Maybe it's a bad idea to publicly disagree with your boss. But I gotta say, watching this postseason only confirmed my belief that Alex Rodriguez is a world-class douche. It's not just the strangely purple lips or the gingerly smug way that he digs in at bat like he's got diamonds for testicles. What really confirmed my belief that A-Rod is a D-Bag -- and perhaps a sociopath -- is the way he celebrates.
Call me a hater if you'd like, but I have video evidence backing me up.
The video below is of the Yankees clinching the final game of the ALCS to lock up the pennant. At around 0:25, FOX shows a replay of A-Rod's celebration after the final out. He's screaming so hard that a piece of gum falls out of his mouth. He looks a bit moronic, to be sure, but if anything it's endearing video: it proves that he's human.
Ten days later, the Yankees win Game 6 against the Phillies to become world champions. And this time, Rodriguez had a strategy for avoiding any chewing gum malfunctions during his faux-spontaneous celebration. In a FOX replay, Rodriguez is shown grabbing the gum from his mouth as the final play unfolds, and then keeping it in his fist as he screams and runs towards the mound. I can't find the exact moment in video clips this morning, but this guy noticed it, and here's footage of his open-mouthed sprint to the mound immediately after clenching the wad of gum:
What does it all mean? That A-Rod studied footage of himself celebrating last time, and decided to change his method this time to look good on TV.
Sorry, Chuck. Verdict: douche-tastic.