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Re-reading some of this and I think we're all sort of talking past each other. It strikes me that people misinterpreted Popeye's position as being lenient on drunk driving, but maybe that's just because I agree with it. He never said the fact that everyone else does it makes it okay. Just that is makes it understandable and not worth getting upset or outraged over.

I don't think anyone here thinks he shouldn't have to serve whatever sentence the law gives out.

Other than 1 or 2 people, it doesn't seem like anyone thinks less of Larussa as a person than they did before, nor do they think he should be fired for it.

I read all posts in this thread too. (I don't usually read 27 pages)

I agree that people should be smarter (in general) about drinking--but they aren't.

I agree that it is wrong to take the type of risks that driving and drinking entails.

But for those that drink regularly (like me) and are kind of obsessive about avoiding driving (like me) - I do not feel any anger or shame towards LaRussa. I bet being tired was bigger than alcohol.

But I feel that nothing the law nor the media/fans can be ready to hurl at TLR is anywhere near what he is doing to himself over this.

I think I agree with everyone in this thread, as I really don't see us saying that much different. Some are more upset than others, but I don't think anyone is excusing it or dismissing it. Nor is anyone calling for his head and claiming he is some kind of horrible person.

On the one hand, I agree with what Popeye and others have said about the severity of the crime. In Florida, the required sentence for a first time offender is 50 hours of community service and a fine. However, if he were to exceed a .20 score, then he could, at the discretion of the judge, be sentenced up to 9 months in jail.

It's sort of like there is a difference between going 75 in a 65 and going 95 in a 65. The fines and consequences are not identical.

vinsanity wrote:

BW23 wrote:I don't care if he's a raging drunk or not. He could have killed someone, even if you say it's not so.

When you're tired (and apparently up so late) and drinking, it doesn't mix well, even if you don't pop that high.

I'm really suprised he was this stupid. Absolutely no call for this.

I believe studies have shown driving while sleep deprived is as if not more dangerous than drunk driving. He could have killed someone stone sober at noon on a full nights sleep. I agree it was stupid, but again fail to see the need for an outrage.

I guess one thing that I feel you and Popeye are not acknowledging is the combination of the alcohol with the fatigue. Sure it's dangerous to drink and drive. And sure, it's dangerous to drive while fatigued. And if you are fatigued and you drink, and then drive, it's all the more dangerous. Absent of some other explanation (like medication interactions, although the responsibility of that too rests on Tony's shoudlers), the fact that he fell asleep at the wheel at a stoplight, though aided greatly by fatigue, almost certainly was made worse by the over-the-limit alcohol level.

But again, at least for me, I'm not outraged, I'm just disappointed - disappointed for him, not as much in him.

vinsanity wrote:

BW23 wrote:I don't care if he's a raging drunk or not. He could have killed someone, even if you say it's not so.

When you're tired (and apparently up so late) and drinking, it doesn't mix well, even if you don't pop that high.

I'm really suprised he was this stupid. Absolutely no call for this.

I believe studies have shown driving while sleep deprived is as if not more dangerous than drunk driving. He could have killed someone stone sober at noon on a full nights sleep. I agree it was stupid, but again fail to see the need for an outrage.

I'm not outraged. I'm just disgusted as I am with anyone that does what he did.

Just watching the news, they mentioned there's no mention of the Cards disciplining La Russa. What exactly should they do assuming they don't fire him?

planet pujolsian wrote:Just watching the news, they mentioned there's no mention of the Cards disciplining La Russa. What exactly should they do assuming they don't fire him?

Cardinal Care could always use some help...

I don't like throwing my hat in the ring of a discussion like this, but come on guys. Let's say Tony was at dinner and he had some wine. KMOV 4 said the equivalent of 5 drinks. So let's say he has like 5 glasses of wine. He's a 62 year-old man. Yes, he should have better judgement, but is there a possibility he wasn't even drunk?

Think about it. He has 5 drinks, gets sleepy because of the fact, goes out, gets in his car and drives down the road. He comes to a stop light and nods off. Yes, his BAC was 0.093(one less drink, they wouldn't have even bothered with him), but come on, guys. He's not Pac Man Jones. He's not Ken Caminiti. He's not some raging drunk. He wasn't even technically drunk. Buzzed? Sure.

Look. Leonard Little deserved a severe punishment for what he did. Tony LaRussa did something that he should have known better than to do, but it was his first time doing that, he's a STAND UP guy and he's been a great service to the city of St. Louis since he came here. Cut the guy some slack. At 62 years old, alcohol has a bit more of an effect on you than at the age of 28.

PujolJunkie wrote:I don't like throwing my hat in the ring of a discussion like this, but come on guys. Let's say Tony was at dinner and he had some wine. KMOV 4 said the equivalent of 5 drinks. So let's say he has like 5 glasses of wine. He's a 62 year-old man. Yes, he should have better judgement, but is there a possibility he wasn't even drunk?

He couldn't finish the alphabet, he was severely impaired.

But at this point, who cares? Just wait a week and this won't be spoken of again.

Transmogrified Tiger wrote:

PujolJunkie wrote:I don't like throwing my hat in the ring of a discussion like this, but come on guys. Let's say Tony was at dinner and he had some wine. KMOV 4 said the equivalent of 5 drinks. So let's say he has like 5 glasses of wine. He's a 62 year-old man. Yes, he should have better judgement, but is there a possibility he wasn't even drunk?

He couldn't finish the alphabet, he was severely impaired.

But at this point, who cares? Just wait a week and this won't be spoken of again.

I assume you got this from the police report found online. How do we know it's legit?

ZigZagCardsFan wrote:

Transmogrified Tiger wrote:

PujolJunkie wrote:I don't like throwing my hat in the ring of a discussion like this, but come on guys. Let's say Tony was at dinner and he had some wine. KMOV 4 said the equivalent of 5 drinks. So let's say he has like 5 glasses of wine. He's a 62 year-old man. Yes, he should have better judgement, but is there a possibility he wasn't even drunk?

He couldn't finish the alphabet, he was severely impaired.

But at this point, who cares? Just wait a week and this won't be spoken of again.

They had just woke him up from a sleep(who knows how long he was sitting there). And he's a 62 year old man with 5 glasses of wine in him. I don't really care, but a lot of people are calling for his head completely unnecessarily.