Rudy is in his 30s, single, and a computer programmer. Almost every Saturday, for four years, he has played football with buddies from college.

One Monday evening, he came home to a message on his answering machine from several of the guys, with one as the spokesperson. The message said:

"We all know that going out drinking after football on Saturdays is a cherished group tradition. But we wanted to propose a change. Next time, how about soda instead? Yeah, yeah, we know you probably think we're crazy. But here's the deal. We've been worrying about you — last Saturday you were so drunk we had to take your keys, you've already had a DWI arrest about a year ago, and you're always drinking more than the rest of us, no matter how we try to keep up. Hey, buddy, are we going to have to do a Betty Ford-type Intervention-Confrontation-Kidnap-You-and-Take-You-to-Treatment type thing? We really don't want to, but we agreed that we will if we have to. We really love you, man, and we're ready to do what we have to do. I'll pick you up on Saturday, usual time, and remember, soda -- no booze."

Rudy finds the message shocking and infuriating. "I'm finished with the Saturday football games," he thinks. But after listening to the message many more times, he decides to give their idea a try. He has been gaining weight, and he's been meaning to do something about that anyway. Maybe now was time. Maybe cutting back or quitting drinking is a good idea.