ESPN - Joe O'Brien

cat-o-nine · Post by **cat-o-nine** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:27 pm

Not sure if this belongs here, but this is interesting....

http://espn.go.com/

grizzh8r · Post by **grizzh8r** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:29 pm

When the link to the front page of ESPN.com goes away, see below:

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_ ... aking-good

Counter Assault · Post by **Counter Assault** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 2:21 pm

Great story. It could be a movie. I hope he stays clean and keeps winning.

allcat · Post by **allcat** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 3:49 pm

Great story. As with the Russians though trust but verify. I do wish him the best of luck.

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:13 pm

That was a great read.

Post by **rtb** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:24 pm

I have been one of those folks that am not a big fan of him for what he did to the reputation of Montana State University, but after reading this article you can add one more person to the list who is hoping for his continued success in life. It's shocking to see how un-accepting some people are in Montana and it made me mad that any of our fans would have treated him so poorly. He is in no way a hero, but I think it is time for Montana State to welcome Joe back for a game and pat him on the back for getting his life straight.

allcat · Post by **allcat** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:29 pm

I also watched the video. In the video it shows a scene on Joe's porch, the have a Bobcat birdhouse.

GoCats18 · Post by **GoCats18** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:22 pm

I think it would be great of Ash to bring him in to speak to the players about what happens when you make poor choices and how those events changed his life. Heck, maybe Delaney would be smart to do the same. I applaud Joe on changing his life and fighting hard for the things that he loves: family, faith and football. I would not only welcome him back to MSU, but he and his family are more than welcome use my tickets, except for Cat-griz of course.

bobcat92 · Post by **bobcat92** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:09 pm

He paid the price for his actions. He has owned up to it and has turned his life around. I wish him well and hope he stays the course.

ElbowCat · Post by **ElbowCat** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:36 pm

Thanks for posting that, great story and I'm glad the folks up in Simms were brave enough to give him this chance. I'll be rooting for you Joe!

autocat · Post by **autocat** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:42 pm

I think Kramer and O'Brien should join forces again! Forgiveness, use it as positive

cat-o-nine · Post by **cat-o-nine** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:13 pm

I really enjoyed the video. Growing up in Central Montana and playing HS football, the scenes of the Simms boys practicing really brought back memories.
The storyline here is exceptional. I doubt very many communities would have given Joe this opportunity, and I completely understand the naysayers. It would be hard as a parent to make that choice, if I were in their shoes. In the end, I think we all hope this isn't the last of this come-back story and it continues to have a positive theme. O'Brien seems to have been burnt by the fire and learned his lesson, but time will really be the judge.

utucats · Post by **utucats** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:13 am

Probably not going to win any popularity contests with this post but....

This story is complete b.s.

How is it that the bad guys in the story are-

1. Cats fans who didn't welcome back a man who made our program look bad.
2. Simms residents who were against his hiring.
3. Parents who were concerned about having this man around their kids.

And the good guy is a man who lied for years about who he was and showed no respect for the people who gave him a chance to do something unique in life. How lucky is Mr. O'Brien to even live in a time were having the skill of slowing the movement of a chunk of pig up a field makes for such an interesting and rewarding life. Mr. O'Brien never made an attempt to clean himself up and moved his habit and the people who helped him attain it everywhere he went. Even after he was caught he did not own up to his mistakes until the cops had him in a corner that he couldn't get out of.

I sincerely hope that MR. O'Brien has really changed but I am not impressed that he changed his ways after exhausting every other option. Strange that the article didn't wonder why, if Mr. O'Brien was so unfortunate in life, he didn't save his addictions for himself but chose to try and spread them through a community that had given him the opportunity to live out his dream. How did helping facilitate the sale of drugs in Bozeman make Mr. O'Brien feel better about his crappy childhood? Also extremely interesting how the article tries to say that he took his meth hookup with him to Arizona and here because he couldn't leave her poor girls behind, especially considering how he had grown up, however, when dealing drugs in Bozeman did Mr. O'Brien ever consider that a young man going through a similar childhood to his own might have his own life long addiction due to the fact that Mr. O'Brien had helped make meth accessible to him?

