Andy Reid’s son admits drinking before accident that severely injured child [edited title]

[Eastport bills]

If Andy's boy doesn't do real time our justice system is laughable. Andy obviously has plenty of culpability in this knucklehead jerk getting employed after pulling a gun in a road rage incident and then getting a DUI a few years ago. NFL players who are rightfully sensitive to racial injustices, need to come out and slam this behavior. A little child is fighting for life , and this privileged drunk has been enabled to threaten innocent lives by an oblivious TV football icon, who has insulated him from scrutiny.  Reid has already lost a son to drug addiction. I think he should be sanctioned by the league for allowing his criminal ,maniac son to work in the league without rehabilitation and monitoring. 

[White Linen]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Based on the facts presented in the news articles, at a minimum he should be charged with reckless driving and whatever else fits

If it turns out he was over the legal limit, he should be arrested and charged with DUI

 

Whether he will be?  Rich and powerful people and their family members have a way of skating.

 

 

 

Yeah no doubt he should be.   

 

It would be an awful thing if he got away with it doing that. 

[Seventeen]

19 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

If Andy's boy doesn't do real time our justice system is laughable. Andy obviously has plenty of culpability in this knucklehead jerk getting employed after pulling a gun in a road rage incident and then getting a DUI a few years ago. NFL players who are rightfully sensitive to racial injustices, need to come out and slam this behavior. A little child is fighting for life , and this privileged drunk has been enabled to threaten innocent lives by an oblivious TV football icon, who has insulated him from scrutiny.  Reid has already lost a son to drug addiction. I think he should be sanctioned by the league for allowing his criminal ,maniac son to work in the league without rehabilitation and monitoring. 

 

He has been to rehab multiple times and apparently been clean since his arrests in PA. Clean meaning no substance abuse convictions or DUIs. 

How would Andy Reid or the organization go about monitoring his son ?  Addicts are very good are hiding their addictions.

[Eastport bills]

5 minutes ago, Roy Hobbs said:

 

He has been to rehab multiple times and apparently been clean since his arrests in PA. Clean meaning no substance abuse convictions or DUIs. 

How would Andy Reid or the organization go about monitoring his son ?  Addicts are very good are hiding their addictions.

 

When you are convicted of a  drug felony and are released, you are tested for drugs and alcohol by provisions of parole. This violent criminal, who got hired as a coach in the NFL ,,without regard to. his criminal history through nepotism, should have been tested like players are for drugs and steroids constantly.  The behavior clause in most NFL contracts should apply to a coach with a criminal record and alcohol abuse. Maybe this dangerous,oblivious act might have been avoided. I'm sure the parents of these children would agree with better oversight.

 

 

 

[Seventeen]

12 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

 

When you are convicted of a  drug felony and are released, you are tested for drugs and alcohol by provisions of parole. This violent criminal, who got hired as a coach in the NFL ,,without regard to. his criminal history through nepotism, should have been tested like players are for drugs and steroids constantly.  The behavior clause in most NFL contracts should apply to a coach with a criminal record and alcohol abuse. Maybe this dangerous,oblivious act might have been avoided. I'm sure the parents of these children would agree with better oversight.

 

 

 

 

I share your concerns about the oversight, but I believe his drug conviction was a misdemeanor and the gun charge was a felony. Since they happened back in 2007 or so, he might have been on probation for awhile that eventually ended. Drug testing is certainly possible and may even be in Reid's contract, but how do you test someone for alcohol abuse ? 

[RJK]

I think it’s safe to say ol Andy ain’t winning any father of the year awards. 

[Frez]

13 minutes ago, RJK said:

I think it’s safe to say ol Andy ain’t winning any father of the year awards. 

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make em drink. 
 

Not fair to judge Andy like that. 

[Eastport bills]

53 minutes ago, Roy Hobbs said:

 

I share your concerns about the oversight, but I believe his drug conviction was a misdemeanor and the gun charge was a felony. Since they happened back in 2007 or so, he might have been on probation for awhile that eventually ended. Drug testing is certainly possible and may even be in Reid's contract, but how do you test someone for alcohol abuse ? 

