54 responses so far ↓

• 1 Aaron // Nov 8, 2010 at 12:12 pm

  Can we help by taking away his drivers license? What help was he offered (and what punishment was given) in 2008 in the Shelby County incident?

• 2 Steve (N0b0dy) // Nov 8, 2010 at 12:39 pm

  Mr. Boel, I am not a fan, nor an admirer. Please get help before someone gets hurt or killed. Then it will be too late.

• 3 David Crowell // Nov 8, 2010 at 1:15 pm

  John,
  Get help now before you hurt or kill someone, and the legal ramifications will be much worse.

• 4 GtownReader // Nov 8, 2010 at 1:28 pm

  John, WLKY kept you off the air for several months in 2008. Will they terminate you this time? If so, that will definitely have a devastating effect on your family & your future employability. And as others have pointed out, you could have killed yourself or others. Obviously, the alcohol has a powerful hold on you. You made a choice that only an addict would make. HELP IS AVAILABLE – surrender to it, please.

• 5 Erin // Nov 8, 2010 at 2:31 pm

  John it is apparent you need some assistance. For the sake of your wife and children please seek some professional help. You can not beat this without the proper help. No family member, no friend can heal you. You need resources and a plan that you only can get from a professional. If you don’t get help for yourself , start with getting help because of your children and your wife. I’m sure you are embarassing them with your actions. What kind of role are you seting for your children? Do you want them to become you when they get older? Is that what you want? Is it going to take you killing yourself or someone else before you wake from your drunkin stuper? I say everyone that caters to your every need, should drop you on your butt, take away everything, kick you out of your house, not let you see your kids, take your job away from you, quit enabling you, and make you fend for yourself out on the streets. I bet you wake up real quick. I bet you hit rock bottom faster than you can say, “rock bottom.” Your family and friends should call the cops on your everytime you get behind the wheel intoxicated. Just when will you wake up. I bet as soon as you realize you have no where to go, no one to turn too, then just maybe you will get the professional help you need. Tough Love is Good Love!!! Stop pretending! Stop setting a horrible example for you children, your church family and anyone who is in the news business! Get some help! You can not help yourself!

• 6 Laughing Hard // Nov 8, 2010 at 3:44 pm

  First time – it was a mistake. Second time, it’s a choice.

  Bye John, I never liked your reporting, your attitude, and especially your smugnesss. I’m thinking you are probably getting what you deserve.

  That sound that everyone hears is a career going down the tubes……justifiably.

• 7 Laura // Nov 8, 2010 at 3:48 pm

  I really don’t want to be seeing another person on TV saying they are sorry they hit and killed another human being driving drunk, that they are contrite, they are seeking help.. all too late . WAKE UP before you destroy yourself, your family or an innocent bystander.

• 8 DJ // Nov 8, 2010 at 4:59 pm

  What ever happened to no negative comments please? All of you making these judgemental comments, please open your closet doors and show us your skeletons. Obviously John has his issues to work through but who are you to tell him how to deal with them? As for the comments about embarrassing his friends and family; family sticks by you through thick and thin without passing judgement and so do true friends. His wife is the only person who can say whether or not he is embarassing her and as for his “Church Family” being embarrassed, if I belonged to a church that passes judgement on me then they are nothing but hypocrites anyway so who needs them. They probably only want his money anyway.

• 9 Carlos // Nov 8, 2010 at 5:10 pm

  I watch John Boel everyday on WLKY. There is no excuse for drinking and driving, however I doubt any of us would appreciate our mistakes being made public and debated. I know he is a public figure, but give him a break…he will either get help and recover or he won’t. Here is hoping to good times ahead for Mr. Boel.

• 10 Bradley // Nov 8, 2010 at 5:30 pm

  What’s Jay say?

• 11 LaughingHard // Nov 8, 2010 at 6:06 pm

  You know what DJ…..NO I WILL NOT STOP JUDGING STUPIDITY. It is what it is. I’m personally sick and tired of watching PRIVILEDGED people do stupid things and then beg for a public hall pass. If I CHOOSE to drink and drive, then I am choosing to put myself and others in harms way. THAT IS STUPID! And I make that decision not because my skeletons are any more right or wrong than anyone else’s. It’s not about me being judge, jury, and executioner. It’s simple logical deduction…..stupid is stupid.

  Now, DJ, if you want to placate Mr. Boel and diminish the significance of his decisions, go right ahead. But, when he kills or mames one of YOUR relatives, I bet that double standard you speak about in your post will show its’ ugly face and you know what I’ll say then? Hypocrit.

