
NFL Players Union Partners with Uber To Prevent Players Driving Drunk - awwstn
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/sports/football/for-nfl-players-an-app-to-combat-impaired-driving.html?ref=sports&_r=4&
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untog
_Uber’s service would complement an existing program run by the union in which
players can summon a car by placing a phone call._

I see how using Uber is an improvement, but really, if no-one is using the
existing service then I think the problem runs deeper than whether they need
to talk on the phone to use it.

It's never been difficult to call a cab instead of drunk drive.

~~~
charlesju
I would like to respectfully disagree. Calling a cab is a nightmare, at least
in San Francisco, prior to Uber. You were put on hold for several minutes, you
had to explain where you were, the driver could not show up or show up
extremely late.

When you are inebriated, these steps can easily be considered overwhelming and
lead to many people not wanting to go through the process.

In contrast to open phone > tap uber app > tap call cab. The difference is
night and day, and I think that's why the program will succeed now when it has
failed before.

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untog
_Calling a cab is a nightmare, at least in San Francisco, prior to Uber._

This seems to be the central issue with Uber- it has solved a San Francisco
problem, and is now trying to apply the same solution everywhere.

There are a great many cities (including NFL franchise cities) where getting a
cab is far from difficult. Yet players still drink and drive.

~~~
awwstn
_There are a great many cities (including NFL franchise cities) where getting
a cab is far from difficult._

Are there? In my experience, NYC is the only city where getting a cab is easy
– and even there it's only easy in one borough.

edit: Chicago is the only one I can think of that comes close, but it's still
only easy to get a cab there in a limited few neighborhoods.

~~~
antsar
> NYC is the only city where getting a cab is easy

Define "easy". I've had several infuriating experiences trying to get a cab in
NYC, all of which ended in me walking or taking a subway instead. NYC has a
_lot_ of cabs, but they also have a _lot_ of cab patrons.

~~~
colmvp
Not to mention many cab drivers won't venture outside of Manhattan.

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rickdale
The problem with a service like this for the NFL players is that a lot of them
don't want their coaches and teammates to know they were out the night before,
or just how wasted they are getting. So if Uber can guarantee anonymity
throughout the process then I think players will be more apt to use Uber.

Basically a cab service exists everywhere, so for the players its not just the
connivence but the real implications of calling a designated driver and their
job. Granted drunk driving is infinitely worse, I feel like some athletes will
always do what they think they can get away with.

~~~
derefr
If you want _real_ deniability, you might want the service to include another
driver that rides in with the car, drives the player's car home, puts it in
park in the driveway, and then lets the player transfer back into their own
car to slip it into the garage. And also some of those Russian anti-hangover
pills.

~~~
pavel_lishin
It would probably be best if the other-driver also had a mask that mimicked
the likeness of the player's face.

~~~
derefr
(I'm not really suggesting that it appear that the player drove their own car
home to outside observers; just that it would be weird and creepy to let some
stranger park your car in your garage. It's mostly about not leaving a car
parked in front of a bar the next morning.)

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socrates1998
It sounds good, but players have already had a program in place to help them.
This app might help a little, but I don't think it will solve the problem.

And they can afford taxis and car services.

Football players have this "I can do anything" mentality that gets them into
trouble. This mind set also makes them good football players.

The problem is the tension that exists between the employee and the employer.
The employer doesn't want the employee to know what they do. The employer will
use any information he can to gain an upper hand.

Players hide injuries, then pay cash to non-team doctors.

They will continue to hide their partying activities as well.

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kevincrane
Yesss, NFL and HN on the same page! My worlds are colliding.

Anyway, I don't know if this will be good enough to solve the problem. As
someone else mentioned earlier, the NFL already has a system in place for all
players to get free rides at any time, no questions asked (plus a legion of
fans who would bend over backwards to drive an NFL player home). I think this
could be an improvement with regards to the UX and ease of use for the
players, but this still may not be enough to solve the main problem.

Edit: if we want to get more in-depth as to why this might not fix the
problem, look at the kind of people who become NFL players. They're often from
lower-income backgrounds where sports were their one outlet for success. When
you go from perpetually struggling financially and are suddenly thrust into a
world where you are making millions and surrounded by adoring fans, you think
you're invincible. Cops wouldn't dare to arrest a football deity would they?
Unfortunately that can get to their heads and leads to situations where they
choose to drunk drive instead of call a free cab.

