I now present the new BERNing on Sports Podcast, which reflects on A-Rod's apology today in the ESPN exclusive interview with Peter Gammons. This was recorded before the rest of his apology came out in the interviewed that just aired on SportsCenter. That being said, the sentiments felt in this podcast haven't changed, other than I now personally feel A-Rod has further wronged by attacking Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts and may be lying about Jose Canseco. The rest of these sentiments will be commented on later. I encourage everyone to listen.
Click here for the latest BERNing on Sports Podcast
As always, once this post has moved down the blog, you can always find the podcast on the right red tab.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3894847
ReplyDeleteFor more A-Rod coverage, read this.
Arod should have used steroids during his playoff appearances. It might have helped.
ReplyDeleteHis answer sounded very rehearsed, insincere and damage control to the max. How could any fine tuned athlete not know what he puts in his body? If he cares enough to take PED's then how could he not care enough to know what he is taking.?
ReplyDeletewhy would he lie about not knowing what he was taking? Its not like there are some good PED's and some bad PED's and by lying he was somehow protecting himself. Have you heard some of the names of these PED's? At least he admitted to using them and not turning this into a Bonds, Clemens situation. You can be mad/upset at him for using PED's but I don't think people should criticize him for coming clean, when we have a bunch of players locked up in trials of perjury to a grand jury. And to be honest, as more and more people get called out for using steroids I think we need to just accept it and get on with it. Was it right? NO. Is it a shameful period for baseball? YES. But, you know what, it seems like everyone was using them and in a sport, which is very competitive and you are competing against the top guys for top money and they are using, then you are going to have some pressure on yourself to use. And I'm sure some people on here will take the moral high ground and say no matter what it was wrong and that they wouldn't do it, but you don't know that. No one on here is a major league player and no one knows how bad this really was. All we know is it was bad enough that the MLB did a hidden test in 03 to see how bad it was.
ReplyDeleteNo one is questioning his rationale for using PED's. He did it just like alot of other players have done and admittedly it was stupid. He tried to gain an edge just like many others. I still don't believe he didn't know what he was ingesting. Why he would lie about it I don't know. Athletes know exactly what they put in their bodies. Especially athletes who are admittedly trying to gain an edge. What do you think he did - tell his supplier - thanks for the magic potion - I dont care what it is just as long as it helps me get bigger and stronger etc... At a minimum ARoid comes off as disingenous. He only came forward because he got caught - not because he was trying to come clean.
ReplyDeleteTo our last annonymous poster--I agree it is easy to stand on moral high ground. But what A-Rod did doesn't make it right just because there is unreal pressure on him to live up to expectations and to earn a big contract. Just because others do it doesn't make it right. It's unfair to A-Rod that his name is out and the other 103 haven't faced this yet. But his admission was filled with questionable claims and other very debatable statements. Sure, he came clean, that's commendable. But remember, he only came clean because HE HAD TO. Once it got out, now all of a sudden he wants to tell the truth. He didn't want to tell Katie Couric the truth. None of these guys have been forthcoming unless they're outed. A-Rod gets no simpathy from me. Major League Baseball should be ashamed, just as every player that cheated should.
ReplyDeletecheck this out.....couldn't have said it better myself.....
ReplyDeletehttp://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsJU.f1VAVUfRyhG9RkHksg5nYcB?slug=ti-arod020909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
To anonymous- yeah, I think he asked for the 'magic potion', please... If you really think these athletes knew the names of all these PED's then fine, but it seems just as plausible that the trainers got them the steroids they knew would be the best suited for them and they took them.
ReplyDeleteJordan- no where did I say in my post that it was right to take steroids, or that the pressure is a reason why it is acceptable, but the pressure is real, whether you care to acknowledge that or not. Its not something you should just gloss over. I'm sure you, along with everyone on this board has done something, under the pressure of others, whether its under age drinking or something else. And you wouldn't admit these types of things to your parents or whoever unless you were caught either. People in the media tend to act as though they have never committed faults and only bring down those in the public sphere. No where in this am I saying what he did was right, but the same sentiment that you are saying towards A-ROD, can be applied to anyone of us.
By the way, didn't Madonna go on tour under the name True Confessions tour. Perhaps she didn't rub off on Aroid as much as her tour name would suggest.
ReplyDeleteI don't dispute that people do things under the pressure of others that is wrong. I agree, we have all done things that are wrong based on pressure. I get that. I really do. And I understand it's easy for the media to come down on morality issues. But what I'm saying is, sure he came out and apologized, but he still has committed a crime and shouldn't be give a pass. We agree on this. I do think the pressure is real. Granted, I didn't play major league ball, and never will, but these guys have lied and cheated their way through. Baseball is just as culpable for this whole thing. It's truly a shame.
ReplyDeletewhat crime has he committed? Steroids weren't illegal in baseball in 2003. Crime infers he broke the laws of baseball and would get punishment.
ReplyDeleteSteroids were illegal in America, though. The steroids and PEDs he took, as did many other players, were illegal in America, whether or not they were illegal in baseball. Should they have been illegal in baseball? Yes. But even though they weren't, they were still illegal to have and to take. So crime it is.
ReplyDeletecrime infers that there will be some sort of punishment administered on him for their use. There won't be. Your wrong.
ReplyDeleteThis quote is from the United States Government web site. I hope this answers the question as to whether it is a crime to abuse steroids - which it clearly is.
ReplyDelete"Is abusing steroids illegal?
Yes, it is illegal to use steroids without a valid prescription or to distribute them. Steroids are Schedule III substances under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule III drugs, which have a legitimate medical function, may lead to moderate to low physical dependence or high psychological dependence."
Here is another quote from the Government web site about PUNISHMENT....
ReplyDelete"What types of punishments are given for illegal possession of steroids on a federal level?
Simple possession of any schedule III substance is a federal offense punishable by up to one year in prison and/or a minimum fine of $1,000
2nd offense?
Mandatory imprisonment of a minimum of 15 days and a maximum of 2 years and a minimum fine of up to $2,500
3rd offense?
Mandatory 90 days to a maximum 3 years and a minimum fine of $5,000 for simple possession."
Good work. Thanks for the info. The one thing I'll say is, theoretically someone could commit a "crime" and not be punished. Having just researched this definition, it does not state that one must be punished for a criminal act to indeed be considered a crime.
ReplyDelete1. an action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited.
2. criminal activity and those engaged in it: to fight crime.
3. the habitual or frequent commission of crimes: a life of crime.
4. any offense, serious wrongdoing, or sin.
5. a foolish, senseless, or shameful act: It's a crime to let that beautiful garden go to ruin.
This being said, great info! Thanks for weighing in.
the issue with the punishments listed here are that they are based on possessing the PED's something that A-Rod has not been charged with and will not be charged with. Using and Possession are two different concepts and can't be used together in labeling A-Rod
ReplyDeleteJordan- we can argue semantics on what the word crime actually infers, but in your comment you were using it in a manner discussed in this last post you were inferring a crime as something punishable by law.