 rjonas, Tue, February 10th, 2009 Yes, I saw Alex Rodriguez's admission of taking steroids on ESPN Monday night ... and Tuesday morning. It was kind of hard to avoid, since SportsCenter ran it so frequently. Then again, given what A-Rod was admitting to (three years of steroid use while in Texas) and given A-Rod's place in baseball (possibly the most recognizable player in the major leagues today), I'm surprised ESPN didn't run it on a continuous loop so fans could dissect his every eye twitch. The fact that A-Rod took steroids for three years doesn't surprise me. Since it was an accepted practice in baseball for approximately 15 years, I'd be more surprised if he didn't use steroids. At the same time, I am disappointed because it would have been nice if he could have assailed the home run record books without resorting to the same tactics that Jose Canseco resorted to -- or the same tactics that Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa are accused of resorting to. The interesting thing will be how A-Rod is treated by the fans from here on in. Unlike Bonds, McGwire, Sosa and Canseco, A-Rod still has several years left in his major league career, barring injuries. That probably means several years of being constantly reminded by fans of his mistake in the form of boos and signs with syringes drawn on them -- though I could be wrong. After all, people haven't been getting on Jason Giambi's case or Andy Pettitte's case for their steroid use. Perhaps it's because they admitted to making a mistake by using steroids that they are now "off the hook." However A-Rod is treated by fans, he'll probably be treated worse by the sportswriters that vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame for no matter what he does on the field from here on out, those writers will only remember that he admitted he used steroids for three years. That will be enough for them to veto his entry into Cooperstown. They're already keeping McGwire out, and it looks like they'll do the same for Bonds, Sosa and Roger Clemens. That would be the bigger crime, in my opinion. Whether or not you like A-Rod as a person, he's still one of the best ballplayers in recent history. Steroids may have helped him along the way, but it can't explain his quick ascension to becoming Seattle's starting shortstop in the mid 1990s or his continued strong play in New York (despite his post-season stumbling). A-Rod has some natural talent -- enough so that he is the highest-paid athlete in professional team sports history. I just have a feeling that A-Rod's talent will always be linked to steroids. And in my mind, that is the biggest crime that can be committed. CATEGORY: Baseball
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