Take it With a Grain of Salt

Alex Rodriguez made an official apology today while doing an interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons. I listened to most of the interview, and I thought it was pretty sincere. Then my common sense kicked in and told me there was no way in the world it was sincere. A-Rod is not sorry he used steroids, he is sorry he got caught for using them. There is a big difference.

Rodriguez said that it was "stupid" and "selfish" for him to use performance-enhancers. But then, at the same time, he tried to make excuses for using them. He said he just wanted to keep up and fill in the expectations of his Mega contract. He said he only used them in the 2001, '02, and '03 seasons. Sounds a little fishy.

Was it just a coincidence that he said he used them only in the three years before the MLB put the ban on them? He also said that he has great respect for the game. You don't have respect for the game if you cheat the game. Period. He also, during the interview, called himself one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Can anybody honestly call a cheater one of the greatest. I don't care if he used steroids for three years or three seconds, he shouldn't be calling himself that right now.

A-Rod has also publicly said that he never used performance-enhancers in the past. He only apologized because he was caught. Don't you think for a minute that A-Rod would have said anything about it had this information not come into the public eye. So, to all you who think that A-Rod is really sorry, I advise you to think again.

A-Rod Tested Positive For Steroids

Sports Illustrated has reported that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003. Remember that back in 2003, the MLB did not punish players for the use of steroids. Starting in 2004, the league tested for steroids and punished the players they found to be using them. Their is a list of 104 players who tested positive in 2003. Right now, we only know the biggest name on that list: Alex Rodriguez.

Their have been whispers that A-Rod had used steroids, but nothing really definitive came out of it. This is the first legitimate evidence that proves that A-Rod used steroids. With Barry Bonds, it was obvious that he used steroids. But with A-Rod, a player at the top of his game, it wasn't as easy.

The real question everyone thinks of when they hear this story is: Well, does he still use them now? There is no way to know right now but, who knows, this may only be the first bit of evidence that links A-Rod to steroids.

This ruins A-Rod's legacy and his credibility. Everything he does from now will be questioned. He was once thought to be the opposite of Barry Bonds. He was the Clean Barry Bonds! Now, they are riding in the same boat together. The fact that fans thought Bonds was cheating didn't affect his game. I have a feeling it will affect A-Rod's game a lot more.

I hope that this is the last big name to be linked to steroids, but I know it isn't. In fact, it may just be the tip of the ice berg.