• 12 the mighty has fallen // Nov 8, 2010 at 6:16 pm

  Wow, you need help. Maybe you are too arrogant to get it, but you really do need help. You have everything someone could want, nice family, great job, your health and you let it get away. Get help before you find yourself in a lot more trouble and alone. I really feel bad for your wife and kids.

• 13 radioman // Nov 8, 2010 at 6:39 pm

  John you need to call a.a. It is in the phone book. go to a meeting and get the tools you need to help yourself.

• 14 jake // Nov 8, 2010 at 6:43 pm

  Or, if he doesn’t want to go the jesus route, he could use some of his sweet anchor cash to enter a private treatment facility somewhere. Posthaste.

• 15 Bobbie // Nov 8, 2010 at 9:27 pm

  Didn’t WLKY fire Jim Bulleit (sp?) for some crazazay shoplifting stint?

  I really hope Mr. Boel gets help for his family’s sake! I cannot imagine what they are going through!

• 16 East Ender // Nov 8, 2010 at 9:40 pm

  Could not of happened to a nicer asshole. Maybe second time is the charm for WLKY.

• 17 Crutnacker // Nov 8, 2010 at 10:09 pm

  Here’s my kind comment. John Boel may be the best guy in the world, but today, he’s an a-hole. He got behind the wheel completely plastered, blowing 2.5 times the legal limit. Does he need help? Yes. Does he deserve my sympathy? Doubtful. When he got on the road, he could have hit anyone. He could have injured or killed you, me, your kids, my kids, your parents, and anyone.

  What separates this two time loser from Larry Mahoney is luck. Had he killed someone, would you still feel sorry for him? He may have problems, he may have a disease, but neither excuses actions that could have deprived someone else of their life or well being. I agree he needs to get help. And he also needs to lose his job and spend some time in jail so that hopefully there will be no third time in his future.

• 18 Erin // Nov 8, 2010 at 10:29 pm

  DJ it is people like you that enable people like John. You can be a friend, church member and family and still care with tough love. Making him hit his rock bottom to wake himself up is what a friend should do. He actions are embarrassing! (es your right we all have some sort of skeletons in our closet, but he chose to make his public by his dumb selfish action to get behind the wheel and drive highly intoxicated! I am sure you would not be saying what you said had he hit you or one of your family members and killed or paralyised you for the rest of your life! Sometimes people need to hear the rough stuff to really see what there actions are doing! He is being selfish careless & stupid! Lets hope he gets help before something bad happens!

• 19 TallGuy // Nov 8, 2010 at 10:31 pm

  Hi Erin,

  Really appreciated your glass house advice & opinions. Just curious, please list your top 5 vices below so we can Judge you as you spout off your opinions. I’ll start off, you finish.

  1. I, Erin, am perfect and everyone else is a danger to society except those that act like me.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5. I, Erin, am a complete asshole and jerk.

  Oops, you only have to complete 3 of them, unless you want me too, and you probably don’t, idiot.

• 20 Erin // Nov 8, 2010 at 10:31 pm

  DJ it is people like you that enable people like John. You can be a friend, church member and family and still care with tough love. Making him hit his rock bottom to wake himself up is what a friend should do. He actions are embarrassing! (es your right we all have some sort of skeletons in our closet, but he chose to make his public. I am sure you would not be saying what you said had he hit you or one of your family members and killed or paralyised you for the rest of your life! Sometimes people need to hear the rough stuff to really see what there actions are doing! He is being selfish careless & stupid! Lets hope he gets help before something bad happens!

• 21 Erin // Nov 8, 2010 at 10:37 pm

  DJ you sound like an enabler.You can be a friend, church member and family and still care with tough love. Making him hit his rock bottom to wake himself up is what a friend should do. He actions are embarrassing! Yes your right we all have some sort of skeletons in our closet, but he chose to make his public. I am sure you would not be saying what you said had he hit you or one of your family members. Sometimes people need to hear the rough stuff to really see what there actions are doing! He is being selfish careless & stupid! Lets hope he gets help before something bad happens!

• 22 TallGuy // Nov 8, 2010 at 10:39 pm

  I know a person who has moderately drinked and drived for over 30 years with no accident, DUI or DWI. This person is successful and obviously very moderate in their life. Why does the term “drinking and driving” have to conjure up some wild ass major collision on the highway; why does it always conjure up some problem person on the highway. Question to all the opinion givers out there: How many of you have driven from a sporting event to home after consuming a few or a lot of drinks, made it home okay and decided you were too good to be labeled drunk or drinking driver? How many of you opinion makers think it okay when thousands upon thousands of people attending sporting events drive under the influence getting home? Very interested in your replys.

