In a story just released, Josh Hancock's father is suing just about anyone he can because his son died while driving under the influence. His lawsuit includes the bar, the tow truck company, and the owners of the bar. While it is his right to sue, if I were a judge I would throw this case out faster than you can spell DUI. This type of frivilous lawsuit completely ignores the one person who is most responsible for this accident and tragic death. The one person responsible is Josh Hancock.
Hancock was on a cell phone while driving late at night. His blood alcohol was nearly twice the legal limit, and they found marijuana in the car as well. Who knows if maybe he was under the influence of more than the alcohol, but either way both would reduce his reflexes considerably. Any sane jury should rule in favor of the defendents in this case. While I do think stadiums and clubs should not serve alcohol after the game, we in this country are suffering from a very sad disease. It is the disease which blames others for our own problems. Whether it is the recipient of welfare who refuses to go out and find work or it is the alcoholic who blames everyone else for his drinking, this is a serious problem that needs to be confronted. Our legal system has got to stop taking these bogus cases and when they are brought to the courts, judges need to dismiss them immediately. As long as our legal system allows these cases to go forward, people will find ways to sue each other.
While I feel extremely sorry to Mr. Hancock for the loss of his son, his grief will not go away no matter how large the award. Rather than blame others, why not use this tragedy to teach other young men and women about the dangers of drinking and driving.
It has been said that only two things are certain in this life, death and taxes. Tragedy can strike any of us at any given moment. No one is immune from death as Josh Hancock found out this past week, but the manner in which he passed away was so completely avoidable.
The fact that he is dead is not surprising because athletes routinely drink and drive. Some teams even encourage it. I find it just a little bit ironic that Hancock played for a team whose manager was arrested for a DUI earlier this year, a team that is owned by one of the largest American breweries, and a team that provides drinks in the locker room after each game. It’s like the Cardinals are saying, “Drink a Bud on your way home.”
Sooner or later someone needs to realize that there is a direct correlation between alcohol, athletes, and the glorification of beer in Super Bowl commercials and other sports venues. And lately, it seems it’s not just beer ads, but hard alcohol is coming to the forefront as well. Who hasn’t laughed at the Captain Morgan commercials? While I have seen a few ads promoting drinking responsibly, the actions of these same companies does not jive with their message.
In this case, Josh Hancock was not only drinking and driving, but he coupled that with one of the most egregious offenses of all drivers, that of talking on his cell phone. Certainly this was a lethal combination. When all the information becomes available, we will probably also find out that he was smoking “pot” at the same time.
Hopefully, some young people are out here and reading this and will realize that death is just around the corner for all of us, but we can prolong his coming. There is no reason to meet Joe Black before you live to a ripe old age. I don’t know about you, but my wife and kids would like for me to stick around for awhile. In fact, I am rather fond of staying alive. So pardon me if I pass up the alcohol before getting behind the wheel of an automobile. I hope you do the same.
Some teams even encourage it. I find it just a little bit ironic that Hancock played for a team whose manager was arrested for a DUI earlier this year, a team that is owned by one of the largest American breweries, and a team that provides drinks in the locker room after each game. It’s like the Cardinals are saying, “Drink a Bud on your way home.”
Sooner or later someone needs to realize that there is a direct correlation between alcohol, athletes, and the glorification of beer in Super Bowl commercials and other sports venues. And lately, it seems it’s not just beer ads, but hard alcohol is coming to the forefront as well. Who hasn’t laughed at the Captain Morgan commercials? While I have seen a few ads promoting drinking responsibly, the actions of these same companies does not jive with their message. 
In this case, Josh Hancock was not only drinking and driving, but he coupled that with one of the most egregious offenses of all drivers, that of talking on his cell phone. Certainly this was a lethal combination. When all the information becomes available, we will probably also find out that he was smoking “pot” at the same time.
Hopefully, some young people are out here and reading this and will realize that death is just around the corner for all of us, but we can prolong his coming. There is no reason to meet Joe Black before you live to a ripe old age. I don’t know about you, but my wife and kids would like for me to stick around for awhile. In fact, I am rather fond of staying alive. So pardon me if I pass up the alcohol before getting behind the wheel of an automobile. I hope you do the same.
