Ripping Us At the "Seems"
If you are one to eschew the daily fear mongering and perpetual bad news infecting our world today, then I highly recommend you avoid reading the Chicago Tribune first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, for me, the Tribune has become that thing I love to hate. My self-inflicted aggravation is just one of the many results.But today, I came across a titillating article by Stacy St. Clair which boasted and celebrated the harmony, the togetherness, the complete reciprocal adoration between Barack and Michelle Obama -- our nation's first couple. Reading it made me feel good.
As the day went on, news broke of Alex Rodriguez -- our collective fallen hero -- and his stunning confession of guilt regarding his usage of banned performance enhancing drugs in 2003. The image of Rodriguez discussing the issue with Peter Gammons flickered on my computer screen. I was overwhelmed with sadness.
My thoughts immediately went back to the Obama article and I couldn't help but ask myself: Is anything what it seems anymore?
Alex Rodriguez put on a great front. Despite Jose Canseco's self-righteous smear campaign and associated agenda, I never once questioned Rodriguez's proclaimed innocence. At no time did I suspect Rodriguez to be tainted in even the slightest of ways, for A-Rod was our hero. He was the one targeted with pulling us out of the steroid era forever. He was the one endowed with replacing Bonds as the all-time homerun king. He was the one who seemed like the most talented, most gifted, most touted ballplayer I have ever witnessed play the game.What you see is not always what you get.
John Edwards seemed like a family man.
Pete Rose seemed like the consummate all-American baseballer.
Eliot Spitzer seemed like a hard-nosed crime-stopper.
The Wizard of Oz seemed like an all-powerful wizard.
And it turns out they were all just... like... us:
H-U-M-A-N.
Don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.
Peace,
Jeffy
ARod is not human. He is a replicant.
http://statisticianmagician.mlblogs.com/
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I agree. A-Rod never seemed human to me. Of course he took steroids "because he was young" thus utilising the oft overlooked statute that nobody under the age of 25 is responsible for their actions.
http://arizonaviaslough.blogspot.com/
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That's my excuse, Russell. If only those records of my youth were not sealed you'd know what I'm talking about.
Joe -- When did they start allowing biorobots in baseball?
--Jeff
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I watched the A-Rod interview with Peter Gammon. Was it just me or did he not seem all that sorry? He looked he was trying to say all the right words but he didn't seem to mean any of them. But hey - I'm a Red Sox fan; maybe I'm just bias.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
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I wish I knew, Julia. He took the right first step though... that I do know.
--Jeff
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Goll, I wish I could make my wife smile like that.
All these years, I've approached her from the front - maybe that's the problem.
http://diamondhacks.blogspot.com/
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As hard as it was hearing one of our heroes say that he had used steroids, it was also... well, for lack of a better word respectable. Certainly not the fact that he used steroids, but that he actually said, "yeah I did use steroids and I didn't just do it in 2003." I kind of admired him for that, and then I woke up and remembered the reality that he was a cheater.
Emily
http://deconstructingthoughts.mlblogs.com/
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I think he did look sorry. I also think he was sticking to a script. They're not mutually exclusive. And wow - Jeff - I had forgotten all about John Edwards until you mentioned him. Amazing how he fell off the earth.
- http://janeheller.mlblogs.com
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Matt -- Unless you have the anatomy of Barack (remember, I've seen your pic on Diamondhacks), even that might not work. But good luck!
Emily -- I think A-Rod would avoid the word "cheater" and go with something like "purveyor of enhanced performance"... you know, like a Cialis or Viagra commercial.
Jane -- I heard that estranged girlfriend of his buried him alive... but a Republican told me that so I don't know if it's true.
--Jeff
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That estranged girlfriend lives around the corner from me!
- http://janeheller.mlblogs.com
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Thank you, Jeff, for pointing this out. You are a powerful voice in the MLBlogosphere, and I think it's time for us to forgive him and move on. He came clean.
http://newmexicanyanksfan.mlblogs.com
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Thanks for the compliment, Neal. I agree on the moving on... this is all too depressing for me.
--Jeff
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Maybe, I was jaded long ago, but I really don't expect anyone to be perfect or even what they say they are. I don't expect people to always do the right thing or to tell the truth. Are any of us capable of that? Maybe, that's why I can't work up an outrage over this. I guess I like my heros to be as human as me.
-Kathy
http://redbirdchatter.mlblogs.com
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