Questions for A-Rod?

[micke77]

One question that I would want to ask of teammates who have unified in support of A-Rod is this:
"Are you showing true, genuine support of a teammate because you believe in him or are you doing this out of a selfish realization that his talent is required for all of y'all to be successful?"

I have covered the games people play long enough to fully realize that it's kosher for teammates to be unified when such controversy occurs, but how much of it is truly thought out or more of a "good ol' boys" network. I have found it, too often, to be so shallow in its thinking and approach.

 

[cranberry]

An enterprise we devote long hours and big bucks to covering has systematically tried to prevent us from knowing certain truths.

Can you give an example of this? Because, really, A-Rod has every right in the world to say, "None of your business" and just walk away. He's not obligated to say anything to anyone and it seems to me he's going way out of his way to get past this episode.

BTW, your terminology about teammates demonstrating that they "have his back" suggests that someone or something is planning to blind-side him. That's us vs. them stuff too.

It's a way of demonstrating to A-Rod, their teammate, that they're being supportive. They probably don't give a **** what anyone else thinks.

 

[micke77]

I see some of this "group love" by teammates almost like the proverbial fisticuffs that break out after a brush back pitch and the Joe Smoes run from the bullpen to help out, probably not even having a clue as to what to do or why in the hell they're even out there in the first place.
It's done because every Tom, **** and Harry has done it for eons before and, well hell, it's part of being a teammate or tradition.
"Hey, my dude mates are doing it so I better get my ass out there."
Same with this kind of stuff, I think.
Again, has it been thought out or is it a simple knee-jerk, better-go-along-with-the-crowd line of thinking?

 

[Andy _ Kent]

Can you give an example of this? Because, really, A-Rod has every right in the world to say, "None of your business" and just walk away. He's not obligated to say anything to anyone and it seems to me he's going way out of his way to get past this episode.

Do you really think he would have gone out of his way to come forward had the SI story never been broken?

And yeah, he has every right in the world to say "None of your business," and just walk away. Of course, seeing how well that has worked out for Clemens, McGwire, Sosa and the rest, I think it's safe to say his handlers didn't need to try too hard to convince A-Rod not to go down that road.

I can't believe there are people out there, credible people like Buster Olny and Tim Kurkijian, willing to be so quick to commend A-Rod for doing something no other player of his stature has done by "telling the truth" when he blatantly and willingly lied to Katie Couric last year on "60 Minutes," and then proceeded to attack Selena Roberts in the Gammons interview while at the same time dodging all of the tough topics. I thought one of the last questions was perhaps one of the best, when A-Rod was asked why, after lying to Couric, and then being guarded with Gammons, thus allowing bits and pieces of the story to have to be addressed in each interview, we should believe that what he said today is the whole truth and nothing but the truth? He didn't really have a good answer for that one.

 

[micke77]

Andy_Kent....i posted a very similar reaction earlier...same sentiments here for the most part. let's not get all touchy-feely and compliment A-Rod for "admitting" he did it...had it not been revealed, you can't convince me he would be coming out. no way he would have and i'll never be convinced otherwise...and as you said, some vet scribes have gone all mushy on us and are raving about the courageousness of A-Rod for doing this. come on, guys, you're sharper than that...

 

[shockey]

I can't believe there are people out there, credible people like Buster Olny and Tim Kurkijian, willing to be so quick to commend A-Rod for doing something no other player of his stature has done by "telling the truth" when he blatantly and willingly lied to Katie Couric last year on "60 Minutes," and then proceeded to attack Selena Roberts in the Gammons interview while at the same time dodging all of the tough topics. I thought one of the last questions was perhaps one of the best, when A-Rod was asked why, after lying to Couric, and then being guarded with Gammons, thus allowing bits and pieces of the story to have to be addressed in each interview, we should believe that what he said today is the whole truth and nothing but the truth? He didn't really have a good answer for that one.

those commending a-rod are suck-ups of the espn/national variety trying to keep setting things as cozy as possible with with a-fraud. plain and simple.

shame on the beat guys for not having each other's backs on the "one-and-done" b.s. why couldn't THEY have followed up each other's questions? what. a. farce.

 

[Andy _ Kent]

micke77,

Glad to see I'm not alone on this. I was hoping I wasn't going crazy when I found myself getting a little sick to my stomach as I watched this unfold on ESPN with Olny, Kurkjian and then a little while ago, LeBatard and Kornheiser on PTI. Is it just a coincidence that all these guys work for the WWL, who just so happens to have billion$ invested in MLB?

And shockey, I'm right with you on that. I couldn't believe nobody followed up the Selena Roberts question after he squirmed his way out of the first one. And there were plenty of other well-worded questions that he danced around and nobody followed up. I know in that kind of setting, with hundreds of media trying to get a word in, you have a list of questions on your notepad and you know you're only going to get one shot with the mike, but it's our duty as reporters to listen to all of the questions and answers at a press conference and if a clear follow-up is warranted, you ask it and sacrifice one of your own questions. You'll still be able to write your story after 35 minutes of back and forth and you'll not only help yourself, but the reading public.

 

[Joe Williams]

If all the Yankees are going to literally stand united behind A-Rod during the news conference, in an attempt to show solidarity and perhaps bully the assembled media, my question would be: "Since you're all here, can those of you who have ever used performance-enhancing supplements please raise your hands for the official record? Thank you."

Nice job.

I felt the same way when I heard about the massive turnout expected from fellow teammates. It struck as a way of eyeballing the media folks who ask the tough questions, with the implication that they'd be remembering that as the season goes forward. That wouldn't likely have a chilling effect on the news reporters and sports investigative people working this story, but it could give pause to some beat people or regular columnists.

Hopefully, there will be more independent-minded journalists present who won't be affected by that "A-Rod's gang vs. the media gang" dynamic.

They didn't flood the head table and stand directly behind A-Rod, so my point is moot. Guess I was envisioning something along the lines of the Sprewell press conference after he choked Carlisemo, when a bunch of fellow Warriors like Joe Smith, Chris Webber, Felton Spencer and others literally stood behind Spree and kind of eyeballed the assembled scribes.

He never did apologize properly, publicly, to Roberts, right? Unless I missed it. I just heard him say he was mistaken about a police report that he thought was a "citation."

 

[Andy _ Kent]

Joe,

You are correct. He never did properly aplogize publicly, and like I said above, nobody pressed him on it after the original question.

 

[Minister_of_What?]

very few people have the fortitude and the conviction to call it how they see it: A-rod is a liar, a fraud, a thief, and he's still lying, even under the guise of coming clean.

 

[schiezainc]

I heard a very interesting question that I'm not sure was answered today. Someone should have asked A-Roid what advantage it gave him. How did it make him feel? Did he notice a difference?

Also, if my understanding is correct, he stopped because he was afraid of being caught. Therefore, I would have asked him: "If you knew you wouldn't get caught, would you still be using today?"

Oh, and by the by, I dare someone to ask him if he regrets using them.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

So long as access continues to trump near-term integrity, especially when ESPN
has tumbled headlong into bed with the psychologically-torturned Richie Rich *****,
things won't change . . .