'Roid Rage - February, 2009

*“I've been cheated
Been mistreated…”

When I hear the term ‘roid, my first thought is hemorrhoids. I’m at THAT age, you know. When the term is applied to steroids, it is usually in the context of treatment for some serious ailment afflicting a friend or acquaintance.

Now when I think of ‘roids, I’ll simply think: A-Rod. Or A-Roid.

*“I've been made blue
I've been lied to…”

The “truth” is out: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankee, likely Hall of Fame baseball player and the highest paid athlete in his sport, used steroids while playing for Texas from 2001-2003.

Or so he says.

Signing the biggest contract at that time, A-Rod says he felt pressure to perform and took a few things – some of which you can buy at GNC, he claims – to enhance his performance. “I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.” Now he is “deeply sorry and regretful,” he tells us. “I’m sorry for that time and sorry to my fans,” he says. I don’t need any of that, he claims.

And why should we believe him? Was it really only 2001-2003 that he used these substances? Is he sorry he used performance-enhancing drugs? Or is he sorry he was outed by Sports Illustrated? Sorry for the act, sorry he got caught, or sorry he lied about the whole thing?

He was “stupid and naïve,” he says, not knowing what he was using. Why would a world class athlete whose livelihood depends on the health of his body take something he knew nothing about? Does that make any sense? He stopped using the pills, injectables in 2003 following an injury. So we are now to believe that he stopped in 2003. And signing the biggest contract ever with the New York Yankees in 2004, where the pressure to perform is immeasurably greater than in Texas, where he formerly played, didn’t make him feel that he had to enhance his performance by taking just a little something extra?

Maybe he should have. He certainly didn’t come through in the clutch in any post-season with New York.

While Barry Bonds faces jail if convicted of lying to federal authorities, while Mark McGwire is permanently ensconced in the Hall of Shame, while Roger Clemens goes before Congress and fiercely defends himself, we are supposed to feel better that at least Alex Rodriguez is a stand-up guy. He admitted steroid use and that he lied.

Kind of.

With this behavior – taking illegal, banned substances and then lying about them until he was caught – what message are we sending to society and especially to young athletes and kids in general? That it is OK to do something you know is either wrong or illegal and then lie about it as long as you later admit your guilt and say you want to put it all behind you?

A-Rod followed up his first interview with a press conference at the Yankees’ spring training complex. Here he provided more details, mostly along the order of “the dog ate my homework,” only for A-Rod it was the story of how his unnamed cousin – surely the stars of this drug-related “Dumb and Dumber” – injected him for three years with something available OTC in the Dominican Republic (it turns out – schock! that the substance was not available in the DR OTC, by the way). He wasn’t sure they were using it right or even if he realized any benefit from using the substance, but he continued getting shots from My Cousin Vinny for three years.

Why should we believe Alex Rodriguez now? Unless he pledges to take drug tests randomly and make the results public each time so we know he’s clean. Meanwhile, whatever A-Rod allegedly took is illegal. Was it banned at the time? Well, it was illegal, and shouldn’t that be enough?

Why do we care if athletes want to abuse their bodies? After all, isn’t their intention to perform better so their team can win and they can become champions? They are willing to risk it all in the long term for short term results. Isn’t that their prerogative? If so, why does it bother us?

Because they cheat. Because they lie. And because, as a society, we feel let down. Our standards are falling. People can cheat and lie, later admit it and we are supposed to forgive them for the transgressions because they finally spoke the truth.

Unfortunately, I can’t be so forgiving. But what I can do, from now on, is never believe anyone who denies doing something wrong, says he is sorry he did something wrong and that he/she will never do it again. I won’t believe anyone from now on.

*“I've been made blue
I've been lied to…”

When A-Rod took his performance-enhancing drugs and lied about it and then admitted it, he took away my inherent belief in the good of people. Now I feel stupid and naïve. And isn’t that a shame?

*Linda Ronstadt – “When Will I Be Loved?”