I am all for second chances but Mr. O'Brien needs to learn a lesson in burnt bridges. I am happy that he is out of prison and that he has cleaned up his drug problems. Also, think it's great that he was able to start his own company and I would have no problem hiring him to replace my roof. However, just like us mere mortals, sometimes when you burn certain bridges there is no going back. If Mr. O'Brien had really owned up for his actions he would not have let lifelong friendships in Simms become strained due to his actions. Fact is, Mr. O'Brien wants his football fix no matter who it effects, and that to me tells me he has no problem playing the victim even though he alone is to blame for his actions. I know a lot of people that have had less then perfect lives but do not choose the path chosen by this man. Everyone has made mistakes in their lives but part of being a man is not only receiving forgiveness but being deserving of it. IMO to expect that you can do whatever you want and then one day say sorry and have people act like it never happened does not meet the criteria.

My Junior year of high school I played tight end at a class C school just like Simms. We were 8 man and were coached by our athletic director who was also a retired marine. Our Coach was a great man who we all had a lot of respect for however, he was a horrible football coach. In a heartbeat I would send my kids to play for my high school coach before they would be on Mr. O'Briens team. Some things are more important than winning. Parents who have reservations about their kids being coached/supervised by a man who took his own good fortune for granted, lied until there were no other options, and then refused to deal with the fact that he might not get what he wants due to his own actions are not bad people. They are called reasonable and responsible parents.

bobcatmaniac · Post by **bobcatmaniac** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:30 am

I agree with what you said. The story is great. I am happy for him. A big part of me reading this kept thinking "ya, let time tell". He is no saint. He is clean because the government made him clean up. Before we adorn him with roses and crowns let's see how he does the next 40 years. I praise more the average Joe who just lives a good life ALWAYS and not when he is forced to.

TomCat88 · Post by **TomCat88** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:08 am

To me the story in Simms isn't as much about Joe O'Brien and football and drugs as it is about teaching.

The story should've started out with O'Brien getting his foot in the door one day and being with the team for one game. Then focus on the connection he made with its players in just one week and how those players wanted him to be their coach, but were being met with opposition by parents and teachers.

The central figure should be the students and their desire to learn from someone that lands in their lap one day and inspires them. The background should be O'Brien's drug problem and not so much what got him there (however, that's what sells) and the nature of the resistance to hiring him with the kids prevailing in the end.

The story about O'Brien's upbringing and consequent drug problem is riveting, but that really isn't what's important today. I'd say it's more about showing those young men what they can do if they work together and how that experience can propel them in life.

allcat · Post by **allcat** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:54 am

utucats wrote:Probably not going to win any popularity contests with this post but....

This story is complete b.s.

How is it that the bad guys in the story are-

1. Cats fans who didn't welcome back a man who made our program look bad.
2. Simms residents who were against his hiring.
3. Parents who were concerned about having this man around their kids.

And the good guy is a man who lied for years about who he was and showed no respect for the people who gave him a chance to do something unique in life. How lucky is Mr. O'Brien to even live in a time were having the skill of slowing the movement of a chunk of pig up a field makes for such an interesting and rewarding life. Mr. O'Brien never made an attempt to clean himself up and moved his habit and the people who helped him attain it everywhere he went. Even after he was caught he did not own up to his mistakes until the cops had him in a corner that he couldn't get out of.

