- Uncoached.com has some great pictures of the University of Florida cheerleaders, who apparently like to do everything together.
- The Love of Sports compiles the top six Cinderella candidates for the 2009 March Madness tournament.
- SPORTSbyBROOKS.com has the story of A-Rod’s loyal cousin (the one who injected Rodriguez with steroids), who apparently is named Yuri Sucart and is living in Miami.
- Deadspin.com has the unusual story of Giants’ minor league shortstop Brain Bocock, a weird hand injury and lots of Viagra.
- With Leather breaks the news that draft prospects at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine get goody bags. Awesome.
Before making it to the big leagues as a star player for the Mariners, Rangers and Yankees, Alex Rodriguez showcased his raw talents for scouts in this pre-steroid training tape for Atom.com. The footage is shocking.
Johnny Damon talked about the Alex Rodriguez steroid situation at a recent press conference and what came out of his mouth was, well, less than intelligent.
Johnny Damon speaks to the media today in Tampa following A-Rod’s presser: “Yeah he did some bad things. He took a steroid. Definitely do not condone that, at all, but there could be a lot worse things he could have been doing out there. He hasn’t done a crime. So there’s worse things that he could have done but you know I’ve known Alex since he was 15 and he’s always been super nice to me and so I’m going to support him and try help him through this time. (Reporter: Johnny, what would have been worse?) Murdering someone… There’s plenty of things that could be worse than what he did. (Reporter: In your mind, is what he did cheating?) For part time in his career, perhaps, but you know what, the pitchers that were facing him too at the time were doing it.”
In essence, Damon is right – murdering someone is worse than taking steroids. But saying, “you know what, the pitchers that were facing him too at the same time were doing it” is a juvenile argument. Too bad one of the reporters didn’t follow up with, “Well, if Roy Halladay jumped off a bridge, would A-Rod have done it, too?”
At a press conference on Tuesday, Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez said in a prepared statement that from 2001 to 2003, he and a cousin used a substance available over the counter in the Dominican Republic and that it was known as “boli.”
“I didn’t think they were steroids,” he said. “That’s again part of being young and stupid. It was over the counter. It was pretty simple.”
“All these years I never thought I did anything wrong.”
He said he wasn’t sure how the drug use helped him, but admitted he had more energy.
Rodriguez said he has not used human growth hormone or any other banned drug since then. He refused to identify his cousin.
The three-time AL MVP and baseball’s highest-paid player spoke at the Yankees’ spring training camp 10 days after Sports Illustrated reported that he tested positive in 2003 for a pair of steroids during baseball’s anonymous survey in 2003. Two days after the story broke, Major League Baseball’s highest-paid player acknowledged that fact in an interview with ESPN.
For years, Rodriguez denied using performance-enhancing drugs. But SI reported he was on a list of 104 players who tested positive during baseball’s 2003 survey. SI identified the drugs causing the positive test as Primobolan and testosterone.
“We consulted no one and had no good reason to base that decision,” he said. “It was pretty evident that we didn’t know what we’re doing.”
Hey, A-Rod’s human – he makes mistakes just like everyone else. But I have a hard time fathoming that he injected something into his body that he believed was just an energy booster.
“I don’t want to hear the commissioner turned a blind eye to this or he didn’t care about it,” Selig said. “That annoys the you-know-what out of me. You bet I’m sensitive to the criticism. The reason I’m so frustrated is, if you look at our whole body of work, I think we’ve come farther than anyone ever dreamed possible.”
“I’m not sure I would have done anything differently,” Selig said. “A lot of people say we should have done this or that, and I understand that. They ask me, ‘How could you not know?’ and I guess in the retrospect of history, that’s not an unfair question. But we learned and we’ve done something about it. When I look back at where we were in ’98 and where we are today, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made.”
Selig said he pushed for a more stringent drug policy during the labor negotiations of 2002 but ultimately settled for a watered-down version out of fear that the players association would force another work stoppage.
“Starting in 1995, I tried to institute a steroid policy,” Selig said. “Needless to say, it was met with strong resistance. We were fought by the union every step of the way.”
If Astros’ pitcher Roy Oswalt had things his way, any player who admits or is caught using performance-enhancing drugs would have all of his numbers erased from baseball’s record books.
That includes Alex Rodriguez, who on Monday admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs after a Sports Illustrated report revealed he had failed a drug test in 2003.
“A-Rod’s numbers shouldn’t count for anything,” Oswalt said in a phone interview with MLB.com. “I feel like he cheated me out of the game.”
“It does bother me,” Oswalt said. “Especially for the guys that went out there and did it on talent. We’re always going to have a cloud on us, and that’s not fair at all.
