You have Selena Roberts to thank for the A-Rod steroid scandal. The sports journalist broke the news for Sport Illustrated, but not after scouring all over Miami to get a quote from A-Rod himself.
Five days before the story was published on SI.com, Roberts flew to Miami and engaged in what A-Rod himself is now characterizing as "Stalking." After being stopped from entering Star Island by a security guard, Roberts called police to let her on the island. When she got there though, the lights in Rodriguez's house were off. So off she went to the University of Miami gym to confront A-Rod. She got lucky. He was still there. She approached him, told him the steroid story would be printed, and asked for a quote. Rodriguez only responded with "You'll have to talk to the union."
Dedicated reporting? Sure. Dedicated reporting with the intent of creating a media shit storm on which to profit? Most likely.
Roberts has a book coming out all about A-Rod! Imagine that! And like a true tease she promises there's more drug and steroid dirt to come. Be sure to buy it! Of course she wants to expose the steroid culture of professional baseball simply because of her journalistic integrity, but, you know, some book revenues would be nice.
And why is she so interested in A-Rod? Because he happens to be one of the best players in the game? Sure, a lil bit, but also because he was stuffing Madonna.
"David Epstien and I were working on a profile of Alex [because] he was
a staple of the news this past year, whether because of Madonna or his
broken marriage or the Yankees' dive in the '08 standings," she tells
SI.com.
The 104 other players who tested positive the same year as A-Rod -- apparently there wasn't enough dirt on them to write a book.
But
maybe I'm a little biased against Ms. Roberts. After all she did write
this weird little column once patronizing me for being, of all things,
a sports shit stirrer on level with the paparazzi. At least, I didn't write a book about it.
Her columns were frequently filled with the kind derision and scorn
you'd expect in a blog, but with the pomposity and awkward wordiness
you'd expect from a Times columnist. She basically was the sports
version of Maureen Dowd, or at least desperately wanted to be.
In this particular column she wrote about me she cluelessly accosted this damn
internet thingamajinga for gossiping about college sports and actually
used the phrases "on his blog files" and "Kyle, Kyle, Kyle" and
basically sounded like a dissapointed sixty year old aunt.
Selena, Selena, Selena. Nice scoop and congratulations on all the book monies you're sure to get!
