Alex Rodriguez doesn’t regret taking steroids; he regrets getting caught. If he were truly sorry for taking steroids, why didn’t he come clean before he was outed? I’m pleased the truth came out because I don’t like Rodriguez and don’t want him to get a free pass to the top of the record books. He’s a greedy sell-out, is full of himself, and thinks he’s above the game he plays.
What I hope is that A-Rod’s confession after the fact will finally get fans to quit thinking he is a god. There’s never a race in the All-Star balloting for American League third basemen; perhaps this will change in 2009 because people are ashamed to vote for a cheater (though the time he cheated on national television – when he slapped the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove in the 2004 ALCS – didn’t change a thing).
A-Rod did not show an ounce of remorse. Simply saying “I’m sorry” doesn’t cut it. You need to mean it and show it. He is a liar and there’s no reason to believe a word he says about suddenly stopping his use of performance enhancing drugs when he was traded to the Yankees. He should be embarrassed and his fans should be outraged. They ought to look at him in a different light. They should lose respect for him if they had any before this.
Because of guys like Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds, other ballplayers who were just trying to make it to the big leagues (or stay in the show) felt pressure to do whatever it took – even if it meant breaking the rules. Salaries for All-Stars and average players alike have gone through the roof, inflated as offensive numbers have skyrocketed. Players who did not cheat may have lost wages or even had to face early retirement.
Rodriguez wanted to earn his ridiculous paycheck, which is understandable, but if he thought taking steroids was necessary to make himself worthy of his $252 million contract (it wasn’t because he wasn’t worth it but that’s another story), he shouldn’t have asked for so much money. G-d forbid he only make half that amount or two-thirds or three-quarters.
Rodriguez cheated not only the fans, his fellow players, and himself, but the game of baseball. There’s no denying it: A-Rod is Bad For Ball.
Keywords: Alex Rodriguez, cheater, performance-enhancing drugs, steroids
