Mike Phillips on the booze again

Mike Phillips, scrum-half for Bayonne and Wales, faces action for being 'drunk' during a training session

Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips in trouble with club Bayonne following his alleged drunkeness during a video analysis session

"Under the influence of alcohol during a video analysis session the morning after the club's win...".

Reading between the lines I'd say that him, Haare and Brett got steaming the night after the game and were still under the influence the next day in the video analysis session. Not as bad as the headline suggests, but still not ideal (if it's as I suspect).

I know the players are professional athletes these days, but was it really necessary to schedule a video analysis session for the morning after the game? Couldn't it have waited 'til the following day?

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I know the players are professional athletes these days, but was it really necessary to schedule a video analysis session for the morning after the game? Couldn't it have waited 'til the following day?

The schedules are so tight, I'm sure the best option was to do the video analysis the following day. There would be very little physical work done the day after a game more about rest and recuperation. Also probably a good idea to do the analysis while the game is still fresh in the players minds.
Was listening to O'Driscolls wife on the radio yesterday and she said that he is usually out of the house by 6.30 every morning. The players all have pillates, yoga and such before they set foot on the pitch for training. He only lives 5 minutes drive from the training facilities.

Should a professional sportsman be getting bladdered during the season? It delays your physical recover quite significantly and can lead to reduced performance for quite some time.

classic mike

Would love to have seen how that went at the video session:
 
Video Guy: Mike?
Mike Phillips (looking green): Hmm?
Video Guy: Are you feeling all right?
Mike Phillips: Hmm?
Video Guy: You still look, ow can I say this, a bit peessed?
Mike Phillips: Not all all. Badoit all night. I bloody love you, by the way.
Video Guy: I see. So you're not drunk?
Mike Phillips: Not at all. How dare you.
Video Guy: I see. My apologies.
 
(Pause of 10 seconds)
 
Video Guy: Would anybody like a kebab?
Mike Phillips: ME! ME! ME!
 
(pause)
Mike Phillips: Bugger.

 GC, we all know Phillips prefers Mcdonalds

Does the story hit the newspapers if it wasn't Mike Phillips?  I reckon it happens more often and just isn't reported on.

Submachine wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I know the players are professional athletes these days, but was it really necessary to schedule a video analysis session for the morning after the game? Couldn't it have waited 'til the following day?

The schedules are so tight, I'm sure the best option was to do the video analysis the following day. There would be very little physical work done the day after a game more about rest and recuperation. Also probably a good idea to do the analysis while the game is still fresh in the players minds.
Was listening to O'Driscolls wife on the radio yesterday and she said that he is usually out of the house by 6.30 every morning. The players all have pillates, yoga and such before they set foot on the pitch for training. He only lives 5 minutes drive from the training facilities.

Saw another piece that says that their morning training starts at 7:30 but BOD is still first in the gym in the mornings (even at the minute when he is injured) to lead by example.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Does the story hit the newspapers if it wasn't Mike Phillips?  I reckon it happens more often and just isn't reported on.

I'd agree with that.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Does the story hit the newspapers if it wasn't Mike Phillips?  I reckon it happens more often and just isn't reported on.

I'd agree with that.

If it had only been the two Kiwis, then no would not have made the press. So yes it made the press because:

1) Bayonne President told the press
2) It was a well known player on these islands (if Danny Care had done the same thing and been disciplined by Quins it would make the press, Cipriani and Henson obviously too)
3) Phillips turned up to an official session hungover after a bad night.

The player can make the first two irrelevant by not doing the 3rd.

VietGwentRevisited wrote:Should a professional sportsman be getting bladdered during the season? It delays your physical recover quite significantly and can lead to reduced performance for quite some time.

 
Agree.  I'm frequently surprised and disappointed at the way some sporting figures will spend months and years getting themselves in top physically shape, only to undo a lot of that good work with nights out getting bladdered.  By all means have a drink or two (with plenty of rehydrating fluids before and after!) - but so much you are still drunk the next day...
 
It just makes me think they are either really stupid or not that serious about performing at their best.

Incidently I'm sure plenty of others do it and it just doesn't get reported. However, that just means that the above applies to them as well.

Phillips have an alcohol problem. To some he is a clown who needs to behave, to others he is an addict with problems. However you view it it is clearly unacceptable for a pro sportsman to turn up for training not just hungover but still drunk. personally I would like to see him suspended until he is dry

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Does the story hit the newspapers if it wasn't Mike Phillips?  I reckon it happens more often and just isn't reported on.

