Here ya go A-Rod apologists!

[joelsabi]

If a health specialist instructs a group of teenagers on practicing safe sex, does that mean that every one of them was having sex?

[3arod13]

Why is it that when someone like Canseco or Rocker make some allegation about a player that indicates he may have used steroids a bunch of people automatically want to believe they did. I have no idea which players have used steroids or any other drugs and neither do you. We know there are players who have used we don't know about. Whatever the truth is let it come out. But don't go accusing people of misconduct until it is actually shown they did use drugs. Rocker says some Ranger players were told how to use steroids by a doctor. (1) Did it happen? (2) Did all the players who were told about how to used drugs actually use them? These same people who are accusing ARod or any other player would be the most outraged if someone made an accusation against them of bad conduct that was immediately accepted as true without any credible proof.

Agree! However, it's human nature in today's society. Some people are just haters! Simply put...Haters!

It's ridiculous what this has turned into. Move on...get a life...we know it happened...move on! (meaning enough is enough on this issue)

[3arod13]

If a health specialist instructs a group of teenagers on practicing safe sex, does that mean that every one of them was having sex?

Joel...WELL SAID! My point exactly. How the originator got this out of reading that article is odd to me.

Oh, that's right...an Arod hater!

[cjclong]

All of us have players we like and others we are not fond of. That's just part of sports. But I don't take any joy in finding out anyone has used steroids, hgh, etc. I'm a Yankee fan, but I would take no pleasure in hearing that David Ortiz or Josh Beckett was busted for drugs. I often wonder why some people seem so happy to hear and spread allegations against others, not seeming to care how true or untrue they are. It makes me wonder if they have a low opinion of themselves and it makes them happy to think everyone else is as bad as they think they are?

[3arod13]

All of us have players we like and others we are not fond of. That's just part of sports. But I don't take any joy in finding out anyone has used steroids, hgh, etc. I'm a Yankee fan, but I would take no pleasure in hearing that David Ortiz or Josh Beckett was busted for drugs. I often wonder why some people seem so happy to hear and spread allegations against others, not seeming to care how true or untrue they are. It makes me wonder if they have a low opinion of themselves and it makes them happy to think everyone else is as bad as they think they are?

Another post well said! Some get it...some don't!

[3arod13]

Funny we were saying the samething about Canseco.....

And many of us are still saying it.

[kingjammy24]

All of us have players we like and others we are not fond of. That's just part of sports. But I don't take any joy in finding out anyone has used steroids, hgh, etc. I'm a Yankee fan, but I would take no pleasure in hearing that David Ortiz or Josh Beckett was busted for drugs. I often wonder why some people seem so happy to hear and spread allegations against others, not seeming to care how true or untrue they are. It makes me wonder if they have a low opinion of themselves and it makes them happy to think everyone else is as bad as they think they are?

maybe. maybe it's tall poppy syndrome. i think some may view it as comeuppance of sorts. they view the lives of these millionaire superstar athletes as "unjust" in the sense that they're grossly overpaid. watching them fall seems like justice for all the folks who break their backs to make in a month what these players make in 1 at-bat. class warfare of sorts. same reason people cheered when paris hilton and martha stewart went to jail. i think the general sports-watching public has long had a deep resentment of the insane salaries in sports and arod, being the $250MM man, is the epitome of insane salaries.

that said, i don't think most people set their sights on average players. arod's a target because he chose to become "the highest paid player in baseball". from the start, it was impossible to live up to the expectations of $250MM. boras helped only himself with that contract. arod could've accepted a lesser amount and escaped all of the pressures and expectations of being the $250MM man. that said, arod hasn't exactly had a smooth ride in ny, from his wife's "fu*k you" shirt to his ball slap in the '04 ALCS to his opting out debacle to publically carousing with a stripper. he doesn't make it easy on himself. at $250MM, people have some lofty expecations. due to the money and the hype, they'll hold him to fire on things that they'd give other players a free pass on. i don't think it's necessarily unfair though. afterall, if you want to be the $250MM man and be regarded as the best player in baseball, then you need carry yourself like the $250MM on and off the field. i don't recall folks wanting ripken or gwynn to fall. then again, i don't remember alicia gwynn telling jack murphy stadium to fu*k off or cal publically carousing with strippers.

rudy.

[joelsabi]

"Alex Rodriguez, along with two other teammates, was a part of this casual conversation. In no way, shape, or form do I believe or have I ever alluded to the opinion that Alex has ever been involved with the use of any Performance Enhancing Drug."

--John Rocker (today)

[frikativ54]

"Alex Rodriguez, along with two other teammates, was a part of this casual conversation. In no way, shape, or form do I believe or have I ever alluded to the opinion that Alex has ever been involved with the use of any Performance Enhancing Drug."

--John Rocker (today)

Honestly, I think Rocker's a coward. He's probably backtracking at the advice of lawyers. It is naive to think that Rocker has made this decision of his own volition.

[David]

A problem is that many athletes lie to the public about their drug use (Marion Jones, Raphael Palmiero et al), which means that many fans aren't going to believe every athletes who deny drug use. Marion Jones wrote in bold red letters in her autobiography that she never used steroids, never would and it was against her morals-- then, lo and behold, several years later she admits she had used drugs before she wrote the book.

If innocent athletes are to blame anyone for fans not believing them, they shouldn't blame the fans-- they should blame their fellow athletes who lie to the fans. It is those lying athletes who have conditioned fans do be suspect of claims of innocence.

That for many years players prevented drug testing and penalties only reinforces in many fans' minds that the players as a class are against the disclosure of information about drug use. Realize that all labor agreements are voted upon by the players, and it was the players, not just some Union lawyer, that prevented drug testing. Fans know that players, at least as a majority vote, have a long history of preventing the dissemination of drug information to others, including to the fans.