Safety charged with drunken driving early Tuesday

[Zero2Cool]

Vikes' Offord arrested

Posted: Wednesday April 19, 2006 9:46AM; Updated: Wednesday April 19, 2006 9:48AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Vikings safety Willie Offord was arrested early Tuesday and charged with drunken driving, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Offord was stopped at 2:20 a.m. on westbound Interstate 394 in Golden Valley and charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree drunken driving, which means his blood alcohol level was less than 0.20, the Star Tribune reported.

Offord was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at 3:29 a.m. and released more than two hours later. He is scheduled to appear April 26 at Hennepin County Ridgedale Court.

The Vikings signed Offord, their special teams captain in 2005, to a two-year contract extension last month. He is rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and was limited during a veteran minicamp this month.

The Vikings believe he will be healthy when training camp begins, and Offord could compete with free-agent acquisition Tank Williams for the starting strong safety job.

Neither the team nor Offord's agent, David Canter, returned telephone messages seeking comment from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

___

Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[DePack]

Sounds like a potential longtime starter for the Vikes!

 

[Miskito]

Wow. And his first name is "Safety"!

 

[digsthepack]

Another day, another crime, another ViQueen.

And this is news??!!!!! He11, have we forgotten the last 20 glorious years of the Minnesota Penal League?

 

[4thand26]

EVERY team has this kind of crap going on.

 

[big3]

yes, but the vikings have more than their share it seems.

 

[gopackgo4]

HMMM same ole queens

 

[carol k]

He'll probably get off as he plays for the queens. It seems whatever they do is all right. Now, if it were you or I, it would be a much different story. I know several years ago when my niece was arrested for drunken driving, they took away her driver's license that night, and that was her first offense. Of course, SHE wasn't a queens player

 

[vikefan]

Minnesota is more aggresive in going after drunk drivers than any other state, so naturally you would see more celebreties picked up.

I understand that in Wisconsin, the only time a trooper will arrest a drunk driver, is when you don't share your beer with him.

 

[DePack]

Minnesota is more aggresive in going after drunk drivers than any other state, so naturally you would see more celebreties picked up.

I understand that in Wisconsin, the only time a trooper will arrest a drunk driver, is when you don't share your beer with him.

Vikefan....I'm not trying to get anyone pissed. I've got a serious question. Here on the east coast Minnesota is known as the "alcoholic capital of the country". Granted, that don't make you a bad guy! My question is, is this a warranted reputation or just some blown out of proportion generalization. I've never been to Minn but have been to Wisconson, Illinois and Indiana often. I think midwesterners are some of the nicest people I've met.

Is there REALLY a problem in Minn? Ive heard bull like "it's so cold there, there is nothing to do but drink", "alot of Norwegians settled there and they were drunks", (don't jump on me, my ancesters are from Sweden) and my favorite "there are alot of Indian tribes there and Indians are drunks".

I hope you don't think I'm being a wiseass, which I usually am. I'm just curious if you have heard this and if so where it comes from.

 

[digsthepack]

Well, DePack...having been raised in Wisconsin, and residing in Minny the last 4 years, I can offer this observation.

The upper midwest has been settled by predominately German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian and assorted E. European immigrants....particularly Germans and Pols. All of which come from traditionally hard drinking cultures. Combine that swilling history, and the fact that winters are in fact very long, dark and cold...you probably DO have more than your fair share of drunkards.

But, hey....we do know how to have fun!!!

Stuffy coaster!!

 

[vikefan]

Minnesota is more aggresive in going after drunk drivers than any other state, so naturally you would see more celebreties picked up.

I understand that in Wisconsin, the only time a trooper will arrest a drunk driver, is when you don't share your beer with him.

Vikefan....I'm not trying to get anyone pissed. I've got a serious question. Here on the east coast Minnesota is known as the "alcoholic capital of the country". Granted, that don't make you a bad guy! My question is, is this a warranted reputation or just some blown out of proportion generalization. I've never been to Minn but have been to Wisconson, Illinois and Indiana often. I think midwesterners are some of the nicest people I've met.

Is there REALLY a problem in Minn? Ive heard bull like "it's so cold there, there is nothing to do but drink", "alot of Norwegians settled there and they were drunks", (don't jump on me, my ancesters are from Sweden) and my favorite "there are alot of Indian tribes there and Indians are drunks".

