ANDY REID'S DRUG EMPORIUM

by Mac G, Mac G's World

Drug incidents were prevalent in the news late last week. Tennis player Martina Hingis admitted she tested positive for cocaine during last summer's Wimbledon tournament, but adamantly denied the validity of the test. However, the official backup "B" sample test on her Wimbledon urine sample tested positive for the drug. Although Hingis reported that she had passed her own hair follicle test, the WTA has yet to receive the results of her own private test.

Hingis bizarrely announced her retirement, citing a lack of will to fight the anti doping agency over the next few years. "That drug test is BS, here is my own which proves I do not snort blow, OH, Screw You, I quit tennis." HUH? Very puzzling paranoia type of behavior for someone NOT on drugs.

Coke and incidents can not be mentioned in the same sentence without Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan's name coming up.

While Lohan has not yet publicly fell off her newly-found recovery wagon, it was reported that Spears let a musician do line off her chest at a party only two days after she lost custody of her children.

Now, I find the credibility of any of these celebrity rags highly questionable but considering the subject, I can definitely see this being true. Spears is an unstable mom who lost the right to have her kids to KFED!

The most tragic drug story involved the oldest two boys of Eagles' head coach Andy Reid. Both were sentenced to jail on separates drug and criminal charges.

Shocking revelations rang rampant throughout the six-hour public court hearing and I have compiled a list of what transpired to each separate Reid male.

Normally, I would argue that the behavior of a sports figure's children is purely a private matter. In this case, when a Judge declares the home of a NFL head coach and one of the most influential people in Philadelphia, "a drug emporium," I think the public needs to know what the hell is going on.

On January 30th, Britt and Garret Reid were arrested in separate incidents, 5 hours apart and only miles from each other. Here are the details of each case and how they ended up being potential jail mates.

Britt Reid, age 22.

In January, Britt waived a hand-gun at another motorist in an apparent road-rage incident. A search warrant uncovered drugs and drug paraphernalia in his truck.

The motorist, Larry David Johnson, testified that the incident "drastically changed my life . . . I didn't know if I was going to see my newborn son."

Britt pleaded guilty to drug possession and carrying a firearm without a license. He was free on bail when he violated conditions of his release and went to a Plymouth Township sporting goods store. In the store's parking lot, Britt's truck was seen weaving before it struck a shopping cart. He failed a police sobriety test.

On Aug. 24, Judge O'Neill revoked Britt's bail and sent him to the Montgomery County jail.

Last week, Britt was handed an eight-to-23-month jail sentence, plus five years probation.

Britt admitting injuring his back in high school and was prescribed the painkillers to which he eventually became addicted.

Quotes from Judge O'Neil to Brit included:

"I'm saying this is a family in crisis."
"It sounds more or less like a drug emporium there(Reid's home), and you(Britt) are an addict."
"There isn't any structure there (Reid's home) that this court can depend upon."


Garrett Reid, age 24.

Garret ran a red light on Jan. 30 in Plymouth Township and his vehicle plowed into a car, seriously injuring Louise Hartmann, 55, of Mount Carmel, Pa.

Garrett admitted using heroin earlier in the day after authorities found syringes laden with heroin and testosterone in his smashed sport utility vehicle.

Garrett pleaded guilty in July to drug and traffic charges from the accident and was initially released on bail pending sentencing.

O'Neill had first revoked Garrett's bail on Oct. 16, sending him to Montgomery County jail for seven days after he failed to appear for a court-ordered drug test.

Garrett did not fail the test given after he was sent to jail, and was then released.

Then last Tuesday, O'Neill sent Garrett back to Montgomery County jail for the second time when he failed a court-ordered urine test.

Police found 89 pills in Garrett's jail cell last Thursday morning, prescription drugs he reportedly smuggled into the facility after being hidden in his rectum upon being taken into custody earlier in that week. He could face additional charges in connection with those pills.

Garrett was given a two-to-23-month term for his crash and the victim, Hartman, did not appear in court but issued a statement through her attorney in which she said she "continues to hope and pray" for Garrett Reid's recovery.

Garrett's quotes in the courtroom were downright troubling as he detailed the life of an addict/drug dealer.

Garrett said he started using marijuana and alcohol at age 18, followed by prescription painkillers Percocet and OxyContin, then cocaine and heroin. He started to sell cocaine in 2000.

Garrett admitted that he enjoyed being the rich kid who dealt drugs in poor, violent Philadelphia neighborhoods and in the ritzy suburbs of the Main Line.

Garrett said he also sold drugs to his friends and their parents.

"I liked being the rich kid in that area and having my own high status life," Garrett Reid said in a statement read by the judge. "I could go anywhere in the 'hood.' They all knew who I was. I enjoyed it. I liked being a drug dealer."

It is crazy to think that a NFL coach's kid was living in the burbs and slinging crack rock in the inner city. Even though Garret had just put 90 pills in his ass to sneak into jail just days earlier, he acknowledged the desperate plight of his situation to the Judge.

"I'm at the point in my life where I have already made the decision that I don't want to die doing drugs."

"I am more than willing to do drug court ... if that's what it's going to take to get clean and sober. I don't want to be that kid who was the son of the head coach of the Eagles, who was spoiled and on drugs and OD'd and just faded into oblivion."

Judg O'Neill saved his biggest scorn for the medical industry who prescribes these pain relievers.

During each sentencing the judge reviewed the drugs - some prescribed and some used illegally - that were found on Reid's sons. They included OxyContin, morphine, Vicodin, Adderall, Prozac, Valium, cocaine, marijuana, testosterone, heroin, Trileptal and Percocet. Also, Subutex and Suboxone, which are used to treat opiate withdrawal.

"I can't figure out who is prescribing all those drugs," O'Neill said, later adding, "The medical industry is just as much to blame for what happened to these two men." He called them "dangerous narcotics. . . . We live in a society where they are highly over prescribed . . . so it is little wonder we are seeing them as drug addicts."

I did not want this post to dive into the issue of Andy Reid's job being responsible for these events or the role of the NFL in light of authorities finding substantial amount of drugs in one of their employee's homes. I think those and other issues can be hotly debated.

I wanted to summarize the events of two young men, who truly need substance assistance. Hopefully, both of them realize at some point that their own lives and their families love are more important than the next pill or needle.