Fact-checking an NFL owner's claims that his 'rich, white billionaire' status was reason for DUI arrest

Before Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay's rant during an interview from HBO's Real Sports, when was the last time you thought about his 2014 impaired driving arrest, and the subsequent plea bargain?

Unless you're Irsay's lawyer, or a close friend used to hearing him gripe about the case in private, the answer to that question is likely, "never." If you ever were aware that Irsay was pulled over for erratic driving, failed a field sobriety test, then found to have several strong prescription drugs in his system, you'd could be forgiven, all these years later, for not remembering.

But the internet seldom forgets.

So when Irsay used that interview to accuse police of profiling him over his race (white) and wealth (immense), the online backlash came fast, with a long-list of commentators highlighting Irsay's stunning lack of self-awareness. Nine-year-old dash cam footage of the traffic stop and arrest followed quickly, and the video has rocketed back to the top of search results. The tall tale Irsay told about his legal case was quickly chopped down to size, and now, if he Googles his name, he'll have to relive what was likely one of the lowest moments of his life.

Not fun.

The lesson in this media misstep for the gambling-addled NFL community is that we should all, when possible, quit while we're ahead. Nobody cared about Irsay's run-in with the legal system until Irsay himself brought it up, thinking he could relitigate the case, and win this time. Now it's all we're talking about, and he's still not winning.

It also reminds us why entry drafts are abhorrent. If you were a college star with All-Pro potential, why, if you had other options, would you choose to work for somebody who acted that erratically? Wouldn't you at