“The ones that have come out and admitted it, and are proven guilty, [their numbers] should not count. I’ve been cheated out of the game,” Oswalt continued. “This is my ninth year, and I’ve done nothing to enhance my performance, other than work my butt off to get guys out. These guys [who took PEDs] have all the talent in the world. All-Star talent. And they put times two on it.
“I’m going out there with the ability God gave me. They have that ability, too, and they’re putting something on top of it.”
Oswalt said he considers Henry Aaron to be the all-time home run leader, despite Barry Bonds’ official place at the top of the record books in that category.
I think you speak for all baseball fans, Roy. Viva la Oswalt!
If I’ve said it once this week, I’ve said it a million times – the sad part is that A-Rod didn’t even need the riods. He’s always been better than any player in the league and the fact that he sought the aid of performance-enhancers is what is most disturbing regarding this situation. Instead of going down as one of the best players to ever play the game, he’ll be remembered for cheating. Well done, Alex.
According to USA Today, baseball commissioner Bud Selig hasn’t ruled out suspending Yankees’ third basemen Alex Rodriguez after he admitted to using steroids from 2001 to 2003.
Selig and Major League Baseball officials realize any attempt to suspend Rodriguez would be challenged by the players union since the penalty phase of the testing policy was not implemented until 2004. Yet Selig said he sent a memo banning steroids around 1997 and that it was illegal to possess them without a prescription.
“It was against the law, so I would have to think about that,” Selig told USA TODAY’s Christine Brennan in his first comments since Rodriguez’s admission. “It’s very hard. I’ve got to think about all that kind of stuff.”
Rodriguez would be the first to serve a suspension without testing positive during the penalty years.
“I don’t want to create any false hope,” he said, “but I am saddened. This is breaking my heart, I don’t mind telling you that.”
Sorry, Bud, but you can’t start punishing players now for rules you never had in place to begin with. If you didn’t want to enforce a steroid policy at the time A-Rod took performance-enhancers, then you can’t turn around six years later and punish him.
This is just another situation that shows Selig’s utter incompetence. And it’s a joke to hear that Selig is “saddened” by all of this. Please. You’re telling me Selig didn’t know all of this was going on? He’s turned a blind eye to all the steroid talk and allowed the union to get away with whatever it wanted because the dollars were pouring in again after the ’93 strike. Selig’s reaction to all of this is laughable.
Hank Steinbrenner said that the Yankees won’t try and void Alex Rodriguez’s contract (which is the richest in baseball) despite the slugger admitting on Monday that he took steroids from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Texas Rangers.
Yet, the club admits it doesn’t know what to expect from Rodriguez on the field this coming season. At $32 million a year and what Rodriguez means to the lineup, that’s frightening.
“Personally, no,” Steinbrenner said yesterday at George Steinbrenner Field, asked if he was mad at Rodriguez.
Asked about finding a way to get out from under the $275 million deal that has nine years left, Steinbrenner said, “No, no . . . it’s simply . . . that’s it basically.”
How about attempting to trade Rodriguez?
“I am not going to comment on anything like that [that] can get twisted, which happens in the media,” Steinbrenner said with a chuckle. “Basically, it’s no comment except that I support him and I am not personally angry at all.”
That could change if Rodriguez’s problems result in a miserable season on the field. According to GM Brian Cashman, it’s a jump ball as to how Rodriguez responds.
“I don’t know, you can never tell with these type of things,” Cashman said. “You don’t know how it will impact him professionally and personally. All you can do is put your arms around him and support him and help him pull through it.”
Talent still trumps all. The Yankees are interested in one thing and one thing only: winning championships. And Steinbrenner knows that the Bombers are a better team with A-Rod than without him, so why would they void his contract or trade him?
As the article notes, as long as A-Rod’s game doesn’t suffer from all of this, you’re not going to see Steinbrenner or the Yankees do anything about this situation.
- SI.com writer Selena Roberts is claiming she wasn’t stalking Alex Rodriguez writes SPORTSbyBROOKS.com.
- Dana Strokovsky of 790 The Ticket in Miami wrote about her experiences at Super Bowl 42 and 43. Why is this news? Because she writes about an interaction with ESPN’s Chris Berman…off camera.
- In honor of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, InGameNow has ranked the 53 hottest girls to ever appear in the sports mag. Feast your eyes on 585 pictures of the SI models.
- The baseball blog 3-dbaseball.net examines whether or not we can expect a fifth member to join the 40/40 club anytime soon.
- Uncoached.com says there’s something incredibly funny about a 1987 “No Drugs” commercial with Magic Johnson.
- Uncoached.com has some great pictures of the University of Florida cheerleaders, who apparently like to do everything together.
