I think it’s entirely possible MLB’s attendance will take a noticeable hit this season, almost exclusively due to the economy.  However, I wonder how much of the decline will be spun so that’s it’s blamed on A-Rod.

this time I did RTA and I’m pretty much on side.  I do think the Phelps/A Rod comparison is kinda lame.  I think he overstates how severely Phelps has been “punished”.  (his 3 month ban is meaningless and Kelloggs wasn’t going to renew his deal at the end of February anyway).

I do agree with his fundamental argument that we won’t watch less baseball because of this, I certainly won’t, I would miss it. 

I think the whole cheating in sports subject tells us something about how our attitudes have changed…the zeitgeist if you want….the Black Sox was a big deal but basketball fans shrugged off Donaghy….baseball fans shrugged off Balco and the MR….everybody (except the IOC evidently) knows Olympic athletes cheat….we all know the NFL has been dirty for decades….the only sport that appears to have suffered is the Tour de France (I don’t follow it, perhaps it hasn’t?).

Anyway, we’ve long since lost our innocence concerning sports….it’s crooked? there’s cheating?...well, why wouldn’t there be?..why would it be different than everything else?