• 23 LaughingHard // Nov 8, 2010 at 11:18 pm

  Tall Guy – Really? You really want to say that just because a thousand people who had 2 beers at a ball game and drove home without hitting or killing anyone FOR 30 YEARS – that diminishes the significance of that decision? Really?

  Either you’re an idiot or…no you’re an idiot – I’ll stop there.

  It only takes 1 time to make a bad call dumbass…..unless you’re John Boel.

• 24 Crutnacker // Nov 9, 2010 at 6:43 am

  Tall Guy. The answer is never. You know why? It’s not worth a DUI to test it to me. 30 years of having it drilled into my head that drinking and driving kills (both in the media and in my personal life) have kind of done the trick for me. If I drink and have to drive, it’s one or two beers maximum and at least an hour or two wait.

  The fact is that anyone who takes the road drunk could wind up killing himself, his loved one, or someone else and their loved ones.

  While I’m sympathetic to those struggling with addiction, my sympathy ends where the rights of others begins. Boel is fortunate that he wasn’t the lead story on every news channel because he was in a fatal accident. I agree he needs help, but he also needs to have it made clear that his actions could have killed. If he needs assistance in that fact, I can point him to several friends who have had their lives altered forever by fatal drunk driving accidents.

• 25 Erin // Nov 9, 2010 at 9:12 am

  Dj -this is not a website for us to talk about you so enough about how you behave, we can start a site for you if we need to. Shall we say enabler. Do I need to give the definition of DJ?(Enabler – Allowing irresponsible destructive behavior patterns to continue by taking responsibility for others and not allowing them to face their own consequences.)
  All I am saying is, until you are called to the scene of a fatal car crash because someone who has been selfishly drinking and driving, and taken an innocent life, I don’t want to hear it. If he wanted to remain private with his love for alcohol, he should have stayed at home to drink. He went out and he chose to make it public!!!! As far my top 5 vices, if you ask someone to do something, don’t do it for them idiot, you can’t even follow your own directions!!!! BOOOOOO

• 26 jake // Nov 9, 2010 at 9:15 am

  Apparently people can’t read?

  I repeat: Commenters: save your negativity. People in situations like this need immediate help.

  Take it seriously.

• 27 Sasha // Nov 9, 2010 at 11:51 am

  Jake, I totally agree. The bottom line is that John needs help and hopefully he will get it. The sooner the better.

• 28 DJ // Nov 9, 2010 at 12:36 pm

  Erin,

  I honestly feel sorry for you that you have that much hatred in your life that you have to take it out on someone you probably don’t even know. Your comments are not worth a retort, nor is your spelling (or lack there of) worthy of commenting on. Oops…I just did. Might I suggest dictionary.com for future use?

  Tall Guy- I like your style!

• 29 LaughingHard // Nov 9, 2010 at 4:10 pm

  DJ – You’re an idiot.

• 30 Erin // Nov 9, 2010 at 4:29 pm

  DJ,

  I’m really not a hateful person, however I really do not think you have any idea how it feels to show up on scene of a fatal car wreck caused by a drunk driver. The drunk driver is out walking the streets laughing because he is so far gone he had no idea what he just did! While there is an innocent man in the other car DEAD because the drunk crossed the center line and hit another car head on. Meanwhile, you are onscene trying to keep by standers off the drunk person because they are trying to kick his a**! I think John needs help before something like that happens. He will never live it down if it does happen! My one question to you is, if my comments are not worth a retort, then why the heck did you respond again! ;) I like Tall Guys’ style too! Except he did not let me answer my 5 vices, he tried to do it for me! ;) didn’t do a very good job at it either!

• 31 ks // Nov 9, 2010 at 5:53 pm

  Wow, I think everyone can agree JB absolutely needs help, whether or not he seeks it on his own, or it’s court ordered remains to be seen. And NO, nobody should ever drink and drive drunk! I’m quite certain that most drunks get behind the wheel believing they are “moderate” drinkers and in complete control, otherwise, there would be no debate, no laws, no problems. While, I hope John has hit his rock bottom and gets treatment, I really hope that his family will seek treatment without him. Al-Anon is a wonderful resource for families dealing with an alcoholic, and I’m sure there are many others. Right now, the best thing his family can do is help themselves, because they can’t help him and they need to come to terms with that and learn how to move on with or without his sobriety. Best wishes to them.