It's only indicated when an alcohol problem is coupled with anger issues. Reid knows his players and the trouble signs. You mean he doesn't know his kid especially after losing his other kid to drugs. Zero tolerance for this criminal. No alcohol or no coaching job. Would a player be treated differently with a drug problem. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

No HBF, I too am out of the loop for some time. I am just thinking that if a person was getting certain major surgeries, the procedure wouldn't be postponed to process an arrest that can wait. 

 

Fair

[Augie]

1 hour ago, RJK said:

I think it’s safe to say ol Andy ain’t winning any father of the year awards. 

 

I think it’s safe to say he just lost a football game, but you have ZERO idea of what kind of father he is. 

 

I could argue the people who fight these battles are in fact the greatest warriors a parent could ever be. 

 

Did you read the article posted earlier by @Hapless Bills Fan? I don’t want to crush you, but I would hope to educate you. 

[Eastport bills]

1 hour ago, Roy Hobbs said:

 

I share your concerns about the oversight, but I believe his drug conviction was a misdemeanor and the gun charge was a felony. Since they happened back in 2007 or so, he might have been on probation for awhile that eventually ended. Drug testing is certainly possible and may even be in Reid's contract, but how do you test someone for alcohol abuse ? 

It was a DUI and that is a felony. Reid has some soul searching to do. If the kid, God forbid dies, we're talking vehicular homicide. 

[jlgarsh]

On 2/5/2021 at 8:55 PM, Mister Defense said:

 

Well, fair to feel bad for all here, I guess, but why so much for Britt Reid?

 

What he did was negligent, criminal, with a long history with driving while impaired.  Not deserving of any kind of compassion.

 

A shame that such a good coach like Reid was such a poor father when it came to raising his sons. One son, Barrett, dead because of substance abuse, and now Britt recklessly living his life without regard for the lives of others or himself. Seems like they were rich privileged kids raised without proper guidance or guardrails.

 

You'd think a man seemingly capable of being a great leader of men would be able to lead his own kids to a stable, happy adulthood. 

 

 

 

Addiction is tough, and not sure you can blame parents for their adult children’s problems. However, enabling his son by keeping him employed as an assistant coach is an issue. 

[billsfan_34]

4 hours ago, Eastport bills said:

If Andy's boy doesn't do real time our justice system is laughable. Andy obviously has plenty of culpability in this knucklehead jerk getting employed after pulling a gun in a road rage incident and then getting a DUI a few years ago. NFL players who are rightfully sensitive to racial injustices, need to come out and slam this behavior. A little child is fighting for life , and this privileged drunk has been enabled to threaten innocent lives by an oblivious TV football icon, who has insulated him from scrutiny.  Reid has already lost a son to drug addiction. I think he should be sanctioned by the league for allowing his criminal ,maniac son to work in the league without rehabilitation and monitoring. 

Dont be surprised if KC release Reid after this colossal tragedy that occurred days for the SB. Organizations must weigh risk vs reward. Right now, Reid  is a huge risk/PR nightmare  moving forward due the ongoing saga that continues to plague his family.

10 hours ago, White Linen said:

 

Surgery surely was the reason. 

They know his BAC. They are waiting to see which turn this poor child takes and then he will be charged accordingly.

Edited February 9, 2021 by billsfan_34

[Seventeen]

9 hours ago, Eastport bills said:

It was a DUI and that is a felony. Reid has some soul searching to do. If the kid, God forbid dies, we're talking vehicular homicide. 

 

DUIs are not always felonies otherwise there would be a boatload of people that would be disqualified from a lot of jobs. 

 

Simple case search here tells me his DUI was a misdemeanor. 

