Will A-Rod Come Clean?
Several weeks back a NY tabloid foolishly wondered whether sports was needed in a local newscast. If anything, sports is big news in the Big Apple. Joe Torre, A-Rod and Michael Phelps have shown that. Many newscasts, ours included, see these items as eye catchers, more important than our nation's economy or President Obama's first four weeks in office.
Foolish? Sure! Part of what I and a friend in Fairfield call 'The Dumbing Down Of America?' You bet. Folks, when you see stories like why Jason Giambi wears a thong in the first block of a newscast (like last May) rest assured its assumed the average viewer doesn't have the attention span to pay attention to hard news.
We'll see more over hype and overkill from the newsies when Alex Rodriguez has his say in front of the NY press corps tomorrow. What a circus that will be! But unlike Ringling Bros, which is staged to the last detail, we have NO idea what Rodriguez will say Tuesday afternoon.
Will A-Fraud stonewall the press by not being specific about WHERE he got his PED's and WHO from? Will he apologize again to Selena Roberts, "that lady" he blasted on ESPN, only to admit mea culpa? (Got to hand it to Roberts. She's managed a journalistic comeback of sorts. She ripped the Duke lacrosse team a new body cavity, never to apologize after the kids were exonerated. Fortunately, the public has a short memory, and Roberts can live off the proceeds of her soon to be released book on Rodriguez)
But will A-Rod leave us all hanging tomorrow, just as he did his handpicked questioner Peter Gammons last week? You know Adulte-Rod won't be joking about his quiet week, like he did in Miami Friday night. The assembled masses will want to know why the pressure in Texas was so great he had to use the juice, while in NY, Rodriguez stayed au natural. Why did he lie to Rangers owner Tom Hicks?
You can best your last dollar many PR types are prepping Alex on what to say and how to say it. Even the presence of Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter is a sham to some degree. A-Rod won't win too many popularity contests. It turns out 4 players are the 'sources' that were the backbone of Selena Roberts' 'breakthrough' story in Sports Illustrated.
I'm sure we'll all be tuned in Tuesday at 1:30 (Watch the press conference LIVE on wpix.com). Alex Rodriguez will be in the center ring, highlighting a side show that he, baseball, and many fans wish would just go away. But like a car wreck or gory horror movie, we just have to look.
Finally, congratulations to our Lolita Lopez and producer Caroline Kovach. They've been nominated for a local Emmy for their profile of Brad Hennefer, the Cherry Hill, NJ product who lettered in golf and baseball in high school despite having Down's Syndrome. Check out Brad's inspioring story here. The story appeared only on our local sportscast.
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Comments: 5
Lets get over A-rod and get on with baseball. 140+ were tested positive. Release all the names or put this to bed.
New sports anchor on the way? Lolita is nice,but no Sal. HOW ABOUT GLEN ???
Just watched the Press Conference. Alex Rodriguez did explain some of the unanswered questions. There still is some grey area, but he did well for the day.
Me too, James. Didn't like it. Thought he could have made some real strides here (especially with all the coaching he had), but he didn't sway me to his side. The long pause in the beginning when he talked about his teammates....THAT WAS PAINFUL!!! The whole cousin story??? Where did that come from (and wasn't that a conveinient story)? All in all, I feel the same way I did after the Gammons/ESPN interview....in need of a shower.
All the steroid use in baseball is getting ridiculous! i don't think that those who reach milestones like home runs and things like that, while using steroids, should receive credit for it. It only takes away from the greats who did it the right way.
I totally agree with you. Baseball is such a fun. Its sad that the all-american sport has been tainted by drug use.