To say that Alex Rodriguez is the most-hated man in all of sports is a tremendous understatement.
To state that Alex Rodriguez is possibly loathed more than inmates on death row isn’t an exaggeration, for people scowl when they hear his name, hiss when they see his image, and rejoice when he suffers. Alex Rodriguez doesn’t deserve this much hostility generated toward him. The time has come for everyone to move on from hating Alex Rodriguez.
The fact of the matter is, Alex Rodriguez hasn’t done anything terrible enough to earn that much negativity. Let’s face it, the man’s worst crime is taking performance enhancing drugs and consistently lying about it. Outside of those scenarios and his highly publicized infidelities, Rodriguez hasn’t really done anything that appalling. Instead, the 39-year-old slugger still contributes to various charities, has spoken at schools across the country and continues to be an ambassador for the game of baseball. Compare this to other athletes like Ray Rice or Aaron Hernandez and you will find that Rodriguez has walked the straight path his entire life. He isn’t deserving of the treatment those athletes endure.
After serving a suspension that lasted the duration of the 2014 season, Rodriguez has been reinstated and seemingly learned his lesson. He’s demonstrated this through his attempts to make amends for all his wrongdoings. This began in early February when he met with the new commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred with good intentions, ultimately apologizing for his actions and promising to behave for the remainder of his career. According to Manfred, the two had “positive dialogue” in their meeting. After meeting with Manfred, Rodriguez requested to meet with the Yankees’ organization with the same intentions, yet they declined his offer. Finally, he issued a handwritten letter to the fans in which he “takes full responsibility” for his actions, while apologizing to them as well as the Yankees organization, the MLB Players Association and Major League Baseball respectively.
In essence, Rodriguez has done more than enough to indicate that he is ready to move on from his past and complete the final stages of his career. Although it is highly unlikely to happen, it is time the fans follow suit and stop directing so much hatred and negativity toward Rodriguez. This isn’t to say they must forgive him, for it is not expected. Yet John Lennon once said to “let it be.” So why doesn’t everyone let Alex Rodriguez be?
