After a few days away from the computer(Rangers game with my daughter and 2 friends on Sunday, then a trip to Vermont to take the kids to my in-laws for vacation week), I return to watch Alex Rodriguez sitting in Andy Pettitte's Tampa hot seat.
Today was Alex's day to check into camp, drop some urine in the cup (at least he said he did) and then go out and face the music.
55 minutes of questions, including a prepared statement and about 26 questions later, he walked off the dais, hopeful that this is all behind him now.
Guess again, Alex.
Every place he goes this season, every visiting stadium, and if he's struggling, the billion dollar Yankee Stadium, A-Rod will be dogged by his use of a steroid.
He would have been more believable if he showed up with his cousin, the man Alex says brought the drug (most likely Primobolan, according to experts based on A-Rod's use of the street name, boli) and then injected him with it. That was a problem for me. As far as we know, the cousin doesn't exist. You had a chance to be honest a long time ago, Alex. You lost the benefit of the doubt. The cousin needs to show up, or that part, for me doesn't count.
Telling Peter Gammons of ESPN you had no idea what you used, only, upon further reflection, coming forward with it today, further hurts your credibility.
I also thought bringing in Don Hooton(he heads a foundation now run in his son Taylor's memory, a son who died due to steroid use) was in VERY poor taste. Rehabbing your image is one thing. Using the father who lost a son to the very thing you have admitted to doing just stinks. A-Rod's interest in working with a foundation that discourages the use of steroids is admirable. How about just doing it and not trying to get credit for doing it. Having Don Hooten at the press conference today was dispicable.
A-Rod made the point that his best years were when he says he was clean and that he started exploring performance enhancing drugs due to a neck injury he suffered with the Rangers. Here's a novel idea - if your neck is a concern, check with a doctor, not some cousin who's muleing drugs from the DR.
Alex said he hoped today was another step toward repairing damage caused by someone who was stupid, ignorant, and naive years ago. If he thinks that will happen with one press conference today, he is apparently still all three of those things.
What do you think? Would love to hear what you thought of the news conference? Post a comment here, or e-mail me, richbecker@fox23news.com.
