A-RoidGate

I had something else all set up to talk about today but, I needed to put in a few things about my favorite sport, baseball.

If you haven't heard, Sports Illustrated has reported that Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) tested positive for steroids during the 2003 baseball season, which is also the year he was awarded the American League Most Valuable Player.

Yesterday he came out and admitted it.

One part of me doesn't feel sorry for him for the bumps on his head that he's going to take the rest of his career. It was a bad move, a bad example to young kids, and overall puts a cloud over the entire sport.

But, on the other hand, I can't help but blame the fans. Let me explain.

Back in 1994, baseball had a strike. Fans tended to look at the strike as a bunch of whiny millionaire baseball players wanting more. So attendance when the strike was over was off the high mark of the 1990s after the 1993 season.

Attendance starting shooting up again in 1998. Why then? That's when there was the big home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Turns out, McGwire and Sosa are under (and always will be) suspicion for doing roids during that 1998 baseball season (although they deny it).

So although everyone in hindsight (players, the player's union, owners, managers, and, the fans) are ripping these guys for using steroids, the reality is that the Home Run race of 1998 is what brought fans back to the ballparks. Fans were still disgruntled about the strike years earlier but became fascinated with two guy trying to break a record that is considered one of the most sacred in sports.

I think it would be naive to think the owners, managers, and heads of Major League Baseball didn't know what was going on. But why would they blow the whistle when paying customers starting walking through the gates again?

In the end, it's a clear example of the saying "It's easier to beg for forgiveness then ask for permission." Fans want to be entertained. And baseball had a huge image problem after the strike and needed something to get people back in the seats.

I'm not suggesting in any way that taking steroids is appropriate. Absolutely not. If anything it should show the young people out there that no matter how sneaky you're trying to cheat in a game (and taking steroids IS cheating), at some point it's going to come back to haunt you.

How will A-RodGate affect baseball going forward? Who knows. But if I had to guess, people (like myself) will still file through those gates to watch the game they love.

Back to normal fitness blogging tomorrow for those that don't give a crap about baseball.

www.leanbodyfitness.com