Colts Owner Jim Irsay claims that he was “prejudiced against” in his 2014 DUI arrest because he is a “rich, white billionaire.”
Irsay made the comments in an interview with Andrea Kremer on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
“I am prejudiced against because I’m a rich, white billionaire,” Irsay said. “If I’m just the average guy down the block, they’re not pulling me in, of course not.”
Owner Jim Irsay of the Indianapolis Colts introduced head coach Frank Reich to the media during a press conference at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 13, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Kremer pressed Irsay, asking him if he knew how it would sound for a white billionaire to claim that he was being prejudiced against. Irsay, however, was unmoved.
“I don’t care what it sounds like. It’s the truth. You know, Andrea, I could give a damn what people think how anything sounds or sounds like. The truth is the truth, and I know the truth.”
In 2014, Irsay was pulled over by City of Carmel (Indiana) police on suspicion of driving under the influence. The longtime Colts owner was arrested after failing a field sobriety test.
Jim Irsay performs during Farm Aid 2023 at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on September 23, 2023, in Noblesville, Indiana. (Stephen J. Cohen/WireImage)
Irsay pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. However, Irsay only admitted to having prescription painkillers and a sedative in his system, not to driving drunk. Instead, Irsay insisted that he appeared to walk unsteadily during the field sobriety test because he had recently undergone hip surgery.
When asked why he pleaded guilty if he wasn’t under the influence of alcohol, Irsay said he did so to make the incident go away.
Irsay had his driver’s license suspended, received one year of probation, and a suspended 60-day jail sentence. The NFL followed that punishment with a six-game suspension and a $500,000 fine.