Alex Rodriguez - perhaps the greatest player in baseball today - is the latest player to be tarnished by performance enhancing drugs. Unfortunately, with 103 other players on the list, that doesn't make A-Rod unique. Nor is it fair to have his name leaked just because of his $250 million salary while others stay anonymous. The issue here isn't even the use of steroids between 2001-2003 and the message it sends to the youth of America. Baseball players shouldn't automatically qualify as role models. It has everything to do with telling the truth. That's what athletes, actors, politicians, CEOs and others who find themselves under public scrutiny too often fail to realize until it's too late. They owe us that much. Spare us the denials. Take a cue from President Obama when he took blame for a nominee not working out, saying, "I screwed up." That was refreshing, and Americans get that. On the other hand, if we are looking for heroes at a sporting event we need look no further than the Super Bowl and presence of the crew of the "Miracle on the Hudson" who crash-landed Flight 1549 and the leader of our troops in Iraq, General David Petraeus. Let's hope A-Rod makes up in a big way for his lack of candor. Americans are a forgiving bunch. 
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Super Bowl One Week - Steroid Scandal The Next
Alex Rodriguez - perhaps the greatest player in baseball today - is the latest player to be tarnished by performance enhancing drugs. Unfortunately, with 103 other players on the list, that doesn't make A-Rod unique. Nor is it fair to have his name leaked just because of his $250 million salary while others stay anonymous. The issue here isn't even the use of steroids between 2001-2003 and the message it sends to the youth of America. Baseball players shouldn't automatically qualify as role models. It has everything to do with telling the truth. That's what athletes, actors, politicians, CEOs and others who find themselves under public scrutiny too often fail to realize until it's too late. They owe us that much. Spare us the denials. Take a cue from President Obama when he took blame for a nominee not working out, saying, "I screwed up." That was refreshing, and Americans get that. On the other hand, if we are looking for heroes at a sporting event we need look no further than the Super Bowl and presence of the crew of the "Miracle on the Hudson" who crash-landed Flight 1549 and the leader of our troops in Iraq, General David Petraeus. Let's hope A-Rod makes up in a big way for his lack of candor. Americans are a forgiving bunch. 
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