“Pretty stunning,” writes Rog. “A Scott Boras client tells the truth!” Indeed, this might be the only smart p.r. move Alex Rodriguez has made in recent memory (and I’m including his pushing a child out of the path of a speeding truck). The only possible drawback to The Third Baseman coming clean ; he chose to do so with a journalist more closely identified with Boston than Springa, thus dissing the Gotham media who are otherwise loving this to death.
Given that Rodriguez says he’s “sorry for my Texas years” (yes, he and Tom Hicks), am I too late to start a petition drive to have the 2003 AL MVP Award given to Carlos Delgado?
(6:17 PM UPDATE : Actually, there’s all sorts of drawbacks to Rodriguez’ chat with Peter Gammons. The endless chat, aired on Monday evening’s SportsCenter, showcased an A-Rod who was delusional as he was forthcoming. Insisting his clean performances before 2001 and after 2003 should, y’know, count for something. “Winning is a tonic for many things,” sputtered Rodriguez, “and hopefully I can still win one or two championships.” But it wasn’t all bravado mixed with mild contrition. The Third Baseball warned that other journalists shouldn’t “follow this Selena Roberts lady off the cliff”, accusing the Sports Illustrated reporter of stalking him “over the last 3 or 4 years.” He wasn’t, however, able to refute anything Roberts actually reported.
Incredibly, Rodriguez claims he cannot recall what substances he used. Early in the conversation with Gammons, Rodriguez alluded to “the culture at the time”, but also feigned ignorance about PED use amongst teammates and peers (“I’ve never looked to my left or my right”). So much for getting “the gorilla off my back”.
No less a day to day authority on all things Yankee than Michael Kay expressed disbelief that Rodriguez would struggle to cope with the burden of expectations in Arlington, TX, but could easily make a PED-free transition upon arrival in the sleepy, tolerant hamlet of New York City. A-Rod’s receiving some congrats this evening for having faced the music, but his testimony in front of Judge Gammons was inconsistent at best, horribly self-serving at worst. The attack on Roberts was particularly despicable, and presuming the former New York Times staffer didn’t attempt to break into Slappy’s apartment (!), she oughta sue.)
Was that deliberate earlobe rub flaunting his Kabbalah bracelet some sort of “I’m thinking of you” sign to Madonna?
KCG
Was his lawyerly admission that he only used steroids as a Ranger a way to avoid trouble with his current Yankee contract? There’s gotta be some current Giambi clause in it about using while a Yankee – considering what they went thru to dump JG when he also admitted it. A-Rod not only lied to a pretty girl this time — which he’s used to doing — but to the integrity-laden Yankee check stamping machine.
It’ll be interesting and uncomfortable over the next few days as we get to watch the Boras PR offensive, which, based on this interview, seems to be based around turning Selena Roberts into a villianous snoop who victimized poor, sweater-wearing A-Rod for years. Ugh.
but Jim… You have to understand.. At the time, there was no illegal or legal. People were taking a number of things… from G.N.C. to whatever.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Alex played the G.N.C. card. And G.N.C. isn’t a thing. It’s a store.
The more I watch this interview, the more I am convinced A-Rod was either poorly coached or he’s as delusional as he is unlikeable. “how could I tell Katie Couric the truth when I was lying to myself?” The Boras staffer that came up with that one oughta to look for a new line of work.
Give the guy a break…it was very “loosey-goosey” back in the good ol’ days of 2003. It was a totally different era.
24 plus 1 baaby!!!
I thought A-Roid dumped Boras to sign his current Yankee deal, which is all I think he’s scrambling to cover.
So far, he wants us to believe the reporter who outted his lie is a “stalker” with no credibility; anyone who pursues the story risks their own credibility; and that he doesn’t know anything about what he took — it was all the trainers and bad drug dealers. So far, the interview coaching he got from Roger Clemens isn’t going so well.
I know Obama said A-Rod has tarnished an era, but I didn’t know he meant the era of steroid admission interviews, of which this is the worst.
Is the ESPN ombudsman going to be told that the A-Rod interview was entertainment, not news?