Alex Rodriguez.
Since 60 Minutes already has a special on this, we're going out on a limb here and guessing that you've all heard that he is suspended for the entire 2014 season. Unless you live under a rock. In that case, hey, guess what?! Alex Rodriguez will be serving a suspension for the 2014 season!
Here are the rules of this conversation:
1. We're going to state our clear opinion on this subject and you can choose to disagree or agree. It's a free country. Or so we're told.
2. Once we publish this, we will never cover it on this blog again. In 2015, if Alex stages a comeback, we're not going to relive this conversation again, so don't bring it up. In 2015, if Alex retires, we're not going to relive this conversation. Reference the previous sentence for more information. In 2050, if Alex dies and the discussion as to whether or not he should be eligible for the Hall of Fame comes up, we're not going to relive this conversation. Continue referencing the earlier sentence for more information. If Alex chooses to continue to fight this and actually clears his name, we're not going to relive this conversation again. Get the point?
Feel free to print a copy of these rules out and carry them around with you for reference (like we're doing with our New Year's resolutions).
We should preface this official statement as released by the Traveling Baseball Babes by saying that Alex Rodriguez probably deserves to be penalized in some way. We are in no way, shape, or form saying that he's innocent. We aren't going to sit here and claim to know what the actual story is anyway. It all seems a bit shady on both sides.
That being said, the MLB used Alex as a scapegoat. Hands down. When athletes are busted for using steroids, they should be punished, however this has been an ongoing circus for entirely too long. Steroids has been a public problem since the Roger Clemens/Barry Bonds malarkey. Let's face it, those men are basically the start of everything that's wrong with the game today and they borderline got away with murder. The MLB still feels bitter about the results of their cases and now they see this as an opportunity to right their ship with an a dumb ass jock that's easily manipulated and cares WAY too much about what WE think of him. They're making an example out of the weakest link. It's just not fair. The MLB is trying to "flex their muscles" and demonstrate their power, but really they've just come off as a bully.
The problem here isn't Alex Rodriguez. When all is said and done, what did any of this accomplish? Nothing. Players are still doing steroids. They're going to continue to do steroids. Why is the MLB focusing on Alex Rodriguez? What are they doing to stop these shenanigans? Obviously, their preventative measures aren't efficient enough if Ryan Braun tested positive not once, but twice and was only punished once thanks to a loophole during the first incident. Last season's mass of suspensions makes it glaringly obvious that the MLB doesn't have an effective means of monitoring the situation and exacting punishment. It's embarrassing. If players felt that the punishment was not worth the crime, they wouldn't commit the crime. If players felt like they'd be caught, they wouldn't commit the crime. Players feel like they can get away with it OR slip under the radar unseen. That's why they continue to take the risk of doing steroids.
