Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts’s owner, was victorious in a 1994 court dispute with his stepmother regarding the Colts’ ownership. The team owner’s turbulent family history influenced his decision to become an alcoholic; nevertheless, since taking over as owner, he has attended many rehab centers to break free from this deadly habit.
Notwithstanding his trial, he was involved in a legal dispute with drugs almost ten years prior, which led the proprietor to disclose information at that time by presenting his position.
Jim Irsay sheds light on his 2014 arrest
In 2014, Jim Irsay, the fanboy of Tom Brady’s Super Bowl journey, was apprehended by law enforcement for a single misdemeanor charge of driving while drunk. Even after entering a guilty plea, he refused to accept responsibility.
During his interview with HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” segment on Nov. 21, Jim Isray was candid in showing his frustration, recalling the night he was pulled over by police. For the Colts owner, it was a trap of the police to take advantage of a “rich” and “White billionaire”, like when he cited the NFL refs’ decision as biased and against the wave of his team.
“I am prejudiced against because I’m a rich, White billionaire. I don’t care what it sounds like. It’s the truth.”
The reporter had the foresight to inquire as to why he had not passed sobriety tests. In this sense, the owner did not say the failure was the result of intoxication; rather, he attributed it to his hip operation.
“The arrest was wrong,” he said. “I had just had hip surgery, and had been in the car for 45 minutes. And what — they asked me to walk the line? Are you kidding me? I can barely walk at all.”
According to ESPN, Irsay’s car contained a number of prescription medications when he was taken into custody. At the time, the “white billionaire” was carrying about $29,000 in cash in addition to alprazolam, oxycodone, and hydrocodone medications.
Jim Irsay talks about his drug addiction
During the interview with Kremer, Jim Irsay revealed his drug overdose, saying the incident was like a near-death situation. The veteran said his breathing almost stopped, but fortunately, he got revived.
“One time, I was trying to detox myself, and I mixed multiple drugs that I didn’t know anything about. So all of a sudden, I start slurring my words. And then code blue, I stop breathing. And they revive me and the doctor goes, ‘Jim, you’re one lucky man because I had virtually signed the death certificate.’”
The Colts’ owner revealed how the death of his sister and the mental disabilities of his brother became too heavy for him and his father to deal with, leading them to alcoholism. However, he hadn’t had a drop of alcohol since 2002; instead, his painkiller addiction became a problem for him.
The 64-year-old said he had been to rehab “at least 15 times” due to his addiction. He earlier told The Associated Press that he had an idea about “what it’s like to be at hell’s gates” when delivering words about his addiction issues. However, he never went into detail about the consequences of the addiction until the latest interview.
What do you think of Jim Irsay’s painful past? Tell us in the comments.
