Alex Rodriguez met with nearly 200 members of the media this afternoon. I watched a video of his six-minute opening statement. He read it as though he was seeing the pages for the first time, stumbling over phrases and pausing in the wrong spots.
Some of the text (and my comments):
... [I]n the years 2001, 2002 and 2003, I experimented with a banned substance that eventually triggered a positive test. [Note that I didn't fail a drug test, the substance triggered a positive result].
In September 2004, I had a meeting with Gene Orza. During that meeting, he explained to me that I had been among the players from which people might conclude that I had tested positive ... [or] might not have actually tested positive. ... [Thanks for that info, Gene!]
Going back to 2001, my cousin started telling me about a substance that you could purchase over the counter in the DR known in the streets as Boley or Bole. It was his understanding it would give me a dramatic energy boost and was otherwise harmless. My cousin and I - one more ignorant than the other - decided it was a good idea to start taking it. My cousin would administer it to me, but neither of us knew how to use it properly, proving just how ignorant we both were. It was at this point we decided to take it twice a month for about six months during the 2001, 2002 and 2003 season. We consulted no one and had no good reason to base that decision. It was pretty evident that we didn't know what we were doing.
[I had signed a $252 million contract, so why should I bother to do even one minute of research about this over-the-counter stuff (that had to be smuggled into the US) that I don't even know the actual name of? I'll just get my cousin, who isn't sure how to administer this stuff, which I don't think is steroids anyway, to inject me with it for at least six months. I was young and stupid -- and young. Sure, I had been playing in the majors for parts of seven years, but I was just a formerly poor kid who hadn't gone to college. And it's all GNC's fault.]
It sounds like the Q&A session -- during which reporters were not allowed to ask follow-up questions -- was a train wreck (something about how if you believe in it, water can be as beneficial as steroids?). If anyone sees a video or transcript, let me know.
His opening statement ended with: "And to my teammates ..." Rodriguez then paused for 38 seconds (!!!) in an obvious, and quite pathetic, attempt to force himself to become overcome with emotion ... alas, no tears or even mild lip-quivering were forthcoming, so he took a swig of bottled water, leaned forward and said, quietly, "... thank you".
17 comments:
Interesting. Yankee chats and blogs seemed to come away with a favorable impression of the press conference, believing that Arod came clean, told the truth, and that should be that. There were very few quibbles (from what I've seen around the tubes, far from a comprehensive survey).
I didn't see it, so it's hard to form a real opinion. I'm certainly skeptical, but I recognize that there isn't anything he could that would satisfy me. (unless, i suppose, he admitted to using steroids his entire career, willfully and knowingly, up until last year. At that point, there would be no point in holding anything back-- even then I might suspect him of still using.) I have no expectation of truth from any public figure in regard to steroids.
"Yankee chats and blogs seemed to come away with a favorable impression of the press conference, believing that Arod came clean, told the truth, and that should be that."
Then they'd love fellow Yankee fan Mike Francesa calling it a "load a garbage" and saying if you thought he was telling truth, you can go put your head back in the sand."
Maybe they were just too busy criticizing the Big Papi apology press conference that exists only in their minds.
By the way, I didn't write this. It was my mystery cousin who lives far, far away.
SoSHers were listening and reporting that Francesa was absolutely friggin' relentless on A-Rod for hours, as well as slapping down any and all callers who tried to defend his BS today.
Still looking for a Q&A transcript, but someone noted this quote: "I've laid in my bed. Now I have to sit on it."
Yankee chats and blogs seemed to come away with a favorable impression of the press conference, believing that Arod came clean, told the truth, and that should be that.
See my earlier comment on NYY fan forgiveness vs Red Sox fan never-forgiveness. Does it really even matter what A-Rod said today, as far as his fans and his haters go?
Another note on the parts Allan posted here: this substance is legal in the DR. A pathetic attempt to make it seem less illegal here.
If I'm ever caught with cocaine, I'm going to tell the police that cocaine was legal 100 years ago.
If I'm ever caught with cocaine, I'm going to tell the police that cocaine was legal 100 years ago.
That cracked me up!
Seriously, 48 seconds? That's insane. I'm starting to think he might be mildly autistic or something. He barely even seems like he's got human emotions.
If I'm ever caught with cocaine, I'm going to tell the police that cocaine was legal 100 years ago.
I'm riding shotgun on the trip to Boston!
My cousin and I - one more ignorant than the other - decided it was a good idea to start taking it.
I predict that there will be some mild tension at the next Rodriguez family reunion.
