Cardinals GM in hot water following DUI arrest
For the Arizona Cardinals, keeping their players on the straight and narrow and out of trouble with the law is a key part of team cohesion as the team tries to return to the playoff form that won them a division title in 2016 and, further back than that, got them to Super Bowl XLIII in 2008, where they fell just four points short of bringing the franchise its first championship since they still played in Chicago back in 1947.
It’s a lot harder to do that when the general manager is getting nailed for DUI.
Steve Keim’s failure of leadership by example came Wednesday, as The Arizona Republic reported Keim was arrested after celebrating America a bit too hard and attracting the attention of the police while he was driving.
The report said he was stopped near a DUI checkpoint in Chandler, Arizona, south of Phoenix, at 12:26 a.m. Thursday.
Keim and the team released statements Saturday morning.
“We are aware of the incident on Wednesday involving Steve Keim. He fully recognizes the seriousness of the situation and that this type of behavior is unacceptable and inexcusable,” the team’s statement said.
“Steve immediately alerted the team who in turn reported it to the NFL as required under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. We are continuing to gather information and will handle the matter appropriately and in accordance with all league policies as well as within the legal system.”
Keim’s statement pressed the Boilerplate Contrition button perfectly.
“I truly regret my incredibly poor judgment and inexcusable actions,” he said. “Everyone associated with the NFL and its teams is held to a high standard of behavior and I obviously failed to meet that. I sincerely apologize to our organization and its fans as well as to my family. I accept full responsibility for my actions and hold myself completely accountable. Moving forward, I will take the steps to ensure that I never put myself or the Cardinals in this type of situation again.”
At least Keim reported the incident; this puts him one up on Jameis Winston of the Buccaneers, who was just suspended for three games not because he sexually assaulted an Uber driver but because he didn’t have the half an ounce of sense required to comply with the league reporting requirement.
The last time a member of the Cardinals organization got picked up on a DUI, wide receiver Michael Floyd missed four games in 2016.
That’s one more game than Winston got for grabbing the crotch of a woman in the service industry.
It’s two more than Ray Rice initially got for hitting his then-fiancee in an elevator.
And it’s the same number of games for which Tom Brady was suspended after letting air out of a football.
But let’s look at the bright side here.
Steve Keim had a lapse in judgment on the Fourth of July, he got caught, and he reported everything and promptly apologized.
He might not have led by example in the “don’t drink and drive” department.
But he did a fine job in the “own your mistake and apologize” department, and in today’s NFL, that almost makes him eligible for sainthood.
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