Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has approached the Dallas Cowboys about reaching out to the team to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving. The death of player Jerry Brown and the arrests of players Josh Brent and Jay Ratliff have made it clear that the Texan football team has a major problem when it comes to drunk driving. The fact that Ratliff’s arrest comes not even two months after Brent’s arrest indicates that the team’s culture may not have changed much since Brown’s death. Whatever the Cowboys are trying, it isn’t working.
Cowboy representatives did not talk to the media about MADD’s proposal. Hopefully, it is something they are willing to seriously consider. While the team already has some programs to stop players from drinking and driving like the 24/7 limo service and a staff person who is always on call, the recent arrests suggest that the current resources aren’t getting it done.
Director of the North Texas chapter of MADD Jeff Miracle said, “We’d like to arrange how to best use resources to show the dangers of drunken driving.”
The team works with MADD and the Miller Brewing Co. to keep fans from driving home from the games while drunk through a network of volunteers and kiosks. Ironically, the work the done for the fans may be more effective than what’s actually going on with the players.
It’s disappointing to see the Cowboys not responding to an offer from MADD. The organization has long been established as a leader in drunk driving prevention. It’s unclear what the team would have to lose when the public is more than aware of their players’ mistakes. While no non-team member has been injured yet, the next Dallas Cowboy to drink and drive could injure any North Texan on the roads. If the Cowboys aren’t planning to take advantage of MADD’s resources, what is their plan to make changes?
