Timing of Keim’s arrest unfortunate for Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
General manager Steve Keim’s arrest for driving under the influence has left the Arizona Cardinals organization high and dry
The punishment handed out by the Arizona Cardinals came swiftly. The irresponsible act of their general manager on July 4th had put the franchise in an awkward position. Team president Michael Bidwill promised that there would be consequences for Steve Keim’s arrest for driving under the influence, and he apparently wasn’t lying.
The time for Keim to “pay the piper” is now. Arizona’s top personnel guy has been fined $200 thousand by the team, and will also serve a five-week suspension. But the ramifications for the Independence Day incident don’t end there.
Because of a blood-alcohol level that was a dangerous .193 at the time of the arrest, Keim was sentenced to 48 hours in jail. The Cardinals’ GM gave himself up to Chandler, Arizona police this past Tuesday night to begin his stint behind bars. Keim’s blood test revealed that he was more than two times over the legal limit of .08, which is classified as an “extreme” DUI.
Keim’s indiscretion was particularly egregious. A blood-alcohol number that high shows a total disregard for safety. Keim’s claim that night that he had consumed only a “couple of beers” was obviously a ridiculous attempt at a cover-up.
From a football standpoint, the timing of the embarrassing blunder is anything but ideal. Steve Wilks is a first-time head coach, and could use all of the help he can get with evaluating players. Furthermore, being away for the bulk of the preseason will make it much more difficult for Keim to make roster decisions when he returns.
The fact that the current configuration of the Cards appears to be an unfinished product also presents a problem. Keim has displayed an uncanny ability to find quality, late-offseason components for the squad. However, the suspension requires the executive to have no contact whatsoever with his employer for the entire five weeks.
Next: Arizona Cardinals players have some fantasy value
To say Keim should’ve known better would be putting it lightly. Fans have every right to expect much more from such a high-ranking Cardinals official. Keim needs to put this terrible episode in the rear-view mirror, and see to it that it never happens again.