Young and Stupid Doesn’t Cut It!
Alex Rodriguez faced the press on reporting to the Yankees’ Spring Training Camp giving further details about his performance-enhancing drug, a material transported from the Dominican Republic, which his cousin informed him about. He attempted to give more specifics on his use while playing for the Texas Rangers and insisted he stopped using such materials after sustaining a neck injury.
Through out the conference, he kept coming back to, “I was 24 years old,” and “I was young and stupid.” He began his baseball career at 18 making his major league debut with the Seattle Mariners at 19 years old. First, the math does not add up. His birthday is July 27, 1975, which would have put his 24th birthday in 1999 while he was still in Seattle. He began his playing career with Texas in 2001. You do the math! as they say.
We’ll simply his rationale, he was stupid. Stupid that he would trust his cousin. Stupid he would inject anything without medical supervision. The whole thing starts to sound a little like Mark McGwire’s excuse line to the queries directed at him from Congress, “I’m here to talk about the future.”
Jose Canseco made further accusations based on his association with Rodriguez as a Texas teammate who said A-Rod questioned him about a substance and Canseco recommended a trainer who could supply him. The extent to which one should trust Canseco is surely subject to doubt. The sad thing is, as outraged we might have been when Canseco first starting spilling the beans, as time goes by, his charges have proven shockingly honest. Who would have thought Raphael Palmeiro used junk until that fateful day his suspension was announced by the Baltimore Orioles in 2004.
Having done something as misguided as performance enhancers, the only proper course of action is complete disclosure and corrective behavior in the future that does not appear self-promoting. Somehow, as much as fans would love to give A-Rod, the benefit of a doubt, it’s hard not to still be mystified.
Players’ irresponsible use of drugs and supplement will cast a cloud over baseball that shall be known forever as the “Steroid Era” from the conclusion of the 1994-95 Player’s Strike until proper policies were put in place by 2005. The great McGwire/Sosa homerun chase, Barry Bonds’ records, and the stellar performance of Roger Clemens all is tarnished into severe disrepute forever more. That power stats across the game were so escalated would also be suspect. Could this even influence how fans in the future might regard accomplishments like Cal Ripken’s remarkable consecutive game streak when all associated with Cal Ripken would affirm no one played the game with more regard for the rules and a healthy approach for playing the game. Most man made disasters have severe collateral damage.
In viewing athlete’s behavior, there’s a big difference between “boys will be boys” and “young and stupid” behavior compared to actions intended to cheat the game and true lawlessness. The NFL understands these issues and addressed player conduct accordingly. Some players like Jaime Moyer and Curt Schilling have been quite outspoken with anger on the issue of drug-enhanced play.
Mark McGwire was ready to go into the Hall of Fame with Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn. Raphael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds would surely be first ballot Hall of Fame inductees were the steroid issue not in play.
We would hope Alex Rodriguez has the opportunity to redeem himself and he seems to be doing the right thing but is so caught up in all the consequences of saving face while trying to come clean, he is failing to clear his name or gain much public sympathy so far. Once again, we come back to, Luke 12:48, “to whom much is given, much is required.”
For Alex Rodriguez, especially playing in New York, much will be required of him on and off the field. The rest is up to him.
Alex Rodriguez faced the press on reporting to the Yankees’ Spring Training Camp giving further details about his performance-enhancing drug, a material transported from the Dominican Republic, which his cousin informed him about. He attempted to give more specifics on his use while playing for the Texas Rangers and insisted he stopped using such materials after sustaining a neck injury.
Through out the conference, he kept coming back to, “I was 24 years old,” and “I was young and stupid.” He began his baseball career at 18 making his major league debut with the Seattle Mariners at 19 years old. First, the math does not add up. His birthday is July 27, 1975, which would have put his 24th birthday in 1999 while he was still in Seattle. He began his playing career with Texas in 2001. You do the math! as they say.
We’ll simply his rationale, he was stupid. Stupid that he would trust his cousin. Stupid he would inject anything without medical supervision. The whole thing starts to sound a little like Mark McGwire’s excuse line to the queries directed at him from Congress, “I’m here to talk about the future.”