I'd agree with that.

unless it was any england player...tindall...care...cipriani...

Phillips is still small fish compared to the likes of Kelleher who was caught drink driving last weekend in Bordeaux. He has some history though so that's why he has been suspended (haare as well).

If its the morning after its a bit harsh to give him a hefty fine. People show up to work all the time still a little pished after a night out. Obviously not ideal but it happens.

GunsGerms wrote:If its the morning after its a bit harsh to give him a hefty fine. People show up to work all the time still a little pished after a night out. Obviously not ideal but it happens.

thats true, but if they have a code between club and player that the player breaches, then he has to take whatever punishment is coming to him, and that it will be made public.

If anyone at my work ( healthcare) shows up drunk they are immediately suspended and will face disciplinary action and may well be sacked. Gross professional misconduct.

I would suspend Philips and his continued employment would be on the provision of completing a treatment and testing programme. its not his first time being drunk is it?

TJ wrote:If anyone at my work ( healthcare) shows up drunk they are immediately suspended and will face disciplinary action and may well be sacked.  Gross professional misconduct.

Ditto in my field.

I agree that the problem wasn't so much getting battered the previous evening, it was showing up sucking an Extra Strong Mint in the morning.

TJ wrote:If anyone at my work ( healthcare) shows up drunk they are immediately suspended and will face disciplinary action and may well be sacked.  Gross professional misconduct.

What if it's a patient?

Big wrote:

TJ wrote:If anyone at my work ( healthcare) shows up drunk they are immediately suspended and will face disciplinary action and may well be sacked.  Gross professional misconduct.

Ditto in my field.

Clearly some industries dont accept it. If youre a pilot or a surgeon etc. but its acceptable in rare cases in others. Philips was going to a video session, no ones life was at stake nor did he disgrace himself or the team he represents in public. Provided he remained professional even if still under the effects I dont see the issue really unless its a regular occurance and is affecting his performance on and off the field in his employment.

quinsforever wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:If its the morning after its a bit harsh to give him a hefty fine. People show up to work all the time still a little pished after a night out. Obviously not ideal but it happens.

thats true, but if they have a code between club and player that the player breaches, then he has to take whatever punishment is coming to him, and that it will be made public.

Most companies will have policies written into employees contracts re being under the influence. Like many contractual arangements they arent always enforced. It is possible and appropriate to take a sensible approach at times.

If the club are going to fine him I can only assume that he was also acting the maggot which is a seperate thing.

Submachine wrote:
Was listening to O'Driscolls wife on the radio yesterday and she said that he is usually out of the house by 6.30 every morning. The players all have pillates, yoga and such before they set foot on the pitch for training. He only lives 5 minutes drive from the training facilities.

So he tells the missus anyways. He's been spotted several times getting an egg mc muffin at 6.45.

is that an argument for why one should break such a code? because its not always enforced in other industries? the reality is this code in professional rugby is there for an excellent reason. alcohol hurts physical recovery.

philips is not a very likeable character and has form in this regard, but putting that to one side, consuming excessive alcohol after playing is very dumb in a professional sport where alcohol retards physical recovery by up to two-thirds. if i ran a rugby club, i would, like london irish did, try to get players to self-impose and self-police an alcohol ban. on-pitch results and improved recovery and training will speak for themselves over time.

egg mc muffin, cellotape, four feet of climbers rope, bicycle tyre puncture patches, a box of bandages, sewing needles, splints, crutches, neck brace, ...anything that'll get him back on the bloody field!

quinsforever wrote:is that an argument for why one should break such a code? because its not always enforced in other industries? the reality is this code in professional rugby is there for an excellent reason. alcohol hurts physical recovery.

philips is not a very likeable character and has form in this regard, but putting that to one side, consuming excessive alcohol after playing is very dumb in a professional sport where alcohol retards physical recovery by up to two-thirds. if i ran a rugby club, i would, like london irish did, try to get players to self-impose and self-police an alcohol ban. on-pitch results and improved recovery and training will speak for themselves over time.

No its an arguement as to why his superiors may justify a lenient approach. There have been many cases of rugby players being sanctioned for alcohol related incidents. Based on the information given this seems to me to rank on the lower scale of offences.

Most rugby players drink alcohol particularly after wns. They dont exist in an alcohol free vacume and nor should they have to. Leinster players often booze after wins and they are one of the top teams in Europe.

