Jim Irsay Checks Into Treatment Facility ... After DUI Arrest
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay checked into a "highly-respected health care facility" ... one day after he was arrested for DUI and drug possession in Indiana.
A rep for the Colts tells TMZ Sports, "Yesterday, Jim Irsay took the first step toward regaining good health. He voluntarily checked into a highly-respected health care facility and is committed to undergoing the treatment and care necessary to help him meet his challenges head-on."
The Colts did not go into detail on the nature of the "challenges" Irsay faces ... but the 54-year-old has previously acknowledged his issues with substance abuse.
The Colts rep adds ... "Jim, the Irsay family, and the Colts organization are all deeply appreciative of the incredible outpouring of support and compassion from our fans and the Indiana community."
As we previously reported, Irsay was pulled over late Sunday night for traffic violations -- and during the stop, officers determined he was intoxicated ... though police have not said if he was drunk or high.
Cops did say Irsay was in possession of various prescription drugs -- but the pills didn't match the prescription bottles.
Story developing ...
See also
Jim Irsay Colts Owner ARRESTED for Driving Under the Influence
7:51 AM PT -- Cops say Irsay had "multiple prescription drugs" in various pill bottles at the time of the arrest.
Cops also say Irsay was initially stopped just before midnight on Sunday after an officer noticed him driving really slow and failing to signal before making a turn.
After he was pulled over, Irsay failed several field sobriety tests and was eventually arrested for OWI.
Cops say the prescription pills found in Irsay's car did not match up with the prescription bottles.
He was ultimately popped for 4 felony counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was ARRESTED early Monday morning in Indiana for operating a vehicle while intoxicated ... this according to officials.
54-year-old Irsay was booked at 3:07 AM. He was also arrested for possession of a controlled substance ... though so far, it's unclear what that substance was.
Irsay was hauled to a jail in Hamilton County, Indiana. Jim's total bond was set at $22,500, according to the official jail website.
FYI -- The Colts have been in Jim's family for decades. Irsay's father purchased the Colts when Jim was 12 years old.
Story developing ...
Indianapolis Colts Lineman Jonathan Martin Can Help Us Win 'He's Welcome Here'
A second Indianapolis Colts player says he's ALL FOR bringing Jonathan Martin to the team ... telling TMZ Sports, "I think he could help us win, and that's all I care about."
We spoke with a Colts lineman -- who didn't want to be named -- who tells us he stands behind Andrew Luck ... who recently went on record saying he wants to bring his former college teammate to Indy.
"I know J-Mart some," the lineman tells us.
KC Chiefs Star Eric Berry 'I Threw a Tantrum' After Playoff Loss Then I Hit the Beach!
Nothing takes the sting out of a brutal playoff loss like week on the beach on the beach ... so says Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who tells us he went straight to the tropics after KC's devastating 1st round defeat to the Colts.
"I threw a tantrum for about a week then went to Hawaii with my loved ones," Berry says.
We're told the 25-year-old Pro Bowler took roughly 15 family members on the trip to help him get over the bitter end to the 2013 season.
But what really put him in a good mood is when he found out his little brothers (who happen to be twins) accepted football scholarships to the University of Tennessee ... where he and his father played their college ball.
"It's one of those feeling that's hard to translate into words. Just seeing the twins grow up into the young men they are makes the whole family proud."
He continued, "Pops always talks to us about doing something great, leaving our mark and creating a legacy. They're handling their end of it very well."
Adam Vinatieri EATS IT HARD During Field Goal Attempt
He's usually flawless under pressure, but future Hall-of-Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri WENT DOWN like a sack of potatoes during a field goal kick in NYC yesterday.
The Indianapolis Colts player was a Super Bowl event where he was supposed to put one through the uprights for a bunch of excited fans ... but when he went to plant his foot, things took a turn.
Of course, Adam got up like a champ ... and don't worry, he still made the kick.
Pro.
Colts Star Antoine Bethea Gives Pimped Out Ride As Baby Present
Some guys give their wives diamonds when they give birth ... but Indianapolis Colts player Antoine Bethea just set the bar even higher ... lavishing his fiancee with a super tricked-out BMW.
Antoine tells TMZ ... he bought the 2013 BMW X6 to celebrate the birth of their daughter (that's called a push present, guys) and his fiancee's birthday ... then had the whip completely rebuilt.
Sources close to the customizing shop say the car has about $30K worth of modifications, including:
-body lowered 3 inches
-custom grill
-smoked head and tail lights
-customized bumpers
-powder coated black rims
And the sickest part of all ... lighted projectors in the doors that project the BMW logo onto the ground when the doors are open.
BMW. The ultimate birthing machine.
See also
Eddie George Trent is Lucky The Browns Dumped Him
No offense to Cleveland, but Trent Richardson is in a better place now ... and the Browns probably did him a huge favor when they unloaded their star player -- this according to another former first round draft pick, Eddie George.
Eddie says the Browns' decision to trade away Richardson -- their first round pick from a year ago -- was "shocking to me. They went up and got him, and now they're reneging on the draft pick."
But Eddie adds ... Trent should be excited 'cause, well ... he's playing with a winner now.
"They might have done him a favor actually. Sending him with Andrew Luck ... I think he's in a good situation there."
Interesting take.
See also
Colts Star Dwight Freeney Andrew Luck vs. RG3 ... Who's Better??
Andrew Luck has the better record ... Robert Griffin III has the flash ... but when it comes to the NFL Rookie of the Year award, it's like "Highlander" ... there can be only one.
So, who deserves it? We ran into Indianapolis Colts superstar Dwight Freeney on the streets of NYC yesterday ... and though you might expect him to lean a certain way, he told us, "Both of those guys ... too much talent ... those guys have too much talent."
So, we gotta ask ...
See also
Chuck Pagano Indianapolis Colts Coach Diagnosed with Leukemia
Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano has been diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia, the team announced today, and will miss several games to receive treatment.
Colts owner Jim Irsay made the announcement at a news conference today, saying, "He is ready to take this fight on and he is a fighter."
Pagano, 51, had been experiencing what he believed to be fatigue, but a blood test revealed he was suffering from leukemia. He has been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at an Indianapolis-area hospital since Wednesday.
Bruce Arians, the team's offensive coordinator, will serve as the interim coach in Pagano's absence.
Pagano is in his first season as the head coach of the Colts. He had previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.