Jose Canseco made further accusations based on his association with Rodriguez as a Texas teammate who said A-Rod questioned him about a substance and Canseco recommended a trainer who could supply him. The extent to which one should trust Canseco is surely subject to doubt. The sad thing is, as outraged we might have been when Canseco first starting spilling the beans, as time goes by, his charges have proven shockingly honest. Who would have thought Raphael Palmeiro used junk until that fateful day his suspension was announced by the Baltimore Orioles in 2004.
Having done something as misguided as performance enhancers, the only proper course of action is complete disclosure and corrective behavior in the future that does not appear self-promoting. Somehow, as much as fans would love to give A-Rod, the benefit of a doubt, it’s hard not to still be mystified.
Players’ irresponsible use of drugs and supplement will cast a cloud over baseball that shall be known forever as the “Steroid Era” from the conclusion of the 1994-95 Player’s Strike until proper policies were put in place by 2005. The great McGwire/Sosa homerun chase, Barry Bonds’ records, and the stellar performance of Roger Clemens all is tarnished into severe disrepute forever more. That power stats across the game were so escalated would also be suspect. Could this even influence how fans in the future might regard accomplishments like Cal Ripken’s remarkable consecutive game streak when all associated with Cal Ripken would affirm no one played the game with more regard for the rules and a healthy approach for playing the game. Most man made disasters have severe collateral damage.
In viewing athlete’s behavior, there’s a big difference between “boys will be boys” and “young and stupid” behavior compared to actions intended to cheat the game and true lawlessness. The NFL understands these issues and addressed player conduct accordingly. Some players like Jaime Moyer and Curt Schilling have been quite outspoken with anger on the issue of drug-enhanced play.
Mark McGwire was ready to go into the Hall of Fame with Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn. Raphael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds would surely be first ballot Hall of Fame inductees were the steroid issue not in play.
We would hope Alex Rodriguez has the opportunity to redeem himself and he seems to be doing the right thing but is so caught up in all the consequences of saving face while trying to come clean, he is failing to clear his name or gain much public sympathy so far. Once again, we come back to, Luke 12:48, “to whom much is given, much is required.”
For Alex Rodriguez, especially playing in New York, much will be required of him on and off the field. The rest is up to him.
2 comments:
Luke 12:48
Does your application of Luke 12:48 also apply to Michael Phelps? Also, if young and stupid doesn't cut it for Alex Rodriguez, why should we allow Michael Phelps to essentially use the same excuse?
My application of Luke would apply to Michael Phelps as well. He's in his young 20's same age as A-ROD.
Folks might initially see my position as hypocritical since i staunchly defend Phelps and his whole matter being silly. Where I feel what A-Rod did is much more serious.
I staunchly believe marijuana should be legal just like alcohol. Regulate it, tax the hell out of it, and still have tons of drug testing for jobs where drug use could cause a problem -- but not school teachers, accountants, purchasing agents, etc.
In both cases, though, is the issue of personal responsibility and that's where law 12:48 comes into play. Phelps should accept his role thrusts upon him a level of significant high visibility. Otherwise, I could care less if he puffed some weed. It's not a performance enhancer nor is it all that bad for one's health.
Steroids are taken for one purpose, a performance advantage. One who takes them is taking his life into his hands given steroids tweak the hormonal system and other metabolic functions. Folks forget the image of a dying Lyle Alzado or the absolute calamity the last years of his life became.
I'd hate to be a parent and have to give kids the "drug talk" these days. You'd still tell your kids to stay away from weed for how getting arrested can have long lasting effects that could really ruin their future potential.
The truth is just because something is illegal doesn't make it wrong. Obviously, not everything wrong is illegal. Without a sense of higher values and strong spiritual guidance can that distinction be made without most likely falling into the kind of moral relativism that plagues our culture so severely as the whole Clinton/Lewsinski mess demonstrated.
How can kids understand heroin and cocaine are serious business when tons and tons of kids and possibly their parents smoke pot and they see that being around someone who is drunk is a lot scarier than someone who's stoned?
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