I would only consider fining a player if it was too regular an occurance.

A few beers is one thing. Being drunk at work the next day is another. And Philips does have previous

GunsGerms wrote:

quinsforever wrote:is that an argument for why one should break such a code? because its not always enforced in other industries? the reality is this code in professional rugby is there for an excellent reason. alcohol hurts physical recovery.

philips is not a very likeable character and has form in this regard, but putting that to one side, consuming excessive alcohol after playing is very dumb in a professional sport where alcohol retards physical recovery by up to two-thirds. if i ran a rugby club, i would, like london irish did, try to get players to self-impose and self-police an alcohol ban. on-pitch results and improved recovery and training will speak for themselves over time.

No its an arguement as to why his superiors may justify a lenient approach. There have been many cases of rugby players being sanctioned for alcohol related incidents. Based on the information given this seems to me to rank on the lower scale of offences.

Most rugby players drink alcohol particularly after wns. They dont exist in an alcohol free vacume and nor should they have to. Leinster players often booze after wins and they are one of the top teams in Europe.

I would only consider fining a player if it was too regular an occurance.

they are professionals, being paid handsomely to do a job. if the employer decides to breathalyse every player every morning that would be fine by me if thats the code the club wants players to abide by.

rugby was an amateur sport only 20 years ago and that amateur ethos is still fairly prevalent. i am glad to see you fall back on Leinster as your argument in favour of everything.

Phillips seems to be a likeable character enough..perhaps gliding into 'Get lost Phillips!' when drunk. He ain't alone in that department!

But he seems to have a bit of life about him character-wise.  Life could get awful boring when in camp with a bunch of humourless robots obey-ing-comm-ands-and-dream-ing-only-of-rug-by.

quinsforever wrote:they are professionals, being paid handsomely to do a job. if the employer decides to breathalyse every player every morning that would be fine by me if thats the code the club wants players to abide by.

rugby was an amateur sport only 20 years ago and that amateur ethos is still fairly prevalent. i am glad to see you fall back on Leinster as your argument in favour of everything.

I see no reason why any employer should be able to tell someone what they can and cant do in their own time. The bottom line if someone boozes all the time their performance in any job will plummet and this will not go unnoticed and you will be eventually out of a job.

If you want to have the conditioning Leigh Halfpenny has and push for world player of the year then skip the booze. If you are happy to level out then have a blow out every now and again and enjoy your free time.

Your comment re Leinster is quite petty. Just using them as an example as I know them best.

Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

i'm not on his back at all. have just been put in the absurd position of sympathising with and defending his club enforcing their rules. how is that at all controversial?

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

Never gone to work drunk. Unprofessional behaviour and immediate suspension probably followed by the sack. If he was a youngster and it was his first time OK but the guy clearly has a serious problem with alcohol that needs to be addressed. He needs a serious treament and testing progreamme and to be dry

Depends how drunk he was, he has hardly set the world alight over there maybe they want to reduce their wage bill and saw their chance.

Come on TJ not even a little bit drunk at work or played a game of rugby after a heavy night?

TJ wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

Never gone to work drunk.  Unprofessional behaviour and immediate suspension probably followed by the sack.  If he was a youngster and it was his first time OK but the guy clearly has a serious problem with alcohol that needs to be addressed.  He needs a serious treament and testing progreamme and to be dry

I'm not against this idea that a club has a right to expect certain degrees of compliance and a certain degree of respect. But I think Phillips, his pubicised levels of drinking and his levels then of commitment to fitness, training and seriousness of approach to his job on the field, would represent a medium norm rather than a person in need of serious help - ie, a Gascoigne or Best.

Phillips has occasional lapses of self-disciplin, it seems to me.... nothing more than some players you read about...whether it's dwarf throwing or ship diving or buggy driving or fist-fighting. He might be a serious nuisance but I doubt he's a serious enough case for his club to be looking for him to be sent to a dry-out clinic or wanting rid of him.

In truth I'd suspect there was a lot of laughter amongst the players when Phillips turned up looking seriously unable to compute the video-analysis session.

TJ wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

Never gone to work drunk.  Unprofessional behaviour and immediate suspension probably followed by the sack.  If he was a youngster and it was his first time OK but the guy clearly has a serious problem with alcohol that needs to be addressed.  He needs a serious treament and testing progreamme and to be dry

That sounds expensive. Probably be much cheaper to employ a little French fella as a chaperone?