I hope you don't think I'm being a wiseass, which I usually am. I'm just curious if you have heard this and if so where it comes from.

I went on Statemaster.com and found these numbers on binge drinking.
I'm sure they have something to do with what you have heard, but as to why, I don't know.

Probably explains why Jesse Ventura was elected, though.

States rated by binge drinking:

1- Wisconsin
2- North Dakota
3- Minnesota
4- Iowa

In the top 20, here are the East coast states:
5- Rhode Island
8-Pennsylvania
10- Delaware [Try harder, DePack!]
14- Mass.
19- Vermont

Mostly southern states round out the bottom, with, of course, Utah at the bottom.

Cheers!

 

[vikefan]

There are many Native tribes in Minnesota Wisconsin and the Dakota's, and they do have a bad problem with alcoholism on the reservations.

 

[TOPackerFan]

Minnesota is more aggresive in going after drunk drivers than any other state, so naturally you would see more celebreties picked up.

I understand that in Wisconsin, the only time a trooper will arrest a drunk driver, is when you don't share your beer with him.

That's interesting given that I understand that the legal limit in MN is .10 (or 25% higher than most other places).

 

[vikefan]

Minnesota is more aggresive in going after drunk drivers than any other state, so naturally you would see more celebreties picked up.

I understand that in Wisconsin, the only time a trooper will arrest a drunk driver, is when you don't share your beer with him.

That's interesting given that I understand that the legal limit in MN is .10 (or 25% higher than most other places).

The limit has been changed to .08 this year.

 

[DePack]

Well, DePack...having been raised in Wisconsin, and residing in Minny the last 4 years, I can offer this observation.

The upper midwest has been settled by predominately German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian and assorted E. European immigrants....particularly Germans and Pols. All of which come from traditionally hard drinking cultures. Combine that swilling history, and the fact that winters are in fact very long, dark and cold...you probably DO have more than your fair share of drunkards.

But, hey....we do know how to have fun!!!

Stuffy coaster!!

Stuffy coaster?....nah. I'm doing my share to keep Delaware in the top 10!

Thanks for all the info guys!

One more question for digs and vikefan. Do they set up "sobriety checkpoints" out there. Here they have them strategically located every weekend. It's starting to take the sport out of driving drunk!






I hope I didn't offend anyone. I'm joking of course. Nothing but bad news comes out of driving drunk!

 

[vikefan]

Yeah, they do set up those checkpoints from time to time.

I like how they wait outside a bar and pull you over when you leave the parking lot. All they need is a "fail to signal", loud muffler, tail light out...etc.

Nothing wrong with getting the smashed drivers off the road before they smash into me.

 

[digsthepack]

Focking Feds blackmailing states to the .08 limit!!

No, sobriety checkpoints have not become vogue here..suprising since this is the biggest nanny state in the nation. If you mean blockading major roads and indiscriminately checking people. They do, however, wait by bars and clubs and bust you for anything.

 

[DePack]

Focking Feds blackmailing states to the .08 limit!!

No, sobriety checkpoints have not become vogue here..suprising since this is the biggest nanny state in the nation. If you mean blockading major roads and indiscriminately checking people. They do, however, wait by bars and clubs and bust you for anything.

yea...I meant setting up roadblocks and stopping and checking everyone that goes through. I agree with getting the drunks off the road but I think I can blow a .08 when I wake up in the morning!

 

[digsthepack]

DePack.....now that we are a little older, doesn't the hangover prospect prevent you from the fun but dangerous big bender?

Every now and again, the right group of guys gets together and you drink in a fashion that has not been done for 20 years...and the hangover hurts so goooooood.

******* college buddies!!

 

[DePack]

DePack.....now that we are a little older, doesn't the hangover prospect prevent you from the fun but dangerous big bender?

Every now and again, the right group of guys gets together and you drink in a fashion that has not been done for 20 years...and the hangover hurts so goooooood.

***** college buddies!!

Yea...I call that the weekend!

 

[TOPackerFan]

yea...I meant setting up roadblocks and stopping and checking everyone that goes through. I agree with getting the drunks off the road but I think I can blow a .08 when I wake up in the morning!

I know you're joking, but it really takes a lot to blow over a .08.