 

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch

 

[Seventeen]

7 hours ago, billsfan_34 said:

Dont be surprised if KC release Reid after this colossal tragedy that occurred days for the SB. Organizations must weigh risk vs reward. Right now, Reid  is a huge risk/PR nightmare  moving forward due the ongoing saga that continues to plague his family.

They know his BAC. They are waiting to see which turn this poor child takes and then he will be charged accordingly.

 

Sincerely doubt they will release Andy Reid due to an accident caused by his son. No doubt his son will be relieved of his duties. 

 

Also, the police will wait until the investigation is complete and then charge Reid if warranted. They won't wait until they see if the girl recovers as it could be months. 

 

[Beast]

He could be under the legal limit but should still be up ***** Creek since he mixed alcohol with Adderall. 

[Bill from NYC]

On 2/6/2021 at 1:58 PM, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I think the probabilty is high that Reid knew his son was drinking, or that if he didn't, he was "living by a river in Egypt".

 

I was looking over this thread once again and am not so sure what you meant by the above.

 

HBF, did you mean that Reid knew that his kid was drinking all of the time, or on that particular day? I know that an alcoholic can have a relapse after being 100% sober for very long periods of time. 

 

Btw, this was a very informative, well moderated thread. I'm glad that people who have some experience with addicts were kind enough to share their personal stories and I wish to thank them.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Bill from NYC

[Eastport bills]

1 hour ago, Roy Hobbs said:

 

DUIs are not always felonies otherwise there would be a boatload of people that would be disqualified from a lot of jobs. 

 

Simple case search here tells me his DUI was a misdemeanor. 

 

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch

 

My guess is that he is a problem drinker, who routinely got behind the wheel intoxicated and Andy knew about it. If he didn't, he should of. How many times did he do it and got away with it? The organization must have known he was a looming problem. You want to excuse it, because it's hard with regard to individual's rights to control alcoholism and poor judgment. I bet if you asked other coaches privately, they would concede he had a problem. 

[Punching Bag]

11 hours ago, Eastport bills said:

It was a DUI and that is a felony. Reid has some soul searching to do. If the kid, God forbid dies, we're talking vehicular homicide. 

 

Which is why he has not been charged yet.  There are rules on double jeopardy based on 5th amendment and likely if they charge him with lesser crime they cannot charge him for another.

[JohnC]

25 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

My guess is that he is a problem drinker, who routinely got behind the wheel intoxicated and Andy knew about it. If he didn't, he should of. How many times did he do it and got away with it? The organization must have known he was a looming problem. You want to excuse it, because it's hard with regard to individual's rights to control alcoholism and poor judgment. I bet if you asked other coaches privately, they would concede he had a problem. 

How do you know that the son routinely got behind the wheel when intoxicated? If that was the case how do you know that Andy knew about it? Why do you assume that the coaches knew he was still  struggling with addiction issues? You are making a lot of assumptions without knowing all the facts of the situation.

 

Reid's son was involved in a reckless and dangerous criminal act that has seriously injured a child. He will be held accountable for his actions. And that is how it should be. Where I disagree with your stance is that you are assuming some of the blame for the son's actions on others. And you are doing it without knowledge of the situation but simply based on your assumptions. Assumptions are not a good basis to make conclusions from.  When you don't fully know what is going on it might be advisable to wait for more of the facts of the case to come out. Then you would be in a better position to make judgment. 

[Mr. WEO]

13 hours ago, Roy Hobbs said:

 

I share your concerns about the oversight, but I believe his drug conviction was a misdemeanor and the gun charge was a felony. Since they happened back in 2007 or so, he might have been on probation for awhile that eventually ended. Drug testing is certainly possible and may even be in Reid's contract, but how do you test someone for alcohol abuse ? 

 

you put a six pack in his workplace office minifridge and then count the remaining cans after he leaves to drive home.

[Eastport bills]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

How do you know that the son routinely got behind the wheel when intoxicated? If that was the case how do you know that Andy knew about it? Why do you assume that the coaches knew he was still  struggling with addiction issues? You are making a lot of assumptions without knowing all the facts of the situation.

