The two things that people were looking for from Alex Rodriguez in the wake of his steroid admission were honesty and a clear understanding that he did something wrong. People are always going to doubt the former, so it would help if he doubled down on the latter. He got off on the wrong step Wednesday when he had his infamous cousin Yuri Sucart pick him up after the Yankees exhibition game with the Blue Jays.
The reason why A-Rod thought being seen with the man he fingered as his steroid providor was a good idea is known only to him. You'd think that the team of advisors he's hired to steer him through the steroid crisis would have pointed him in a different direction, but, then, you'd think they would have had him read his statement once or twice before haltingly delivering it to a horde of reporters.
Has any man ever been more hamhanded when it comes to dealing with public attention? While it may add credence to his stupity explanation for steroid use, there's little other good that could come out of being seen with Sucart right now. He's family, and more than anyone else family should understand that there's a lot of ways to help out a struggling relative that don't involve picking him up from the ballpark.
Anyway, the Yankees did the sensible thing on Thursday and told Rodriguez that Sucart isn't welcome around the team, and, according to the Associated Press, Rodriguez acknowledged that he'd made a mistake. Crisis averted, just in time for another one to begin.
Investigators from MLB are expected in Tampa any time now to talk to Rodriguez and give him another chance to make things worse for himself. The scariest thing? It's not even March yet.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
