Rhett,
In my opinion, A Rod should have gotten MORE criticism than he did.
He signed the 10 year, $250 million dollar contract and then used steroids to improve his stats and justify that contract.
After years of being asked and ALWAYS denying using steroids, A Rod opted OUT of his contract and signed an even BIGGER one. Then and only then did he come out and say he used steroids.
Of course, he said he used them BEFORE they were banned and being tested for. So, by delaying his admission, he was able to sign a larger contract AND not get punished for prior use.
If he had been a MAN, he would have admitted his use BEFORE he opted out of his old contract. By doing that he would have been honest but probably not been able to get a bigger contract. But I guess having been already paid $200 million dollars is NOT enough to live on these days....
If I were Bud Selig, I would say enough of this crap. I would give ALL players, past and current, a one week window to confess to their sins (using steroids and PEDs). Those that did would get a free pass (if it was before the steroid testing came into use in 2004. For those who admitted to using after testing began, they would get the normal punishment).
For those who DIDN'T admit their cheating and lying (and stealing of money they probably wouldn't have gotten if they didn't chemically enhance) during this grace period, if they are found later to have used, then they automatically get banned from baseball for life and their stats removed from the books.
This means no eligibility for the Hall of Fame and no job opportunites in baseball, EVER.
If these cheaters are so much of a sociopath that they can not bring themselves to admit publicly that they lied and cheated then they do NOT deserve forgiveness or any of the benefits of being in or around Major League Baseball.
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