 

Reid's son was involved in a reckless and dangerous criminal act that has seriously injured a child. He will be held accountable for his actions. And that is how it should be. Where I disagree with your stance is that you are assuming some of the blame for the son's actions on others. And you are doing it without knowledge of the situation but simply based on your assumptions. Assumptions are not a good basis to make conclusions from.  When you don't fully know what is going on it might be advisable to wait for more of the facts of the case to come out. Then you would be in a better position to make judgment. 

Assumptions and opinions are what this forum is about. I am basing mine on this person's history of irresponsible and criminal behavior including a DUI and pulling a gun in a road rage incident. A player or coach with this criminal history would be precluded, in the majority of cases from working in the NFL. Reid hired his son knowing this history of alcohol related criminality. If his behavior and drinking wasn't being monitored, it should have. If you want to give the organization and Andy the benefit of an investigation fine. I'm sure the parents of the precious children who were plowed into on the on ramp of a highway in KC would disagree. 

[GoBills808]

25 minutes ago, JohnC said:

How do you know that the son routinely got behind the wheel when intoxicated? If that was the case how do you know that Andy knew about it? Why do you assume that the coaches knew he was still  struggling with addiction issues? You are making a lot of assumptions without knowing all the facts of the situation.

 

Reid's son was involved in a reckless and dangerous criminal act that has seriously injured a child. He will be held accountable for his actions. And that is how it should be. Where I disagree with your stance is that you are assuming some of the blame for the son's actions on others. And you are doing it without knowledge of the situation but simply based on your assumptions. Assumptions are not a good basis to make conclusions from.  When you don't fully know what is going on it might be advisable to wait for more of the facts of the case to come out. Then you would be in a better position to make judgment. 

It’s his second DUI, I think it’s a fairly safe assumption.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

I was looking over this thread once again and am not so sure what you meant by the above.

 

HBF, did you mean that Reid knew that his kid was drinking all of the time, or on that particular day? I know that an alcoholic can have a relapse after being 100% sober for very long periods of time. 

 

Btw, this was a very informative, well moderated thread. I'm glad that people who have some experience with addicts were kind enough to share their personal stories and I wish to thank them.

 

Thanks.  I meant that in general, as an employer (HC) working closely with his employees (Assistant coaches) long hours every day, if Reid's son had relapsed and was using/drinking again, Reid probably saw signs.  IME, when a boss or a coworker is using or drinking, they think they're concealing it but it's an "open secret" where sometimes, for various reasons, those most concerned may be blind to the signs.   They don't want it to be true, so they miss them.

 

Shakespeare sonnet 138 starts out "When my love swears that she is made of truth, I do believe her, though I know she lies".  It was written about a romantic lover but applicable to all the people we love.  Part of you knows, but you don't want it to be so, so it's difficult to let yourself believe it and you tell that part you're imagining things and need to have more faith. 

 

Of course, it's just a guess based on past experience with co-workers, boss, and friends who are parents who've been through this hell.

 

My heart goes out to all the people who have had this experience on this board.  It's a living hell I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

 

29 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

It’s his second DUI, I think it’s a fairly safe assumption.

 

The first DUI was 13 years ago in PA, lot of people who raise hell in their 20s settle down in their 30s especially once "married with kids".  Britt Reid is 35 yrs old, married with 3 kids.

 

For me, it was the cryptic phrase in the warrant "a computer check revealed ... multiple prior DUI contacts" .  Even our LEO members don't seem to know what it means precisely, but the best guess seems to be that he had previous stops for DUI in MO but pled to a lesser charge, 6x.  IE ongoing problem in MO.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

37 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

you put a six pack in his workplace office minifridge and then count the remaining cans after he leaves to drive home.

 

Maybe you require them to have this in the vehicle they drive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignition_interlock_device

[Mr. WEO]

3 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Maybe you require them to have this in the vehicle they drive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignition_interlock_device

 

No doubt he will if he is ever allowed to drive again.  