• 32 Voice of Reason // Nov 9, 2010 at 9:09 pm

  What John has done is admittedly terribly wrong. He obviously has some problems to deal with — most likely familial. I know John and he is no alcoholic. The man functions succinctly and proffesionally every day at work but has obviously made some very bad decisions of late. The last thing he needs are a bunch of hateful, righteous hayseeds judging him. Those of you who have written sheerly negative comments are heartless and apparently” sinless” ( if you believe in that sort of nonsense) or simply jealous of a obviously successful and talented young man. I, for one, wish him nothing but good things – the same things you so called “christians” should wish for him. I don’t think your god condones hateful behavior — isn’t the Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”? Either shape up or quit the church. I don’t think your minister would find your actions Christian or the bastardization of his/her religion acceptable.

• 33 jake // Nov 9, 2010 at 9:51 pm

  Couple points:

  Couldn’t give two shits about Christianity. Bringing it up kills any argument, in my opinion.

  Suggesting that alcoholics can’t be functioning, professional adults is silly.

• 34 Voice of Reason // Nov 9, 2010 at 10:15 pm

  Jake-off,

  Didn’t ask for your lame opinion.

• 35 jake // Nov 9, 2010 at 10:18 pm

  My lame opinion happens to own this website and happens to get to decide what is and is not discussed.

  I think Jesus is a load of horse shit.

  So guess what?

  Carries no weight here.

• 36 A Life Less Responsible.... // Nov 9, 2010 at 10:32 pm

  Alcoholism takes on as many forms as do those who suffer from it and does not necessarily prevent or prohibit it’s victims from functioning or behaving professionally when they are not drinking and, sometimes when they are. Aside from the obvious vendetta strikes and negative comments, it looks as though most here want him to get help. Whether that’s for alcoholism or just knowing when to call a cab remains for John to decide. I do not know John is an alcoholic. Anyone who drinks alcohol has driven when they shouldn’t have. Because John was caught doesn’t mean he is an alcoholic or any less qualified to perform his job. The TV and radio airwaves are laced with anchors, reporters, hosts, web writers and other media personalities who are drug users, spouse abusers, tax evaders, sexual deviants and yes, drunk drivers. Just as in every other profession. John is held to a higher standard because we expect more from someone of that caliber. We evaluate people by their skills not their drawbacks. I read Edgar Allan Poe and think he is a great writer, not an opium addict. I laugh at Richard Pryor and remember him as a great comedian, not a coke fiend. I watch John Boel and see a good newsman, not an alcoholic or drunk driver. Most of the negative comments here deal in what ifs. Is this Minority Report? Do we condemn people who put themselves into situations where bad things could happen even when they do not? To those of you with so little on your own plate that you feel the need to lash out at others misfortune, I am sorry. I am sure you know better than anyone how your actions bear their own punishment. John will face his and will deal with it as he has dealt with every phase of his life. Standing upright and strong, facing it head on like a man. Not a sniveling weasel sniping behind the anonymity of a keyboard.

• 37 TallGuy // Nov 10, 2010 at 12:47 am

  Great post “A Life”. I did not make myself clear I guess, or people don’t think before writing. Many people drink to moderation and still drive home (again, just like thousands of drivers after any stadium empties, and no Erin, we are talking about more than 2 beers. Moderation is moderation, depending on your body mass, attitude and common sense about getting behind a wheel (maturity). Just trying to say that there is a LOT of drinking persons before and during a vehicle drive and about 99.99% have no problem. The 1 idiot who fucks up, no maturity, no common sense, makes instant headlines. Pretty much sums up anything that happens. 1 stupid ass rotten apple ruins everything for the 99% of us who HAVE common sense, maturity, moderation, adult behavior, etc. You posters who label everyone who drinks as a MONSTER DRUNK DRIVER BEHIND THE WHEEL OUT TO CAUSE MAYHEM, really need to get a grip, okay. At the risk of being condescending, which I hate, please see above percentages of 99 to 1 with regards to human behavior.

• 38 carissa // Nov 10, 2010 at 4:50 am

  you would think he would have reported so many dui related fatalites, he would realize the seriousness of drinking and driving.

• 39 A Life Less Responsible.... // Nov 10, 2010 at 10:01 am

  It is best now that John should remember to be thankful for everything in his life, even the adversities. It is from that true strength and character derive. Not in moments of weakness where we expose human frailties or even when we ride high on public approval and personal success. How we deal with failure is no less important than how deal with success. The best predictor of future occurrence is past behavior. It is just as true with the positive as the negative. John has been cited previously. He has also succeeded in an ultra competitive industry unlike anyone in this city or in fact, the entire country. If I gambled on anything but horses I would go all in for John to bounce back in a big way. If it isn’t here in Louisville, it will be our loss.

• 40 Mayhem // Nov 10, 2010 at 10:16 am

  It is important to think of the odds of being pulled over by police in the first place. If JB has been caught twice in two years, that means he has been driving around, completely hammered, with an open container in his lap the majority of the time.

