I would hope FDA and boston.com wouldn't report such a story with out concrete facts to back it up. I want to believe this too is mindless speculation but then again, it is FDA. I'm not sure what to think anymore
Well, now the speculation will be casual drugs vs painkillers. We know how he tries to play through everything. Right?
Call me naive, but I hope it's just marijuana. That'd be of high enough legal severity to warrant MLS having a substance abuse program for it, but low enough health severity to mean that he's not in serious trouble. But I suspect you're on the right track with the "play through everything" idea though, and that it's alcohol or painkillers.
Someone has to ask this....so here are some questions for my fellow health care professional, Soccer Doc: 1. How much of this is nature v nurture...i.e. do the Revs as an organization have a problem or is just random individuals ? Pattern of behavior or coincidence ? Franchino Joseph Remember those two rookies who got kicked out and almost arrested for public drunkeness at a Red Sox game several years ago ? 2. And follow up question...Could the Revs (or any organization, for that matter) be doing more to screen their key employees and allow them to get help earlier ?
1. Actually it was one rookie (Gary Flood) and Joey Franchino, and that was more along the lines of drunkenness. 2. The Revs aren't there to baby sit these kids. They are professional athletes, which means they should pay extra attention to what goes in their bodies. As for your question, yes they could take extra precautions, but I don't know what kind of agreement the Players Association has with the league and how that may affect any precautionary measures the Revs would like to put in place.
Seeing Franchino's name even close to Shalrie's in any manner....disgusting. I'd have expected each and every other Rev of something like this before Shalrie's name would come to mind.... gutted.
Thanks for jogging my memory about it. As an isolated incident, you might dismiss something like this. Just like Shalrie injuring his hand in a bar fight a couple of years ago. On the other hand, sometimes episodes that go beyond "having a good time" that result in public embarassment, arrest, or injury are a sign that there is a deeper problem. Its easy to say this in hindsight, but the question I am asking is exactly what you responded to below...what is the role of the team as their employer ? True. But when you have an investment in someone and there are suggestions that their behavior (even outside the work place) may significantly interfere with their ability to do their job, when do you step in ?
I would not judge too harshly yet... we don't know the circumstances. I know he has had injures for a while and it is not uncommon to get addicted to painkillers while you are trying to recouperate. The bottom line is we don't know if this was the situation or not and I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I think the only word that really comes to mind is ... well, it would get filtered here. Good Luck Shalrie ... get better.
Regardless of what exactly is the nature of his issue(s), I think we can all agree that Shalrie needs to get himself back on the right course first and foremost, then his soccer career, in that order. And the fact that the Revs' fanbase is behind him, through thick and thin.
All the best to Shalrie and his family. Let's hope he returns sooner than later with a clear mind and with focus on the task at hand. The Revs are lucky this is happening early in the season. It's time for the rest of the squad to step it up. They've had several games without him and clearly they have not figured a way to be successful. Hopefully they can pull it together and stay competitive. At least get some points (I'll take ties). Home games are crucial. Keep the ship afloat until SJ can return and dominate the midfield once again.