Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Was A-Rod an A-hole to the Media?

I'd like you to watch the following clip about the A-Rod steroid case by clicking here. The testing that happened years ago was supposed to be anonymous, yet A-Rod's name was published. Some journalists have argued that the other 103 names that tested positive for steroids don't need to be published. What do you think? Should their names be released just like A-Rod's. Do you think A-Rod was targeted because he has had poor relations with the media in the past.
What about A-Rod's claim that the Sports Illustrated reporter has been unnecessarily hounding him. Apparently there will be another press conference by A-Rod today around 1:30.
Do you think the press needs to be more active in covering steroid abuse in professional sports? What do you think about "public shame" that the video clip mentions? Is that the role that the media should serve in these cases?

23 comments:

mic g said...

I watched the Press Confrenece on ESPN today. I am a huge Yankees fan so I may be a little bias. I think A-Rod has been singled out by the media every since he signed the biggest contact in sports history with the Rangers back in 2001.
Saying that I dont think it gives him a free pass in this. Yes he was wrong for what he did and no he is not the only one that has done it. I think the other 103 names should be released. Then basbeall will have a chance to put this behind them.
A-Rod has since apologized for the comments that the SI reporter singled him out. A-Rod's press conference was good at first but he still didnt answer all the questions I thought the right way and with 100% honesty. And yes this is a bigger story than it would be with any other baseball player that is still playing today. He is the best player there is today and this will harm his legacy to some degree. But to think A-Rod is the ONLY player to have done steriods is crazy. Im willing to bet that before MLB passed the testin back in 2004 over 80% of ALL major leagueres have done some sort of illegal preformance enhanceaing drugs. Thats just may opinion tho. But I am an ex college athlete and I know the pressures of preforminag at a high level. I can only imagaine the pressures and temptations at a pro level..

Michael

Anonymous said...

Well, personally, I believe that all of thier names SHOULD be posted because they were all abusing their positions by using the steriods. Even if they were not trying to target A-Rod, it does seem that way. He was not the only one who abused steroids.

I do believe that A-Rod's poor relations with the media in the past could have helped the meida target him.

I do believe that the press needs to be more active in covering steroid abuse in prefessional sports because many people do not understand what they are doing to themselves with these steriods. I think they should cover it also because of the influence these professionals have on younger children and teenagers. Those that are influenced by the professionals need to know that this is not something they should try because it is not good for them.

And finally, no, I do not believe that this is the role that the media should serve in these cases.

D Douglas said...

If what was stated in the piece is correct, that the information was only uncovered while the reporter was gathering information for a book she is writing about Alex, then I feel the other names shouold not be shared with the public. Also, Major League Baseball should be held accountable for not destroying or keeping the files of those players who had failed drug testing during this specific time sealed. These two potential facts seem pretty concrete as strong reasons why the other players names should not be made public.

Alex has a terrible reputation with the media and also with a large majority of baseball fans. Stories of his arrogant ways have filled many sports pages, while sports radio's negative assertions about Alex are frequent topics. With all that being said, I find it hard to believe that he is being targeted specifically by the media. Alex is probably the best major leaguer out there right now, and it should come as no surprise to anyone that his name would garner so much attention under the circumstances. Even if all the names had been made public at the same time, Alex's name would still probably garner the most attention, simply because of who he is. The media does have an obligation to report good factually supported news, it is what the public wants. Cheating, no matter what form it may rear it's ugly head, garners our attention, we hate to feel we have been cheated by a cheater. Sports fans want to believe the athletes they are paying top doillar to watch are performing skills that no average joe could. Knowing that these athletes may only be as good as thier drugs will make them, could potentially cause fans to lose some enthusiasm for spending their hard earned dollars at stadiums and areans around the country. The media should provide the public with any information they come across that proves to the use of steroids in any professional sports league, the paying public has a right to knkow. Athletes have a certain degree of arrogance, which has assisted them in reaching their goals of professional sports. This same arrogance will not cause them to suffer, "public shame", they could careless about what you and I think. The athletes who have been caught, and who may be caught, are only going to be upset that they actually allowed themselves to be caught.

Casey said...

