John McCarthy passes away in Las Vegas. RIP

[QS]

The video news on perthnow shows a little bit of the area.
The male desk journo says at the end 'accidents happen though, don't they'. Bit dismissive to say such a thing on air.

Was odd, on the flight back from work last night, couldn't stop thinking about this, normally I can process stuff like this pretty well, but it's just really sad to think only a short time before he was on the plane with the other Port players excited about a Vegas trip.

 

[JuddsABlue]

and I think the fact that they had just arrived only gives more credit to why he ended up at the flamingo. Its a famous hotel, especially for people who have only seen Vegas on the TV

So John arrives after 17 hours of no sleep and maybe drinking on the plane, couldve even popped a xanax instead to try and sleep. Arrive in Vegas, major hype and everything. Check into the Hard rock which is an off strip casino and all he/they want to do is go and see the famous icons of Vegas, which is on the strip. Most of his mates are wrecked/want to stay around their hotel and rest up, attack tomorrow full on.

Later that night he finds himself exploring the strip and ends up at the famous flamingo, is tripping out now because hes alone/drunk/lacking sleep and all over the place in a place hes never been before, he calls his GF.

He then tries to leave, is lost in the maze that are the casinos, ends up around the back, sees a driveway and an exit, takes a risk that ends in tragedy.

 

[MaxHunt]

Jet lag can also be a factor as well as drinking, it's a long flight from Australia to the US and a big change in time difference which can be disorientating as well. The Port players had only just arrived there and probably went straight out on the town to hit the booze. I did the same thing after my flight from Sydney to LA, after getting virtually no sleep on the flight and I wasn't in great shape by the end of the night with all the combined factors of drinking, lack of sleep, jet lag etc.

Been in the same position. Flew from Melbourne to Vegas via LA with the boys. Didn't sleep the night before. Drank on the plane. Got into Vegas and partied. Then slept for 20 hours. Was completely out of it. Who knows what could've happened... my mate had something slipped into his drink in April whilst at a bar MGM Grand ended up in hospital for 3 days.

Was there a few months back for a work conference with the Mrs, she made a point to go to the Flamingo to check it out, one of the original casinos, pink neon lights etc.

 

[Handsome.B.Wonderful]

It's not. It's just not as opulent as, say the Venetian. The Flamingo is not that bad.

That's probably a better way of describing it.

There's a few things about it though that give it the "infamous image". The Flamingo was opened by Bugsy Malone and he was also murdered there, many years ago of course. Tupac Shakur was also murdered in Flamingo Drv, not far from where John McCarthy was found.

 

[pantskyle]

and I think the fact that they had just arrived only gives more credit to why he ended up at the flamingo. Its a famous hotel, especially for people who have only seen Vegas on the TV

So John arrives after 17 hours of no sleep and maybe drinking on the plane, couldve even popped a xanax instead to try and sleep. Arrive in Vegas, major hype and everything. Check into the Hard rock which is an off strip casino and all he/they want to do is go and see the famous icons of Vegas, which is on the strip. Most of his mates are wrecked/want to stay around their hotel and rest up, attack tomorrow full on.

Later that night he finds himself exploring the strip and ends up at the famous flamingo, is tripping out now because hes alone/drunk/lacking sleep and all over the place in a place hes never been before, he calls his GF.

He then tries to leave, is lost in the maze that are the casinos, ends up around the back, sees a driveway and an exit, takes a risk that ends in tragedy.

How very detailed.
Case closed.

 

[Clay Davis]

That's probably a better way of describing it.

There's a few things about it though that give it the "infamous image". The Flamingo was opened by Bugsy Malone and he was also murdered there, many years ago of course. Tupac Shakur was also murdered in Flamingo Drv, not far from where John McCarthy was found.

Not sure how you reach this conclusion, then.

I think his reasons for going there will be kept very quiet to protect his memory.

Unless you think he was involved in an East Coast vs West Coast rap turf war.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The Flamingo may be old and run down but it doesnt have a bad rep more or less than most other casinos. It doesnt house any more or less shady activity either.

The (for lack of a better term) interesting part of the issue is where in the Flamingo he was. Its not really a touristy spot or a place that you just find yourself walking into. Vegas is a maze of walkways but it really is organised chaos. They are designed to keep you mainstream and in the foyers and gaming floors of the casinos.

But that also doesnt mean he ended up there doing some illegal or bad. Americans (and especially in Vegas) are pretty friendly people and are all in holiday mode over there. Its easy to meet people and end up spending time with them.

I think the most likely situation here though is, McCarthy met some people and ended up at the Flamingo, because thats what you do in Vegas. Its a casino in the centre of the strip, it gets A LOT of traffic. For whatever reason McCarthy was attempting to leave the Flamingo and got lost, maybe potentially saw a way out that wasnt through the front door and it ended in tragedy.

