Picture the scene.
A successful pro athlete sits down at a high stakes poker game, alongside Hollywood's elite, A-listers and other assorted millionaires. No big deal right?
By the way, that player happens to be Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
C'mon, let the insults fly. Cheater! Selfish! Gambler! Remind yourself why you hate A-Rod in the first place and just add the fact that he (gasp) plays underground high stakes poker to that list.
Earlier today, a report surfaced from Star Magazine (you know, that reputable publication at the supermarket checkout stand) that Rodriguez was involved in two high stakes poker games in Beverly Hills. The report listed Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio as players in the game, as well as mentioning cocaine use and a fight breaking out over a player losing half a million dollars.
Now, an anonymous source from Major League Baseball came out today and said that a suspension is "very much in play." Not for playing poker mind you but because of the possibility that other players close to Rodriguez may have gambled on baseball, potentially affecting the outcome of MLB games.
According to the report, Rodriguez had previously been warned by MLB and the Yankees in 2005 about participating in these games but chose to keep playing which is certainly careless on his part. But at the same time, it's a little bit of a reach to suspend Rodriguez without proof that his presence directly affected the outcome of MLB games.
Tons of pro athletes gamble every single day, whether it's OJ Mayo and Tony Allen brawling on a team flight or simply playing in a casino, like Celtic guard Paul Pierce did in this year's World Series of Poker. Gaming at a casino is not banned by the MLB but they clearly have a problem with this "underground" game. The main reason that this particular game was illegal is that the house was taking a rake, or a percentage of chips, from each hand. That's it.
So according to MLB's logic, Rodriguez could have been compromised by individuals who bet on baseball, as if every casino in the country doesn't have a sportsbook in it for said gamblers. What's stopping someone in a casino from compromising an athlete?
MLB is also wondering if Rodriguez was compromised, does this mean that he was involved in throwing games? This is the most laughable insinuation of this entire investigation. As a player who said he wants to "cement his legacy" his first day in pinstripes, the last thing that Rodriguez wants is another stain on his reputation, especially after his steroid admission. Everyone knows the man yearns to be accepted, to be wanted, to be liked. Throwing games in the Bronx? I don't even think Manny Ramirez would be dumb enough to do that.
Lastly, let's take a look at the bigger picture here. Does anyone really care? Well unless you are a Yankee/A-Rod hater you shouldn't.If this was Tom Brady or Kevin Youkilis, it would be swept under the rug faster than you can say "all in". Consider the NBA as well. Four years ago, Tim Donaghy admitted to actually fixing basketball games, an accusation that many thought would be irreparable to the NBA's image. Guess what? The NBA was more popular this year than ever and is still the league where officiating matters the most.
No one should care because the MLB and Bud Selig is still in damage recovery mode from the steroid era, where the owners and the league clearly knew why was going on in all clubhouses. This is the same league that made us doubt sluggers like Jose Bautista, who has to pay the price because they allowed and maybe encouraged the use of PEDs a decade ago. Now, like knights in shining armor, they are trying to preserve the games "integrity?" Please.
A-Rod will still be the butt of jokes no matter what he does. If he hits 30 homers in a season, he should've hit 31. This is always going to be the way that people view him and if he is suspended for one at bat without MLB proving that he bet on games, it will be a gross injustice.
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