I think it would only be fair if the other 103 names were also released with A rod. The use of steroids sets a bad example for younger people who look up to these athletic figures and makes them think using performance enhancing drugs is ok to make them better athletes. It does seem like the media is especially hard on A rod, just like the media picks out political figures to go after also. This shows how much power the media really has, fair or not. If it was promised that the names were going to be kept anonymous, then I think that promise should have been kept, however I don't think it should have been made in the first place. I think the media should let the public know about these instances so the guilty is held accountable. Baseball is getting a bad reputation for using steroids and even though I dont agree with how they have unfairly gone after Alex, they are doing a good job of getting the truth out.

Casey Hubbard

tvan09 said...

Yes, I think those other 103 names should be made public. A-Rod was not singled out because of his relationship with the press. He was exposed by the SI writer for being a cheat and liar. Why even run the steroid tests if the results were only to be swept under the rug?

Steroid use and abuse has been a major problem in professional sports for a long time. Seems like every day you hear of another athlete who has tried to circumvent the system by using some type of performance enhancing drug. Many times this athlete is given a slap on the wrist and is allowed to deceived the American sports fan. McQuire and A-Rod are just a couple of the high-profile athletes that have been given a pass by governing bodies of these sports organizations.

However, ask Jackie Joiner Kersey about the harsh sanctions that the Olympic Committee imposed upon her for testing positive for steroids. It seems she has become the ultimate scape goat for the entire sports arena.

Yes, the press has an obligation to pursue these types of drug problems in sports. The American sports fan pays these athletes millions of dollars a year. I think that the players should have enough respect for the game and for the fans to accept the limits of his or her abilities without relying on performance enhancing drugs.

The "public shame" should be brought down on the sports organizations that allow these players to deceive the public. The players themselves should be held accountable for their actions, just as anyone who perpetrates fraud and deceit for personal gain.

brob09 said...

I watched the video and thought it was very comical. Now let me see, do I feel sorry for an athletic that makes millions and millions that has finally gotten caught doing something illegal and is crying like a baby. The answer to that is no I don't feel sorry for any of them. I think everyone of them should go down in disgrace. That won't happen because we will not allow something like that to happen to the high and mighty athletics. But now if that person was Joe the Plumber he would already be doing time. We seem to have gotten the notion that celebrities do not have to follow the same rules as us common people. I am not sure why that is true but it is. That is a very sad realization.
Oh bless A-hole, sorry I mean A-Rod's heart because he said I am sorry that I lied and did illegal drugs. He is sorry he broke the law. Oh boo hoo! What about the person who sells drugs and is caught. He says I am so sorry so should we just slap him on his hand and let him go. If we take a couple of these guys and make examples of them then we will see a change in behavior. But if nothing is going to be done to them then why should they stop. Oh yes, let's put him in jail for what 30 minutes like Nichole Richie. Wow, that will teach him a lesson and he would really feel the sting of what he had done.
Now I guess you can see what I think about any of these people that do steroids or any type of illegal drugs (Michael Phelps). They should have to abide by the same laws that all other regular Americans abide by. Now do they need to publish the other 103 names. Absolutely! Let everyone go down for what they did. Did they single A-Rod out. Absolutely
NOT. He should pay the price just as the others will eventually. I imagine there will be more confessions in the near future because the other 103 are probably sweating, wondering when their names will break the news.
I agree with tvan about Jackie Joyner Kersey that she has been made a scape goat because no one else paid that price.

The press usually can make or break a person. They can take a story and sensationalize it and make a person appear more guilty than they really are. Then they can also downplay a story and it seems to just go away. You have to use your own judgment about these stories. I can tell you that a true sports fanatic will not tarnish the reputation of any of these athletics. They will justify it and defend them at every level.

So is A-Rod an A-hole. Yes, he was that before the steroid story ever broke.

Beth Robinson

Dee Lewis said...

I am so tired of hearing about A-Rod. To tell you the truth, I never of heard of him until the Madonna incidents occurred. The media helped to reveal his deception to his wife, and I believe they stayed on him because they wanted to find more dirt on him. They thought "since he has all of these secrets,I bet you he has used steroids." Someone dug into his records and paid someone until they found the dirt they needed to get a good story. Personally, I could care less if the names are revealed, but they probably should be revealed to be fair.

