Perhaps Oscar is lucky that a State Trooper intervened before anything could really go wrong?
It?s strange just how often headlines across the landscape of professional boxing involve individuals who no longer lace up the gloves. Stranger still and perhaps to the detriment of the passionate fans of the sport, such tidbits of breaking news often get more attention than actual pressing matters such as, well, the sweet science itself. A fine example could easily be the fact that former pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. received more press and play than his fighter Badou Jack did a few weeks ago after his super middleweight title clash with James DeGale ended in a majority draw. Dressed in a shirt which more resembled a picnic table cloth, Floyd took to the center of the ring and walked the path which led to him once again being the center of attention.
In regard to a more recent and much more significant occurrence, look no further than the Wednesday arrest of Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Initially reported by TMZ Sports, the same group of shameless carpetbaggers who throw daily irrelevant celebrity news our way, the former multi-division champion from East Los Angeles was pulled over for speeding in Pasadena, California, and was subsequently taken into custody. How fun it must be for some to kick people while they?re down.
Demons come in all shapes, sizes and forms. Oscar?s certainly no stranger to such temptations as alcohol and drugs. When he retired back in 2009 after an unsuccessful attempt to dethrone Manny Pacquiao, the ?Golden Boy? indicated that he?d divert his attention to the other side of the ropes and concentrate on life as a promoter. To his credit, he?s done a great job over the years and he?s been part of some of the biggest draws in boxing.
Of course, the sport?s biggest financial trough at the time (September 2013?s super middleweight bout between the aforementioned Mayweather and Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez) was overshadowed to some extent by Oscar?s absence from the event and his decision to enter a rehabilitation facility. He recognized that he needed help to battle his addictions. None of us are perfect, yet so many showed disregard for their own time and, frankly, loneliness in order to take jovial stabs at his misfortunes.
Some are victims to their own demons without necessarily knowing it, and wrapping their cars around telephone poles or injuring others in the process hopefully won?t be needed to wake them from their respective haze. Many drink to relax and escape the pressures of life and work, but there?s a reason for the offense of drunk driving now carrying more than a night in the local jail to sleep off the booze. A DWI conviction can essentially ruin one?s life by way of thousands of dollars in city, county and state fines. Their license to drive can be revoked or suspended and the cost of their auto insurance can skyrocket. Granted, such penalties are in place for a reason. It?s the cost of one?s unrecognized moment of selfishness which can easily result in the death of innocent people.
Still, it?s news outlets such as TMZ and the explosion of social media over the last decade or so which has caused privacy to be a thing of the past. All we can do as boxing fans is wish him the best and hope that he gets it right this time. His contribution to the sport not only as a world champion boxer but a promoter as well cannot be understated. There are people much older than Oscar who have never been able to shake their addictions and respective demons.
Likewise, there are those who drink so much daily that they probably cannot recite their own name when they are behind the wheel of a vehicle. Perhaps Oscar is lucky that a State Trooper intervened before anything could really go wrong. For now, let?s allow him to lay low and take his time to get back on his feet. Leave him alone. We breathe the same air, but very few of us live in a fishbowl.
