Austin Watson has been placed in Stage 2 of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse/Behavioral Health Program

[Pens x]

Poor guy. I remember during his draft TSN kept talking about his huge amount of siblings and how often he'd have to go out of his way to help out his parents. Always resonated with me for some reason

Yea, that gives him a reason to be a piece of shit.

Woe is me, nothing is ever anyone’s fault anymore.

If there was a video of the incident, he’d be banned from the NHL.

Ban this piece of trash, uncle Gary.

 

[FossilFndr]

Thanks for the additional observation that if you have the disease of alcoholism then you are a piece of &&&& and trash. And exactly what incident are you referring in regards to a video? Source please?

 

[Legionnaire11]

Yea, that gives him a reason to be a piece of ****.

Woe is me, nothing is ever anyone’s fault anymore.

If there was a video of the incident, he’d be banned from the NHL.

Ban this piece of trash, uncle Gary.

There is surveillance footage as it occurred at a gas station, also eyewitnesses including the responding officer. This has all been discussed at length and went through the legal process in court. How can you hold such a strong opinion when you clearly don't know the facts of the case?

To this poster and everyone else, despite the online culture of reacting in hot takes that are composed entirely on the premise of extremes, the world is rarely black and white and attempting to live a life under such pretenses is dangerous.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Pretty sure an addict needs it in their daily life in order for them to feel they are functioning correctly. Im not a doctor, so dont quote me. I believe its something along those lines tho

"Binge drinking" is considered more than 4 drinks a night for men, and I'm pretty sure you're considered an alcoholic if you binge drink. I only remember that because I thought it was crazy low for 4 drinks to be "binge drinking". It's a little weird though, you can have 13 drinks a week and be fine (or at least be at low risk for AUD), but drinking more than 4 in 1 night makes you at risk for AUD (alcohol use disorder).

 

[dragonballgtz]

You sound ignorant if youre comparing this guy to what Voynov did. I'm not a preds fan but its pretty ridiculous. He served a fair amount of time for what he did, hes got demons to battle.. hopefully it works out for him

He might not have went to the extreme of Voynov but even in the police report his girlfriend states, "sometimes he can get handsy." So I would assume he put his hands on her a few times even before their public incident.

Austin Watson arrest: Report reveals new details in domestic violence case against Predators forward

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

I think a lot of people needs to understand that most of the pro athletes arnt educated and, just b/c they may play for your favorite team, dosnt have to be good people either. Watson is another example of that. Gets a 'bye' by the NHL who decreases his sentence and then he goes on drinking. I've seen people, in this thread, trying to blame it on his girlfriend (?) and feels sorry for him while trying to argue that he "comes from a harsh background". Hockey player are no different from athletes in other sports;

a happy Cristiano Ronaldo taking a selfie from his private airplane right after getting sentenced to tax fraud PLUS it's right after a brazilian footballer was reported missing over the english channel is one other example of how stupid and ignorant they cant be,

or the swedish former national league player Kim Källström commenting on the upcoming WC in Quatar and how good they actually are to their workers (slaves), while also slamming media.

Fans in general have to stop making excuses for these millionairs. Just b/c they happen to be great at something it dosnt mean they have to be good people. Watson dosnt really have a history of being one either.

 

[Legionnaire11]

I think a lot of people needs to understand that most of the pro athletes arnt educated and, just b/c they may play for your favorite team, dosnt have to be good people either. Watson is another example of that. Gets a 'bye' by the NHL who decreases his sentence and then he goes on drinking. I've seen people, in this thread, trying to blame it on his girlfriend (?) and feels sorry for him while trying to argue that he "comes from a harsh background". Hockey player are no different from athletes in other sports;

a happy Cristiano Ronaldo taking a selfie from his private airplane right after getting sentenced to tax fraud PLUS it's right after a brazilian footballer was reported missing over the english channel is one other example of how stupid and ignorant they cant be,

or the swedish former national league player Kim Källström commenting on the upcoming WC in Quatar and how good they actually are to their workers (slaves), while also slamming media.

Fans in general have to stop making excuses for these millionairs. Just b/c they happen to be great at something it dosnt mean they have to be good people. Watson dosnt really have a history of being one either.

So what's your argument here? What do you think Watson has done and what do you think should be done about it?

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

So what's your argument here? What do you think Watson has done and what do you think should be done about it?

What do you mean? Hes been arrested for hitting his girlfriend and appearantly has a drinking problem?

 

[tny760]

He might not have went to the extreme of Voynov but even in the police report his girlfriend states, "sometimes he can get handsy." So I would assume he put his hands on her a few times even before their public incident.

Austin Watson arrest: Report reveals new details in domestic violence case against Predators forward

just wait for the tennessee folks to see this post and circle jerk it out of existence

like i said before, you cannot believe a codependent alcoholic couple when it comes to domestic abuse. that's literally the story every single time, "he gets handsy" then when he gets arrested "oh it's not that bad let him go" to some good-ole boy southern cops and they're gonna let the millionaire go.

