One of my many guilty pleasures in life is my undying appreciation for trash-TV. Watching a train wreck on "The Real World," having Flava Flav looking for love in all the wrong places. and my all-time favourite - paternity and lie detector tests on Maury Povich.
The lie detector tests really gain steam from the all out denials until the moment Maury tells us that the results are in...
"When asked if you had sex with anyone other than Cherise during the time you were dating, the lie detector test determined that is a lie, more than fifteen times."
Reactions out of the guys who have just been exposed are really where the money shot comes from. They can either play it off like somehow the lie detector was wrong, or start defending why they did it. Maybe it was that their old lady wasn't showing them the love they need at home, maybe they have a problem they need to fix, or maybe they were just young and naive and made a mistake... fifteen times.
I guess where the analogy ends is by taking a look at exactly what happened yesterday during Alex Rodriguez's press conference where he tried his best to offer up full disclosure to the media about his own steroid use. Where does Alex fit in on Maury Povich? He didn't blame the lie detector test like Bonds and Clemens did, but he certainly did try and turn it around on us all and blame the girl for all of his cheating.
That's not fair, it's not fair at all. I've had the idea since the story broke a week and a half ago about A-Rod's positive test to write something, but I've just struggled to really come up with how I feel about it. In reality, I don't think we should blame Alex for what he did or have him condemend. Let's actually pick up with the cheating boyfriend analogy and ask if we can really blame him for his actions.
If we are to believe everything that has been told to us by A-Rod, he first met the needle back in 2001. They met at some shady dive of a bar, where Alex's cousin took him out to set him up with a girl he knew. Maybe in a spot where your buddies wouldn't see you in the event this girl was nothing to look at. Turns out A-Rod has a few drinks, maybe gives the lady a kiss and they continue talking. Nothing serious. He just arrived in town and wants to see what else is out there, so the girl gives him a free pass. They'll meet up twice a month and hang out, but he can see other girls if he wants and not worry about the consequences.
2003 rolls around and suddenly she wants to put a label on what you have. There are rules now. Maybe A-Rod knows he can't see other girls anymore, but if he wants to he has to do in secrecy. At that point A-Rod isn't allowed to run around anymore, but he knows that whatever he does he won't get in trouble for it. So in that case, why stop?
Don't take this whole analogy as condoning cheating on ones significant other, because that isn't the case. But like Major League Baseball prior to 2004 and it's strict punishment for testing, if you have an open relationship why wouldn't you expect someone to take advantage of it?
What really bothers me about this whole thing is how now that people can put a face to one of the 104 players who tested positive in 2003, when results were meant to monitor the percentage of players who used during that time and the results were intended to be kept secret, that the one guy who was exposed is now being outed for his accomplishments, his records, his character and out of anything - the Hall of Fame.
Regardless of whatever happens to these sealed positive tests, how can anyone not just suspect anyone who played the game? Two weeks ago A-Rod was supposed to be the saviour of baseball for being the one who wound break the all-time homerun record and he would be the one who was clean while he did it. Sure, Barry "The Iron Shiek" Bonds would hold that title briefly, but we know how these things end. Alex "Hulk Hogan" Rodriguez would eventually win back that title for the good guys. The Ruths, the Aarons and the rest of the babyfaces of the sport. But now that A-Rod has been outed, he loses everything when we have no idea what other names are included in that list of 104 players.
Greg Maddux? Manny Ramirez? Pedro Martinez? Randy Johnson? Albert Pujols?
It seems most won't write off those names and I don't want to either. I really would like to believe that steroids and PEDs are for those who are fringe players trying to make it to the show, but we know that isn't the case when arguably three of the best players of this generation have a shadow cast over them.
In the end, I just see the rules as being the rules. Some guys chose to play and not go around and see other girls, some guys did. Let's condemn those with positive tests after 2004 as that's when the rules should apply. If it's all in the game prior to that point, then let's take it for what it is and just take it for what it is. Maybe we don't agree with the choices some of our favourite players made during that time, but it wasn't our moral dilemma to go through. It was their own and they made their own choices that were put forth to them.
Without consequence, it is all fair play.
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I wasn't sure if you were talking about steroids or Madonna for a while. It's too bad writers write so damn much about steroids, because writers are great at writing, not necessarily making sense or responding to reader reaction.
ReplyDeleteIn any event my biggest unanswered question surrounding the MLB drug situation is, why do we care so much all of the sudden? It's great that MLB is going to crack down now, the Olympics have worked hard to catch those who cheat. But beyond that, who cares? Players cheat, let them pay the written price, and move on. Quit making it a circus folks. Only writers can say Bonds tainted the game, or isn't great, because anyone who has ever played the game knows how great Bonds is. A-Rod too.