Apparently, it's frowned upon to operate a boat while intoxicated in Minnesota despite having over 11,000 lakes.
This is something Dustin Byfuglien of the Winnipeg Jets discovered the hard way on Wednesday night, according to police records and the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
NHL star and Minnesota native Dustin Byfuglien was arrested overnight in Hennepin County and booked on suspicion of boating while intoxicated, authorities said Thursday.
According to jail records, the 26-year-old Byfuglien was brought into the jail at about 11:10 p.m. and released a little more than three hours later pending formal charges. Details about what led to his arrest by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office were not immediately available.
Byfuglien was born in Minneapolis and raised in Roseau. What does a BWI potentially get you in Minnesota? From no less an authority than the Minnesota Boating Guide 2011:
BOATING WHILE INTOXICATED (BWI) - The alcohol concentration for impaired operation is .08. Operating a motorboat while under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance (or its metabolite), or other illegal chemical is unlawful. Operators who are impaired may be required to take tests by an enforcement officer. There is a penalty for refusal. BWI convictions and refusals are recorded on the violator's driver's license record. Most of the BWI law is now found in the motor vehicle statutes, and first time violators (no prior DWIs of any kind) who are convicted are subject
(1) up to a $1,000 fine plus surcharges; (2) possible jail time; (3) loss of motorboat operating privileges for 90 days during the boating season, after conviction and written notification by the DNR.
In addition to the above penalties, persons who refuse testing will also be subject to a separate and more severe criminal charge for refusal and loss of their motorboat operating privileges for one year, immediately upon refusal.
Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 in Minneapolis reported that Byfuglien refused the BWI test. This was, however, not the information that resonated with hockey fans on Thursday morning. This was:
"Also told he weighed in at 286 lbs. Holy crap! He played at about 245 lbs last year."
And with that, #DustinByfuglienIsSoFat was born.
Dustin Byfuglien's weight has always been an issue during his career with the Chicago Blackhawks and Atlanta Thrashers. When one of your primary jobs is to stand in front of the goaltender and dwarf him like he's an Ewok standing in back of the Death Star, a little girth never hurts.
But 286 pounds? That's 14 pounds away from 3 C-notes. Puck Daddy's crack staff of Jersey Foul experts are currently mulling over the PASS or FAIL aspects of a "Byfuglien 747" and a "JUMBO JET 33" sweater ...