MU grad Mark Suppelsa, WGN anchor, going to rehab

[mr.MUskie]

http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-a-note-from-mark-suppelsa-may4,0,640754.story

WGN News
5:52 p.m. CDT, May 4, 2012

CHICAGO—
As we said on Friday night's newscast, Mark Suppelsa has the night off, and he wants everyone to know why.

Mark is entering a month-long alcohol recovery program. He told us he's felt the need to do this for some time. There was no single event that prompted this.

In a message to WGN, Mark says he's now crossed a bridge in his life where he wants and needs to do this, by his own choice.

Mark plans to return to WGN next month, and we will be thinking of him daily and look forward to having him back.

Here is Mark's full message to WGN's staff:

To my colleagues:

I want to share with you something I'm about to do. I'm going to be blunt here because that's my nature and because we're in a business where we seek the truth and it would be wrong of me not to be frank at this moment.

I'm driving soon with my family to Hazelden in Minnesota where they'll drop me off for a month long alcohol recovery program. I have felt for some time that this would become necessary and I've now crossed a bridge in my life where I want and need to do this.

It's my choice. No one is forcing me to do it. 

Simply put, I have been abusing alcohol at the end of my work day as my family slept. It was my secret and I became very accomplished at hiding it. I do my best to function at a high level and I know that it is my responsibility to correct anything that potentially interferes with my family or my work.

With management's blessing, I plan to return next month once again ready for action to continue the valuable and important work that all of you are involved with. Thanks for absorbing this news which I'm sure will be a stunner for some or all. See you in June. 

Mark Suppelsa

[jsglow]

God bless Mark.  Get better.

[Lennys Tap]

Good for you, Mark, and best of luck.

[Jay Bee]

Sounds like he's ready.  Best of luck to Mark.

[dbwarriors]

Mark is a class act who is not afraid to admit something so serious.  Best of luck to him.  God bless.

[Goose]

Agreed on good luck. Now if Hoop could admit he is Chico's it could be a great thread.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Agreed on good luck. Now if Hoop could admit he is Chico's it could be a great thread.

Not even inebriation would explain Chicos' howling at the moon.

Hope Suppelsa gets well...always liked him!

[wojosdojo]

Loved listening to Mark on the radio and only wish him the best of luck.

[warthog-driver]

I don't know this guy but do we know what bars he drank at while at Marquette.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Mark's dad Gene played hoops at MU, was team captain and I think he even played with Murff.  Best of luck.

[Lighthouse 84]

I don't know this guy but do we know what bars he drank at while at Marquette.

I knew him at MU and the bars he drank at were a lot of the same bars I drank at too.  WTF does your comment even mean?  You know what bars he drank at?

[Golden Avalanche]

I knew him at MU and the bars he drank at were a lot of the same bars I drank at too.  WTF does your comment even mean?  You know what bars he drank at?

Haha.....I thought the same.

What a strange fucking question to ask.

[T-Bone]

He had a very nice moment/welcome back on the WGN news at 5:00 yesterday. 

http://www.wgntv.com/entertainment/viral/wgntv-mark-suppelsa-returns-to-wgn-news-20120607,0,5746363.htmlstory

[wyzgy]

He had a very nice moment/welcome back on the WGN news at 5:00 yesterday. 

http://www.wgntv.com/entertainment/viral/wgntv-mark-suppelsa-returns-to-wgn-news-20120607,0,5746363.htmlstory

huge!  what courage! could be an inspiration to some, hopefully many.  alcohol and drugs are an under reported root-cause of many of our societal ills.  good luck to mark-serenity

[jsglow]

Good to have Mark back.  Perhaps he can speak up at school about how alcohol abuse can catch up with you.