I think that the media focus too much on athletes. I don't understand why the government is stepping in trying to regulate sports. We have so many problems in this country, and professional sports players would be my last concern. Yes, it is wrong to take steriods, but I think that it is up to the individuals over the league to punish the guilty players. I also agree that fans have the right to know if a player has been taking performance enhancing drugs. However, I am not a fan. The media's role is what is has always been: to reveal information to the public.

I think A-Rod's "public shame" lies within him. He is the one who took the drugs and lied about it to Katie Couric in an interview. He should be ashamed that he deceived his die hard fans and that he deceived his coach and entire team. A-Rod was definitely singled out because of his poor relations his past. Cheating. Madonna. Kabola. Divorce. Steroids. What's next? That is what the media is searching for.

tlr137 said...

I believe the media has to make a living just like A-Rod has to make a living. Steroid abuse is against the rules of this sport and I respect the rules. I have always been a Yankees fan so this explains how I really feel about steroid abuse. I think everyone who has been tested positive should be made public. This is an American sport and it should be respected. I will say this I respect A-Rod for coming clean. I think it takes a good bit of guts to come clean to something that can ruin your career.

Although, I do believe A-Rods relationship with the media could have caused the extra attention.

Caroline said...

Well the first thing you said was this is something that happened years ago. I don’t think they should drag mess out like this that happened approximately 8-9 years ago. I mean don’t we all have skeletons in the clause. Well what I did 8 0r 9 years ago is my business. I understand that he is a celebrity so to speak and people want to know what he is really like, but unless they are going to punish him and use him as an example to prove a point to young people today, then leave him alone!
I don’t think it is right for there to be 103 other people that allegedly did the same thing that A-Rod did and him be the only one that has to sit in the hot seat. No wonder he doesn’t like the media. Don’t they have enough current news and trash to talk about without digging up stuff that happened years ago.
As far as Sports illustrated hounding him, If the lady went to his house, I think that was inappropriate even if she was polite. He has to have some private life, even if he is a star or in the public eye. I think there is a time and a place for everything and when A-Rod is at his house, I think he should be off limits from the media. I think there should be a law protecting their private lives and private property.
I only think that they should cover this more actively if they are actually going to use it as a lesson for youngsters today about doing drugs. If they are just trying to stir up mess, then no I do not think it should be more coverage on this topic.
I’m not sure if I completely understand the Shame question, but for the most part I think they have shamed A-Rod for using steroids. They are shaming him for making wrong choices and I think enough is enough. I think they have done their damage and made their point. They have probably ruined what’s left of his reputation. They are causing stress at his home. He has two daughters, if I heard correctly on the video. I don’t know how old his girls are, but he is getting humiliated in front of his own children and the whole world. As Christians, that is wrong. Even if you aren’t a Christian, it is morally wrong to belittle someone and ruin their life, whether it is for a short time or for a lifetime. Let sleeping dogs lie!
Carolyn Stevens

Stacey Perkins said...

I personally don’t care if the other 103 names are published or not. If it proves possible or fruitful to do so in the future, they probably will be released. But I’m not certain that the media even has those names to release. From the clip it seems like they just stumbled upon A-Rod’s test results. The other 103 people tested were extremely lucky if they were using steroids at the time of the testing. I gathered from the clip that A-Rod’s test results only become known because a reporter was doing research for a story they were doing on A-Rod. If that’s true, then he wasn’t targeted in that sense. But was the media more willing to release the result because of A-Rod’s poor relationship with the press, probably so. The clip stated that A-Rod later apologized for the things he said about the reporter, which leads me to believe it was never true. It does seem like the only thing the media is accomplishing from printing steroid stories is a small black mark on that particular athletes record in the arena of public opinion. But that even seems to fade. It doesn’t even seem to be a matter of public awareness. It’s not like we are teaching society that there is some negative side effect to using steroids, because it doesn’t seem like these athletes are facing any consequences. But at least the media is leaving some record of these offenses, since it doesn’t seem like anyone else is.

Unknown said...

