…’cause I thought I saw a light in you.

I distinctly remember sitting in a sports bar in Austin cheering for A-Rod to get his 500th home run.  I wanted to watch the Astros/Rangers game but it was on KNWS, an independent Houston station that doesn’t get to Austin, and even though KNWS was unavailable, FSN Southwest was still blacked out.  Long story short, no Astros for me.

So we sat in a booth and I ate a salad and craned my neck to the side to watch the Yankees on YES and every time A-Rod came up to bat, my heart quickened.

I don’t think I had as good of a grasp on what a jerk he was at that point, but even if I had, I was still excited because I thought he was clean.

Yeah, I know, that’s what everyone has been saying since yesterday afternoon when Sports Illustrated released a story that claimed that A-Rod had used PEDs during his stay with the Rangers.  Unfortunately, it’s true.  We (or at least, I) thought he was legit.  Hoped he was legit.  But it seems he’s going the Roger Clemens Way with a denial and nothing else.  You’d think these guys would learn from Andy Pettitte–if you admit to it, even if you lie, you win in the court of public opinion.  Andy still has a job.  Roger doesn’t, and he’s in a very ugly place right now.  Same with Barry Bonds.

A-Fraud will keep his job.  The MLBPA refuses to release anything besides a “we’re not talking.”  We might not ever know.  But the more Ster-Rod argues, the more suspicious he will look.

This isn’t just a “keeping the game clean” issue.  This is a legal issue.  According to the SI story, “Primobolan is not an approved prescription drug in the United States, nor was it in 2003.”  As I understand, that means it’s illegal.  Also, according to the lawyers for the MLBPA, the use of any names other than those ten linked to BALCO is not covered by the search warrant and therefore illegal.  Somebody’s going to get in big trouble for this.

Unfortunately for Rodriguez, once again, this is a case in the court of public opinion.  No matter if his name is ever cleared or if the judge rules that the other 94 names on that list cannot be used, there will be some people who always view him as guilty.

If he is guilty, then I am ashamed that he was ever allowed to wear the Texas flag on his left arm.  If he isn’t, well, I hope he can prove it.

Bonus points to anyone who can guess where I got the title for this entry.

♥

photo courtesy of the Associated Press