What to do -- if anything

[Bucknutty]

So I'm a few years out of school, and I still hit a few bars that I used to go to when I was in school. Anyway, Friday night I'm out around 1 a.m. and I see star point guard of the college team I cover at the bar. They've got a big game coming up that weekend, and I'm surprised to see him out.

We exchange that knowing head nod and then he puts one finger up to his mouth, saying 'Shhhh.' I laugh because, hey, I'm drunk and it's funny.

He's got every right to be out, I know. He's of legal age, he's a college student, blah blah blah. But the team loses the game and he has a pretty sub-par night. Shots aren't falling and they are coming up short -- as they have been in the past few games. I think the season is getting to him.

My first inkling is to ignore the situation and pretend it didn't happen. Should there be a point where I consider mentioning it in a story if, say, he continues to suffer through a prolonged shooting slump? Again, I think no, but I'm curious as to what the community has to say here.

 

[Appgrad05]

If your relationship with him is solid, pull him over to the side and ask him straight up how much he goes out. Ask the bartender.

 

[schiezainc]

Personally, I think this is one of those gray area questions. I mean, on the one hand, it could have had no effect on his play at all and he could just be going through a slump. On the other, maybe he's partying too hard and not focusing on his game enough.

As the previous poster said, I think you should judge your response on your relationship with him and see if there are any underlying causes to his problems that he'd be willing to admit.

If it is partying thats making him play like crap, then maybe you should talk to his teammates and/or coaches and see if they're noticing it too.

 

[spnited]

You have nothing here.

You admit were drunk. I don't think you were in any condition to judge his condition.

He's of age, so there is no crime in drinking. Unless he gets arrested for something related to being out in the bar, this is a non-sttory.

 

[awriter]

Let me get this straight: A college athlete/student is out drinking on a Friday night and you're surprised?

 

[Shaggy]

Do what you want, but nobody would ever trust you again.

 

[silentbob]

If he gets a DUI or shows up for practice with alcohol on his breath, you have a story.

If he doesnt, you have a drinking buddy. Next time you see him, go up and ask him "So what's Coach really like?"

 

[expendable]

You have nothing here.

You admit were drunk. I don't think you were in any condition to judge his condition.

He's of age, so there is no crime in drinking. Unless he gets arrested for something related to being out in the bar, this is a non-sttory.

What he said. And who's to say that your **** wasn't off that weekend because of your Friday night excursion?

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

This is one of those odd circumstances where I always just sort of went about my business. There was sort of a spoken understanding that as long as they were ticketed for a DUI or puking on the court the next day, hey, c'est la vie.
I took that approach for two reasons: One, most of the time, I never saw a player I cover so insanely drunk; two, I usually was.
Considering what happened while I was in college, I sure would have hated someone looking over my shoulder when I was just trying to be a kid.

 

[forever_town]

If he gets a DUI or shows up for practice with alcohol on his breath, you have a story.

If he doesnt, you have a drinking buddy. Next time you see him, go up and ask him "So what's Coach really like?"

You don't have a story, you have a coincidence.

I've run into players from the local D-I school I cover at the bar I go to near the school. I've gotten a drink suggestion from one of the men's players. One of the women's players asked me about the dessert I was eating another night.

 

[zebracoy]

Don't work it into a story and certainly don't let it be one. This is not a cause-and-effect scenario.

Not to mention that you were drunk as well, but it will ruin any relationship you two might have had (and any resulting "in" with the program).

This happened to me during the college ages. I ignored it, they ignored it. Hell, we stayed apart from each other. We weren't friends, why act to be? I understand you're not, and to me, you did the right thing.

 

[Write-brained]

You have nothing here.

You admit were drunk. I don't think you were in any condition to judge his condition.

He's of age, so there is no crime in drinking. Unless he gets arrested for something related to being out in the bar, this is a non-sttory.

What he said. And who's to say that your **** wasn't off that weekend because of your Friday night excursion?

i third this

 

[Billy Pritchard]

I agree with expendable, spnited and write-brained. But does that thinking change if you find out the player has been suspended for missing curfew or something to that effect? Since I doubt any SID or coach would say what the player was doing when he missed curfew, would you write something saying he was seen at a bar that night from you own observations? Or do you just leave it at saying he missed curfew?

 

[Write-brained]

I agree with expendable, spnited and write-brained. But does that thinking change if you find out the player has been suspended for missing curfew or something to that effect? Since I doubt any SID or coach would say what the player was doing when he missed curfew, would you write something saying he was seen at a bar that night from you own observations? Or do you just leave it at saying he missed curfew?

Here's my advice in this situation: Note it and then leave it alone. If you start hearing independently that the guy has a problem breaking curfew or getting drunk then you have something to build on ... but you still have a ways to go before you have a story.

 

[fishwrapper]

Sidebar: I never agree with Write-brained.

 

[Write-brained]

Sidebar: I never agree with Write-brained.

See, I disagree with you there.

 

[fishwrapper]

Sidebar: I never agree with Write-brained.

See, I disagree with you there.

Well, I think we can disagree to disagree.
Now, I'm going to nick a vein and go talk religion with Tom Petty.

 

[mike311gd]

You have nothing here.

You admit were drunk. I don't think you were in any condition to judge his condition.

He's of age, so there is no crime in drinking. Unless he gets arrested for something related to being out in the bar, this is a non-sttory.

Do what spnited said.

 

[spnited]

You have nothing here.

You admit were drunk. I don't think you were in any condition to judge his condition.

He's of age, so there is no crime in drinking. Unless he gets arrested for something related to being out in the bar, this is a non-sttory.

Do what spnited said.

That might be the first intelligent post Mike has made in a month

 

[mike311gd]

You have nothing here.

You admit were drunk. I don't think you were in any condition to judge his condition.

He's of age, so there is no crime in drinking. Unless he gets arrested for something related to being out in the bar, this is a non-sttory.

Do what spnited said.

That might be the first intelligent post Mike has made in a month

I think I had at least one more buried in there somewhere. But I'm not going to look for it.