• 41 cavehills // Nov 10, 2010 at 12:32 pm

  Bring back Jim Bulleit!!!!

• 42 Laughing Hard // Nov 10, 2010 at 2:09 pm

  A Life Less Responsible – For the mostpart, I agree with your points….with one large exception. The “Exposing frailties” logic only holds water when a one-time mistake is made. When it happens twice, it exposes arrogant, self centered behaviors IN ADDITION to the offense at hand. I, for one, become enraged when that happens because it’s no longer about the “frailties” you speak of. It’s flat out irresponsible for that type of behavior to occur from such a professional and decorated journalist and I’m not apologizing for how I feel about him, his choices, or anything else surround the circumstances that led him to do what he did. Life is tough. So what? Hell, I had Quadruple bypass surgery and lost my 13 yr job within 30 days of each other. Does that give me the right to drink and drive? No. HELL NO. Life is about choices and responsibility. Those who accept that responsibility typically stay out of trouble. Those that don’t use excuses to justify bad behavior. I can give someone a hall pass for an honest mistake. But what John did was stupid and I’m not compassionate towards stupid regardless of what “frailty” reared its’ ugly head at any given moment. That’s just the way I see it.

• 43 cavehills // Nov 10, 2010 at 2:55 pm

  Bradley! I just saw it! LOL!

• 44 cavehills // Nov 10, 2010 at 3:53 pm

  Voice of Reason.. Are you Boel’s wife? LOL!

• 45 A Life Less Responsible.... // Nov 10, 2010 at 4:28 pm

  Human frailties = vices/weakness. It is fairly obvious this is repeated behavior. John’s weakness may be his opinion the he, like Johnny Fever from WKRP, drives just fine on the sauce. As “Mayhem,” points out, the chances are infinitesimal that he was caught on his only two times out drinking alcohol and driving. It is also apparent on all other occasions nothing happened, as is probably the case with 90 % of all drunk drivers. So in his mind he had justification no one would be the wiser and nobody would get hurt. Fuzzy logic to be sure but John is not an evil person and only a very evil man would intentionally put other human beings in harm’s way for the sake of a buzz. In any case he remains a very talented broadcaster and his work will be missed.

• 46 Sandra // Nov 10, 2010 at 6:20 pm

  Have dealt with this nonsense personally. Was married to an alcoholic who continually would drive with an open beer in between his legs.

  Rather than pass judgement on John Boel, let me say this. When a door closes, a window opens. Take this opportunity, yes an opportunity, to turn this into a positive. Life’s too short. Finally surrender. You’ll look back on this one day and think of it as a turning point.

  One can only hope.

• 47 Sandra // Nov 10, 2010 at 6:26 pm

  Just checked out the WLKY website. Their listing of anchors and reporters no longer lists John Boel’s name.

  I think the gig is up for him. Hope he gets help. Seems like a good guy.

• 48 jake // Nov 10, 2010 at 7:16 pm

  Yeah – we wrote about it four hours ago…

• 49 enough is enough // Nov 10, 2010 at 9:19 pm

  My problem with commenting on websites is the fact that everyone feels the need to judge and hide behind their fake names in order to kick this man while he is down. John is paying the price on a lot of levels here. He certainly doesn’t need you people to add insult to injury. If you are sharing your hate here, you’re probably the same types that go around anonymously sharing hate all over the internet.

• 50 Brenda // Nov 11, 2010 at 1:32 pm

  He does need help with his drinking problem, he just ruined his career by doing this, he is a terrific newscaster and I will miss him but channel 32 wlky is and always will be the best for reporting the news & weather. Good Luck to you John

• 51 Mayhem // Nov 11, 2010 at 3:29 pm

  Looks like JB is off to rehab. He will be released, write a book, go on tour, play himself in the Lifetime movie about his downfall and all will be forgiven.

• 52 Big Willy Milwaukee // Nov 11, 2010 at 3:54 pm

  JB, Give me a call!

• 53 cindy lamb // Nov 12, 2010 at 10:10 pm

  This proves, once again, that Louisville will attend a train wreck before any other public event. Boel needs help and so do many of the anonymous posters here.

• 54 Alex // Nov 13, 2010 at 10:16 pm

  I know John, and he is a decent person. Aside from that, he is the most talented reporter that has ever covered news in this region. Did you know that he has more Emmys (the Oscar of news) than all the other reporters in Louisville have combined??? John has been here a long time, and his talent for news truly makes him a treasure to our city in that field of work. No one tells a story like John can. Stats don’t lie. Just keep the man in your prayers. Yes, he is an adult, but we know the grip alcohol can have on a person. God Bless!

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