Review by Renee Layne in SRM 334
Alex Rodriguez’s negative reputation in the media started in 2001 when he signed a ten year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers causing his previously loyal Mariners fans to become outraged. Many of which vented their rage at Rodriguez on twitter. In 2007 he signed a ten year, $275 million contract with the Yankees. Negative media attention continued for Rodriguez through the tabloids printing his infidelity, failed marriage, slew of unprofessional tweets and his drug use. Since then Alex Rodriguez’s marketability as an athlete is in ruins and his public image is in tatters.
In early January 2014 Major League Baseball made the decision to suspend Alex Rodriguez, more commonly referred to as A-Rod, for two years based on his alleged drug use designed to further enhance his performance. Rodriguez’s attorney released a statement saying that Rodriguez planned on repealing any discipline given to him.
The reason this story is pertinent to our class is because of the role that social media coverage played in turning A-Rod’s public image from baseball’s super hero to Baseball’s poster boy for steroid use. Some reports even go so far as to say that Rodriguez’s suspension was granted based on the evidence found on facebook and twitter feeds. Such evidence points to A-Rod not only using performance enhancing drugs but also deliberately trying to hide such evidence from authorities in the investigation. According to blogger John Patzakis, investigators such as union general counsel David Prouty noted that social media evidence added a layer of proof that certainly would not have been available many years ago. (Patzakis) Users of networking and other media sites can learn a grave lesson from Rodriguez’s downturn. Users of social media site should be weary of statements they choose to release because those statements have a way of coming back to haunting a person later. Alex Rodriguez’s story shows us that not all media attention is good media attention especially if it costs you millions of dollars in contract deals. Only time will tell if Rodriguez will be remembered for his amazing baseball records or for his unfortunate image in the media.
In early January 2014 Major League Baseball made the decision to suspend Alex Rodriguez, more commonly referred to as A-Rod, for two years based on his alleged drug use designed to further enhance his performance. Rodriguez’s attorney released a statement saying that Rodriguez planned on repealing any discipline given to him.
The reason this story is pertinent to our class is because of the role that social media coverage played in turning A-Rod’s public image from baseball’s super hero to Baseball’s poster boy for steroid use. Some reports even go so far as to say that Rodriguez’s suspension was granted based on the evidence found on facebook and twitter feeds. Such evidence points to A-Rod not only using performance enhancing drugs but also deliberately trying to hide such evidence from authorities in the investigation. According to blogger John Patzakis, investigators such as union general counsel David Prouty noted that social media evidence added a layer of proof that certainly would not have been available many years ago. (Patzakis) Users of networking and other media sites can learn a grave lesson from Rodriguez’s downturn. Users of social media site should be weary of statements they choose to release because those statements have a way of coming back to haunting a person later. Alex Rodriguez’s story shows us that not all media attention is good media attention especially if it costs you millions of dollars in contract deals. Only time will tell if Rodriguez will be remembered for his amazing baseball records or for his unfortunate image in the media.
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