I sincerely hope that MR. O'Brien has really changed but I am not impressed that he changed his ways after exhausting every other option. Strange that the article didn't wonder why, if Mr. O'Brien was so unfortunate in life, he didn't save his addictions for himself but chose to try and spread them through a community that had given him the opportunity to live out his dream. How did helping facilitate the sale of drugs in Bozeman make Mr. O'Brien feel better about his crappy childhood? Also extremely interesting how the article tries to say that he took his meth hookup with him to Arizona and here because he couldn't leave her poor girls behind, especially considering how he had grown up, however, when dealing drugs in Bozeman did Mr. O'Brien ever consider that a young man going through a similar childhood to his own might have his own life long addiction due to the fact that Mr. O'Brien had helped make meth accessible to him?

I am all for second chances but Mr. O'Brien needs to learn a lesson in burnt bridges. I am happy that he is out of prison and that he has cleaned up his drug problems. Also, think it's great that he was able to start his own company and I would have no problem hiring him to replace my roof. However, just like us mere mortals, sometimes when you burn certain bridges there is no going back. If Mr. O'Brien had really owned up for his actions he would not have let lifelong friendships in Simms become strained due to his actions. Fact is, Mr. O'Brien wants his football fix no matter who it effects, and that to me tells me he has no problem playing the victim even though he alone is to blame for his actions. I know a lot of people that have had less then perfect lives but do not choose the path chosen by this man. Everyone has made mistakes in their lives but part of being a man is not only receiving forgiveness but being deserving of it. IMO to expect that you can do whatever you want and then one day say sorry and have people act like it never happened does not meet the criteria.

My Junior year of high school I played tight end at a class C school just like Simms. We were 8 man and were coached by our athletic director who was also a retired marine. Our Coach was a great man who we all had a lot of respect for however, he was a horrible football coach. In a heartbeat I would send my kids to play for my high school coach before they would be on Mr. O'Briens team. Some things are more important than winning. Parents who have reservations about their kids being coached/supervised by a man who took his own good fortune for granted, lied until there were no other options, and then refused to deal with the fact that he might not get what he wants due to his own actions are not bad people. They are called reasonable and responsible parents.

I agree with a lot of what you say,but, The cat fans that throw snowballs and yell insults do deserve to be made into bad guys. I did not take that the people that voted against him were bad guys. The slant of the story is about his redemptin and the people that did give him a chance, but I did not end up thinking badly about Mr. Roher for his actions, he also did let his kid play there. I commend the people that did give him another chance, although I don't know that I would have voted with them.

Rich K · Post by **Rich K** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:02 am

I remember Russ Bloom from high school wrestling and my time at MSU. Because I respect him as much as I do, my attitude has softened some towards Mr. O'Brien. However, I don't think anybody should begrudge the community members who did not want him around their kids.

I've tried to help folks in similar positions as O'Brien. I've been screwed, and I've been pleasantly surprised and occassionally absolutelly thrilled at what could be described as a fundamental transformation of character that can occur.

However, now that O'Brien is in the limelight, he has an added responsibility of not destroying a trust, not only with the people of Simms, but with the larger community that has been touched by his story. Such is not an easy path, and he should never underestimate how difficult it can be.

Mr. O'Brien: Stay close to those that can help you.

Cheshire-CAT · Post by **Cheshire-CAT** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:03 am

utucats wrote:Probably not going to win any popularity contests with this post but....

This story is complete b.s.

How is it that the bad guys in the story are-

1. Cats fans who didn't welcome back a man who made our program look bad.
2. Simms residents who were against his hiring.
3. Parents who were concerned about having this man around their kids.

And the good guy is a man who lied for years about who he was and showed no respect for the people who gave him a chance to do something unique in life. How lucky is Mr. O'Brien to even live in a time were having the skill of slowing the movement of a chunk of pig up a field makes for such an interesting and rewarding life. Mr. O'Brien never made an attempt to clean himself up and moved his habit and the people who helped him attain it everywhere he went. Even after he was caught he did not own up to his mistakes until the cops had him in a corner that he couldn't get out of.

