Last weekend, a report came out of Sports Illustrated that Yankee Alex Rodriguez had taken steroids during his time with the Rangers from 2001-2003. The sports world has been buzzing with the news, which was a pretty big shock. Yesterday, A-Rod appeared on ESPN and confessed all. Yes, he did take steroids during his time with the Rangers, when he won the MVP. No, he didn’t really know what he was taking, but he was taking it. And yes, he has been clean since 2004…or so he says.

I think he did the right thing in taking care of this situation as soon as possible. Hey, two days after the report came out, he was on TV confessing. I think that was a really good move on his part. He certainly handled this better than Clemens did last year. I think it was great that he didn’t allow this to fester for too long. I mean, we had two days to dicuss this, get upset, and build it up. But it was very good that he came out as fast as he did.

While it’s a great thing that he came out and confessed so quickly, it should not pardon any punishment. He did something that was very wrong, and he should not have done it. Sure, he was young, stupid, and naive, but that doesn’t excuse that he cheated in the game of baseball. He cheated against baseball, his fans, his club, and himself. Actions have consequences. He needs like a big fine, plus a big apology to the Texas Rangers in addition to the New York Yankees, plus some “time off”. I think he should be suspended for a year. Tough punishment? Oh yeah. Too tough? I don’t know. I know he’s learned his lesson, and that he probably won’t ever take steroids again, but there have got to be consequences. I think he should lose this year, as well as his salary for this season.

But a punishment is not just for him. It’s gotta show the kids in the minor leagues who want a little boost that taking ‘roids is not worth it. Maybe A-Rod will only get a few months. What does that tell the kids in the minors? No. A-Rod’s got to have a rather large punishment. And not just for the kids in the minor leagues, but also kids in high school or Little League, and all his young fans. They need to see that even their hero has to take the blame for what he did, and all that comes with it. Baseball fans also need to see A-Rod get punishment. We need to see that our sport can deal with these problems in the best way possible. If they don’t give him a big enough punishment, it’s going to be a shame on baseball. This is a very risky situation.

Remember when you were a kid? Or if you are a parent. If the kid confesses that he broke the lamp, you aren’t going to be as mad at him because he confessed it and didn’t try to lie to you. But he still broke it, and there are going to be consequences. But if your kid lies about how it broke (a monster came in here and knocked it down!), he’s probably going to be in double trouble. That idea applies to this situation. Since A-Rod confessed, and didn’t deny it, he’s going to be dealt with better than if he had lied. Think Barry Bonds and Rodger Clemens. Look at the trouble they are in right now because they aren’t telling the truth. Now, that’s not saying that Bonds or Clemens did take steroids, but there is evidence against them.

Swimmer Michael Phelps has been banned from swimming for three months because he smoked pot. Because of the way his sport is scheduled, this is going to be a huge blow to him. He got this because he has been so huge in the media since the Olympics. There are a  ton of people out there who watched him win all those metals, and he built up a huge fan base. They had to suspend him because there are a lot of kids out there who adore him. What would that tell the kids if he got away with that? It couldn’t happen, so now he is paying for his actions.

A-Rod has to pay for his actions. He’s one of the most popular Yankee players right now. There are thousands of kids who love watching him play, and he’s their favorite player. He must accept the circumstances that come with his actions. I just hope baseball doesn’t mess this up.

San Diego weather note: It rained a lot last night, but I woke up this morning to clear skies…and frost on the trampoline. It’s going to be cold, but there’s not a cloud in the sky. San Diego is so funny.

(photo credit: askmen.com)