 

Someone in the organization could have spoken up at some point.  I bet this was a poorly kept secret in house...

[JohnC]

55 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

It’s his second DUI, I think it’s a fairly safe assumption.

When did he have his first DUI? @Hapless Bills Fan stated it was 13 yrs ago. Does that indicate that he regularly drives under the influence? I can't say based on that information and neither can you. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 minutes ago, JohnC said:

When did he have his first DUI? @Hapless Bills Fan stated it was 13 yrs ago. Does that indicate that he regularly drives under the influence? I can't say based on that information and neither can you. 

 

You know, John, there's a lot of information on these points up thread including a link to the warrant application last week and links to stories about his previous incidents.  

 

I treasure the compliment above that this has been a productive and educational thread on a difficult topic for some.

 

I don't see how it will help it stay that way if you're going to repeatedly reiterate questions to which you could find the answer either upthread or on the internet.

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

30 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

No doubt he will if he is ever allowed to drive again.  

Someone in the organization could have spoken up at some point.  I bet this was a poorly kept secret in house...

 

That's my guess.  Of course it's only my guess (based on life experience with colleagues/boss drinking at work)

But various media members are calling for the Chiefs to conduct a transparent investigation:

 

Quote

Among the first things the Chiefs need to investigate is if Reid was drinking, where was he doing it prior to getting behind the wheel of the truck?

Due to strict NFL COVID protocols it would be newsworthy if a coach went to a bar, a restaurant or even a friend’s house to have some drinks. Any such contact could cause not only Britt Reid to miss the Super Bowl, but any other coach, player or staff member within the Chiefs’ organization who got anywhere near him.

So he probably wasn’t at a bar.

The place to start, of course, is the team facility, which sits adjacent to Arrowhead Stadium. The crash occurred near there. According to public records, Britt Reid resides at a home in Overland Park, Kansas, located about 30 miles away. I-435 is the obvious route to get there.

Presumably Reid, like any NFL coach on any game week, let alone Super Bowl game week, was putting in long hours in preparation. Like many work environments, it’s not unusual for alcohol to be in team facilities.

If Reid came straight from work, then the bigger question for the Chiefs isn’t which coaches are on the team flight Saturday, but what exactly is going on inside their facility.

It shouldn’t take too long to find out. NFL teams and their buildings are heavy on security and video monitoring. It’s also a busy place these days. The team needs to be upfront and transparent, immediately.

 

Imma guess here that the team will see its needs differently.

[GoBills808]

40 minutes ago, JohnC said:

When did he have his first DUI? @Hapless Bills Fan stated it was 13 yrs ago. Does that indicate that he regularly drives under the influence? I can't say based on that information and neither can you. 

It’s acknowledged he’s had many more recent incidents.

[Mr. WEO]

50 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

That's my guess.  Of course it's only my guess (based on life experience with colleagues/boss drinking at work)

But various media members are calling for the Chiefs to conduct a transparent investigation:

 

 

Imma guess here that the team will see its needs differently.

 

 

I wouldn't count on Reid's staff to divulge the truth about what they saw or didn't see regarding his son.  The press could do a far more credible investigation with inside the building sources.  I don't imagine his road raging, gun waving, drug emporium selling, drunk driving, possibly child killing son is a treasured colleague in that building.

[JohnNord]

Here’s a very pertinent article to what’s been discussed.  I’d didn’t see it posted, my apologizes if it had been.  The writer heavily goes after the lack of response from KC

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-owe-more-than-thoughts-and-prayers-to-family-of-5-yearold-fighting-for-life-after-crash-with-britt-reid-184443680.html
 

Here’s what we know:

- The 5 year old girl (Ariel), still in a coma. 
- GoFundMe campaign has raised close to $400,000 mostly in small donations. 

- Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid, or the Hunt family has not reached out to the family in any way.  They have not donated any money to the GoFundMe, nor have the offered - unless anonymously.  Even so, most donations were fairly small amounts.

- Sounds like a DUI conclusion is all for forgone and everyone knows it, based on language in police report.

-Britt Reid had surgery after the accident and is still employed as a coach on the team.

 

Most interesting part is here:

 

- Many wondered what Britt was doing as OLB coach to begin with.  He went from prison to assistant coach in less than 5 years.  He has been viewed as a nepotism hire.  
 

- The accident took place near the Chiefs facility. Due to COVID protocols it’s not likely he drank at a restaurant/bar/friends house.  Britt lives 30 minutes away from the facility and was likely on his way home.   The Chiefs probably know when he left the facility and what he was doing inside.
 

All in all, this seems like a really bad situation for Britt and more heartache for the Reid family.  

I really am praying for Ariel
 

  

Edited February 9, 2021 by JohnNord

[billsfan89]

Everything that could have gone wrong for KC in the run up to this game just did. Big snow storm puts off when KC could get to the game, coaches son gets in a pretty serious DWI accident and in the second half of the AFCCG your start LT goes down and creates even bigger O-line issues. As good as Tampa was KC just did not get handed the best hand.

[Big Turk]

If that child dies, he is going to jail for quite some time...

[blitzboy54]

2 hours ago, Big Turk said:

If that child dies, he is going to jail for quite some time...

 

He might be even if she doesn't. At this point based on his history and anecdotal evidence I would say he deserves it.

 

Another point is Reid had another son die of an overdose and do jail time. I think it's safe to say a lot of NFL coaches are miserable parents. Any 24/7 job takes you away from your family is going to be a challenge. I imagine you have to have a plan and be very dedicated to whatever time off you have to be dedicated to them. 

Even the "great" Tony Dungy went back and coached after his kid killed himself. I thought it was a scum bag move personally but I care about my family so what do I know. He had a enough money in his pocket to walk away from work forever, didn't even take the day. I've never really thought much of him since then. 

 

There are hundreds of examples of NFL coaches and broken families. 

Edited February 9, 2021 by blitzboy54

[Seventeen]

20 minutes ago, blitzboy54 said:

 

He might be even if she doesn't. At this point based on his history and anecdotal evidence I would say he deserves it.

 

Another point is Reid had another son die of an overdose and do jail time. I think it's safe to say a lot of NFL coaches are miserable parents. Any 24/7 job takes you away from your family is going to be a challenge. I imagine you have to have a plan and be very dedicated to whatever time off you have to be dedicated to them. 

Even the "great" Tony Dungy went back and coached after his kid killed himself. I thought it was a scum bag move personally but I care about my family so what do I know. He had a enough money in his pocket to walk away from work forever, didn't even take the day. I've never really thought much of him since then. 

 

There are hundreds of examples of NFL coaches and broken families. 

 

I'd be onboard with this except Reid has 3 other kids who appear to have turned out OK. 

[blitzboy54]

7 minutes ago, Roy Hobbs said:

 

I'd be onboard with this except Reid has 3 other kids who appear to have turned out OK. 

 

If the standard is not being a criminal or dead then I suppose. I have 3 kids not sure I would consider just one of them dead or a drug addict a success.  

[Seventeen]

11 minutes ago, blitzboy54 said:

 

If the standard is not being a criminal or dead then I suppose. I have 3 kids not sure I would consider just one of them dead or a drug addict a success.  

 

If you believe the stories written while Reid was in Philly, sounds like Andy and his wife did everything humanly possible to help both the son that died and also Britt. Some kids are hell bent on self-destruction for whatever reason and there's nothing a parent can do to stop it ... especially when they get older.  One of the quotes from Garrett, the son that overdosed, was that he really enjoyed being a drug dealer in the Philly hoods and having everyone know who he was. You're right in that Andy was probably away a lot and the kids had a lot of time and $ on their hands and quite possibly that contributed to the mess we see now. 

