Leave the Skeletons in Your Closet
Andre Agassi did crystal meth. Let it sink in.
Did it take you long? It didn’t really shock me. Not that I always assumed Agassi was a user, but more so that I have heard this “shocking” revelation made by one too many athletes. I think I am immune to it.
You see, athletes are just like the rest of us. If statistics hold true 65.5% of them drank in the past year, 32.4% smoked marijuana, and 6.8% used a stimulant of some sort. Although Agassi is no longer on meth, does it surprise me that he used at some point in his career (perhaps the lowest point in his career)?No.
That doesn’t mean that I condone his behavior. I believe athletes should be held to the same standards, if not higher standards, than the rest of us. Had he been caught (and he kind of was) he should have faced suspension from his job and possible jail time. But overall, the fact that he occasionally dabbled in crystal meth during the 1997 season is just not a shocker. Nor was it necessary for him to even tell the saga.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, lets review:
In Andre Agassi’s memoir entitled “Open” he reveals that his public persona was about as authentic as Miley Cyrus’s singing voice. The commercialized tennis star, married to Hollywood’s Brooke Shields, was incredibly unhappy. He hated tennis. Forced into the sport by an abusive father, Agassi never found joy in the game. In an effort to maintain that “rockstar on the court image” he even resorted to wearing a wig when in reality he was balding prematurely. And his happy marriage to Brooke? It was in shambles. Agassi hit a tipping point in 1997 when the former Olympic and World Champion plummeted in the ATP rankings.

His first experience with crystal meth came about in the same way a college kid decides to pop open a beer- without much thinking at all. While sitting around in a cloud of self-pity, his assistant “Slim” suggests that he try the drug. Agassi describes an almost out-of-body experience as he hears himself say “F*ck it” and proceeds to get high. Throughout the 1997 season he used periodically just to find some sense of euphoria. Lesson to all the kids out there- it didn’t help his game any. Agassi dropped to No.122 in the ATP rankings and was playing in a circuit that most view as the minor leagues of tennis. That’s what happens when a gold medal winner turns to Gak (street name).
The escapism didn’t last long for Agassi. After a sport sanctioned drug test, which no surprise came back positive for recreational drugs, he was facing a 3 month suspension in competition and the loss of all endorsements. So, what should one do to add to their problems? How about commit perjury? Agassi lied, saying that his assistant accidentally spiked his drink. ” I say Slim, whom I’ve since fired, often spikes his sodas with meth- which is true. I say that I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas.” The ATP bought the story, because when you find someone with illegal drugs in their system it would never cross your mind that they might also be, * gasp *, a liar.
Long story short, the situation scared Agassi out of his drug use. Not wanting to throw his career and hard work in the trash, he turns his act around and goes on to author one of the greatest comebacks in sports. In 1998 his ranking went from No.122 to No.6 in the world- the largest one year jump in ATP ranking history. Lesson number two to kids- say no to drugs. You’ll perform better. Agassi won five out of eight major titles following the comeback.
Agassi did a complete 180. He has done a lot of work promoting the education of America’s youth. The Andre Agassi Foundation runs a public charter school to provide educational opportunities to students of all backgrounds. Agassi believes in not allowing Americans to continue to fall behind on the universal educational curve. The Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy opened in 2001, giving a first class education to the children of Las Vegas. The first graduating class has a 100% graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate.

My question is this…why tell the story? It’s easy for one to say that “the truth will set you free”or some other cheesy saying encouraging one to be honest about the person that you are and the person that you used to be. It’s easy to use the common phrase “I just needed to get it off my chest,” but somehow I can’t help but think that the money also eases the pain. It is rumored that Agassi received a $5 million advance for admitting to using meth in the tell-all.
It’s hard for me to see what good has come of going public with this story. You’ll see what I am talking about if you just Google “Andre Agassi.” Notice the top stories. Somewhere down the list you will find his foundation and all the work he has done to better the lives of America’s youth. He has put both his foundation and prep school on the back burner; all for what? A book deal? Do something good for the PR of your causes, not something to mar it.
I am not advocating that Agassi lie if posed questions about his past. I don’t think he should have lied in the first place. But why put it out there in the spotlight? Put your foundation and school in the spotlight.
Pink Cleat Translation: Do you willingly offer up every immoral story of your past to your kids? No! Then for the rest of your life you have to hear, “but you did it!” If asked by your child, depending on your parenting style, you may cop up to a few things. However, the crystal meth use…you probably shouldn’t go there. Agassi should focus on directing the children of his causes down the right path, not on making $5 million from a book deal. He doesn’t need the money.