I think it the names shouldn't be released. I mean 2 wrongs don't make a right, so why stir up even more controversy by releasing the other names? I don't believe A-Rod was targeted because he had poor relations with the press and media. I think it was coincidence that it was his name that happened to be released but not purposefully. As far as the Sports Illustrated reporter hounding him, that happens to famous people all the time. I'm not saying its right to do so, but what makes him different, that he is being hounded like he says he is, from any other celebrity? I mean if his accusations are correct then I believe the reporter should leave him alone. t is not okay to break into houses or apartments.
Also, I don't think it is the job of the media and the press to put people to "public shame." Who does that? I know they wouldn't like it if they did something wrong and they were put to shame publicly! So why do that to someone else?! I don't think the press needs to cover steroid abuse in sports more than they already do. We hear enough about negative things in the news as it is and I personally don't care to hear about even more negativity.
-Nicole Elizabeth

David Layne said...

Based on what Greg Doyel said in the video, A-Rod's steroid use was stumbled upon by Sports Illustrated. The baseball union was supposed to make this testing anonymous but failed to do so. I DO NOT think the other names should be made public just as I do not think A-Rod's name should have been made public either.
I do think his poor relations with the media as well his Madona affair publicity makes him a bigger target for the media to go after.
However, I do side with him regarding the hounding he has put up with regarding the female reporter that was trying to break into his home. Reporters should have to live up to laws just like the rest of us.
I do feel that steroid use needs to be further investigated by the press. Baseball is revered as the Great American Pastime and these drug users have tarnished the image.
As far as "public shame" goes, I agree with the reporter that in the end, sometimes that is all that matters. These guys are rich and set for life, a tarnished image is about all you do to punish them.

amandakthrash said...

As a sports fan, I would love to think that all sports are true tests of athletic prowess and that no athletes cheat by using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Unfortunately, I live in the real world where I know that many athletes will take whatever steps necessary to give themselves an edge. A-Rod is one of the highest paid athletes in the history of sports. He earned this paycheck because of his ability to play baseball at a very high level. Can he really be blamed for doing whatever was in his power to ensure his finacial security? He is not alone in the world of high paid athletes who have either failed a drug test or have been accused of doping. The reason that his case is drawing so much attention is because his contract and his fan popularity put him on a pedastel. It is an unfortuante situation that our sports heroes fall into these traps, and it is sad that our future athletes see these guys with the big contracts and try to emulate them in every way so that maybe they will one day reach that level themselves. I don't think it is right, but I do (to a point) understand the "why" behind this behavior in athletes. Because these players violate rules, I do agree that all names should be released. In the real world, A-rod will be singled out more because of his celebrity than some of the others but they should all be available for public knowledge.

Amanda McCurley Thrash

JVJ1 said...

The question is should the media report on steroid abuse in professional sports and should the media "public shame" people? I believe that the media has a right and a responsibilty to report on misconduct in public sports. The reason I believe this is based on the fact that most of the fans watching sports played sports and did so without steroids. the whole point of the game is to challeng the human ability to overcome adversity and it takes a coward to cheat to the top. I think A-Rod is a bum. He should be banned from baseball for life like Pete Rose was for betting. A-Rod, Barry Bonds,and Mark McGuire have done more to ruin baseball than Pete Rose ever could have.
On the other side of the coin ultimetely baseball is a business and as a business it is there to simply make money. Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa all made huge revenue streams for their perspective organizations. My answser to the first question is simple if it is a sport or a business? If a sport then yes we need to know a bout steroid abuse. If it is a business then who cares????

Secondly I think that the media is the great equalizer with its public shame tactics. Most of the individuals that receive this treatment do so because of their actions. If they do not want public shame don't do something stupid like......take steroids.

Unknown said...

Putting my self in A-rods shoes, of course I would be angry that the leak happened. Yet at the same time it still happened and I don’t think the information being out there means it should now be examined. I do not think the other names should be released. This was supposed to be an anonymous test. . Just because one name leaked doesn’t mean everyone’s name should as well. And I do not think A-rod was really targeted at all. He is a big name who draws attention to himself. What does he expect? If a drug test of anyone famous leaked we would probably hear about it in the news. This is no different. The press doesn’t like a lot of people. But I don’t think the press is unfairly going after A-rod in this case. He a big name…something leaked…and a story was written. If A-rod hadn’t have been such a jerk about it and just admitted to it…did a little PSA…then it would all be over and the press would be saying he was a great recovering role model. If he doesn’t want the press hounding him, maybe he shouldn’t give them so many reasons too.
I think the press should be more active in covering steroid use, but in a different way. They need to take a more positive approach. They don’t need to be hounding people. They need to talk to people who want to talk about it…people who are recovering and who can explain to these young kids how wrong this is. It is really MLB who needs to step up and get in there and not let these things be ok. And I do not agree with public shame. Everyone makes mistakes. And when you are someone like A-rod, in his position, are you really going to feel shame? The media should report the news and let it go.

