Alex Rodriguez was always disliked, even often called 'Lightning Rod' for not being able to avoid trouble. But the level of hatred is reaching nuclear proportions...and it's just getting started.
Let me assure everyone that I am neither defending A-Rod, nor producing any confusion as to his guilt or need for punishment, This is simply a mocking of how baseball is trying to tap into our piling-on society to attempt to slickly cleanse itself of its sins.
A-Rod is not a great man and certainly is not a smart man. In fact, I have drawn parallels between his recent befuddling and predatory legal teams to the way Mike Tyson's stupidity allowed his career and life to be destroyed.
Common perception is that steroid use in baseball was rampant up until recently, many thinking as many as half the players having used them. Now it seems as if all of the guilty parties, which include owners, fans, media and worst of all the players themselves (whose union have thrown A-Rod out for the sacrifice), think that if they prop A-Rod up out on the cross, all of their guilt will just wash away in the storm.
Ryan Braun, who plays on the Brewers (the commissioner's team and in the midst of a terrible year) has been suspended the remainder of a meaningless season and will lose $3M of his $113M contract (and he was caught twice). Melky Cabrera last season was caught, then tried to deceive baseball in their investigation and was suspended 50 games. Other players this week will probably get in the 50-75 game range and will be allowed to appeal based upon what is in their or their team's best interests.
A-Rod is supposedly going to be suspended anywhere from 2 yrs. to life, with baseball allegedly invoking a "good-of-the-game" clause that will prevent him from playing during any appeals. He could stand to lose $40-87M. This is essentially happening because his team (The Yankees)is trying to avoid paying as much of the ludicrous contract (that they willingly gave him) as they can.
We hang A-Rod out in the public square for the stoning and then the rest of the guilty parties can get off with a slap on the wrist or even guilt-free. Again, not defending A-Rod (the unwilling Savior?), but something stinks.