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It's been barely more than 24 hours since Lance Briggs' brand new $450,000 Lamborghini was found wrapped around a pole on the side of the Edens Expressway. In that time, we have learned that he was in fact driving the car at the time of the accident, and as a result on Monday was charged with leaving the scene of an accident -- a misdemeanor-- and ticketed for failure to immediately notify police of a crash and for improper lane usage.
When meeting with Illinois State Police, he admitted to being behind the wheel at the time of the accident but gave no further information concerning the events that lead up the accident. Was he drunk? Did he flee to avoid a sobriety test? Because nobody was injured in the accident and no evidence at the scene indicated alcohol, Briggs looks like he's home free on that count.
NBC5 reports that during the evening that lead up to the 3am accident, Briggs visited at least two clubs -- Krem, which is on Clark St. in Lincoln Park, and Level, in the Viagra Triangle.
So was Briggs drunk at the time of the accident, or did he simply take advantage of an empty expressway to see what his new 632-horsepower toy could really do? We likely will never know.
When asked about the incident on Monday, Bears coach Lovie Smith downplayed the event, "We have a one-car accident and now alcohol is involved? I think that's stretching it a little bit to go that far." True, there is no evidence besides Briggs' fleeing the scene, which is clearly circumstantial. But if he had nothing to hide, then why didn't he call or wait for assistance? Hmmm?
Regardless, clearly the Bears have put the incident behind the organization. When asked if Briggs would be disciplined for the accident and whatever transpired, Lovie Smith bristled, "Disciplined for what? A one-car accident? No. He hasn't broken any team rules as far as I know. There's no reason to. We're jumping pretty far to assume [things]."
One thing that nobody has to assume is that, even if he gets off with just the slap on the wrist, the event will certainly be costly for Briggs -- one can only assume what the repair bills are going to be on his Lambo! And even if State Farm or Geico picks up the tab this time, he's likely looking at some sky high insurance premiums. Hope he was insured with Allstate and their "Accident Forgiveness" plan!
Photo by AP Photo/M. Spencer Green
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In all fairness to Briggs, we don't know if he was drunk. We don't know if he was driving the car. One of his buddies, drunk or sober, could've crashed the car and he took the heat. Either way, if we assume the worst, let's hope he learned his lesson: you can't switch gears with a bowl in your hand.
No, we don't know that he was drunk. But usually, when people have accidents they call the police or wait for help. It's not like he lived a block away and walked home. He somehow had to get himself to Northbrook at 3am. Circumstantial evidence sure points to him trying to hide something.
And even suggesting that he'd be covering for a friend is about the silliest suggestion I've heard. Given Briggs' coming free agency, the NFL's tough stand on players' transgressions, etc. there isn't anybody who'd have more to lose by getting caught than Briggs... unless he was trying to hide a girl he shouldn't have been with from his wife!
"He somehow had to get himself to Northbrook at 3am."
Right, he did "wait for assistance", just not from the police. More than likely a friend was traveling not too far behind him and probably picked him up. And he probably didn't want to deal with police reports and such at 3 o'clock in the morning.
Keep in mind you have a different perspective on abandoning your "Lambo" when it only costs you a week's salary.
He obviously had something to hide, or else he still would have been around the car instead of abandoning it. I wouldn't abandon my Ford Taurus, let alone my Lamborghini.
It's a good thing to know that I can avoid all but the regular charges if I drunkenly crash my car on the interstate, and can't be found until the next morning. I'm working on that "playing for the Bears" thing to also help me out..
Given the growing number of felons in American sports who become “roll models” at worst and at best constant beacons sending signals to the public that borish and anti social behavior is acceptable and good; I think we should suspend major league sporting events for one year and request that all athletes donate at least four days a week to community service projects. This could also be linked to a show of support for the armed forces in Iraq Afghanistan and perhaps Iran
p.s O.K I know I’m breaking my self imposed band from commenting in the Chicagoist sports section, but as this is more about ethics I feel compelled to wade in. The ban is back in place
Here goes Chicagoist with the ole "athletes are involved in very bad things, SO a 3 am crash HAS to involve a DUI (I'm looking at you Benjy). I just wish Chicagoist's inner Grissom would take a break and hand the controls over to the inner sports commentator. How nice would that be? To read about sports in the sports section.
I give Briggs credit, he's smarter than I thought. If you crashed your car and DIDN'T HURT ANYONE (big emphasis on that) after a night clubing, would you wait around and risk blowing a .08. Hell no. Most sane people would catch a cab, call the police in the morning, and tell them they wandered away after they "hit their head" during the crash.
Yeah, #7, and randomly disappearing from a car crash (especially involving an extremely pricey vehicle) for a few hours isn't suspicious..
I'm sure he was only drinking water at those two clubs! Great, now Lovie is going to start making excuses for his team members' bad behavior. Hell, if that's the case, just bring back Tank. Afterall, he was just a little impaired and only speeding a little bit that night. Plus only one of his friends got killed at that club, not a whole bunch of them, and those guns?? There were just a few assault rifles and stuff, it's not like he had surface to air missiles or anything!
Spook: ROLE. The word is ROLE, not "roll". The only "roll" is the one you eat. That's twice in one day, on two different stories you've done that. Since you often comment on how stupid people are, it might help your case if you'd take the time to spell a 4 letter word (that isn't a curse word) correctly.
Just sayin'.
