Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez received a 211-game suspension on Monday, but instead of going quietly into the wind even though the evidence against him is supposedly overwhelming, he has chosen to appeal his suspension anyway. Since the appeal process takes about a month and a half, Rodriguez is allowed to play for the Yankees until mid-September, barring the outcome of his appeal.
Yet, from what I’ve been reading on social media and hearing on sports radio shows, there is still a large number of people out there who sympathize with him, and I cannot understand why.
His contract with the Yankees doesn’t end until 2017 and is worth a total of $275 million. He is making $28 million this season alone, and he not only violated MLB‘s drug policy for a second time, but is still getting paid until a decision is made on his appeal.
How can anyone feel sorry for him?
He cheated. He’s getting what he deserves, yet some people blame MLB and their inability to stop the spread of PEDs in the 1990s. How can it be baseball’s fault that their incompetence in weeding out steroids in the very beginning caused Rodriguez, in the year 2013, to make a decision to do wrong yet again … after getting a second chance?
I even heard an A-Rod sympathizer on ESPN radio last night saying that its not his fault because he is fighting the establishment and that he is a blue-collar guy that is just trying to make a living.
Yeah, when a blue collar worker makes $275 million, sure.
I’m sure some will argue that it was his blue-collar work ethic on and off the field gave him that contract with the Yankees and that he should earn every penny regardless of his use of PEDs. So for all of you who think that, ask yourself this: Would A-Rod have had that great of a career and be worth that much money if he didn’t cheat and use PEDs?
And if your answer is yes, then why take them in the first place?
I rest my case.
