I hope we can get back to just talking Yankee baseball soon. But I couldn't let this Selena Roberts denial go unchallenged. Sports Illustrated, the company that employs Roberts, writes this on SI.com about her radio interview Thursday with Sports Illustrated's own Dan Patrick:
Roberts said she did not write about extra-marital affairs or A-Rod's sexuality. "I never wrote anything about his bedroom life," Roberts said. "That was pure speculation on other people's part."
That's just laughable - and easily disproven. Harper Collins put out a description for the book for booksellers and reviewers to use. This document, which is on Harper's web site and is used by sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Buy.com to sell the book, uses the following phrases to describe the book's content:
- ...deviant personal life and disintegration of his family...
- ...a man torn by his obligation to his family and his insatiable hedonism...
- ...his recent relationship with Madonna...
- ...off-field misadventures...
- ...breaking up his twelve-year marriage to party with Madonna...
How is it possible that Harper Collins would have all this information on A-Rod's personal life in their "A-Rod" description, and not have any of it in the book itself? Not bloody likely. And if that really is the case, then bookbuyers should ask for their money back on a false advertising claim!
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Here are a few other things that Roberts said on Dan Patrick's radio show that I raised my eyebrows over:
"He said as a sophomore he could barely bench press 100 pounds," Roberts said. "Six months later he's bulked up 20-25 pounds and he had increased his level from 100 pounds to 310 pounds. That's a pretty shocking leap for six months. That, in conjuntion (sic) with the reporting that I did with [his high school] teammates would make it irrefutable to me, not a 'may have.'"How is that evidence "irrefutable", when there could be a very simple explanation for increased weight gain. It's called puberty.
Besides, given that Harper's book description talks about "lies and contradictions in his life," why would she assume A-Rod wasn't exaggerating in retelling that story?
Roberts also denied knowing how other media outlets got an advance copy of the book, because, as the show report said, "she doesn't even have a book in her hands." That's just a ridiculous statement. Does she think we were all born yesterday?
And gosh, wouldn't you know it? Selena's book publication date has been pushed up a week. Shocker!
Look, A-Rod does have a problem with telling the truth. But the author passing judgment on him is not exactly a straight shooter herself.
What do you think about Selena Roberts and A-Rod? Leave us a comment!
OMG I cant stand this Arod stuff, please stop posting it!
ReplyDeleteLisa, the Yankees' third baseman gets a late clutch hit last night, and you're talking about A-Rod?
ReplyDeleteThis weight gain in question happened after his sophomore year of high school. That would make him 15 or 16. A little late for puberty to kick in. Then again, considering how immature A-Rod still is, maybe you have a point.
Besides, Lisa, even if Selena Roberts is every bit as bad as you say -- having Woody Paige as a character reference on yesterday's "Around the Horn" doesn't do her the favor he thinks it does -- none of it absolves A-Rod of being a liability to the team we both love.
I want the Yankees to win. If they can do it with A-Rod, great. If they can do it without him, better.
But now, he's Roger Clemens without the winning. He's Pete Rose with a different offense. He's Barry Bonds with the first half of his career, not just the second half, as a fraud.