Unknown said...

Putting my self in A-rods shoes, of course I would be angry that the leak happened. Yet at the same time it still happened and I don’t think the information being out there means it should now be examined. I do not think the other names should be released. This was supposed to be an anonymous test. . Just because one name leaked doesn’t mean everyone’s name should as well. And I do not think A-rod was really targeted at all. He is a big name who draws attention to himself. What does he expect? If a drug test of anyone famous leaked we would probably hear about it in the news. This is no different. The press doesn’t like a lot of people. But I don’t think the press is unfairly going after A-rod in this case. He a big name…something leaked…and a story was written. If A-rod hadn’t have been such a jerk about it and just admitted to it…did a little PSA…then it would all be over and the press would be saying he was a great recovering role model. If he doesn’t want the press hounding him, maybe he shouldn’t give them so many reasons too.
I think the press should be more active in covering steroid use, but in a different way. They need to take a more positive approach. They don’t need to be hounding people. They need to talk to people who want to talk about it…people who are recovering and who can explain to these young kids how wrong this is. It is really MLB who needs to step up and get in there and not let these things be ok. And I do not agree with public shame. Everyone makes mistakes. And when you are someone like A-rod, in his position, are you really going to feel shame? The media should report the news and let it go.

Leb23 said...

I do believe that A-Rod has been targeted by the media. Because he is a big name the media automatically want to find fault in him. I don't think that the media should have released his name, and I don't believe that they should release any other name. It is not societies business to know who has done steriods and who has not. A-Rod's steriod use is between him and whoever deals with players steriod use.
Also, there are many other players that have done steriods. To single him out is wrong. A-Rod did steriods before they passed the rule back in 2004, so he should not be punished for his actions. I think that it was right for him to come out and to admit it. He is an influence for younger generations. Therefore, he needs to own up to his mistakes. He needs to influence younger generations to not do steriods because of the effects that they can have on the body.
Leanna Baldner

Juliet said...

Yes, I think Alex is being singled out because the other names on the list that tested positive have not been released. Alex had to admit he used steroids because of the test being leaked. The leaking of his name does not excuse his use of steroids to improve his performance on the baseball field. His name will forever be linked to steroid use and I think this will prevent him from being voted into the baseball hall of fame. When people see athletes being paid millions of dollars the expectations for them are higher than those who do not appear in mainstream media.
I think there is more to Alex’s story and I am sure the media will be following up on his remarks made at the press conference. I don’t think the efforts by the media are done to shame the athletes. I think the media does its job in trying to expose the cheats.
The players were told in 2003 if they submitted to the test the results would remain confidential. The Mitchell report changed all of that when the investigators tried to put the pieces together based on the interviews they received for the report. I think the baseball union could have done a better job of protecting the privacy of the players in this situation.

Juliet Richard

Richard V. Shields III said...

Had all of the names on the list of drug tests failures been published, the claim of singling A-Rod out would have vanished and no more harm would have been done to the rest of the list than was done to Rodriquez. Because he's one of the bigger names in baseball, it's difficult to separate the newsworthiness of focusing on A-Rod from the possibility of the focus resulting from the media's dislike of him. The tie-breaker is likely to be measured in money in the form of magazine sales and TV ads. But again, the publication of all of the names would have removed this suspicion as well.
In regards to Rodriguez' accusation of the reporter hounding him, the risks to the reporter and to her employer are far too great to take that kind of chance, even if she were tempted to do so. And Alex's admission to previous lies certainly don't inspire skeptics to believe him now.
I have no problem with the press coverage of the subject, if it's done for the sake of news rather than the sake of sensationalism. But phrases like "public shame" are not news. They are judgments and clear indicators that the press is saying, or inferring, what we should conclude.