If I'm ever caught with cocaine, I'm going to tell the police that cocaine was legal 100 years ago.
Hey, if it was good enough for Pope Leo XIII, what's the big deal?
From Dirt Dogs - this is a comment old pal Johnny Damon made after Rodriguez's press conference:
Reporter: Johnny, what would have been worse [than Rodriguez's use of performance enhancers?
Damon: Murdering someone... There’s plenty of things that could be worse than what he did.
Well, that makes sense. Don't believe him? Look at the Ten Commandments. "Thou shall not kill" is in there but not "Thou shall not ingest questionable substances with thy cousin." Thank goodness 21st century Jesus is here to clarify everything.
Of course, there's also something in there about bearing false witness against your neighbor, i.e., misrepresening the truth.
just say you found it in your great grandfather's old trunk from before he was married. It would be legal so long as it was purchased before it was illegal. Right?
I'm just gonna say it. I am all for steroids and all of it. The more the better.
"Does it really even matter what A-Rod said today, as far as his fans and his haters go? "
But that's the thing about Francesa. This is a lifelong Yankee fan who just happens to see that the guy's a complete phony.
oh, and you can listen to Francesa online at wfan.com. I'm sure it'll be fun tomorrow, too. 1:00 PM.
Millionaire athletes never seem to shock me with thier ignorance and arrogance, that we are all stupid....He came off like a 16 year old who just got caught smoking pot in his room with his buddy....."it's not mine Mom , I swear".....
I could careless what he ever does on the filed from this point forward he is a punchline, a fraud, and a fucking moron....
Really now , drugs smuggled from the DR and strippers, imagine the shit we don't know about this clown yet......
Gordon Edes:
Truthful? Well, his story has changed already in a week’s time, and undoubtedly there will be further tweaking in the weeks, months, years to come. But let’s just take him at his word – admittedly a leap of faith – and accept the mind-numbing tale that he spun before a tent full of his New York Yankees teammates, general partner Hank Steinbrenner and a horde of media types Tuesday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field.
Joel Sherman:
Rodriguez wants us to believe that a person who treats his body like a temple allowed: 1) a cousin - not a trained professional - to inject drugs described only as "boli" into his body. 2) The drugs came from the Dominican and, thus, have dubious oversight. 3) He was not sure that the drugs were being administered correctly or at the right intervals or if they were having any positive results. 4) Yet, he continued to take them twice a month, for six months for three years.
So let's sum up: Fitness freak lets untrained relative shoot drugs that the fitness freak cannot fully identify or vouch are safe into his body 36 times, though the fitness freak is not sure he is taking the drugs correctly or if they are having a positive result.
*******
Jayson Stark:
Let's start with this: He sure didn't tell the same story Tuesday that he told to Peter Gammons a week and a half ago. Did he? Nine days ago, A-Rod didn't know what kind of drug (or drugs) he was taking -- even though he says he took it for three years.
Now, nine days later, he knows it was something called "Boli." Which, best we can tell, is another name for Primobolan, the exact drug he was asked point-blank by Gammons whether he had taken.
Nine days ago, there wasn't one word uttered about any mysterious cousins who were procuring this stuff and helping him inject it. Now, it's time to start poring over his family tree to try to figure out which cousin it was.
Nine days ago, A-Rod was implying that whatever he was taking, he was buying it down at the mall, presumably while he was waiting for an Auntie Anne soft pretzel to come out of the oven.
Now, he's admitting his cousin was the one doing the purchasing. And although he continued to say this drug was bought "over the counter," we now know that counter was located in the Dominican Republic, not outside his friendly neighborhood food court.
Nine days ago, there was no mention of any other "substances." But on Tuesday, Rodriguez admitted to ESPN's Hannah Storm that he also used to take Ripped Fuel, which was later banned -- at least in its original ephedra-based form -- by both baseball and the FDA.
And nine days ago, Rodriguez was angrily accusing universally respected Sports Illustrated reporter Selena Roberts of "stalking" him. Now, it turns out, he just had a "misunderstanding of the facts." So never mind.
Now let me ask you: Would a man whose mission was simply to tell the truth do that much zigzagging in a nine-day span? Sorry. That's tough to accept. ...
[H]ow come every time he gives us an answer, he also seems to leave us with another question?
*******
But that's the thing about Francesa.
It doesn't apply to everyone. But that doesn't mean it's not true.
Now Mike Francesa can be Yankee-haters' new BFF.
best pics with captions ever?
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