I sincerely hope that MR. O'Brien has really changed but I am not impressed that he changed his ways after exhausting every other option. Strange that the article didn't wonder why, if Mr. O'Brien was so unfortunate in life, he didn't save his addictions for himself but chose to try and spread them through a community that had given him the opportunity to live out his dream. How did helping facilitate the sale of drugs in Bozeman make Mr. O'Brien feel better about his crappy childhood? Also extremely interesting how the article tries to say that he took his meth hookup with him to Arizona and here because he couldn't leave her poor girls behind, especially considering how he had grown up, however, when dealing drugs in Bozeman did Mr. O'Brien ever consider that a young man going through a similar childhood to his own might have his own life long addiction due to the fact that Mr. O'Brien had helped make meth accessible to him?

I am all for second chances but Mr. O'Brien needs to learn a lesson in burnt bridges. I am happy that he is out of prison and that he has cleaned up his drug problems. Also, think it's great that he was able to start his own company and I would have no problem hiring him to replace my roof. However, just like us mere mortals, sometimes when you burn certain bridges there is no going back. If Mr. O'Brien had really owned up for his actions he would not have let lifelong friendships in Simms become strained due to his actions. Fact is, Mr. O'Brien wants his football fix no matter who it effects, and that to me tells me he has no problem playing the victim even though he alone is to blame for his actions. I know a lot of people that have had less then perfect lives but do not choose the path chosen by this man. Everyone has made mistakes in their lives but part of being a man is not only receiving forgiveness but being deserving of it. IMO to expect that you can do whatever you want and then one day say sorry and have people act like it never happened does not meet the criteria.

My Junior year of high school I played tight end at a class C school just like Simms. We were 8 man and were coached by our athletic director who was also a retired marine. Our Coach was a great man who we all had a lot of respect for however, he was a horrible football coach. In a heartbeat I would send my kids to play for my high school coach before they would be on Mr. O'Briens team. Some things are more important than winning. Parents who have reservations about their kids being coached/supervised by a man who took his own good fortune for granted, lied until there were no other options, and then refused to deal with the fact that he might not get what he wants due to his own actions are not bad people. They are called reasonable and responsible parents.

This. 1000x this. The true moral of the story is not redemption - it is that a good football coach will be forgiven anything because even small town football is all about the W. We have a similar situation in the small town where we live. The current head football coach, who went undefeated last year, is an ex-felon. By law, he is prohibited from having a job in a school district working directly with kids, but there is a caveat to the law that has allowed it - the school board voted to accept the liability and sponsored him. His background was not revealed to parents until AFTER his success on the football field - then he was given a teaching job as well. His crimes - kidnapping and aggravated assault. He claims to want to prevent kids from going down the path he followed, but at the same time says the cops trumped up the charges to scare him into confessing. He is a winning coach, so nothing short of him punching a kid (and even that might not be enough) will dislodge him from the head coach position.

The problem here and in Simms is that in a small town, if the boys want to play football (and most of them do), they have no choice but to play for the head football coach. It places those boy between a rock and a hard place - Either go play and hope the coach has truly changed and won't revert to former behavior, or sit out. There are lots of coaches out there that have never been arrested, let alone for a felony.

The paths taken by O'Brien and my small-town coach should have eliminated many opportunities. Some actions have permanent consequences. I do believe people can change, and I certainly hope O'Brien is sincere. However, he is out of prison, has a new life, a family, and a successful business. Part of being an adult is realizing it's not all about you. If he were truly contrite he would not be selfishly pursuing HIS coaching dream that places the boys in his town in a difficult position. It's a sad story that would have ended very differently if he had been a math teacher or a janitor or anything other than a winning football coach.

utucats · Post by **utucats** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:07 am

allcat wrote:
utucats wrote:Probably not going to win any popularity contests with this post but....

This story is complete b.s.

How is it that the bad guys in the story are-

1. Cats fans who didn't welcome back a man who made our program look bad.
2. Simms residents who were against his hiring.
3. Parents who were concerned about having this man around their kids.