Oh, and as far as Briggs, while it is likely that there was a nefarious reason that he didn't stick around after the wreck, none of us have proof of that, so we might as well take his story at face-value. At least he's not killing dogs (or anyone else) with his car.
Last Spook Comment.
Guest 7, I'm sure Briggs would appreciate your comment. Mater of fact, I'm sure this Saturday night, he would actually smile if he could hear your comment, as he whistles to the tune of "On the Road Again" as he gets into another supped up auto and heads to the club to get his drink on again.
And if you're out and about, bring a pen and pad, because perhaps he will "run into you" So also be sure to bring your health insurance card, and dont' forget to sign the organ donor section on the back of your drivers license
350K is more than a weeks salary for Briggs. Its approximately 2 weeks salary! Its 5% of his income this year, and almost 100% of the last few years.
he probably called his lawyer and his lawyer told him to get the fuck out of there. a dui could kill his carreer and now the police have no way of knowing if he was drunk or not. smart move i would say.
also, buy a house in the city of if you want to go clubbing downtown. i mean with all that money you'd think he could afford a south loop crash pad. amiright?
#14, there are not a lot of safe places to drunkenly drag race your lamborghini in the South Loop. I mean, how quick could you make it to Northbrook when your car goes 0-100 in less than 10 seconds?
People are making a big deal out of this because he's black.
He crashed in a white neighborhood. Drove a white man's car. And lives in a white neighborhood. If this was Craig Ehlo or Rick Sutcliffe, you people wouldn't say shit.
What's a roll model? Perhaps someone that is good at rolling over their car in a wreck at 3 am and abandoning the scene.
A guy in high school got drunk and fell asleep at the wheel. His car crashed into a house through the family room. He woke up, ran home, hid until he sobered up, then surrendered himself to the scene, stating that he was scared and didn't want to deal with it at that hour in the morning. He avoided all the serrious charges with that move.
You're an idiot.
Of course that's true -- someone wrote it. I bet he also played for the Bears, which helped in avoiding serious charges..
"People are making a big deal out of this because he's black.
He crashed in a white neighborhood. Drove a white man's car. And lives in a white neighborhood."
Guest 16 are you sure he's black then? Dosen't seem like he would qualify for a NAACP image award!
Well Actually they did give one to R."Pervert" Kelly, so I'm sure he more than qualifies!
Matty, You are Wrong! NO No No don't encourage him to have a place in the city! He might like it and stay! Let him stay in the "white nieghboorhood"burbs where he belongs!
There were no problems with Carlton Fisk and Jeremy Roenick when they were here. There were no problems with Steve Kerr or Jay Hilgenberg. There weren't even problems with Bob Probert, except for that .4 BAC DUI he got. But I think that was still in Detroit.
"....People are making a big deal out of this because he's black. He crashed in a white neighborhood. Drove a white man's car. And lives in a white neighborhood. If this was Craig Ehlo or Rick Sutcliffe, you people wouldn't say shit...."
You're right. I wouldn't 'say shit.' Because I don't know who they are.
As for Lance, I know who he is. A liar who appears to have avoided a likely DUI charge.
first of all, didn't everyone rip benjy last time he insinuated tank was possibly getting the shaft and maybe was charged with nothing but "driving while black?" now, you're all whipped up about the fact that you can't PROVE he was drinking?
here's how i see it. first of all, you're NEVER supposed to leave the scene of an accident that is under $500 worth of damage. drunk OR sober. so, he fucked up there. AND broke the law.
secondly, i know people who have done just what he did (because they were drunk, incidentally) and the cops came *over to his house* to follow-up. that night. cause ... most of the time, the most simple explanation is the correct explanation.
thirdly, when in the hell is this country going to wake the fuck up and see that sports, while an important part of our communities, etc, is an ENTERTAINMENT industry and that killing dogs, crashing cars, sexually assaulting women and being involved with gang activity are WAY fucked up? and that it needs to be punished *regardless* of who is doing the deed (lohan and richie and hilton, i'm also looking at YOU)??
seriously.
Jocelyn,
As soon as other highly-paid celebrity entertainers face the same wrath. They don't.
So, there's your answer.
Guest #23
"....secondly, i know people who have done just what he did (because they were drunk, incidentally) and the cops came *over to his house* to follow-up. that night...."
EXACTLY. Why didn't the cops go give him a breathylizer immediately after Briggs' called them? They let him slide. Even when they knew that he had lied in his initial call.
The press on several TV news reports has treated Briggs as though he made a minor mistake that we should all ignore. Meanwhile, none of the reports on tonight mentioned any possibility of alcohol or questioned the police decision not to go give Briggs an immediate breathylizer.
Heck, they had every reason to bring him in for blood tests, considering he left the scene of the accident and then called in a false report of a stolen vehicle. This whole thing smacks of celebrity worship and treatment of a Chicago athlete with kid gloves.
No, you can't prove Briggs was drinking but that's the only logical reason he would flee the scene of the accident. If he were sober he would have stayed as his punishment could only get worse by leaving.
This is a blog, it's not meant as a newspaper of record. As such the writers are given some leeway to express opinions, and the idea that Briggs was drunk is no leap of logic.
I was about to say,that it dosent matter because he's going to jail. But then I remembered, that that was the other creap, Vic. But give this creap time. I'm sure he will shot, beat or run over somebody soon and end up behind bars too. Where is the Muhammad Ali of my generation!?!