It's unbelievable what Alex Rodriguez is trying to do with his case against Major League Baseball. In what was supposed to be a case against his steroid use, he has found every excuse in the world to make it about anything but that - and in the public eye, it's working.
The ordeal began when he supposedly slammed his fist and stormed out of a meeting that was meant to help determine whether his 211-game suspension would be upheld or not. He cited the lack of presence of Commissioner Bud Selig as the reason he refused to talk, although Selig rarely ever makes appearances at situations like these.
There was a press release waiting for him practically as he was leaving the building, almost as if the debacle had been staged the whole time. He admonished Major League Baseball for their cowardly behavior and vowed that he was no longer going to be part of this process that was out to get him.
He later took to the airwaves with radio host Mike Francesa to plead his case to the public. He played to the public's hearts, saying he had never done anything wrong and on top of that Major League Baseball had even forced him to miss his daughter's birthday by dragging him to New York for the meeting, although there would not have been a meeting if he didn't repeatedly cheat in the first place.
He has shifted the focus of the case from steroid use to the personal vendetta that MLB has against him. He's trying to play himself as the underdog fighting this great big bully that is the commissioner's office. He criticizes the flawed system that is forcing him to go through all of this - the same system that allowed him to play for the remainder of the season while his suspension was being appealed.
Isn't it funny how Rodriguez had no problem when the system worked in his favor, but now that he finds himself on the other side of it he can only pass the blame?
It truly is an insult what he's trying to do to us, the sports viewers. He's not only fighting a 211-game suspension, but denying any wrongdoing at all. Conveniently, he does this behind the shield of a radio show or his host of lawyers. He has the opportunity to speak on the record and under oath, but he instead goes where he knows that his words are meaningless.
There are situations in which steroid use could have been understandable. There's no doubt in my mind that trying to live up to a contract worth more than $250 million is not unreasonable but rather impossible. If he had said that he took steroids in order to try and earn the contract that he was given, I, for one, would have understood. Not supported him, but respected his honesty and reasons.
Now, instead, he continues the battle. He's trying to rally the support of the baseball fans to take down Major League Baseball. His defense is that he never failed a drug test. Do you know who else never failed a drug test? Who else attacked anyone who spoke out against them? Lance Armstrong. A man now scorned for all the people he took down in his path to clear his guilty name.
Rodriguez's desire to restore his tarnished name is only creating a bigger web of lies that will someday come crashing to the ground. He thinks by putting on a fresh suit and pointing the finger at others, people will welcome him back. Don't buy what he says. Don't feel bad for him. He got himself into this situation, and I have no intentions of bailing him out. To all the supporters of A-rod - you're sacked!
Jordan Bean is a sophomore who is majoring in economics. He can be reached at Jordan.Bean@tufts.edu.