TJ wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

Never gone to work drunk.  Unprofessional behaviour and immediate suspension probably followed by the sack.  If he was a youngster and it was his first time OK but the guy clearly has a serious problem with alcohol that needs to be addressed.  He needs a serious treament and testing progreamme and to be dry

As I understand it the definition of addiction is the chronic repition of something that effects or compramises your ability to function normally or has adverse consequences.

Just because he was over the legal limit doesnt necessarly mean he could not function properly re the contractual obligation he was faced with. If he was a mess and couldnt function and does that regularly then he has an alcohol problem otherwise I think a sensible approach may be warrented.

The point being we dont really know enough in this case but just to be under the influence because of enjoying a few drinks in his spare time doesnt necessarly warrant a hefty sanction IMO unless your contractual obligation is such that alcohol consumption could put others at risk which may be the case in healthcare but certainly not video analysis.

Airline pilots.

TJ wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

Never gone to work drunk.  Unprofessional behaviour and immediate suspension probably followed by the sack.  If he was a youngster and it was his first time OK but the guy clearly has a serious problem with alcohol that needs to be addressed.  He needs a serious treament and testing progreamme and to be dry

Never gone to work drunk, and never gone to work whilst technically over the limit. The amount of people who would never drink drive, but regularly do without knowing etc.

I used to drink an unhealthy amount each night and then go to work the following day, looking tired but feeling sober. Never did it effect my work, i even earnt promotion, but in hindsight I was probably well over the drink drive limit (which IMO didn't matter as I couldn't drive back then). To say it should be the sack is just pathetic.

Casartelli wrote:Airline pilots.

Airline pilots? As in...should they be allowed drink on the job?

Why not? There's always the auto-pilot there to let them sleep it off.....

Airline pilots are asleep most of the time anyway.

You could always twist it onto your place of work and say it was the stress of the job that made you do it.

"Could the passengers please speak quietly as the pilots are trying to sleep. Thankyou. Oh and if you look out to your left, you'll see the Himalayas, or at least you could see them if it wasn't so foggy. Thankyou"

Im actually pretty steaming at the moment

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

TJ wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.

Never gone to work drunk.  Unprofessional behaviour and immediate suspension probably followed by the sack.  If he was a youngster and it was his first time OK but the guy clearly has a serious problem with alcohol that needs to be addressed.  He needs a serious treament and testing progreamme and to be dry

Never gone to work drunk, and never gone to work whilst technically over the limit.  The amount of people who would never drink drive, but regularly do without knowing etc.

I used to drink an unhealthy amount each night and then go to work the following day, looking tired but feeling sober.  Never did it effect my work, i even earnt promotion, but in hindsight I was probably well over the drink drive limit (which IMO didn't matter as I couldn't drive back then).  To say it should be the sack is just pathetic.

Agreed. Alcoholism isnt measured so much by the frequency of the consumption but by the affect it has which in your case seemed to be ok except re the drink driving as thats against the law of course.

Alcoholism is measured by the fingers:

Two fingers this way [ = ] and you're drunk but can pretend not to be
Two fingers this way [ ii ] and you're fooling nobody.

Scrumpy wrote:Get off his back

Said the bystander to the McDonalds doorman.

Seriously though, it's a tricky one. We castigate behaviour like this in the professional age while chortling at anecdotes of Funbus etc turning up to early-morning international briefings without having gone to bed. One becomes a legend, the other a bell-end.

While he should be getting a bit old for this lark I'm not sure it necessarily means he's got a major problem with alcohol. It's just not very professional and he needs to rein it in. Once you've got a rep, it's difficult to shift it. We've all known guys at work who look like death a bit too often. As a sportsman it obviously impacts more than your average office job.

I'm not a huge fan of Phillips, but I wouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater. After all, if the bar service was as slow as his delivery he would have been fine.

I must say I do find this website a little addictive and I am guilty of posting during work hours which is quite unprofessional.

I hazard a guess than many of the pro and anti Philips voices on this thread are also at work right now when they should be working. Is that any better that showing up to work a little bit pished?

How long does Phillips genuinely feel he's going to be around for?  To the WC?
Wasn't he contemplating International retirement during the Lions tour.

Maybe he's made his decision about his International and club future secretly and is beginning the process of kicking back his heels and relaxing his way to the gold watch.

"Phillips!  Obey our rules!"
"Yeah, yeah........... *swig*.  I will, just as soon as you have something meaningful to threaten me with *swig* "

Maybe that's his mood?