Unknown said...

Well so many things to address. I’m not a big fan of sports so, I didn’t even know who ARod was before this discussion. However, the baseball league or who ever was responsible for the testing needs to do something. They need to 1 pay for their leak and 2 I don’t think they should leak the other names. Unfortunately A’Rod was leaked because he is a super star not only on the field but he seems to be quite a celebrity off the field this makes all your personal business harder to keep a secret. I would want to know who leaked the info and how much did they get paid to ruin someone’s career when the testing was years ago not even current. I’m sorry but baseball and other sports programs are certainly known for steroid use and the fans and media is to blame for that. Now to the reporter. She is writing a story on A Rod was he complicit with this story or is this story what ever she wants to focus on based on her personal opinion and therefore dug real deep to find some dirt. Pathetic she is just jealous that she doesn’t have the money or the fame he has. And if his accusations are true that she sneaks around his house ect that is horrible and really pathetic.

Melissa Doty

Deb said...

I am really at the point where I am not the least bit shocked to hear of another high profile baseball player getting busted for steroid use! I was talking to my husband about it and I am sure there are guys that don't use steroids but a lot of them do! I'm not sure how I feel about the release of the other names who were tested positive. On one hand it would be fair to A-Rod and to the players who were not abusing this drug. On the other hand A-Rod is a very high profile player and if the media gets any dirt on you it is expected that they will use it against you! I don't think that A-Rod's relationship with the media would have made a difference with them running the story. Even if it was a good relationship they would still run the story to sell, sell, sell!

As far as the Sports Illistated reporter hounding him unnecessarily, I think that is their job! Do I think the media goes too far most of the time...Yes! But that is something that comes with fame! To be honest I would have rather not known about all the steroid stuff with these players because it gives such a jaded view of the sport. I feel like whenever their is a good player the question will always be "Does he use steroids?" I would have rather just enjoyed the games.

Unknown said...

I played against A-Rod and let me tell you i didn't see it coming. I saw this kid play in high school and he had a lot of talent. I was told in 2000 by a friend that they thought he was doing steroids. I didn't believe it. Boy, I was shocked. I think they should publish the names. If you do the crime you do the time. All these players that took the chance of getting caught using illegal drugs, should pay the price. I chose not to take steroids, just because it was wrong and I like to keep the game pure. Everybody is equal, just like the Olympics. I think he was targeted because he is a high profile player who reached goals so quickly. That made him a target right away. Now it didn't hurt that he was jerk to the media. That just made it more inviting. I don't believe in anyway that the reporter was harassing him. He was trying to spin it on her and really was kind of a ploy to take the heat off of himself. Bad move in my part.      Personally I think the media is doing its job the right way, report the news. They report to us anyway and any story. The problem with baseball is the union. They are really strong and the owners can't break them. So us as players feel like we could get away with anything. Teams will help dissolve the situation because of money and bad publicity, the union will becasue they have to. Sure they should find out more about whose doing steroids and where they are getting it.        I will finish with this note. When the find one player doing steroids there's probably a long line of people and players behind them. That's how get introduced to it. From another player. That's a fact. Larry Thomas

Unknown said...

A-Rod and all the other 103 names should be released. Following the strike of 1994, major league baseball needed to pump up the fans. And what better way to do it than the long ball. During the sterioid laden era of baseball, we got to see some pretty remarkable power hitting from Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, A-Rod, Barry Bonds, and company. It was a very excited time for baseball and america. While it's unfortunate to discover the truth today, we should release the names of all the players and leave it at that. Public shame is enough punishment for these professional players who must face the public everyday. The spotlight and ridicule from the fans will be adequate punishment. A-rod has been singled out just as Barry Bonds has been. They deserve to be singled out. These players must understand that they are role models, and their actions on the field and off have consequences.
The press should have an active role in these stories, because it's important to keep everyone straight. At the same time, we should forgive and forget and allow these players to move on with their careers. Everyone makes mistakes, and I do believe that these guys are all good people. I would like to believe that they play baseball because they love the game. That's why i follow baseball. We need to move on and play ball!