Remember that Ribeiro is accused of sexual assault in Texas.
I still help him and advise him, but I don't get paid for it. I don't mind, I do it because I love him. I try to help him as best I can. It's easy to criticize everyone else, but when you're involved very closely with someone who has substance use problems, it's a different story. It's a tough disease to beat. I think Mike could do a lot more to get through it, but he's trying.
I get angry at him sometimes because I treat him like he's my child, in a way. I want him to get through his illness. I will never give up on him.
The only thing is his off-ice behavior. He still managed to perform on the ice even though he was breaking curfew, not taking care of his body and was allergic to the gym. It's still amazing! It was his talent that made him so successful.
There was a lot of talk about the three amigos in Montreal, but there were other players who were much more popular than them at the time and they didn't make the headlines because they weren't Quebecers. The media always follows Quebec players more, which is quite normal, but it was a lot exaggerated. Yes, they did things they shouldn't have done, but they were young, rich, famous and beautiful and they tried to enjoy life.
Mike, he's a strange specimen. He's always been kind of a rebel. He always does his own thing. There were events in his life when he was young. He was raised in a rough neighborhood, it wasn't easy. He developed habits at a young age that are not recommended.