John apparently said in the phone call he wanted to come home, and its been noted he wasnt in good shape but that easily translates to "he was really drunk and pissed off/upset". He couldve had a fight with a team mate or disagreement and just had enough. He couldve been one of those guys that doesnt handle their grog very well and was on his own so he called his gf for comfort.

I dont think the phone call wouldve sounded like "these guys in black coats are following me I'm gonna hide out on the roof until its safe dont use the microwave"

The phone call can be blown up 100x times now because of his death, but otherwise wouldve just been another "you idiot drunk have you calmed down yet" talk in the morning.

The phone call tells us he was really drunk. That helps us understand why he couldve made the decision to leave the flamingo in the way that he did, not that theres something foul at play.

A couple of logical posts that show not much has to happen for things to go wrong despite the media asking a million questions as if it was something suspicious or illegal activities going on. It's so normal that the police and therefore family will never know exactly why it happened.

I delayed my 40th birthday party because 4 great mates went on a big trip to Vegas and Cuba and I thought if the boys aren't around it wont be as much fun. What you have typed in your first post pretty much happened to them on a few ocassions, split up, lots of people all in a good mood you hook up with them don't really know where you are going to end up and my mates said it took them a couple of days to get their bearings as they got lost a few times and the easiest way to get home was to find a cab. And one or two of them ended up at the Flamingo Casino because I can remember asking if Wayne Newton was playing that night. Like most people that go there, they had a great time. Unfortunately not in this case.

 

[BEEG]

Can get pretty confusing at the Casino's especially on your first day there but not to the point you would find yourself on the roof and be so desperate to leave you try to do something like maybe jump down a tree

People are thinking way to much into the phonecall she said he sounded a bit of thats just saying he had way to much to drink and was not in a great state of mind nothing a good nights sleep would not fix

 

[Handsome.B.Wonderful]

Not sure how you reach this conclusion, then.
Unless you think he was involved in an East Coast vs West Coast rap turf war.

If you actually had any comprehension skills you might realise that I wasn't insinuating that he had gone there to commit any illegal activities. I'm of the belief that he went there to meet up with someone, possibly of the female persuation.

If that was found to be true, a lot of the public view of the case goes from "poor bloke" to ".....karma". Not that I agree with that, it's a sad story regardless of what he was doing at the Flamingo.

In actual fact its the false sympathisers and holier than thou people that will be more likely to do a complete backflip and feign outrage if this was the case.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Clinton Grybas all over again on Bigfooty. Too many people who think they are entitled to every private detail.

 

[BORK]

I really hope there was no bust up with a mate a couple of hours before this.

 

[MaccasNeighbour]

does anyone know what the latest revelations were. just read an article that said he contacted his missus an hour or 2 before. another article said he was captured on CCTV going into the hotel, then on the rooftop alone.

The are no 'revelations' to speak of. The only additional information is the phone call to his gf where he was described as 'disorientated'. Anything beyond that is pure speculation at this stage.

 

[Macca19]

The video news on perthnow shows a little bit of the area.
The male desk journo says at the end 'accidents happen though, don't they'. Bit dismissive to say such a thing on air.

Theres a few photos on the Advertiser of the area that he was found.

 

[Clay Davis]

If you actually had any comprehension skills you might realise that I wasn't insinuating that he had gone there to commit any illegal activities. I'm of the belief that he went there to meet up with someone, possibly of the female persuation.

If that was found to be true, a lot of the public view of the case goes from "poor bloke" to ".....karma". Not that I agree with that, it's a sad story regardless of what he was doing at the Flamingo.

In actual fact its the false sympathisers and holier than thou people that will be more likely to do a complete backflip and feign outrage if this was the case.

The only one that is acting holier than thou is you. It is you that wishes to conjecture about something possibly immoral that he was doing. How can you accuse others of being hypersensitive to morality when your first instinct is to reach negative conclusions about his behaviour?

It is you that is salaciously speculating about everything he could have been doing that might be perceived as wrong. You are the moraliser. You are Helen Lovejoy.

 

[pantskyle]

Sadly maybe he accidentally locked himself on the roof and panicked. Suddenly a palm tree not to far away seems like a possible way to get down.

Maybe that's where he called his GF from. That would make anyone disorientated.

All maybe's and none of my business.

 

[deluge99]

Jet lag could also be a factor as well as drinking, it's a long flight from Australia to the US and a big change in time difference which can be disorientating as well. The Port players had only just arrived there and probably went straight out on the town to hit the booze. I did the same thing after my flight from Sydney to LA, after getting virtually no sleep on the flight and I wasn't in great shape by the end of the night with all the combined factors of drinking, lack of sleep, jet lag etc.

Sensible post, plus add the fact the majority of players these days dont drink to excess during the season any more. So the effect of barely touching a drop to the likely drinking onslaught that happens on end of season trips would be pretty extreme for the body and mind.

Sad , sad story no matter what cause is finally determined.

