Worst Nightmare, Vol I: Turning on the radio, and hearing your father talk about how you screwed up. I can’t even imagine that … and I can imagine a lot of things. Gilbert Arenas Sr. was on 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C. with Mike Wise on Monday, and he subject of course was his son’s little adventure with guns at the Verizon Center. Gil Sr. had a lot to say, but most telling was this rather remarkable contention:
“Well let me just say this. I for one, don’t own a gun. I don’t believe in owning a gun but these are young players, young athletes who walk around with plenty of money in their pockets. And I think the best thing they do is they grab hold of something to feel comfortable. You know, you go around the league and ask how many guys own guns, I’m sure it’s 85% of these guys that own guns. What they do with these guns? I have no idea.”
Eighty five percent? Yikes.
Arenas Sr. was sticking up for his son in this interview, it’s clear. But it’s at times like these when you just want to step in and say, dad, stay out of the media. You’re not really helping. Arenas pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to a felony charge of carrying a pistol without a license. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 26.
And the guns that Gil had were more show guns. They were guns like the one that Austin Powers had in his movie. The fact of why he brought them to the Verizon Center was to get them out of the house because he had the kids there. His daughter grabbed one of the guns out of the office. We kind of put it in a drawer, and he came in…it wasn’t loaded, none of his guns are loaded. He just freaked out. He freaked out and decided he’d take the guns out of the house so it would be a safe environment. Now, he explained to me he realized the rule had changed leaving Virginia going to the D.C. area because of the gun laws. I think that’s the felony he’s facing right now.
Meanwhile, Arenas wrote an op-ed piece for The Washington Post that was posted on its Web site Monday, pledging to be a better role model.
“I know that won’t happen overnight, and that it will happen only if I show through my actions that I am truly sorry and have learned from my mistakes. If I do that, then hopefully youngsters will learn from the serious mistakes I made with guns and not make any of their own.”
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Gilbert Arenas Sr. Sticks Up For His Embattled Son [Sports Radio Interviews]
Arenas writes op-ed piece for Washington Post [Business Week]
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- dino - Feb 3, 2010 at 12:09 PM
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a league full of thugs, I dont even watch the game anymore
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- moreflagsmorefun - Feb 3, 2010 at 1:01 PM
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what you talkin bout Mr. Gilbert Arenas Sr.
Delonte West
Cleveland Cavs
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- moreflagsmorefun - Feb 3, 2010 at 1:03 PM
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hmmmmmmmmm, I guess they will fire his contract too.
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- moreflagsmorefun - Feb 3, 2010 at 1:07 PM
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So watch NASCAR WHILE SMOKING MARLBOROS AND
DRINKING MICHELOB ALL DAY, Doesn’t bother me.
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- ken - Feb 5, 2010 at 2:52 PM
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His son found out the hard way by kept talking about the incident and made fun of it. Now it’s the dad’s turn. They need to shut up and take responsibilities. Don’t get David Stern angry anymore than he already is. Instead, the father should use this opportunity to making sure his son really learn from this incident so that it won’t happen again, and who knows it might safe his family from gun accident (ask Jayson Williams). Tell your son that he is living too good life, and don’t be stupid risking everything. What kinda father is that telling your kid it is ok to own guns and bring guns to work place? Like father like son, they’ll never learn.
