It's Been A While, But it is Good to Be Reminded Why We Hate the Yankees.

[weams]

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12321274/alex-rodriguez-return-new-york-yankees

PEOPLE HATE HIM. Boy, wow, do they hate him. At first they loved him, and then they were confused by him, and then they were irritated by him, and now they straight-up loathe.

More often than not, the mention of Alex Rodriguez in polite company triggers one of a spectrum of deeply conditioned responses. Pained ugh. Guttural groan. Exaggerated eye roll. Hundreds of baseball players have been caught using steroids, including some of the game's best-known and most beloved names, but somehow Alex Rodriguez has become the steroid era's Lord Voldemort. Ryan Braun? Won an MVP, got busted for steroids, twice, called the tester an anti-Semite, lied his testes off, made chumps of his best friends, including Aaron Rodgers, and still doesn't inspire a scintilla of the ill will that follows Rodriguez around like a nuclear cloud.

Schadenfreude is part of the reason.

[weams]

And now, an OP about the Yankees. Featuring another link. And another quote box.

I love ya weams, but this doesn't seem like what the Hangout is supposed to be about. I know you're trying to start conversations in the offseason and all, but... at least type out a couple thoughts or opinions!

Or make one giant post at the end of the day with a ton of links called "WEAMS' AWESOME LINK DUMP POST - 2/23". That would actually be great, I think. And a much better use of space, and easier to justify in Orioles Talk.

JMO!

/ducks

Taken under consideration. I promised Tony-OH that I would try to keep up on some of the breaking news since our Twitter Hawk was gone, and I was busy, working my 9 to 5. So I did not have time to write a few lines at the time. And thought that I should at least point out this article where it would be seen for a bit. But you are right. That is not what we are about. And no, I won't have and awesome dump post threat. I don't need it for me. I was just putting something worth reading where it could be read. And I do move the clutter when I get a chance.

[MurphDogg]

I have a horrible confession to make. On a personal level I am kind of rooting for Alex Rodriguez. I find it bewildering how he bares the brunt of all PED hysteria, how he is patient zero. Alex Rodriguez was a great player and a product of his time. If he came of age in a time where nobody was taking performance enhancing drugs, he would have been an All-Star and a Hall of Famer. I don't believe that anyone just took steroids one time, much like no parent believes that their kid only tried pot once.

Ryan Braun smeared another man and tried to ruin his career and livelihood simply because he was doing his job. Alex Rodriguez was simply one of over a hundred Major Leaguers to fail a drug test and later one of a dozen players involved in the Biogenesis scandal. Yeah, he was the most famous one. And yeah, he appealed because the number of games was arbitrary and longer than any other player. And like everybody else accused of doing something wrong, he denied it until he absolutely had to stop denying it. He served his time, and he didn't hurt anybody but himself and his legacy.

This season he will just be another overpaid, past his prime Yankee and I honestly don't have any problem with him. He has to put up with hypocritical sportswriters who celebrate Andy Pettite while trashing everything Alex Rodriguez does. He got knocked on Twitter by Joel Sherman for taking infield practice. The same people that are tearing him down now spent decades building up or ignoring other players who did the same thing as A-Rod and I find that infuriating. I hope the Yankees lose 100 games this year, but I kinda wouldn't mind if a washed up A-Rod that nobody wanted was a productive player.

[FanAddict]

I have a horrible confession to make. On a personal level I am kind of rooting for Alex Rodriguez. I find it bewildering how he bares the brunt of all PED hysteria, how he is patient zero. Alex Rodriguez was a great player and a product of his time. If he came of age in a time where nobody was taking performance enhancing drugs, he would have been an All-Star and a Hall of Famer. I don't believe that anyone just took steroids one time, much like no parent believes that their kid only tried pot once.

