Former centerfielder Lenny Dykstra, bankrupt alcoholic and pro-football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, charged with DUI–yet again.
Former New York Mets and, later, Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder Lenny Dykstra filing for bankruptcy the day before his mansion was to be auctioned in a foreclosure sale. Dykstra, who reported an estimated $58 million in net worth as recently as early 2008, listed less than $50,000 in assets against $10-$50 million in liabilities. His storied career includes a DUI after demolishing his Mercedes roadster in 1991 in a 1 a.m. spin-out with his BAL at .179 percent, an arrest for making sexual advances to a 17-year-old worker at his Simi Valley car wash in 1999 (for which he was later cleared), being the target of at least two dozen legal actions since 2007 and a business empire that appears to have imploded. A GQ article by Kevin Coughlin details Coughlin’s 67-day employment with Dykstra, accusing him of credit card fraud, failure to pay rent on the magazine’s Park Avenue offices, bounced checks and the use of offensive terms when speaking about blacks, women and gays. In yet another example of alcoholism helping to fuel the real estate bubble, Dykstra purchased hockey great Wayne Gretsky’s Thousand Oaks, California home for $18.5 million with almost $13 million in loans. The home appears to be practically empty in this video, in which Dykstra makes a pathetic attempt to defend his actions (the good part begins about 6 minutes into the video). Here, he shows off his stock-picking acumen, with Jim Cramer as chief enabler. Here, we can see that alcoholics provide material for use by late night comedians in this Comedy Central video with Jon Stewart.
Pro football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, 45, charged with DUI for the third time in 12 years. The first time, in 1997, charges were dismissed. The second time, in 2003, he was acquitted. This time he says he plans “on taking steps to ensure that this never happens again.” Mr. Smith, can we assume this means you will make sure you’re never convicted again, or begin attending a program in which you seek sobriety?