SI Article on Mookie

[Guest]

If you're sensitive to depressing shit about former athletes, then you might want to skip this one. But lots of interesting things said:

At around 1 p.m. on May 31, 2013, Frank and Monica Murphy pulled out of a Taco Bell onto Tara Boulevard in Jonesboro, Georgia, about 20 miles south of downtown Atlanta. They were moving to the area from Plano, Tex., and had an appointment to see a house that afternoon. Their Chrysler Town & Country minivan was loaded with their possessions. Their five children were staying in a nearby hotel with Monica’s mother.

They were excited to be moving back to the Atlanta area, where they had lived for 10 years before spending the past 18 months in Texas. As an interracial couple—he, 43, was white; she, 40, was black—they found Atlanta more open and cosmopolitan than the Dallas area, and their employment situations had given them a chance to move back. Frank’s passion was playing guitar in metal bands, but he made a living operating a forklift and doing other blue-collar work, and had just been laid off by FedEx. Monica had recently become a licensed insurance broker, which meant she could work anywhere she wanted.

They pulled up to a stoplight, the second car in the line, Frank driving and Monica in the passenger seat. The light changed. Frank pulled out slowly behind another car. When he saw the black Escalade barreling toward him at a 45 degree angle, going about 50 miles per hour, he could barely begin to process what he was seeing, let alone react.

The rest can be found: http://www.si.com/nba/2015/03/05/mookie-blaylock-deadly-crash-alcohol-frank-murphy

And for those illeterate:

[macdaddy]

Well I ignored your warning and read anyway.   Now I feel like crap.   I loved Mookie as a player but man what a crazy life.  Even though drugs and alcohol aren't very unique problems for athletes, there aren't many i can think of like Mookie who was so laid back and quiet yet constantly under the influence.  Alcoholism like this is just awful and seems to always end in tragedy.   The husband's life now is just heartbreaking.

[Guest]

Thanks @macdaddy, I'm definitely not reading it now.

[Duff_Man]

I don't think I can do it. Mookie is one of my all-time favorite hawks.

[capstone21]

sad

[Guest]

FWIW, I've known people who worked at Country Club of the South that interacted with Mookie. They said he was a great tipper and extremely nice to them in whatever capacity they interacted with him (caddies, bartender, pro shop, etc.). But part of this article/story is why there is a saying that says you should never meet your idols. You'll never look at or think about Mookie the same after reading the article.

[Dejay]

I read the story hours ago but didn't want to sour the mood on the board by bringing it up. During his days here, especially when Denberg was alive, there was little snippets in the AJC about Mookie every now and then. Stories of him arriving to the Omni in just enough time to change clothes and hit the court before tip-off and such. Given the well-known reputation of the team not even trying to develop players, that alone used to give me pause. I'm surprised more wasn't made of it in the papers then but considering that Kasten was still here and controlled the AJC's access to the Braves (who was the hottest ticket in town then) as well as the Hawks with an iron fist, I can see why it was put on the backburner.

[MaceCase]

Sometimes the unintended consequences of celebrity and money is that those in a position of authority tend to overlook your transgressions.  Apparently those within his personal and professional life were also more than willing to either enable or look the other way rather than urge him towards help.  Not that I can put much blame on the latter, one has to personally accept the need for help, but I can surely blame the former.  Getting pulled over on multiple occasions with BACs higher than Pero's shooting percentages should have had Mookie off the streets long before that faithful night.

[HawkItus]

This is why I have no tolerance for DUI.  I love what Bud has done, but I hope he learned his lesson.  As for Mookie nothing will bring that lost soul back.  No matter how many good things he does from hence forward.  Damn shame.