It took no time at all to see at this afternoon's much-awaited press conference where Alex Rodriguez hoped to land the good ship Public Image. Yes, he said, quickly and little mournfully, he and he alone is to blame for the shame he has brought upon himself, the game, and the teammates he loves like a family.
Blame, yes.
Responsibility? That is a different matter.
Blame is easy in that it assumes no burden, no sense of volition. In addressing his use of performance-enhancing drugs, A-Rod assumed the tone of the philandering spouse who responds to the accusation of adultery by saying that it "just happened." That, of course, is also the response of a child.
So it was that Rodriguez built his wobbly defense upon the excuse of immaturity. Having not gone to college -- and yes, no son of his will miss out on that opportunity, he assured one and all -- he came too quickly to the big leagues, and as a result, embarked upon his career as something of a Peter Pan.
Professional sports are filled with young men who are similarity afflicted, having spent their formative years being fawned over by parents, coaches, boys and girls. When things go wrong they are left too often with too little capacity for insight because self-knowledge has never been demanded of them.
There are, of course, exceptions, and when those wiser heads speak, their observations serve to remind everyone of the great gulf that otherwise exists between themselves and their peers.
It is perhaps unfair, then, to measure Rodriguez by the standards of the grownups in his world. But his comments and apologia did serve a useful function -- and not merely as an exercise in putting things "behind him."
A-Rod told the world a great deal about himself today, and the view is not flattering. By portraying himself as a reformed man-child -- a burden, it seems, he carried with him well into his 20s -- he showed himself to be a man incapable of assuming responsibility for his actions.
He would have us believe that he did not really understand what, precisely, he was having injected into him, or for that matter whether it was being done correctly.
He would have us believe it because the sense here is that he is familiar mostly with people who have believed whatever he told them.
So it was that when asked if he had cheated, Rodriguez replied that that is left for for others to decide.
There was his moment, his pitch. And he let it pass him by.
Alex Rodriguez Stats, News, Photos - New York Yankees - ESPN
hating Andy Pettitte or Jason Giambi yet they also did steroids. I think this steroid thing is over blown
I'm sure steroids have been used ever since they were created maybe way back since the 50' s or
60's. So the difference between A-Rod and other athletes is that he got caught. So let's not be
hypocrites here because if 250 million was on the line I would do steroids too! And I'm sure most
gold digging, red blooded capitalistic Americans would too!
But the point here was about the player who did not use, who has been a stand up guy his entire career. Not a steroid user who, for all his gaudy numbers, has never made the play that counted. Has never gotten the hit that mattered.
A-Rod was already one of the ten or so best infielders to ever play the game and a perfectly respectable hitter BEFORE he decided he wanted to be Mark McGwire also.
When I saw an early season game a few years back and Rodrigiuez appeared to have TWICE the upper body size he had the previous fall,....I said "Awww not A-Rod TOO!"
Yup A-Rod too.......just sad...
From a hdful of the very of the best ever..............to just another in a long line of cheaters.......
I hope it was worth it for ya' son.
tm
I can hear him now, trying to explain the hookers and Madonna. "I was young, I was stupid, it was a loosey-goosey era. . . "
Oh, brother! This guy is pathetic.
And definitely he should have gone to college and played for free for four years when he could make millions doing the same thing professionally. I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten injured and if he did at least he'd have an education. Who wants to play professional baseball anyway?
As a (flaky) writer and musician, I've always used "drugs," broadly speaking, to "enhance performance." (Milder "drugs," now that I'm middle-aged, but still.) This is widespread, and well-known: more "artists" use various stimulants than is immediately apparent to those outside these fields.
But... if someone tried to make a public debate, out of calling out those of us who use drugs... on the basis that our drug-influenced work is thus somehow not valid, or executed on an un-level playing field? It seems, well, confused, at best. One good answer would be: "Uh... you're right. Why don't the rest of you want to keep up?"
The drug-using artists I describe(d) just above, a group that includes myself: we're almost always well aware of any and all health risks we incur. We carefully weigh benefits versus costs, physically and psychologically. You have to. And those of us who use drugs to "excess" by normal standards, to enhance artistic performance, tend to pay for it, at least a little, with our health.
The overarching idea tends to be, I think, that the enhanced performance(s),will also enhance the paychecks, and that makes up for the damaged health, or at least, pays for it. I assume the "theory" is similar among athletes: though the risks are usually worse, and the potential gains arguably greater.
Permanently.
I say we throw out all stats for all years that anyone played on steroids.
Hank Aaron is STILL the Home Run King!