  

Edited February 9, 2021 by Roy Hobbs

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, blitzboy54 said:

He might be even if she doesn't. At this point based on his history and anecdotal evidence I would say he deserves it.

 

Another point is Reid had another son die of an overdose and do jail time. I think it's safe to say a lot of NFL coaches are miserable parents. Any 24/7 job takes you away from your family is going to be a challenge. I imagine you have to have a plan and be very dedicated to whatever time off you have to be dedicated to them. 

Even the "great" Tony Dungy went back and coached after his kid killed himself. I thought it was a scum bag move personally but I care about my family so what do I know. He had a enough money in his pocket to walk away from work forever, didn't even take the day. I've never really thought much of him since then. 

 

There are hundreds of examples of NFL coaches and broken families. 

 

@#$@% what a Hella bad take. 

 

Depression, suicide of a young person, is a terrible terrible thing.  We can't imagine. One of my bosses had a son who suicided at age 17.   Son was a star athlete, lots of friends, no one knew where his head was until it was found with a bullet in it.  That man will never get over it, Never. 

 

If you come out of the "Hood" (the Parent"Hood") with a healthy and reasonably well-adjusted adult kid you are blessed, Blessed.  Because in hindsight sometimes you learn how easily it could have gone another way, despite all the parents' love and care and attention.  All of the stuff we say to our kids trying to raise them, the time we lost our temper and maybe said a couple things we didn't really mean, maybe three flaps of a butterfly's wings away from pushing our kid down that awful road.   Parenting is a non-stop montage of humbling experience.

Everybody deals with grief in their own way.  When Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman's first wife Irene died, he says he got back to work at the Manhattan Project as fast as possible.  People asked about Irene and he said "She died. How's the Project?"  He didn't want to talk about it.  He was grieving, but he threw himself into his work.  That was how he dealt with his grief. 

 

I'm not going to judge a guy I don't know what kind of parent he is.  A lot of parents have high-powered careers that take them away from their families. Armed forces.  Physicians.  Executives.  It all depends on what you do with the time you give your kids, and none of us know that for these coaches and their families. 

 

There are literally millions of examples of broken families and children who suffer from addiction in all walks of life.  It's far from unique to NFL coaches and I can't even tell you if it's more common there.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

53 minutes ago, Roy Hobbs said:

If you believe the stories written while Reid was in Philly, sounds like Andy and his wife did everything humanly possible to help both the son that died and also Britt. Some kids are hell bent on self-destruction for whatever reason and there's nothing a parent can do to stop it ... especially when they get older.  One of the quotes from Garrett, the son that overdosed, was that he really enjoyed being a drug dealer in the Philly hoods and having everyone know who he was. You're right in that Andy was probably away a lot and the kids had a lot of time and $ on their hands and quite possibly that contributed to the mess we see now.

 

Addiction is an insidious thing.

 

Someone I know explained it this way.  Suppose you have a distraction at work - who knows what.  Watching Tiny House Nation on Youtube.  Let's say you successfully keep off it and work, 99%, 90%, even only 80% of the time.  Chances are you can be pretty productive, and the time you give in to your distraction won't interfere with your ability to work, parent, live the rest of your life.  But if you have a recovered addiction, if you even give into it once, it can throw you right back into the heart of it biochemically and you have to go through the whole tortured process of getting clean once again.

 

And that's how it is for the rest of your life. 

 

Edit: this is a story that moved me when I read it, about a football player and his journey with addiction - from playing in 2 Superbowls, to sleeping under a bridge, being found by a young photojournalist who did a story on him, to getting sober and finding work and love.  The part that stayed with me from the "Happy Recovery" part of the story: "“It only takes one slip,” he said, “and I’ll end up right back where you found me."  And he did.  https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/article_d32d7ad2-8140-502d-b65a-7c35d2aa8999.html

Having an addition, it must be hell.  But having someone you care about struggle with addiction, it's also hell.