games. alot of these guys drink all the time. Given that yesterday was an off day I am sure he was drinking all day and went out at night. Driving drunk is indeed a terrible thing but to just flat out say because he blew a .22 he has a problem is not true at all.

[valpocrewsader]

Has anyone said it yet...?

 

Say it ain't so, Yo.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Are us Brewers fans really going to be this hard on Gallardo when after each of the 81 Brewers home games 75% of the ballpark is drunk after each game? That's 2,250,000 fans a year. Think of all the drunk drivers...

 

I'll just say that Gallardo made a common mistake in these parts, and hopefully he's learned his lesson.

 

Go Brewers!

[AZBrewCrew]

Are us Brewers fans really going to be this hard on Gallardo when after each of the 81 Brewers home games 75% of the ballpark is drunk after each game? That's 2,250,000 fans a year. Think of all the drunk drivers...

 

I'll just say that Gallardo made a common mistake in these parts, and hopefully he's learned his lesson.

 

Go Brewers!

 

This is pretty much spot on!

[chickinbrickin]

Have to say I'm disappointed that Gallardo made the decision to drive, but all these comments about .22 =drinking problem, and even the suggestion of rehab are insane.

 

It is fairly easy to drink yourself to a .22, and it really means nothing about someone's dependency on alcohol. Bad irresponsible decision yes, but to claim he has a drinking problem without knowing the truth is just as irresponsible.

[TracyThom]

Are us Brewers fans really going to be this hard on Gallardo when after each of the 81 Brewers home games 75% of the ballpark is drunk after each game? That's 2,250,000 fans a year. Think of all the drunk drivers...

 

I'll just say that Gallardo made a common mistake in these parts, and hopefully he's learned his lesson.

 

Go Brewers!

 

I sincerely question your 75% statistic. I think the number is less than 50%. You arent taking in account kids, families, non-drinkers, designated drivers, etc. Yes, lots of drunk drivers leave Miller Park each game but that doesn't make what Yo did a "common mistake."

[TracyThom]

Are us Brewers fans really going to be this hard on Gallardo when after each of the 81 Brewers home games 75% of the ballpark is drunk after each game? That's 2,250,000 fans a year. Think of all the drunk drivers...

 

I'll just say that Gallardo made a common mistake in these parts, and hopefully he's learned his lesson.

 

Go Brewers!

 

I sincerely question your 75% statistic. I think the number is less than 50%. You arent taking in account kids, families, non-drinkers, designated drivers, etc. Yes, lots of drunk drivers leave Miller Park each game but that doesn't make what Yo did a "common mistake."

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Having lived in many different parts of the country, it seems attitudes towards heavy drinking are far different in Wisconsin than other parts of the country. It certainly seems evident to me from reading this thread. In many places .22 would be considered a problem...in Wisconsin it's considered a weekend. Age, having lost people I knew to DD and moving out of the state have certainly changed my perspective on the matter.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Are us Brewers fans really going to be this hard on Gallardo when after each of the 81 Brewers home games 75% of the ballpark is drunk after each game? That's 2,250,000 fans a year. Think of all the drunk drivers...

 

I'll just say that Gallardo made a common mistake in these parts, and hopefully he's learned his lesson.

 

Go Brewers!

 

I sincerely question your 75% statistic. I think the number is less than 50%. You arent taking in account kids, families, non-drinkers, designated drivers, etc. Yes, lots of drunk drivers leave Miller Park each game but that doesn't make what Yo did a "common mistake."

 

Let's take your statistic then. 50%. That 1.5 million fans drunk and a ton of drunk drivers after each Brewers home game. It's very common in Milwaukee during baseball season. I know the city and I've gone to hundreds of Brewers games, so I also know the environment.

 

Are you honestly going to deny that tons of Brewers fans drink at Miller Park and say that the majority of them don't drive home drunk? I'm sure as heck not going too. Especially, in a city like Milwaukee. I know better.

[chickinbrickin]

I don't think anyone here is saying Yo was right or it isn't a big deal. The point some of us are trying to make is some of you have the pitchforks out already without knowing the full story. Yo made a mistake that many people make. If it happens again go to the shed and grab your pitchforks. For now give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

There were almost 29,000 DUI arrests in WI in 2011, which is about 80 per day in the state. No right at all, but I would consider that a pretty common mistake.

[StearnsFTW]

Having lived in many different parts of the country, it seems attitudes towards heavy drinking are far different in Wisconsin than other parts of the country. It certainly seems evident to me from reading this thread. In many places .22 would be considered a problem...in Wisconsin it's considered a weekend. Age, having lost people I knew to DD and moving out of the state have certainly changed my perspective on the matter.

 

 

Just to be clear, that's not necessarily my position--the "it's a weekend" part.

 

I just think that if you're going to speak in absolutes like .22 is a problem, then 50% of college kids are problem drinkers, or 25% or whatever # you use. I just can't agree with that at all.