BLACKBALL: Alexander the Great | February 13, 2009
So many issues, so little space. Well, I really have as much space as I want but the more I write, the more people expect me to write and I’m never one for raising expectations.
There was that Super Bowl and a great Australian Open final between two all-time greats. But, I really don’t have much to say.
Congratulations to Pittsburgh-their fans deserve it for putting up with everything else involved with living in northern West Virginia. Including the World Series, we have two straight championships going to horrible places to live. I like this trend. Anything to distract them from the fact that in the game of life, they finished last in the division.
I won’t even poke fun at Roger Federer for his waterworks after Nadal beat him at the Australian open. I cried at my college graduation when I, like Federer, saw that the good times were over and it was time to get a real job.
Does DeVry have a tennis team?
I was all set to write about Kobe vs. Lebron on Sunday, which was promptly downgraded to Odom vs. Szczerbiak, then the A-rod news hit. It was a “Where were you…” moment this A-Rod hater and the entire Crown Heights chapter of A-Rod Haters. Really, what’s not to hate? I’m a broke Red Sox fan who struggles with the ladies, so I hate on many levels. I’m not afraid to say that by the way, and if you’ve read this column before you’ve already surmised my feminine deficiencies.
That being said, my initial reaction wasn’t elation or satisfaction, but sadness. I no longer saw the guy whose superhuman feats made me feel small but another human being, a much larger, more accomplished one, but a human being nevertheless. One who’s routinely booed by his own fans and whose marriage was dissolved on the back pages of the NY tabloids. The only thing Alex Rodriguez has is his accomplishments in baseball, and in a matter of a few hours that was taken from him.
We want to know why. Why would Alex Rodriquez take steroids? That’s easy. A-Rod took steroids because he was playing professional baseball during a time when professional baseball players took steroids.
No, it’s not right and never will be. But, imagine a world where owners, baseball officials and the players union all turn a blind eye to a growing steroid problem. Imagine taking the field knowing players on your own team are cheating and you have every reason to suspect the pitcher you’re facing is as well. Imagine devoting your entire life to the game with that as your primary means of supporting yourself and your family. It’s still not right, but it sure is complicated. I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing. In fact, I thought I’d found my own comedy performance enhancing drug called “Steel Reserve” but I found out it caused diarrhea of every orifice. Especially the mouth.
I think Alex Rodriguez deserves to have his achievements scrutinized but he doesn’t deserve the vilification that is sure to follow.
Keeping it Classy
If anyone should be vilified, it’s the owners, who benefited the most from the steroid era, with increased ticket sales, ratings and overall interest in what was an aging pastime, yet escape now without any culpability. It’s always the men on the front lines who take all the bullets.
Weekly Schadenfreude
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VUQxncPfrM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Y8m-60JHQ&NR=1
Popularity: 7%
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Wildman Says:
LAY OFF GAY ROD. IT AIN’T EASY BEING RICH AND FAMOUS!!!!!!!!
Schadenfreude street style to the fullest. 2nd vid looked like a kung fu movie; 25 vs one!
Posted on February 13th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Jus Baba Says:
Wow. That was entertaining on so many levels. And the bit about the men on the front lines was touching. You’re wrong for that Devry blast though, and you know it. War taking a muay thai class so that I can one day be like your boy in vid #2.
Posted on February 13th, 2009 at 9:31 am
myridon9 Says:
Here! Here! And wobbly legs are the ultimate “demasculator”.
Posted on February 13th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Sam J. Says:
A-Rod does deserve a break. I hate the double standard with the owners and Bud Selig. They knew what happened and turned the other way cause they pockets was on swole. Yes, they deserve to die…and I hope they burn in Hell!!!
Posted on February 13th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Matt Millen Says:
I’ve become so indifferent to baseball. It’s a dying sport.
Unless it involves the Yankees, Red Sox, and maybe the Dodgers, does anybody even care anymore who wins the World Series outside of the hometown fans?
Dear Mr. Selig, baseball needs something compelling. You need to create your own Kimbo Slice. Replace the Pirates or Royals with some misfits from the street, and let them use all the performance enhancing drugs they want. Let’s see how well they stack up to the rest of the league. That I would watch.
Posted on February 13th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
coffee Says:
it seems to be all about competition, winning at all costs, so it’s hard to blame players that shoot up;
is their job to be sports stars or is it to “play the game?”
Posted on February 14th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
jay.lane. Says:
Unnecessary blast toward Philadelphia: re: “Including the World Series, we have two straight championships going to horrible places to live.”
D.C. was a horrible place to be when I had to escape hooligans prying open bus doors on Inauguration Day, and the cops were nowhere to be found.
Besides that, the Nationals, Wizards, and Redskins all suck (or underperform; or both). When will any of those teams contend anytime soon? and for some reason the ‘Skins continue to employ James Thrash.
And as far as hockey goes, do the Washington Capitals still even exist?
(Oh wait, I looked it up; they lost in the playoffs last year to the Philadelphia Flyers.)
Outside of the needless Philly diss, good article. I like Federer, too, and dislike Nadal; and I’m glad I’m not in New York to witness the crucifixion of A-Rod on a daily basis.
Posted on February 15th, 2009 at 10:26 am
jay.lane. Says:
Okay, the video of the karate instructor knocking out the pimp is pretty refreshingly funny.
Also hilarious is Matt Millen’s post where he calls out the Pirates and Royals for being sh*tty.
Though George Brett is alive and well, he probably wants to immediately roll over in the grave he’ll one day inhabit for the way that team has been for like the last 15 years. Shameful when the best player on your team is your closer.
Shameful that I don’t even know who plays for the Pirates since Jason Bay got traded. Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla would roll over in their uninhabited graves as well.
Sid Bream and Doug Drabek just cry a lot.
Posted on February 15th, 2009 at 10:42 am
cjlatina Says:
Hey everyone, I just wanted people to know that Time Magazine has their “World’s Most Influential People in 2009″ poll up, so go vote for Obama. He is currently at a low spot. So we need to bring our Cool-Cat-Mega-Hot President to the #1 spot.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1883644,00.html
Posted on March 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
This Month in Blackness - What is Black? | BlackNewsTribune.com Says:
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Posted on April 3rd, 2009 at 7:35 am