 

[Legionnaire11]

What do you mean? Hes been arrested for hitting his girlfriend and appearantly has a drinking problem?

Well you seem to be condemning Watson but you are giving details. What exactly did he do and what should his punishment be?

 

[Legionnaire11]

just wait for the tennessee folks to see this post and circle jerk it out of existence

like i said before, you cannot believe a codependent alcoholic couple when it comes to domestic abuse. that's literally the story every single time, "he gets handsy" then when he gets arrested "oh it's not that bad let him go" to some good-ole boy southern cops and they're gonna let the millionaire go.

We already saw it, that's information that has been available since day one.

You have absolutely NO IDEA what you're talking about. Again, throwing out some pretty strong opinions but showing by your words that you've not read anything about this case beyond headlines. Nothing you wrote here matches up with any of the evidence of the case, but you certainly know the situation better right?

 

[Sam Spade]

Hope it all works out for him because he will get better care than most addicts.

 

[Mach85]

He might not have went to the extreme of Voynov but even in the police report his girlfriend states, "sometimes he can get handsy." So I would assume he put his hands on her a few times even before their public incident.

Austin Watson arrest: Report reveals new details in domestic violence case against Predators forward

That's what some aren't getting. If he's willing to "only" push his girlfriend in public, in full view of other people, he's probably capable of a lot more in private.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Alcohol is a tough addiction to kick. I work in a low-income neighbourhood, lots of career alcoholics stumbling around talking about the good old days. When being drunk is your lifestyle you have to forge a new identity.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I've read many times the technical standard for alcoholism is much lower than that. As in, a few drink a night is enough to be a technical alcoholic. I drink pretty much every night but rarely in the day time. Was Watson showing up at practice with booze no his breath or is there a zero tolerance league rule associated with "stage 1" that he broke? The two concepts are galaxies apart (my point being).

You would be considered a functional alcoholic. I used to be a functional alcoholic, 3-4 drinks everyday after work, never hurt/hindered anything besides my liver and my wallet. Unlike us, Watson is obviously not able to balance life and alcohol consumption.

 

[Legionnaire11]

That's what some aren't getting. If he's willing to "only" push his girlfriend in public, in full view of other people, he's probably capable of a lot more in private.

No, people certainly understand that he's capable of more and there is potentially more... the ones who aren't getting it are the ones who want to condemn someone for being "probably capable of a lot more"

 

[Mach85]

No, people certainly understand that he's capable of more and there is potentially more... the ones who aren't getting it are the ones who want to condemn someone for being "probably capable of a lot more"

Where did I condemn him?

People saying "well, it's not Voynov, it's 'just' pushing" absolutely aren't getting it. It's not that black and white. Anyone familiar with how abusive relationships work and with how abusers are know that a public display is very concerning. Since I'll have to explicitly say this in order to prevent you from saying I'm condemning him, I'm not saying he IS guilty of more. But given what we've seen, it can't be handwaved away. There's no need to weigh abusive situations. Abuse is abuse, and abuse begets more abuse. The overarching point is that while alcohol treatment seems warranted, intervention on anger management/domestic abuse is also warranted. If he is doing "more" in private, then this is really, really timely and needed. If he isn't, then he's still at high risk of doing so (substance abuse, history of domestic violence in public) and at that point it's about prevention.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Where did I condemn him?

People saying "well, it's not Voynov, it's 'just' pushing" absolutely aren't getting it. It's not that black and white. Anyone familiar with how abusive relationships work and with how abusers are know that a public display is very concerning. Since I'll have to explicitly say this in order to prevent you from saying I'm condemning him, I'm not saying he IS guilty of more. But given what we've seen, it can't be handwaved away. There's no need to weigh abusive situations. Abuse is abuse, and abuse begets more abuse. The overarching point is that while alcohol treatment seems warranted, intervention on anger management/domestic abuse is also warranted. If he is doing "more" in private, then this is really, really timely and needed. If he isn't, then he's still at high risk of doing so (substance abuse, history of domestic violence in public) and at that point it's about prevention.

You start out saying it isn't black and white, which I had previously stated in this thread. But then go on to say abuse is abuse, which contradicts your first statement.

Nobody has excused what he's done. I think you're just reading too much into those of us who are unfortunately having to defend him. Because while you want to say abuse is abuse, there actually is a difference between pushing someone (who is drunk and provoking you) and beating them bloody.

We all agree that Watson messed up, and that he needs treatment. The rift here is the group saying he should be banned from the league, and operating on assumptions of "if you push someone in public, you are likely beating them bloody behind closed doors"

I mean, is it possible and even probable that he's doing worse stuff at home? Absolutely. But we have no way of knowing that and so it cannot weigh into the case at hand or how the team, league and legal system deal with him.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

You would be considered a functional alcoholic. I used to be a functional alcoholic, 3-4 drinks everyday after work, never hurt/hindered anything besides my liver and my wallet. Unlike us, Watson is obviously not able to balance life and alcohol consumption.

