Sunday, February 08, 2009
Dear A-Rod...
By Betsy Ross, president
Game Day Communications
One day God stood in front of a young Jack Nicklaus and a young Arnold Palmer. “Jack,” God smiled, “you will be the greatest golfer of your time and win a record number of major titles. You will win just about every trophy imaginable.”
And then God turned and put his arm around Arnold. “But Arnie,” God smiled, “the people will love you more.”
Substitute Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter for Jack and Arnie, and you sense the frustration that A-Rod must feel these days. Despite all his awards and individual achievements in baseball, the people love Derek more.
And now, the people have another reason not to like A-Rod: The stench of steroids has reached back from 2003 and settled on him like Madonna’s perfume. Quick refresher: Even though baseball said players couldn’t use performance-enhancing drugs without a doctor’s prescription, there was no punishment for doing so until after A-Rod’s supposed anonymous test sample. While the federal government and players’ union battle over who owns those samples and, eventually, who leaked A-Rod’s name, Rodriguez himself must twist slowly in the winds of popular opinion over whether he did, didn’t and what do we do with the home run records and MVP awards he has.
You know what? I don’t care what he took. We’re all grownups here, and we know that baseball players have been taking some kind of enhancement since the beginning of the game. Speed to get through doubleheaders—cocaine to get through life. Heck, no-hitters have been pitched in the fog of a hangover! If Alex Rodriguez looks around and sees other players using performance enhancers and making big money, we would be naïve to think he would turn the other cheek (literally).
The P.R. maelstrom that A-Rod now faces is THE BIG LIE. One can only hope he has learned from Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, even Martha Stewart and Bill Clinton: It’s not the transgression that gets you into trouble—it’s lying about the transgression that slides you into deep (you know what). Andy Pettit comes out, yes, yep, I used it, I’m sorry, and it’s over with. Period. Didn’t try to cover up, lie about it or even blame a teammate. Fess up, say I’m sorry, and yes I didn’t tell Katie Couric the truth and I apologize for that, as well. Have one news conference, answer questions, then say “I’m never going to talk about it again.”
Because look in the mirror and ask yourself: If you could take a pill that would allow you do to your job better, give you more energy, make your productivity go up and, in turn, give you a big fat raise (and you knew co-workers were taking it), wouldn’t you take that pill? Most of us wouldn’t hesitate.
Now, if A-Rod could just find a pill to make the people love him more. I’m not sure that one has been invented yet.
Game Day Communications
One day God stood in front of a young Jack Nicklaus and a young Arnold Palmer. “Jack,” God smiled, “you will be the greatest golfer of your time and win a record number of major titles. You will win just about every trophy imaginable.”
And then God turned and put his arm around Arnold. “But Arnie,” God smiled, “the people will love you more.”
Substitute Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter for Jack and Arnie, and you sense the frustration that A-Rod must feel these days. Despite all his awards and individual achievements in baseball, the people love Derek more.
And now, the people have another reason not to like A-Rod: The stench of steroids has reached back from 2003 and settled on him like Madonna’s perfume. Quick refresher: Even though baseball said players couldn’t use performance-enhancing drugs without a doctor’s prescription, there was no punishment for doing so until after A-Rod’s supposed anonymous test sample. While the federal government and players’ union battle over who owns those samples and, eventually, who leaked A-Rod’s name, Rodriguez himself must twist slowly in the winds of popular opinion over whether he did, didn’t and what do we do with the home run records and MVP awards he has.
You know what? I don’t care what he took. We’re all grownups here, and we know that baseball players have been taking some kind of enhancement since the beginning of the game. Speed to get through doubleheaders—cocaine to get through life. Heck, no-hitters have been pitched in the fog of a hangover! If Alex Rodriguez looks around and sees other players using performance enhancers and making big money, we would be naïve to think he would turn the other cheek (literally).
The P.R. maelstrom that A-Rod now faces is THE BIG LIE. One can only hope he has learned from Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, even Martha Stewart and Bill Clinton: It’s not the transgression that gets you into trouble—it’s lying about the transgression that slides you into deep (you know what). Andy Pettit comes out, yes, yep, I used it, I’m sorry, and it’s over with. Period. Didn’t try to cover up, lie about it or even blame a teammate. Fess up, say I’m sorry, and yes I didn’t tell Katie Couric the truth and I apologize for that, as well. Have one news conference, answer questions, then say “I’m never going to talk about it again.”
Because look in the mirror and ask yourself: If you could take a pill that would allow you do to your job better, give you more energy, make your productivity go up and, in turn, give you a big fat raise (and you knew co-workers were taking it), wouldn’t you take that pill? Most of us wouldn’t hesitate.
Now, if A-Rod could just find a pill to make the people love him more. I’m not sure that one has been invented yet.
