Come on, don’t lie.
When you first heard about Dustin Johnson’s self-described “leave of absence” from professional golf for the remainder of 2014, what did you really think?
Did you really think he was taking time off on his own to “improve my mental health and well-being?” Or, did the “better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion” get you?
If you’re like me, the first thing that went through your mind was “He got popped for something.”
So it comes as no surprise to find out from a Golf.com article reporting Dustin Johnson has been popped for cocaine. This is not the first time either, in fact, it’s the second time for cocaine but third time for an illegal drug. Now whether this is true or not, I guess we’ll never know, since the PGA Tour likes to keep things under wraps when it comes to their players getting suspended. (Which is just ridiculous.)
According to this Golf.com article, Dustin Johnson was suspended back in 2012 during the 11 weeks between the the Cadillac Championship in March and Memorial Championship in May. During that time, DJ claimed he hurt his back lifting a jet-ski.
For me, all this begs one question. Since all the guys are independent contractors and can play whenever they want, how many other players have been suspended over the years while supposedly “taking vacations for 2 weeks” or “recovering from a wrist injury for 4 weeks?” It’s just time for the PGA Tour to change this ridiculous “privacy” policy.
The sad part about this whole thing is none of it surprises me. Nor does it even bother me. I frankly don’t care if they want to do cocaine, drink all night and sleep with other wives. These guys are young, rich, and travel the country in private jets and stay in 5-star hotels. I can’t fault them. It’s nothing different from what’s going on in colleges across the country or even other sports in America where’s there’s lots of money involved.
What does piss me off sometimes is how lame of an excuse these guys give the public. Nobody is fooled with the PR-spun BS. Do you really think Dustin Johnson wrote this statement:
“I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,” he said in a statement issued by his management company. “By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion.”
What a great statement, DJ. I mean how long did it take for you to formulate it? You’ve never given a thoughtful interview in all your years in front of the camera but all of a sudden you’re going to put together a thoughtful and well-written statement.
I wish just one time, no matter if it’s golf, baseball, football, or Wall Street, when someone with any sort-of “importance” gets popped for doing something stupid, the statement read like this:
I will be taking the remainder of the year off to get some help for a cocaine habit that has taken over my life, and now gotten me suspended by the PGA Tour for a second time. I will take this time to seek professional help which will allow me to come back with a new outlook on my career and personal life. Thank you for your support and I will see you all soon.
Boom! There you go. A perfectly written statement which speaks the truth, outlines the problem, and lays out a plan for the future. No BS and no lies. I can pretty much guarantee people would be more supportive and have a little more empathy.
So with all that said, hopefully DJ gets his life back together and can come back and play some good golf in the future. What do you think of the suspension? Let us know below or hit us up on Twitter @Front9Back9.
[…] Dustin Johnson – Well, Dustin Johnson took a leave of absence to recover from a cocaine habit, supposedly. Nobody really knows though. Don’t count him […]