A-Hole?

I just got done watching the Peter Gammons interview in which Alex Rodriguez admits to using steroids during his tenure with the Texas Rangers. My initial thought is that he is genuinely sincere. I've never been too big of a fan of him, but after watching this interview, my opinion of him is higher than before. He apologized, always brought the situation back to himself and didn't try to blame others.

What he did wrong during this whole ordeal is to deny it originally. I think if he would have come out originally when these allegations surfaced and admitted his usage, he would have been viewed more favorably in the court of public opinion. However, I think that by being the first of a large number of baseball stars to actually admit he's taken these drugs, he will get a Timothy Geithner esque free pass. I don't think McGuire, Bonds, Clemens or Palmero deserve to be in the hall, more because they aren't good representatives of baseball than for any lack of on field performance.

Also, Peter Gammons is a good journalist. In a world where bloggers are constantly sniping at TWWL and vice-versa, I think that Gammons stands out. He asked concise questions and was well poised after this staggering admition to start out his interview. I enjoy listening to his analysis on the nightly MLB recaps that he hosts and hope that he stays in public life for a long time to come.