The AROD thread.

[The Chuck]

Aside from the fact that he's a bit flakey, I'm not sure why people hate the guy with such a passion. I think it all started after signing that obscene contract in Texas, which was for 252 million dollars over 10 years. Which is sort of silly because Tom Hicks offered him the deal, he just excepted it. I think every mistake he's made since then (Jeter Comments, Red Sox slap), has just contributed to the giant snowball effect that's gotten him to where his is today, which is booed regularly at Yankee stadium. Which if you want him to produce more, doesn't help. Shit, even Barry Bonds gets cheered at home. Understandably, especially coming from someone who lives in NY, if you prove that you can win here, you get treated like a king. Bernie Williams gets standing ovations every time he steps to the plate, and Jeter gets teated like Jesus christ, because they've won....and Rodriguez gets booed because he hasn't. Aside from all that, the man's still a good person. He's never been involved with steroids, he has a few charitable foundations, and he's always kept his nose clean. Take it easy on him.

[Kinbote]

I think it's because he's kind of a pretty boy asshole.

And a cheater: see '04 ALCS, game six.

[The Chuck]

I think it's because he's kind of a pretty boy asshole.

And a cheater: see '04 ALCS, game six.

There's a long list of players who've cheated in the sport (steroids? scuffing baseballs? corking bats?), and he's extremely low on the list. Granted he's a pretty boy, but what makes him an asshole? Be more specific.

[Peter]

There is a reason his 10 year, 252 million dollar contract won him the right to be called "Pay-Rod" every time he goes to Seattle, and that is: HE SAID out of his own mouth that he wanted to play for a team that could contend for a world championship. At that point, Texas hadn't even come close to going to the playoffs in YEARS. He was clearly going to the team that spends all it's time in the cellar of the AL West and he was doing so because of the money, and no other reason. do I blame him? Absolutely not. I would've taken the money and played for texas, too. But he could have at least owned up and said "Hey, seriously, it's a quarter of a billion dollars. I'm playing for Texas."

Great player regardless.

[DrHibbert]

He went to Texas for 250m. He said it wasn't about money and he loved Seattle.

But the Mariners only offered 230m (the audacity!). And who can blame him? A man can't live comfortably on only 230 million dollars. I know I couldn't. It's not like we want our star player living out of a dumpster, right people?

[Drunkenmaster]

I don't have a problem with him. He's an extremely productive player. His problem is that he cares too much about what other people think. He always crumbles before the NY media and that doesn't help. The only thing I fault him for as far as his contract is that's it's so big he just won't be able to get anybody else to take it over so he can get out of that shithole known as Yankee stadium. I think in a place with less media scrutiny he'd be loved and probably be an even better player than he already is.

[The Chuck]

He went to Texas for 250m. He said it wasn't about money and he loved Seattle.

But the Mariners only offered 230m (the audacity!). And who can blame him? A man can't live comfortably on only 230 million dollars. I know I couldn't. It's not like we want our star player living out of a dumpster, right people?

Two words, Scot Boras. You guys don't think that he had just a littlle bit to do with how that contract situation went down? Any other agent and Rodriguez would've still signed a huge contract, but I don't think it would've been that huge. GM's hate that guy, and for good reason. Barry Zito's gonna sign with him this offseason. I do agree that ARod cares too much about what people think of him.