Ryan Braun smeared another man and tried to ruin his career and livelihood simply because he was doing his job. Alex Rodriguez was simply one of over a hundred Major Leaguers to fail a drug test and later one of a dozen players involved in the Biogenesis scandal. Yeah, he was the most famous one. And yeah, he appealed because the number of games was arbitrary and longer than any other player. And like everybody else accused of doing something wrong, he denied it until he absolutely had to stop denying it. He served his time, and he didn't hurt anybody but himself and his legacy.

This season he will just be another overpaid, past his prime Yankee and I honestly don't have any problem with him. He has to put up with hypocritical sportswriters who celebrate Andy Pettite while trashing everything Alex Rodriguez does. He got knocked on Twitter by Joel Sherman for taking infield practice. The same people that are tearing him down now spent decades building up or ignoring other players who did the same thing as A-Rod and I find that infuriating. I hope the Yankees lose 100 games this year, but I kinda wouldn't mind if a washed up A-Rod that nobody wanted was a productive player.

Not exactly rooting for AROD but the Yankees are starting to disgust me with their aggressive campaign to publicly shame AROD. They made their bed and knew EXACTLY what they were getting into. Them having to pay out the remainder of his salary doesn't even begin to make up for their complicity.

[weams]

I hear ya. I'm not out to rustle any jimmies, just thought I'd speak my mind rather than beat around the bush passively.

Where did our Twitter Hawk fly off to anyway? Did I hear he got the boot for good?

Jimmie unrustled. The Hawk went to Toronto, last I heard. We do not discuss discipline, or reasons for it on the board.

[MurphDogg]

Not exactly rooting for AROD but the Yankees are starting to disgust me with their aggressive campaign to publicly shame AROD. They made their bed and knew EXACTLY what they were getting into. Them having to pay out the remainder of his salary doesn't even begin to make up for their complicity.

Yes, what the Yankees are doing is disgusting. He is going to take so much crap from fans because his employer and their sycophantic media wants him to. It is just gross.

Alex Rodriguez seems like a weird dude socially, just not comfortable with himself because he had more talent and success than just about every other player in history at such an early age.

Doug Glanville on A-Rod, the teammate.

[Frobby]

ARod wasn't liked even before his PED issues. Yeah, he's been subject to a bit of a double standard. He's also made $356 mm playing baseball, with at least $64 mm left to go, so I am not feeling too sorry for him.

[MurphDogg]

ARod wasn't liked even before his PED issues. Yeah, he's been subject to a bit of a double standard. He's also made $356 mm playing baseball, with at least $64 mm left to go, so I am not feeling too sorry for him.

A-Rod wasn't liked because he doesn't have the ability to connect with other people. Who cares? Geniuses and prodigies often lack (or fail to develop) the ability to connect with others, and Alex Rodriguez is nothing if not a baseball genius compared to his peers.

And a bit of a double standard? He is the face of PEDs because he was the best of those known to have taken PEDs before he starting taking PEDs. It is silly.

[Austin]

I have a horrible confession to make. On a personal level I am kind of rooting for Alex Rodriguez. I find it bewildering how he bares the brunt of all PED hysteria, how he is patient zero. Alex Rodriguez was a great player and a product of his time. If he came of age in a time where nobody was taking performance enhancing drugs, he would have been an All-Star and a Hall of Famer. I don't believe that anyone just took steroids one time, much like no parent believes that their kid only tried pot once.

Ryan Braun smeared another man and tried to ruin his career and livelihood simply because he was doing his job. Alex Rodriguez was simply one of over a hundred Major Leaguers to fail a drug test and later one of a dozen players involved in the Biogenesis scandal. Yeah, he was the most famous one. And yeah, he appealed because the number of games was arbitrary and longer than any other player. And like everybody else accused of doing something wrong, he denied it until he absolutely had to stop denying it. He served his time, and he didn't hurt anybody but himself and his legacy.

This season he will just be another overpaid, past his prime Yankee and I honestly don't have any problem with him. He has to put up with hypocritical sportswriters who celebrate Andy Pettite while trashing everything Alex Rodriguez does. He got knocked on Twitter by Joel Sherman for taking infield practice. The same people that are tearing him down now spent decades building up or ignoring other players who did the same thing as A-Rod and I find that infuriating. I hope the Yankees lose 100 games this year, but I kinda wouldn't mind if a washed up A-Rod that nobody wanted was a productive player.

