Geez, just when I was starting to almost feel sorry for the guy, the latest round of charges heaped upon Alex Rodriguez
comes up with allegations so obscene, so despicable, so beyond the pale
of acceptable human behavior that I am in danger of turning my back on
him at this most critical juncture.

I managed to hang in
there with the revelations about steroid use and his subsequent
admission, I didn’t blink when his dalliance with Madonna became public
knowledge, and I hardly feel like stomping on him for a reported poker
habit.

I wasn’t critical of him years ago when so many
pundits charged him with taking part in some shameless grab for as much
money as he could possibly make via free agency, and I didn’t jump on
the anti-Alex bandwagon when the allegations in the Selena Roberts book
included suggestions that he tipped off opponents about pitches in
lopsided games, presumably in hopes of getting the same treatment in
return when needed.

Nope, all of that barely registered,
though I concede with the last item I can imagine a certain Mr. Selig
might feel compelled to look into the “pitch tipping” if he deems the
sources of the allegations to be at all credible. After all, nobody
ferociously protects the integrity of the game more than our Commish.

But Alex pushed me off the bus with the allegation from the book written by the Sports Illustrated reporter who used to work for the New York Times, by way of the New York Daily News, subsequently reported on ESPN.com and now dredged up on my blog: A-Rod was allegedly hated at Hooters because he tipped the minimum 15 percent.


Have you no decency, sir? These nubile young ladies willingly adorn
themselves in attire several sizes too small to effectively promote
pulmonary efficiency and you have the temerity to reward this with a
paltry 15 percent? For shame.

Anybody want to buy a brick of 100 Alex Rodriguez 1995 Topps cards?