That twosome was also spotted wearing matching outfits. You see, Squawker Jon, if Tom Brady would agree to it, why won't you for our Squawker blog photo? Of course, Tom and Gisele are wearing black shirts and blue jeans, and I want us to wear matching Snuggies, but still!
Anyhow, I digress. I was a bit taken aback to see this headline in the Boston Herald -"Sympathy for Yankees slugger":
Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis told the media this about A-Rod:
“It’s an unfortunate thing to hear that,” Youkilis said. “It’s also a good thing that he came out and admitted it. Sometimes it’s hard to go out there and admit to something in your past. There’s a lot of people in this world who have done something wrong. Myself, I’ve done things wrong, not in that nature.
“But it’s tough. I think it’s tough for people in general in life to admit to some of the things they’ve done wrong.”
The first baseman went on to wonder why A-Rod's name was the only one leaked from the 104-player list:“I don’t know if someone had it in for him,” Youkilis said. “It seems like just to take one name out of that group is a little odd. The whole thing is kind of unfortunate. Some of the players were betrayed (when the confidential results were leaked).Those weren't the only sympathetic comments in Beantown. Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe called out the New York tabloids for being too harsh on A-Rod.
Shaughnessy also criticizes out those Boston fans who are rejoicing over the A-Roid news:So much hate. So little time.
Sorry, I just can't get into hating the guy that much. We ripped into Bonds and Clemens for denying the obvious and treating us like stooges, now we tear into Rodriguez for admitting his guilt and saying he's sorry?
Red Sox fans, gleeful over this A-Rod scandal, need to remember that there are 103 other players who tested positive in 2003. Someday, those names could be released. There's a pretty good chance that one or two of the Sox stars from 2003 will be on it. What do you say about A-Rod when that happens?
Fellow columnist Tony Massarotti also expressed sympathy for A-Rod and wondered why he's the only name on the list that we've heard about:
...we cannot help but wonder why certain sources selected Rodriguez's name from a list of 104 and streamlined it to the nation when 103 others effectively were ignored.Why, because Rodriguez is generally better than everyone else? Because he has the most to lose? Because he is an easy target? Because neither he nor anyone else has proven capable of defending him?
Massarotti continues:
Red Sox fans, gleeful over this A-Rod scandal, need to remember that there are 103 other players who tested positive in 2003. Someday, those names could be released. There's a pretty good chance that one or two of the Sox stars from 2003 will be on it. What do you say about A-Rod when that happens?
It is a bit funny that I've read more sympathetic comments about A-Rod in the Boston media, than in the New York media. I don't quite know what to make of it yet!
But what do you think? Leave us a comment.
Sure, why not let the Boston media have sympathy for A-Rod? They don't have to watch him 162 times a year! And he's never embarrassed their team! Gotten plunked by them, sure. Slapped them, sure. But never embarrassed them. Not with a crime, not with bad behavior, not even with a hit that won a game against them.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, this whole thing makes Bronson Arroyo slightly more sympathetic. But only slightly.
Shaughnessy is a hack's hack. And a contrarian to boot. There's no bigger "hater" in the Boston sports media. Probably assumed the fans would engage in a little schadenfreude and picked the other side. Maz is in Shank's league, too. Both are condescending and frankly, insufferable. HOwever, I think you're on to something here, Lisa. I listen to the local sports talk radio station at work and most of the hosts and callers have been reasonable (and not too gleeful) and are in favor of the release of the 103 names, knowing there will be Red Sox players on the list.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm in favor of your posting a photo of the Squawkers in matching Snuggies! Do they customize Snuggies for your favorite sports team?
Cindy R.
A-Rod seems to be under a deeper scrutiny than other players. Remember the bimbo from Toronto? As if he was the only player doing that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteI do understand the scrutiny because of steroids and performance in the playing field.
But as any other celebrity (and I'm referring to actors, singers and professional players in general) I really don't care who they date, how they dress, if they are liberal or conservatives. All I care of how they perform in their chosen field of entertainment.
The only exception is Bono, who is very well informed and he does know what he talks about when campaigning for third-world debt relief and raising awareness of the plight of Africa, including the AIDS pandemic.
AFR said:
ReplyDelete"I really don't care who they date, how they dress, if they are liberal or conservatives. All I care of how they perform in their chosen field of entertainment."
Amen! I could not have said it ant better!
Cindy R.
Cindy, I was telling Squawker Jon offline that somebody ought to make Yankees/Mets/Red Sox snuggies!
ReplyDeleteLisa, you never told me how comfortable the Snuggies are. I went ahead and bought my wife a set as one of her Valentine's Day gifts.
ReplyDeleteGood choice?
I think Red Sox fans are bracing for one of their own to be on that list. Can you imagine if Ortiz turned up? The sky would fall.
ReplyDeleteLisa, you really have to let this Snuggie go. I'm worried about you.
ReplyDeleteShe-Fan,
ReplyDeleteWhat will you say if your first theory is proved wrong when the names are released and no Red Sox are listed (especially ones from the 2004 or 2007 team)? What's theory "B" - conspiracy for a cover-up (because I'm sure it won't be an apology). But I still say, release the list and you will find that the sky won't fall on Red Sox fans if their players test positive. We have endured worse. And lets say (for the sake of argument) that Papi did test positive, what you have is one doped up team beating another doped up team. Sounds pretty fair to me. But I'm sure you have some theory on why it isn't fair. That could be theory "D."
Lisa, I'd be all over a Red Sox Snuggie!!
ReplyDeleteCindy R
Hey everyone - in case you didn't realize, Miguel Tejada pleaded guilty for lying to congress about not taking steroids. Let's have several marathon threads about this and let's all climb back on our soap boxes and weigh in on it, and..
ReplyDeleteOh, wait...He's not a Yankees. So nobody cares. Right?
Hmm.
Emporer, I still don't think its a Yankee thing. Simple - Tejada isn't ARod and that's why nobody cares. Plus he only lied to Congress - so passe.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Yeah, I suppose. But even so, I still think he's unfairly singled out. I know what he did was wrong, but as human beings we have no right to take it this far. So many people act like their angels and saints and never did anything wrong once in thier entire lives.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that if people in modern society still behaved like the Puritans did 400 years ago, A-Rod would be lynched by an angry mob and burned at the stake while everyone else guilty of the same crime would just be clapped in irons for a week.
Emperor: If we still behaved as the Puritans did, there'd be no baseball. They'd have stoned A-Rod for the Toronto stripper. And in their "home town," they'd have stoned Ted Williams for flipping them the bird -- and I don't mean the pigeons he used to shoot out of the Fenway sky with an air rifle! (And Toronto fans got on Dave Winfield for what he did.) How long would the Babe have lasted? Or the 1980s Mets? Or -- you talk about a guy who flouted Puritan convention -- Leo Durocher! He wouldn't have lived long enough to make it to the Gashouse Gang! Ty Cobb would've been called possessed by demons! No, it's good that we are not still a Puritan nation.
ReplyDeleteThough I would be curious to see two baseball teams, and four umpires, take a time machine trip back to 1692 Massachusetts and play a game for the locals -- not on a Sunday, of course! I wonder what would happen if one of us yelled, "Kill the umpire!" Would they actually do it? Or would they give us a stern lecture about disrespecting authority?