I was going to write about how impressed I was by Peter Vermes this season. After sticking with his game plan throughout the season I feel that it is finally starting to yield dividends on the field however the news out this evening thanks to the Kansas City Star is that Peter Vermes was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.
And just like that I am back to feeling negatively about somebody within the Wizards camp. I guess the thought that a selfish prig like our head coach could get into his vehicle after consuming to much alcohol and potentially kill or maim somebody on our roads is sickening.
This is without doubt the most disappointing moment of this season so far and if I was in a position to do so I would fire Peter Vermes on the spot. It would send a very strong message to this city, where so many families have been destroyed by those who have chosen to drive drunk, that this behavior is simply not acceptable.
As it is some will make excuses for Vermes, it will have been an accident, he will have forgotten how much he had to drink, or will have been stuck without a ride. It might be something “we have all done” however the bottom line is he could have picked up phone and called a cab. It is inexcusable in every way.
Will this be swept under the carpet by the Wizards and OnGoal? I guess we will see.
Although I’m going to wait and see how the story plays out – assuming that Vermes is innocent until proven guilty – this is certainly not a well-executed crisis management move by OnGoal and the Wizards PR staff.
One would think that they would have learned after the sexual harassment scandal that getting out in front of the story as much as possible is a good strategy.
Without knowing the full details – which given that the story breaks just before deadline on a Monday night doesn’t exactly set high expectations – there are so many different avenues that the Wizards PR staff could have taken rather than allow this story to take control of the scheduled presser for the first homegrown player signing in club history.
Comment by John Roushkolb — August 30, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
I guess I would be more upset if there werent terrible and scary drivers out there everyday completely sober. I just kind of see this all as one of the numerous examples of risks you take anytime you get in the car. Do I want drunk drivers off the road? Well sure, but I also want many more off the road including: highschoolers, females under 21, people who cant see because their legs are too short making them sit 2 inches from the wheel, people that are to short to see completely out of their SUV, hummer drivers, people who text, and old people, just to name a few…
Comment by MOUF — August 31, 2010 @ 10:50 am
Thank you James. Only you and Mike Kuhn have actually approached this with the seriousness that it deserves. I’ve seen too many people die and get injured due to drunk drivers to condone his actions. Hillcrest and Gooch at the Star want to wait for the facts. Really? What facts? He was drunk, he drove, he committed a crime, he needs to be punished and made an example of.
BTW, do you think people would be so dismissive if we were on a losing streak? I don’t. It’s true what they say. Winning lets people forget everything.
I hope the league and at somepoint in time the Wizards discipline him, although it happened last week and nothing has been said. I wonder what approach he will take with the players… do as I say not as I do?
Thanks for the great comments.
Comment by Jason — August 31, 2010 @ 2:16 pm