Predators' Rich Clune opens up about alcoholism

Nashville Predators forward Rich Clune is continuing to open up about his struggles with alcoholism, detailing his thoughts and experiences in a 30-minute clip on a radio publishing app called Instaradio.

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Clune opened up about his disease for the first time last year announcing that he was a recovering alcoholic in an article with ESPN.

He begins the show introducing himself for those who are unfamiliar with who he is and what he does.

After having many requests ranging from TV Shows to bloggers, Clune decided to go the radio app route in an attempt to explain why he outed himself. He takes the approach that no one has ever heard him speak about the topic, creating a thorough story of his story.

Clune began drinking at the age of 13. He was drafted to the NHL No. 71 overall by the Dallas Stars and was drunk when he heard the news. Clune’s struggles kept him playing during the 2011-12 campaign with the Los Angeles Kings when they won the Stanley Cup; a regret he still thinks about today.

Clune was fortunate to have people in his life intervene and help him with his recovery. He knows that he will always be around teammates who drink and appreciates the fact that they still party and celebrate wins.

“People on your team, they are going to drink. I love the fact that my teammates still party, and they accept me for my decision not to drink. I’ve stayed up later than some guys on our team sober, and danced longer than them,” he said.

He basically wants everyone out there, young and old alike, that you can have an excellent life without the use of drugs and alcohol. A great lesson for those younger fans out there at the moment.

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Predators’ Rich Clune opens up about alcoholism

By Ashley Hagewood | Jul 9, 2014