Phil Ford
has entered an unnamed clinic to deal with his alcohol dependency.
Bill Guthridge says, as one would expect," [h]e is not just a colleague, but a special friend, and I am 100 percent in his corner. (Assistant coaches) Dave Hanners and Pat Sullivan have been great this last week stepping up in Phil's absence."
Dick Baddour says "this is a positive step forward for Phil Ford. I appreciate how the university community has been able to work together to find solutions and apply its resources to assist people in
trying times. "Phil Ford has been responsible for many positive achievements at the university and overall has been an outstanding representative and ambassador for this university and basketball program.
"
This comes after a medical evaluation. This also comes after other
alleged previous stays in unnamed rehab clinics including,
apparently, one as recent as this summer, and after one conviction for a .26
blood alcohol content (called an "alleged" conviction by Ford's
attorney), and a second arrest. with an alleged .24 blood alcohol content.
Like all of you, we hope, we're happy Ford is seeking help again. We're
also more than happy to commend UNC's tradition of loyalty and unswerving
support. But still, in the comments from Baddour and Guthridge, there's
not even a hint that someone will take responsibility for either putting Ford
out on the road in automobiles when certainly they must have known a) about the
Michigan problem, and b) almost certainly must have known of the alleged
Southern Pines trip, assuming the ACCToday report linked above is
correct.
We're just stunned that, given what is now known about Ford's problems, that
a) no one is taking responsibility for the decisions made, and b) the local
press seems to have no particular curiosity about why no on at UNC is a standup
guy, because someone made the decision to put an apparently struggling alcoholic
on the road, and to give him a car.