You're right for sure, I'm just wondering if Watson's crime was as simple as having some drinks after hours when he wasn't supposed to or if it was as bad as showing up at practice reeking of booze.

 

[Armourboy]

You're right for sure, I'm just wondering if Watson's crime was as simple as having some drinks after hours when he wasn't supposed to or if it was as bad as showing up at practice reeking of booze.

Something most of us would like to know, but whatever it was it was breaking the terms of his program so he has to deal with that.

Also just to correct someone earlier, the NHL didn't lesson his suspension, an outside arbitrator did that, which is negotiated in the CBA with the players association. The league didn't have any say as to whether or not it was actually shortened.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

"Binge drinking" is considered more than 4 drinks a night for men, and I'm pretty sure you're considered an alcoholic if you binge drink. I only remember that because I thought it was crazy low for 4 drinks to be "binge drinking". It's a little weird though, you can have 13 drinks a week and be fine (or at least be at low risk for AUD), but drinking more than 4 in 1 night makes you at risk for AUD (alcohol use disorder).

interesting, under this qualification I'd be an alcoholic since I put down at least half a dozen beers after a hockey game Sunday night but haven't had a drop (or wanted a drop) since.

 

[Mach85]

You start out saying it isn't black and white, which I had previously stated in this thread. But then go on to say abuse is abuse, which contradicts your first statement.

Nobody has excused what he's done. I think you're just reading too much into those of us who are unfortunately having to defend him. Because while you want to say abuse is abuse, there actually is a difference between pushing someone (who is drunk and provoking you) and beating them bloody.

We all agree that Watson messed up, and that he needs treatment. The rift here is the group saying he should be banned from the league, and operating on assumptions of "if you push someone in public, you are likely beating them bloody behind closed doors"

I mean, is it possible and even probable that he's doing worse stuff at home? Absolutely. But we have no way of knowing that and so it cannot weigh into the case at hand or how the team, league and legal system deal with him.

The not black and white reference was referring to the "if it's not beating the hell out of someone then it can't be abuse." That's the part that's not black and white. Saying abuse is abuse is referring to how something doesn't cease to be what it's defined to be in language and in practice simply because it's not a severe form of it. Please don't take my words out of context if we're going to have a productive conversation even if we disagree.

Perhaps we're arguing two different points here. I'm responding to people who are saying "well, it's not Voynov" and you're saying you're responding to people saying "toss him out of the league." If we both agree that the push in public is concerning and he should be receiving treatment for anger/domestic abuse alongside his alcohol treatment, then we probably agree but just misunderstood each other.

 

[Legionnaire11]

The not black and white reference was referring to the "if it's not beating the hell out of someone then it can't be abuse." That's the part that's not black and white. Saying abuse is abuse is referring to how something doesn't cease to be what it's defined to be in language and in practice simply because it's not a severe form of it. Please don't take my words out of context if we're going to have a productive conversation even if we disagree.

Perhaps we're arguing two different points here. I'm responding to people who are saying "well, it's not Voynov" and you're saying you're responding to people saying "toss him out of the league." If we both agree that the push in public is concerning and he should be receiving treatment for anger/domestic abuse alongside his alcohol treatment, then we probably agree but just misunderstood each other.

Definitely I think we're on the same page, sorry for any misunderstanding.

 

[Empoleon8771]

interesting, under this qualification I'd be an alcoholic since I put down at least half a dozen beers after a hockey game Sunday night but haven't had a drop (or wanted a drop) since.

Yeah I'm in the same boat, I only have about 12 drinks a week, but those come in 2 nights. I don't really get why 4 drinks in 1 night is "binge drinking", I consider 10 drinks in 1 night to be binging

 

[Frank Drebin]

OK, define it then. I drink a lot by anyone's standard and I would be considered an alcoholic by any technical standard (and so would a lot of people reading this) but I don't have a microscope on me and I function perfectly fine in my day to day life. Was he doing something different? Was there another incident or was it something like a monitoring thing where he's not allowed to drink at all? Who knows what triggered this without details.

I think the line in the sand between a typical alcohol abuser and an alcoholic is that for the alcoholic, booze penetrates their "regular" life, with devastating side effects.

Ie) getting plastered and obnoxious at family gatherings, missing or habitually late for work, drinking during the day and or being impaired at work, drunk driving, etc.

 

[Frank Drebin]

just wait for the tennessee folks to see this post and circle jerk it out of existence

like i said before, you cannot believe a codependent alcoholic couple when it comes to domestic abuse. that's literally the story every single time, "he gets handsy" then when he gets arrested "oh it's not that bad let him go" to some good-ole boy southern cops and they're gonna let the millionaire go.

You should be very happy that he is being forced to get the help he needs.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Predators forward Austin Watson's girlfriend opens up about addiction, his arrest, mental health