It’s been exactly 4 days since my last post. Nope, I’m not neglecting my responsibility as a blogger… I was busy conducting a social experiment concerning A-Rod.

My “experiment” first started out as just my way of facing the “media” myself then the idea of a social experiment came to mind.

Sunday, on “A Show of Their Own” we interviewed Jane Heller and began to discuss how baseball is more than just a sport to a lot of people. It’s an escape from all the gloom and doom people face in their everyday lives.

I was very bummed out about the news concerning Alex. How could this be happening to me again? It wasn’t enough that my favorite pitcher took HGH… Everything is just piling up.

So, I wrote to all of you and shared my opinion on how Alex should address the media and his fans in a prompt manner so we can all “move on.”

Well, as a Yankee fan, I felt it was time for me to come clean; to face the music and my peers. I didn’t want to throw my A-Rod shirt away because of this. I decided I should get the ridicule over with fast by wearing my A-Rod shirt everywhere on Tuesday.

I figured if people were going to say something to me, I might as well get it over with that way when Opening Day comes I can wear my A-Rod shirt (if I so choose).

The Experiment

*** NOTE: NONE of this is made up. All the conversations are real, just edited for your reading pleasure and so MLBlogs will continue to let me post on here. I even took my little voice recorder I use when I’m interviewing people for the school newspaper so I wouldn’t forget anything.

Day One (Monday): I wore a Yankees shirt without a player’s name on it.

 

I went to class. Strolled around campus just waiting for someone to say something. Then I went to the mall to stroll around. I walked around in every sporting goods store there was. I figured if someone was going to say something it would be in a sporting goods store. I went with a cocky shirt, hoping that someone would say something about our WS championships..

Day One Results: I passed 13 guy who gave me a “Oh my gosh, this girl isn’t for real” look. Only one stranger actually said something to me. Our convo went like this.

MAN: Did you see what that Yankee player did?

ME: Yes, sir I did.

MAN: Do you believe him

ME: Yes. Do you?

MAN: Well, I just think its good he came clean. So, you still supporting him I reckon.

ME: Yes, at least for 9 more years.

MAN: (Walked away puzzled… wondering why I picked 9 years)

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Day Two (Tuesday): I wore my Alex Rodriguez  shirt.

 

Again, I went to class. I walked all around campus knowing someone would start something. I went to another mall, with the biggest sporting goods store in it. I went out to dinner with a friend at a sports café type place. I made sure to get up and walk around so people would see my shirt. I wore my hair up also, just so there was no question who I was representing with my shirt.

Day Two Results: Everyone, even the prissy girls and sissy boys who only know A-Rod because of the whole Madonna thing were giving me evil glares. 4 people came up to me and said something. 7 people yelled curse words at me from across the room/road. My favorite was this man (wearing a John Rocker/Braves shirt) who came up to me with his son (who was wearing shorts, a Braves t-shirt, and cleats). I assume the kid just got back from baseball practice. Here was our convo:

MAN: Ma’am, I hate to be rude, but you do know that man on the back of

your shirt did steroids don’t you.

ME: Yes sir, I do.

MAN: Well, I think he’s setting the wrong example for my kid.

ME: Oh, so your son is a Yankees fan (just being a jerk for the fun of it)

MAN: (Bleep) no! I hate them (Beeping) Yankees. A-Rod is a horses (bleep) for taking steroids. He has young fans, how is my son supposed to compete with boys doing steroids?

ME: Well sir, I don’t think your son is playing against A-Rod tomorrow, but I understand your opinion. It does suck that our heroes are, in fact, human. They make mistakes, but as a fan, I’ve got to support my team. Parents should set an example for their children and not rely

on celebrities to raise their kids.

MAN: Even if that means supporting a man who is exactly what’s wrong

with everything in sports.

ME: Alex didn’t create steroids and he’s not the only athlete to use

steroids. He’s just the only notable player on the list.

MAN: Well, its just the wrong message to send to kids.

ME: I know, thank god for prejudice athletes like John Rocker.

MAN: He ain’t prejudice, he just tells it like it is.

ME: Have you ever been to New York?

MAN: No

ME: ok then… (I walked off, sensing that I had made the man mad

enough).

Another favorite was this 20 year old guy (who has 3 classes with me) who decided that he wasn’t man enough to say something to my face, so he starts chanting “Cheater, Cheater, Cheater” behind me as I walked to my car. I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me, so I decided to do what any girl would have done, I turned around and gave him the “stink eye.” Well, that was just fuel for him… he then started chanting “Roid Rage, Roid Rage, Roid Rage.” Even though he was a chicken for not saying something to my face, I have to give the guy credit for his creativity.

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Day Three (Wednesday): I wore a Derek Jeter shirt today.

 

I wondered if people would react better to Jeter, since he has not (to the public’s knowledge) tested positive for steroids. Isn’t sad that I had to type what’s in parenthesis? You just don’t know anymore, but that doesn’t make me like or dislike baseball. Once again, I walked around campus proudly sporting my Jeter gear. I even wore my Derek Jeter seam bracelet. I went to an early movie and to a local (small) sporting goods store.

Day Three Results: People reacted positively to my Jeter shirt. Two women came up to me and said they were Braves fans, but they “absolutely adored Derek Jeter.” They told me that they were mad at A-Rod, but glad Jeter is a “prince.” Yes, they said prince. I still got a few evil looks, but not nearly the amount I got during Day Two. It was sort of an uneventful day. Maybe the news had worn off a bit…

 

FINAL WHISPER: I faced the music and now feel like I can put this behind me and wear whatever I want to the ballpark this year. What did my experiment teach us? I concluded that people love Jeter, end of story.

Baseball Nerdish as Always,

Brit