~~~
blackcat
You might like this.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5002974](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5002974)

~~~
kevincrane
Yep, I remember seeing that a while ago (and you're right, I did like it). I
had the CSV file saved on my desktop for a while in the hopes that I could do
something fun with it, but I never did.

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pwthornton
Some enterprising owner should set up an account with Uber to provide free
rides for their players. It's a heck of a lot cheaper than DUIs, wrongful
death lawsuits and suspensions and fines by the NFL.

Services like Uber go beyond calling a cab company because they are easy to
use in a way that digitally-savvy people understand (and most NFL players are
pretty good with smartphones) and the cars are nicer than cabs. In certain
cities, it's easy to get a cab. You pretty much just need to stand on the
corner of a street for a few minutes. In other cities, it can be a nightmare.

In those markets where getting a cab can be a huge problem, this will help a
lot. And this will also help in markets where cab drivers refuse to leave the
city. It's easy to get a cab in DC, but most cab drivers won't leave the city
limits, which can be an issue if a player doesn't live in the city. That's
something that a lot of people overlook when they say, "how hard is it to get
a cab?" The real question is, "how hard is to get a cab that will take me to
where I want to go in a timely manner?" That's where Uber shines.

~~~
jacalata
That would get them right back to the original NFL program they had a couple
years ago, which nobody used because they are concerned about the NFL/team
knowing where they've been.

They didn't have to call a cab. They called a private number that provided a
chauffeur with their choice of limo, Hummer, etc that will arrive within 30
minutes and take them wherever they want to go.

~~~
pwthornton
Do they have non-limo options and how expensive is this service? I wouldn't
call arriving within 30 minutes exactly fast. You can get a cab or Uber within
minutes.

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cfesta9
Uber is an incredible service. Perhaps a system within a bar/clubs POS system
would be most helpful. If your bill is over X amount then the bartender could
suggest a Uber for you or have the ability to charge a Uber to your bill if
you agreed. Just a thought. Also Instead of Uber preventing NFL players
driving drunk. Uber should prevent players driving after games who have
suffered concussions or big hits.

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kasey_junk
It's important to note this is the NFL Players Union, not the NFL. That gives
it a better chance of being successful.

~~~
awwstn
Whoops, thanks! I just added that. I assume eventually the mods will switch
this to the NYT headline, but I didn't think it conveyed much information.

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rdl
I wonder how long until other organizations do something similar. It'd be kind
of interesting if military 24-48h passes (i.e. be drunk for that period) came
with a requirement to use Uber or something like it. Drunk driving actually
kills more young enlisted people than combat.

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will_brown
I think this is great for both Uber and the NFL. This is good PR for both,
brings additional legitimacy to Uber and highlights the NFL's efforts to
address this issue (at the end of the day maybe save some careers if not
lives).

However, if the NFL was truly serious they would contractually require all
players to install breathalyzer car starters (if you don't know search it) in
their vehicles. Is that extreme? No, not in light of all the other contractual
obligations NFL players/professional athletes already agree. One example is
UFC fighters contracts include provisions in which they agree not to drive
motorcycles.

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far33d
This is a great strategic partnership even if the net value is low to the NFL.

1) The cost to uber and the NFL is basically zero. It leverages existing
functionality and the NFL already pays for this kind of service.

2) The NFL gets good press about drunk driving prevention and might actually
prevent a few accidents.

3) Uber gets itself in the NYTimes, top of hacker news, etc for free, exposes
itself to lots of new users, and reinforces itself as a brand aligned with
luxury and convenience.

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bpm140
This seems like a purely PR move. Not only is there nothing wrong with that,
it's probably worth figuring out how other people can get national press with
flimsy stories.

I see what Uber gets out of this, but what reason would the NFL Players' Union
have for participating in the marketing of this? I don't remember hearing a
lot about drunk-driving players in the press, so essentially the Players'
Union is _making_ it a topic of conversation.

Why?

~~~
jacalata
You just haven't been reading the right press? eg:
[http://fansided.com/2013/08/06/nfl-eyes-stricter-dui-
penalti...](http://fansided.com/2013/08/06/nfl-eyes-stricter-dui-penalties-to-
curb-drunk-driving-arrests/) overview:
[https://www.google.com/search?q=nfl+drunk+driving+-uber](https://www.google.com/search?q=nfl+drunk+driving+-uber)

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mathattack
I think this only solves a few of their alcohol related problems.

[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500290_162-6975132.html](http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500290_162-6975132.html)

[http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Police...](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Police-
find-Colts-DT-laying-drunk-in-a-ditch-n?urn=nfl,261198)

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jacalata
For all those who are trying to speculate on the benefits of this over the
"existing car service" mentioned on the article, here is some actual
information about it: [http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201304/nfl-players-
worry...](http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201304/nfl-players-worry-about-
privacy-when-using-car-service)

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the_watcher
The brilliance of this move is that Uber is more high end than cabs. A lot of
players like arriving in style, which leads to the returning home drunk. With
Uber, you can arrive in a town car. If I were Uber, I'd make a big deal about
the NFL app getting priority on the nicest cars in their fleet to try and
appeal to this.

~~~
jacalata
Is it more high end than the existing car service?

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paul_f
My first reaction? What bunch of pampered babies. If your employer has to
design a service to keep you from driving home drunk, you clearly are the
definition of pathetic. Miserably unable to deal with the basics of life.

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raawlls
Good for Uber, and I understand the want to prevent the players' safety, but
seriously, that's ridiculous. The fact that this deal is in place says a lot
about the maturity of professional athletes.

