Concern for Kaczur: Nick “The Narc” story darkens

By Os Davis  |   Sunday, July 20, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

New England Patriots
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The Nick Kaczur subplot thickened last week, and oh, this is just what the New England Patriots need. Can accusations of steroid use be far behind?

As most of us following the NFL’s sordid side – and given the utter lack of actual on-field news at present, who isn’t? – know, Kaczur was busted for drug possession in April and assisted federal agents to nab his accused OxyContin supplier in late May.

On Thursday, legal representation for supposed dealer Daniel “Danny” Ekasala explained his client’s defense to the Boston Globe as centering on the pills’ apparent origination in Canada; Ekasala could not have supplied Canadian product, argues the defense, and “It just begins to raise questions about Kaczur's credibility.”

Indeed it does, particularly as Kaczur was pulled over and his stash of some 202 OxyContin discovered in upstate New York after coming from visiting family in Canada; law enforcement officers “said they spotted four pills on the dashboard and began a more detailed inquiry.”

A brief aside, if you will, to consider OxyContin itself.

OxyContin is a painkiller of the opioid variety – that’s right, it’s in the heroin/opium family and carries most of the same side effects. OxyContin is highly addictive and the body builds up a tolerance requiring larger and larger doses; just as in heroin addiction, too, nasty withdrawal looms. The drug is available by prescription only on both sides of the border, and the pharmaceutical is powerful enough that the largest dose of 160 milligrams is no longer available; OxyContin is to be taken only twice a day.

Added to the chemical reality are the official facts: Kaczur had, as mentioned, 202 pills in his possession; he officially stated after waiving Miranda rights (!) that he had “bought the drugs from someone named "Danny" off a highway in Boston”; and the arrest took place a week before the first Patriot training camp. Plus, while Kaczur was wiretapped for the feds in taking down “Danny,” Kaczur met with Ekasala three times within what must have been about six weeks; to the dealer, this apparently appeared to be a reasonable amount of meets for ...

For what? An addict? A low-level dealer, like the kind of guy who’ll score a month’s supply for a friend in need? What kind of friend, exactly? A Patriots uniform-wearing friend? And how needy is/are Kaczur/his associates so that an NFL player has to be dealing directly with a person nearby an I-93 overpass? At 202 pills of maximum available strength 80mg, Kaczur should be good for nearly a quarter of the year, right? Finally, if Ekasala’s allegations are correct and the pills in the April bust did in fact come from Canada, wouldn’t this imply that Kaczur has at least two dealers in his cell phone directory?

Questions about Kaczur's credibility? You bet.

The team’s official word, meanwhile, was a predictably Patriot-terse “I will confirm that he is still on the team, but we are not providing additional comment.”

So here are the post-videotape conspiracy, post-failed 19-0 run New England Patriots, the most hated team in the NFL for which allegations of cheating won’t go away. This offseason has now seen three ugly personnel problems thanks to police-related issues with alcohol, marijuana and now pharmaceuticals. Two have been dealt with and are likely firmly in the past, but the Nick “The Narc” problem may only be beginning.

The Patriots may pride themselves on rising above the media hullabaloo and to their credit, they pretty much did as a team throughout 2007. While on the field, Kaczur and his mates on the offensive line were a nearly impregnable force, New England players rallied around the troubled coach and weekly deflated the imagined pressure of going undefeated into nonexistence with all of Tom Brady’s coolness.

We’ll see how the Patriots can take the probing on this one, and surely Kaczur’s state has got to be cause for concern: Opiate addiction, kiddies, is a serious life-altering business with long-ranging complications beyond some ugly cold turkey stuff. And if Kaczur’s not alone in his trainspotting habits, well, consequences could be quite extensive for the entire team.

Feeling like a few painkillers yourselves, Patriot fans?

Addressing the ills throughout the year at RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's ...
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