And the good guy is a man who lied for years about who he was and showed no respect for the people who gave him a chance to do something unique in life. How lucky is Mr. O'Brien to even live in a time were having the skill of slowing the movement of a chunk of pig up a field makes for such an interesting and rewarding life. Mr. O'Brien never made an attempt to clean himself up and moved his habit and the people who helped him attain it everywhere he went. Even after he was caught he did not own up to his mistakes until the cops had him in a corner that he couldn't get out of.

I sincerely hope that MR. O'Brien has really changed but I am not impressed that he changed his ways after exhausting every other option. Strange that the article didn't wonder why, if Mr. O'Brien was so unfortunate in life, he didn't save his addictions for himself but chose to try and spread them through a community that had given him the opportunity to live out his dream. How did helping facilitate the sale of drugs in Bozeman make Mr. O'Brien feel better about his crappy childhood? Also extremely interesting how the article tries to say that he took his meth hookup with him to Arizona and here because he couldn't leave her poor girls behind, especially considering how he had grown up, however, when dealing drugs in Bozeman did Mr. O'Brien ever consider that a young man going through a similar childhood to his own might have his own life long addiction due to the fact that Mr. O'Brien had helped make meth accessible to him?

I am all for second chances but Mr. O'Brien needs to learn a lesson in burnt bridges. I am happy that he is out of prison and that he has cleaned up his drug problems. Also, think it's great that he was able to start his own company and I would have no problem hiring him to replace my roof. However, just like us mere mortals, sometimes when you burn certain bridges there is no going back. If Mr. O'Brien had really owned up for his actions he would not have let lifelong friendships in Simms become strained due to his actions. Fact is, Mr. O'Brien wants his football fix no matter who it effects, and that to me tells me he has no problem playing the victim even though he alone is to blame for his actions. I know a lot of people that have had less then perfect lives but do not choose the path chosen by this man. Everyone has made mistakes in their lives but part of being a man is not only receiving forgiveness but being deserving of it. IMO to expect that you can do whatever you want and then one day say sorry and have people act like it never happened does not meet the criteria.

My Junior year of high school I played tight end at a class C school just like Simms. We were 8 man and were coached by our athletic director who was also a retired marine. Our Coach was a great man who we all had a lot of respect for however, he was a horrible football coach. In a heartbeat I would send my kids to play for my high school coach before they would be on Mr. O'Briens team. Some things are more important than winning. Parents who have reservations about their kids being coached/supervised by a man who took his own good fortune for granted, lied until there were no other options, and then refused to deal with the fact that he might not get what he wants due to his own actions are not bad people. They are called reasonable and responsible parents.
I agree with a lot of what you say,but, The cat fans that throw snowballs and yell insults do deserve to be made into bad guys. I did not take that the people that voted against him were bad guys. The slant of the story is about his redemptin and the people that did give him a chance, but I did not end up thinking badly about Mr. Roher for his actions, he also did let his kid play there. I commend the people that did give him another chance, although I don't know that I would have voted with them.

John K · Post by **John K** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:02 am

[quote="bobcatmaniac"]I agree with what you said. The story is great. I am happy for him. A big part of me reading this kept thinking "ya, let time tell". He is no saint. He is clean because the government made him clean up. Before we adorn him with roses and crowns let's see how he does the next 40 years. I praise more the average Joe who just lives a good life ALWAYS and not when he is forced to.[/quote]

99% of people who suffer from addiction, will not change their ways until they're forced to, by hitting their own personal "rock bottom". That happened for Joe when he got arrested. For other people it might be when they lose their job, or their wife and family. or whatever. But that's the very nature of addiction. For most people, if they could have quit their addictive behavior before being forced to quit, they surely would have, because deep down they know that what they're doing is eventually going to lead to a bad ending in one way or another.

ESPN - Joe O'Brien

ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien

Re: ESPN - Joe O'Brien