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It's popular right now to beat on Alex Rodriguez right now, and I'm not a Yankees fan (I don't really care about them), so it's easy for me. I believe Alex Rodriguez used PEDs, in part because we all know he did the first time he tested positive. Having listened to his press conference tonight though, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for him. It's like a gleeful reaction to his fall, and it's pretty clear to me that failed Commissioner Bud Selig is intent on making Alex Rodriguez into the media's scalp for the steroid era. It strikes me as a bit hollow.
Alex Rodriguez is a first time offender by any regular definition. He has not failed a drug test during the period of time in which MLB has had penalties for using steroids. Yes, he did fail one of the "pre-tests" they did randomly (and somehow leaked the results of) to determine how bad the problem was. If you want to stretch it and call this a "second offense," but first one penalized, then fine. By the normal standard here, he should get a 50 game suspension. By the expanded one, you could say 100 games. If MLB had hammered him with a 100 game suspension, I'd probably say good for him. The problem is that they tacked on another 111 games. Why? He apparently tried to hide evidence he broke the rules. So did everyone else guys, I saw no one running out to tell the world they were cheaters. A-Rod's getting shafted.
A-Rod is being made an example of for a problem that frankly the public doesn't care about. His team most likely has their paw prints all over this, in a slimy attempt to save themselves about $100 million. If he serves the full suspension, they will save at least $34 million from his deal. I hate to defend a total egomaniac, but I will- this is unfair. I hope he takes this before an arbitrator, beats MLB and serves no games. A-Rod, and all the other players involved, got into this in part because MLB culture was promoting it until very recently. Should they serve fair suspensions? Sure. Should they be the whipping child of a commissioner who gladly looked away for about ten years "in the interest of the game?" No. A-Rod should be suspended 50 games for a first offense, but baseball didn't go that route. I hope he beats them completely now.
