There were many things this past Thanksgiving weekend for all to be thankful for. Included were family, friends and a break from the rigors of class. Also, the continuance of the Packers' inspirational and breathtaking push for the first pick in the NFL draft and the reassurance that Brett Bell and Levon Rowan have just a single game of eligibility left for the Badgers.
But while most of us were eating turkey and drinking cheap scotch (well, maybe just a few of us) a true American hero from none other than 'the U' was teaching the world how thankful we should all be for having a true friend.
Last Thursday, Michael Irvin opened up his home in Carrollton, Texas for Thanksgiving dinner. As the story goes, while giving a routine hug to one of his guests, a pipe was found in his guest's pocket.
Imagine the look on Irvin's face when his eyes caught sight of the illegal object that was brought into his own home. For aman with a nose as clean as his, this was truly a slap in the face.
[cue in Irvin rap sheet]
In 1996, Irvin 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.
Irvin then did what any good friend would do'??take the pipe, put it in his car for safe-keeping and leave it there until he found a proper location in which to dispose of it. But then the unthinkable happened.
Last Friday, according to police documents, Irvin was driving with his wife in the car when he was pulled over for going 78 mph in a 60 mph zone. Upon searching the car, police found plastic baggies with marijuana residue in a sunglasses case along with the pipe.
Oddly enough, a man as responsible as Irvin had forgotten to rid himself of the pipe. And rather than lie and possibly get in more trouble with the law, Mike did what any good man would do: blame it on his friend.
'It's my brother's, he left it in there,' the officer quoted Irvin as saying in a court document obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
Now, this may appear different from Mike's newest story of removing the pipe from his friend, and later, Irving explained it was not really his 'brother' but a close friend that he referred to as his 'brother.' But these minor details are trivial.
Irvin, who was recently named among 25 semifinalists last week for the pro football Hall of Fame, is a difficult man to understand, literally. Often times the only real words that you can take from his sentences are 'The U,' 'Tom' (referring to his fellow ESPN analyst Tom Jackson) and 'OK den,' followed by a long laugh.
But Mike's courageous actions when faced with a minor fine are something we can all learn from. If you find a pipe on your friend during a routine hug, confiscate it and put it in your car. And when the cops pull you over for speeding a day later, be the bigger man and tell the truth by explaining it was your brother's. Then a few days later, clarify your actual meaning of 'brother' and re-iterate that you were just trying to help an old friend kick a nasty addiction (preferably an addiction you have as well).
Traditionally, some of our nation's greatest criminal-athletes have come from the Miami football program. The prestigious list includes Ray Lewis, Najeh Davenport (the defecator) and Antrel Rolle, just to name a few. However, with the help of Irvin, that reputation can begin to change.
Because if the short-lived 'Chappelle's Show' taught us anything, it was that cocaine is a hell of a drug.