 

[radiojake]

In actual fact its the false sympathisers and holier than thou people that will be more likely to do a complete backflip and feign outrage if this was the case.

mate - I doubt anyone would 'feign outrage' regardless of what his motives were - However, we will never know what those motives were, nor should we - Infact, if anything, the only way people are likely to 'feign outrage' is if people like you continue to speculate about events that you have absolutely no idea about and it ends up being bandied about in some rumour mill -

I've deleted your aspersion from the quote - I highly doubt John's family or partner will come to this site and read this thread, but if they did they wouldn't want to read any crap about what you thought he was doing at that particular hotel -
you would do well in journalism -

 

[Defacto]

what if he made it up to the roof and got locked in or couldnt find the door again to get back out. so he thought he would just climb down the tree to get down.

 

[JuddsABlue]

If you actually had any comprehension skills you might realise that I wasn't insinuating that he had gone there to commit any illegal activities. I'm of the belief that he went there to meet up with someone, possibly of the female persuation.

If that was found to be true, a lot of the public view of the case goes from "poor bloke" to ".....karma". Not that I agree with that, it's a sad story regardless of what he was doing at the Flamingo.

In actual fact its the false sympathisers and holier than thou people that will be more likely to do a complete backflip and feign outrage if this was the case.

Id say this is extremely unlikely

One reason is they just got to Vegas. Basically impossible to meet a girl and then arrange to meet them again later that night at a Casino far away from where you originally landed. Unless hes Casanova, and shes wonder woman, the logistics of it all just dont work.

Secondly, if hes after just some random girl (hookers esp) he doesnt go the flamingo for that. All of that kind of stuff would happen in his hotel room, so he'd be at the Hard Rock if doing any of that.

 

[Suspense]

What's seedy about it?

whores and coke dealers roaming about at that time but then so do most of the casinos.

Jet lag could also be a factor as well as drinking, it's a long flight from Australia to the US and a big change in time difference which can be disorientating as well. The Port players had only just arrived there and probably went straight out on the town to hit the booze. I did the same thing after my flight from Sydney to LA, after getting virtually no sleep on the flight and I wasn't in great shape by the end of the night with all the combined factors of drinking, lack of sleep, jet lag etc.

yep. i've been uncharacteristically distressed o/s after being drunk, tired and jet lagged. very sad if this is the case. what a horrible phone call for the gf to receive.

 

[Carnage]

I feel sorry for his missus.

Poor girl.

Imagine her replaying the phone call in her head.

For the rest of her life that will haunt her.

Horrible.

 

[Clay Davis]

whores and coke dealers roaming about at that time but then so do most of the casinos.

Yeah, but that's the same of everywhere you're travelling. Was in Barcelona recently, one turn down the wrong street in Raval and you're in hooker paradise. One of the few places in the world where I've been walking down the street and decided to turn the other way, it was that dodgy. This was at 9pm in the evening, can't imagine what that would be like had I been drinking all night and trying to find a way home.

 

[macmate]

it's possible he was with some people there, tired from all the booze and jet lag he got emotional, called his gf, for privacy went through a door that happened to lead onto the roof. he wanted to go home but either couldn't get back in as those doors usually lock behind you, thought it was all to hard to try to get back in and decided it was a good idea to try to climb down the palm trees that run along the wall. This is exactly the sort of thing that even normally logic people can do. All this is pure speculation, but if people are going to speculate, please at least see there are other scenarios that are quite plausible that don't include some kind of sinister behaviour from the victim or anyone else around him. From all accounts, before this happened, he was a top bloke and therefore i am more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Regardless, it's none of our business and it's not really appropriate to be discussing it at a time like this. I just said what i said above to show you that there are plenty of reasonable explanations that don't result in anyone being labeled in a negative way.

I hope the family gets the answers they need and get the space and support they need in this very difficult time.

 

[Mark_K]

The nonsense speculation at this point is beyond embarrassing. Just stop.

We, the general public, have no clue as to what has happened. I doubt the police/coroner, know what has occured, yet we have some arm chair CSI Dt Horatio Caine's amongst us.

We have zero idea what was said on that phone call, what happened with his teammates etc.

Can't we just honor a bloke's memory, whilst allowing the authorities to do their work and come to a conclusion in a appropriate time?

 

[Keys]

Clinton Grybas all over again on Bigfooty. Too many people who think they are entitled to every private detail.

I, like most people I suspect, are curious as to how John came to be dead on the driveway of the Flamingo hotel.

At the moment we are only getting snippets of information (which may or may not be correct) and there are some huge blanks in the series of events that lead to his death.

What is unhelpful is speculation about what those blanks might be in an attempt to fill them in when nobody, including those conducting the investigation, have any real idea of exactly what happened.

In this respect, the Grybas example is a good one since despite some the initial speculation of the cause of death being something sinister, it turned out to be a tragic accident.