I agree with this post 100%. I hate the Yankees, I'm pretty indifferent on A-Rod. If anything, I'm just happy to see the Yankees in turmoil.

[Beef Supreme]

I know this post was moved but if hating the MFY isn't ''Orioles Talk,'' nothing is. Every orange-blooded Orioles fan know that the once Baltimore Orioles franchise is the epitome of evil on this earth.

[Beef Supreme]

Not exactly rooting for AROD but the Yankees are starting to disgust me with their aggressive campaign to publicly shame AROD. They made their bed and knew EXACTLY what they were getting into. Them having to pay out the remainder of his salary doesn't even begin to make up for their complicity.

Agreed. The organization is shaming itself with their use of media to disparage AROD. Do they think trashing AROD will make them look virtuous?

[Elbren]

The Yankee's are unhappy that Rodriguez reported to camp early.

The Yankees had no issues with A-Rod arriving on Monday, but team officials were fuming that he hadn?t alerted them to his plans.

"He's learned nothing," said one baseball executive. "He's the same old guy. He just did what he wanted to do."

"How DARE you show up to work early?" seriously?? lol

I hate ARod as much as the next guy, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

[ArtVanDelay]

I have a horrible confession to make. On a personal level I am kind of rooting for Alex Rodriguez. I find it bewildering how he bares the brunt of all PED hysteria, how he is patient zero. Alex Rodriguez was a great player and a product of his time. If he came of age in a time where nobody was taking performance enhancing drugs, he would have been an All-Star and a Hall of Famer. I don't believe that anyone just took steroids one time, much like no parent believes that their kid only tried pot once.

Ryan Braun smeared another man and tried to ruin his career and livelihood simply because he was doing his job. Alex Rodriguez was simply one of over a hundred Major Leaguers to fail a drug test and later one of a dozen players involved in the Biogenesis scandal. Yeah, he was the most famous one. And yeah, he appealed because the number of games was arbitrary and longer than any other player. And like everybody else accused of doing something wrong, he denied it until he absolutely had to stop denying it. He served his time, and he didn't hurt anybody but himself and his legacy.

This season he will just be another overpaid, past his prime Yankee and I honestly don't have any problem with him. He has to put up with hypocritical sportswriters who celebrate Andy Pettite while trashing everything Alex Rodriguez does. He got knocked on Twitter by Joel Sherman for taking infield practice. The same people that are tearing him down now spent decades building up or ignoring other players who did the same thing as A-Rod and I find that infuriating. I hope the Yankees lose 100 games this year, but I kinda wouldn't mind if a washed up A-Rod that nobody wanted was a productive player.

I agree with you except the part about actually rooting for the guy. Isn't that a bit extreme? ARod is a bad guy.

[MurphDogg]

I agree with you except the part about actually rooting for the guy. Isn't that a bit extreme? ARod is a bad guy.

How is he a bad guy? I need some evidence on that. I think Ryan Braun is a bad guy. ARod is a weirdo who doesn't seem to be able to connect with people but seems to really care what people think about him. Alex Rodriguez has never been arrested, unlike dozens of other MLB players. Other than Biogenesis and a divorce with extramarital affairs, he hasn't had any legal issues.

[ArtVanDelay]

How is he a bad guy? I need some evidence on that. I think Ryan Braun is a bad guy. ARod is a weirdo who doesn't seem to be able to connect with people but seems to really care what people think about him. Alex Rodriguez has never been arrested, unlike dozens of other MLB players. Other than Biogenesis and a divorce with extramarital affairs, he hasn't had any legal issues.

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http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/21/players-tried-to-kick-a-rod-out-of-the-union-threaten-him-with-beaning-when-he-returns/

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20210588,00.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/a-rod-playing-hardball-divorce-prenuptial-agreement-enforced-article-1.348328