Marinovich

[Tighthead]

Lengthy feature on Todd Marinovich in this month's Esquire.

http://www.esquire.com/print-this/todd-marinovich-0509

[B.C.FAN]

Fascinating read, especially the B.C. part:

In April 1999, just shy of his thirtieth birthday, Todd was finally cleared to play again by the NFL. He promptly herniated a disk playing pickup hoops. That summer, he worked out for several teams. The Chargers and the Bears showed real interest, but he failed the physical; no deals could be made. He ended up signing as a backup quarterback with the B. C. Lions of Vancouver, in the Canadian Football League.

Except for a little pot, Todd was drug free for the first time in years. His roomie was Canadian. About two weeks into his stay, he asked Todd if he wanted to go with him "to check his babies."

It turned out he was growing potent BC bud. On the way home, Todd stopped at a head shop to buy a bong. There were little vials scattered everywhere on the ground. His junkie warning system sounded a shrill alarm.

Todd had arrived in his own personal land of Oz, a place were junkies bought and used heroin openly and cops only got involved if somebody OD'd. The heroin was called China White. It was infinitely more potent than the black tar Todd had used before — and relatively cheap. He got into a routine: "The day before every game, we would do a walk-through in the dome — that was my day for needle exchange. All my years of being a dope fiend, the hardest part was always getting needles. I was getting good coke and really pure heroin and combining them. That's all I wanted to do. I woke up, fixed, went to practice. Thank God I was just backing up. I was just the clipboard guy, playing the opposing quarterback in practice."

Once, during halftime at a home game, Todd retrieved a premade rig out of his locker and went to the bathroom to shoot up. Sitting on the toilet, half listening to the chalk talk, he slammed the heroin. As the team was leaving the locker room for the second half, he struggled with the screen in his glass crack pipe — he wasn't getting a good hit. Then the pipe broke, and he lacerated his left thumb. By the time he got out onto the field, his thumb wrapped in a towel, the game had already started. He took up the clipboard, his only duty. "I didn't even know what play they were calling," Todd says. "Nobody looked at the *poop* I wrote down anyway."

At the end of the season, the team had a party. Todd was "gowed out of my mind," meaning that he was "somewhere between a nod and full-on slumber." His weight had dropped to 176 pounds. "I was a celibate heroin monk. I would go downtown, cop, come back to my pad, and not leave till the drugs were gone," he says. "There was no furniture in my place, just a bed and a TV. I wasn't eating. I spent a lot of time in this Astro minivan I had. I'd just climb into the back and fix. My life revolved around dope and my dog."

Now, at the party, Todd became aware that the general manager of the Lions was motioning for him to come over. The GM was a good guy who'd recruited him to come to BC. He shook Todd's hand. "I know we signed you for one year with an option for another year — " he said pregnantly, looking grave.

And then he issued a toothy, gotcha grin: "We'd like to pick up that option!"

"You have to be *frig*' crazy," Todd said. "I can't stay here."

[Tighthead]

Who would the GM be? AR?

I seem to recall a story that he and Mo Elowinibi went on a bender in Mexico after that season without knowing how they got there.

[B.C.FAN]

Who would the GM be? AR?

I seem to recall a story that he and Mo Elowinibi went on a bender in Mexico after that season without knowing how they got there.

Right on both counts. Adam Rita was GM from 1997 to 2002, although Greg Mohns was assistant GM and was heavily involved in contracts.

Moe Elewonibi went into treatment for alcohol abuse and was traded to Winnipeg after the incident with Marinovich.

[sj-roc]

Who would the GM be? AR?

Right on both counts. Adam Rita was GM from 1997 to 2002, although Greg Mohns was assistant GM and was heavily involved in contracts.

That passage about TM's time here, if completely true, seems to say almost as much about our team's braintrust at the time as it does about TM!

[bclions16]

That passage about TM's time here, if completely true, seems to say almost as much about our team's braintrust at the time as it does about TM!

No kidding. How could you not figure out a guy was on heroin? You can see it in a person's eyes and skin, not to mention the dramatic weight loss. AND the guy already had known drug problems! So wouldn't you just keep a bit of an eye on him to make sure he's not having problems? Of all the poor management we had in the past, this has to be the most pathetic.

[sj-roc]

That passage about TM's time here, if completely true, seems to say almost as much about our team's braintrust at the time as it does about TM!

No kidding. How could you not figure out a guy was on heroin? You can see it in a person's eyes and skin, not to mention the dramatic weight loss. AND the guy already had known drug problems! So wouldn't you just keep a bit of an eye on him to make sure he's not having problems? Of all the poor management we had in the past, this has to be the most pathetic.

Yeah, I just can't picture WB letting something like that fester for so long — putting aside the fact that he couldn't even be bothered bringing someone like TM into camp in the first place.

[Rammer]

Who would the GM be? AR?

I seem to recall a story that he and Mo Elowinibi went on a bender in Mexico after that season without knowing how they got there.

Right on both counts. Adam Rita was GM from 1997 to 2002, although Greg Mohns was assistant GM and was heavily involved in contracts.

