NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- Not content with destroying the lives of a gaggle of Duke Lacrosse players who have since been exonerated, Selena Roberts has since set herself some higher goals.
Let’s just call her an over-achiever. 
Her revelation that A-Rod failed his “anonymous” drug test in 2003 has rattled the Yankees’ universe.
In fact, this just may be the greatest Public Relations disaster the Yanks have ever faced, or at least it will be until May 19th of this year, when Roberts’ book Hit and Run: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez is due to hit the bookstores.
Indications are that the book will explore A-Rod’s sexual escapades and his confusion about his sexual identity.
Oh Joy… let that sink in and imagine the firestorm to come. The fodder available for A-Rod haters will be able to fill Hanger 18 and then some. This issue forces Yankee fans to take sides: Support “A-Fraud” or root against the best player in baseball who is desperately trying to help the team get its elusive 27th World Championship Trophy.
And here is A-Rod, a fragile guy obsessed with his personal image. As far as I am concerned, Roberts could name her autobiography How to Ruin People’s Lives for Personal Profit, by Selena Roberts.
Hey, it’s a job.
But here is the rub: Roberts may have an anti A-rod fetish, but facts are facts. Very few people are questioning the veracity of the four sources she has for this particular story. There is no doubt that Sports Illustrated did its due diligence on this. They wouldn’t risk a law suit and the subsequent loss of credibility.
Like many people, I am also worked up about the injustice of only A-Rod’s name being revealed when there are another 103 players who tested positive in 2003. But things happened this way because Roberts was specifically digging up dirt on A-Rod to fuel her upcoming book. She wanted to bring down the guy at the top of the baseball world, in the prime of his career.
I also can’t help but wonder how the union could have allowed this colossal failure. Somebody over there owes quite an explanation to A-Rod and the other 103 players—who are no doubt peeing in their pants wondering when their names will be revealed.
Richard Barbieri over at the Hardball Times roundtable discussion is spot on when he says: “I cannot see a single reason why names were kept at all. The only possible outcome of linking names with samples in an "anonymous" test was that the information might someday be released. I cannot begin to imagine why the MLBPA agreed to that. “
None of this changes the core issue: A-Rod juiced. Period. We can argue about the unfairness of the “outing” and we can claim that Roberts has an agenda against him. But the bottom line is that the white knight who was going to grab the all-time home run record from the evil Barry Bonds and restore the integrity of the sport is no different than Bonds.
As a person who is genetically programmed to root for the New York Yankees, the question is where do we go from here? One a personal level, this man has caused me no end of grief. Rooting for him is akin to being plagued with a permanent disability.
Now the world awaits A-Rod’s comments, which may come as early as today (Monday). After he speaks, a whole new round of commentary will appear.
Meanwhile, Spring Training starts in a few days…
File Photo: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
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