John Daly’s scroll-past quotient is such that I try to avoid items about him at all costs. But I couldn’t ignore the comments he made to ESQUIRE magazine recently about the company that once saved his career, Callaway.
(Forget meds, Daly knows what’s best for him)
With Daly completely off the rails personally and professionally, Ely Callaway signed Daly to a multi-million dollar endorsement deal in 1997 that literally prevented the golfer from declaring bankruptcy. The company also had the good sense to explore every treatment option to stem Daly’s self-destructive behavior. One option was anti-depressants.
Here’s an excerpt from Daly’s recent interview with Tom Chiarella for Esquire:
JD: I hate the rain, sure. I’ve been sitting around here since Sunday. I’m just ready to play, and I am stuck in here. Maybe I’m miserable ’cause of the weather. You may be seeing some of that.
TC: You just seem shut down.
JD: Nah. I’m as happy as I can be. I’ve talked to a doctor who’s helped me tremendously.
TC: Medications or what?
JD: Mostly just with the right things to say when you’re down or upset, even when you’re happy. More of an even keel than going to some doctor to get me that fucking Paxil. That just blew me up. It bloated me even when I didn’t eat. Headaches. Major, major headaches. That was all back in the Callaway days. They made me take it, else I lost my contract. The problem was, they kept putting me on one antidepressant, then moving me to another.
TC: Who? Callaway?
JD: Yeah, their company doctors. And remember I had the shakes in Vancouver? That was all from going back and forth on those things. I told Mr. Callaway, I love you to death. I love what you’ve done for me, but you’re killing me.
We can all understand Daly feeling the ill effects of medication, but if you were Callaway and had invested tens of millions in Daly, would that have been such an unreasonable measure to take?
Armed with the mind of a child, Daly didn’t realize that with those comments he was insulting the biggest benefactor in his life, Ely Callaway. Though it’s sad to see him lodging expletive-laced complaints in the direction of the man, now deceased, who might’ve saved his life.
It was Callaway who agreed to pay Daly’s countless millions in gambling debts. It was Callaway who threw Daly a lifeline when he was at his lowest. Yet Daly in the Esquire piece went out of his way to blame Callaway for his aversion to a medication that the company justifiably prescribed.
Daly claimed to Esquire that he’s no longer on any medication. Wonder how long that’ll last once the good times finally run dry.
3:07 pm on March 6th, 2010
WHAT A LOSER!!
3:56 pm on March 6th, 2010
It’s not like they were giving him this money for free, he was sponsoring their products. And forcing someone to take anti-depressants is not reasonable, I don’t care how much people are paying you.
where are Adam J., Barry, Pete and Manfredi?
4:15 pm on March 6th, 2010
Prescription meds alone don’t solve problems w/ depression. They can help, but if not used correctly they can cause more harm than good, which obviously happened in Daly’s case.
7:19 am on March 7th, 2010
Why do people have such a fascination for doctors and prescription meds?!!? I’m not surprised he felt like they were killing him. And why shouldn’t he be pissed? What makes taking meds always the reasonable answer? Most doctors couldn’t even tell you what side effects are caused by half the shit they prescribe. They wait til you feel like crap, THEN they read the label.
1:02 pm on March 7th, 2010
Seemed like JD tried his best to be truthful and not disparage Ely Callaway…you must have missed the “I told Mr. Callaway, I love you to death. I love what you’ve done for me, but you’re killing me.” That’s funny, cause aren’t you the one who transcribed it?
9:46 am on March 8th, 2010
I’m sure the meds were not forced on Daly. I love what Daly brings to the PGA and golf but his game is getting old and tired. Stop complaining how everyone and everything has let you down and look inside at how you let that tremendous talent erode.
11:06 am on March 8th, 2010
I wouldn’t say he went out of his way to disparage Callaway. Daly has never edited himself in interviews and this is a good example. He says whatever pops into his head when someone asks a question and and in his mind Callaway and taking meds are intertwined.
There are many instances some public others not where Callaway went above and beyond the call to help a Tour player out who was in a tough spot. It’s too bad that Daly had a bad reaction to the anti-depressants and has continued to struggle with his addictions and related problems. It makes you wonder if he really wants to get better or if his attempt to drive away everyone who cares about him is his way of dealing with the situation. He’ll be fine if everyone just leaves him alone.
10:00 pm on March 8th, 2010
He will fall off the numerous wagons that he has built sooner or later
If he succeeds, he will let the winning get to him and booze it up
If he loses, he will get depressed
8:47 am on March 9th, 2010
those headaches etc couldn’t have had anything to do with him drinking like a fish while on them…….nah….he’s lucky to be alive and in relatve good health with the drinking he’s done..he doesn’t sound to grateful to me. of course he made the comments “after” he’s been paid by calloway