Moe Elewonibi went into treatment for alcohol abuse and was traded to Winnipeg after the incident with Marinovich.

That Mexico story was what Moe told the newsprint after he was moved to Winnipeg. It would also make him a prime suspect on the roommate that Marinovich elaborates on in his story of his time with the Lions.

[sj-roc]

Who would the GM be? AR?

I seem to recall a story that he and Mo Elowinibi went on a bender in Mexico after that season without knowing how they got there.

Right on both counts. Adam Rita was GM from 1997 to 2002, although Greg Mohns was assistant GM and was heavily involved in contracts.

Moe Elewonibi went into treatment for alcohol abuse and was traded to Winnipeg after the incident with Marinovich.

That Mexico story was what Moe told the newsprint after he was moved to Winnipeg. It would also make him a prime suspect on the roommate that Marinovich elaborates on in his story of his time with the Lions.

Beamish pretty much names Moe outright as the culprit in this piece on the Esquire article (and helpfully identifies Mohns and Rita as well).

[OV - 54:40]

CFL brainiac decision makers handing QB roster spots to dopehead, strung-out, ex-all-American heroes while systematically ignoring any and all Canadian QBs - how quaint. Who are the 4th QBs going to be at TC for a number of CFL teams now? - the Esks just signed an American college DIII QB as their 3rd QB at this point; any f*@k*d-up junkie ex-NCAA super-heroes available? - we'll have to wait till NFL draft day and subsequent roster shake-outs down there to find out i guess - maybe some more Marinovich level talents are available? -send your resumes to Roy & Greggie Mohns types - true leaders in the radically canadian CFL.

[David]

Why am I not surprised Rita wanted to extend Marinovich? He was as out-of-touch with his team as he was with how it was perceived in the community. To paraphrase our friend Lionut, if Rita and Mohns found out Jeffrey Dahmer could throw a tight, 60-yard spiral, they would characterize his illness as an "eating disorder." Yet when Wally Buono learned that his productive defensive end, Ray Jacobs, was caught with 3 hookers outside a Surrey crack house, he was released faster than a light wave.

As for Todd Marinovich, I'll never forget the day I made a donation to the Lions training facility. Just as I approached the entrance around the back, Marinovich was leaving. I looked at him and said "Hi Todd." He just gave me a cold, blank stare and kept walking. Eerie.

DH

[Yank In BC]

CFL brainiac decision makers handing QB roster spots to dopehead, strung-out, ex-all-American heroes while systematically ignoring any and all Canadian QBs - how quaint. Who are the 4th QBs going to be at TC for a number of CFL teams now? - the Esks just signed an American college DIII QB as their 3rd QB at this point; any f*@k*d-up junkie ex-NCAA super-heroes available? - we'll have to wait till NFL draft day and subsequent roster shake-outs down there to find out i guess - maybe some more Marinovich level talents are available? -send your resumes to Roy & Greggie Mohns types - true leaders in the radically canadian CFL.

Jesus your as bad about trying to shove a Canadian QB down our throat as 120db was with his fricking noise sign.

[Rammer]

Why am I not surprised Rita wanted to extend Marinovich? He was as out-of-touch with his team as he was with how it was perceived in the community. To paraphrase our friend Lionut, if Rita and Mohns found out Jeffrey Dahmer could throw a tight, 60-yard spiral, they would characterize his illness as an "eating disorder." Yet when Wally Buono learned that his productive defensive end, Ray Jacobs, was caught with 3 hookers outside a Surrey crack house, he was released faster than a light wave.

As for Todd Marinovich, I'll never forget the day I made a donation to the Lions training facility. Just as I approached the entrance around the back, Marinovich was leaving. I looked at him and said "Hi Todd." He just gave me a cold, blank stare and kept walking. Eerie.

DH

As I recall the Jacob's exit wasn't as quick as you are suggesting, that was the beginning of the new Wally era on player errors though.

[Rids]

They had Damon Allen, a scrambler, and Marinovich, a pure pocket passer.

Wow could they have a pair of QBs any farther apart personality wise?

[David]

Why am I not surprised Rita wanted to extend Marinovich? He was as out-of-touch with his team as he was with how it was perceived in the community. To paraphrase our friend Lionut, if Rita and Mohns found out Jeffrey Dahmer could throw a tight, 60-yard spiral, they would characterize his illness as an "eating disorder." Yet when Wally Buono learned that his productive defensive end, Ray Jacobs, was caught with 3 hookers outside a Surrey crack house, he was released faster than a light wave.

As for Todd Marinovich, I'll never forget the day I made a donation to the Lions training facility. Just as I approached the entrance around the back, Marinovich was leaving. I looked at him and said "Hi Todd." He just gave me a cold, blank stare and kept walking. Eerie.

DH

As I recall the Jacob's exit wasn't as quick as you are suggesting, that was the beginning of the new Wally era on player errors though.

(Pssst....that's called 'poetic license,' Phil. Just a way to emphasize a point. Not to be taken literally).

DH