Remember when Alex Rodriguez was famous for being the highest-paid player in baseball history? The debate wasn’t whether he was a great player; it was whether he deserved more than $250 million a year. Now, instead of heading to Cooperstown, the Yankee shortstop joins the long list of professional athletes who used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and lied about it.
We often talk about the “3Vs” frame for crisis stories, named for the three roles the media typically assign – a Villain, a Victim and a Vindicator. For years, A-Rod tried to portray himself as a “Victim,” even though it’s hard to feel sorry for someone who makes that kind of money, regardless of how he performs. Most Yankee fans remember how badly he performed in the 2012 playoffs, and he spent the entire 2014 season suspended for his role in the doping scandal. A-Rod denied the accusations and contested the suspension.
Now we learn that, when the DEA granted immunity from prosecution, Rodriguez admitted to using PEDs. In fact, he told them in January but continued to deny it publicly. A-Rod has been lying for years. His denials were vehement in 2007, when the Mitchell Report came out. Then two years later, he admitted using while playing for the Rangers. Then he went back to denying – and not just denying, but he attacked his accusers. He filed lawsuits against Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig, accusing them of trying to destroy his reputation and his career. He even sued his doctors and hospital. (He eventually dropped the lawsuits.)
A-Rod didn’t need help destroying his reputation. He did it entirely on his own. He is clearly not a Victim, but a Villain. Villains do not tell the truth and they try to blame others. Just like Lance Armstrong – who denied and attacked, before finally admitting the truth – Rodriguez has absolutely no credibility. He was suspended all last season and is eligible to return in the spring, but many Yankee fans don’t want him back – even though the Yankees still owe millions of dollars on his contract. How’s that for a shattered reputation?
Remember, to preserve your reputation, you must tell the truth.