Give it back, A-Rod?

The tale of Brian Cushing — the young linebacker who tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug this off-season, not long after being named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year — raises a number of interesting questions. What did he test positive for? Why was he using that substance? And why have other rookies (Julius Peppers and Shawne Merriman come to mind) kept R.O.Y. awards on their shelves after similar incidents?

If Brian Cushing (above) loses his award, should Alex Rodriguez (below) lose his?

But the question I want to focus on here is the potential can of worms opened up in other sports, chief among those being baseball. America’s pastime, of course, has been tainted by performance-enhancing drugs, with the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens holding awards and gaudy stats amid clouds of suspicion. So, does the Cushing incident set a precedent for taking the awards back? The NCAA issues similar punishment (see “1997 Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball”) during academic scandals, wiping out any record that a season ever existed.

Baseball too has dabbled in rewriting the record books — Roger Maris lived with that nasty asterisk for years. The argument, of course, is to make sure future generations know (or, in the NCAA’s case, don’t know) the indiscretions of a given team or player, whether founded or not.

This approach, however, does more harm than good, especially in today’s media age where EVERY record is stored in a million different forms. Want to take back A-Rod’s MVP trophies? Go ahead, but the video of him being honored (plus the blogs, and Web stories, and audio, and T-shirts…) all still exist. Memories fade, but they don’t disappear. Want to strip Cushing of his award? Go for it, but people will still remember what he won…and how the second guy in line got his trophy.

Instead, let these guys keep their awards. But don’t let them (or the sport-fan public) forget the clouds of suspicion. Future generations SHOULD know that A-Rod hit 800 HRs and won multiple MVP awards. But they should also know that he admitted to using PEDs at least once and likely used them more often than that. It’s part of the record, of the story of sports. Yes, this generation of athletes is far from spotless. But Ty Cobb was a racist, Jordan a gambler and Mantle a womanizer. Just goes to show that every generation has its fair share of black spots. Instead of trying to cover them up by rewriting the books, let the record speak for itself — now and forever.

Photo credits: Cushing (TexAlley.com); Rodriguez (Reuters)

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Tiger Woods to put on a sham

Tiger Woods is soft and owes the public more.

I will say that on this blog. I would say that at a water cooler. Or at a bar. Or to Tiger’s face, even if he probably would kick my ass with a seven-iron.

And I say this with confidence because tomorrow’s “press conference” is a sham, and the world’s greatest golfer should be ashamed.

Let me say that I understand the desire to keep your private life closed-off (as Tiger has his whole career) when you’re one of the most recognizable people on the planet. I can only imagine the stress that goes along with that. I don’t necessarily like this tactic (personally, I feel if you owe your wealth to a public that watches you golf and buys products you endorse, you should be more open with this public), but I can deal with it. That’s Tiger’s call.

However, once you declare that you’re “opening up” and having a “press conference,” please do it right. Respect the integrity of the press, and the honor of coming clean about something. That means if you’re having a “press conference,” invite the press — not just a few close pals. And allow more than one camera. And for God’s sake, answer questions.

Maybe Tiger will do that someday. Maybe he’ll sit down with Katie Couric, or write a book, or go own Oprah. Again, I’m not saying he has to…that call is his, and his alone. But if Woods thinks his actions tomorrow equate to anything like that, he’s sorely mistaken. Instead, it will be a shallow attempt from an apparently shallow man to apologize without having to answer for his actions — or, essentially, not apologizing at all.

In the end, it comes down to a simple lesson my mom (and probably yours, too) always preached: If you’re going to do something, do it right. So, if you’re going to have a “press conference,” do it right. If you’re going to open up, do it right. Anything else is soft. Tell Tiger…and tell him he can bring his seven-iron if he’s mad.

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