A-Rod: "I Made an Ass of Myself" in Infamous Francesa Interview
Alex Rodriguez did a sit-down interview with ESPN personality Jorge Sedano at the University of Miami’s Sport Conference on Thursday. He discussed his past transgressions with candor, and spoke about the businesses he is building — his most recent undertaking is an MMA gym in the Miami area.
CBS Miami wrote up a quick blurb of the event, which is worth reading in full. This section was particularly interesting:
"“I think just being a big jerk, you know?” Rodriguez said to the students. “I was just a really big jerk.” The controversial ex-slugger talked about the business of sports and did not shy away from the topics that made him the star some folks loved to hate. The skills that made him the game’s highest paid player and the scandal that tainted his legacy. “I made mistakes and then I doubled down and became a bigger jerk and then went on sports radio and made an ass of myself,” he said."
The radio interview, of course, was the infamous 40-minute spot in-studio with Mike Francesa in 2013, in which he vehemently denied steroid usage, before admitting in 2014 that he had been lying.
Nevertheless, A-Rod emerged from his one-year suspension as suddenly very likable. He’s been candid about his mistakes the past couple years, and has also been a very interesting media voice on Fox’s MLB playoffs coverage.
At the luncheon, A-Rod also said that he would “love and relish” the opportunity to be inducted into Cooperstown, but given everything that’s happened he is more focused on being a “hall of fame father and businessman.”
Unfortunately, for purposes of giving us the optimal headline, he declined to discuss J-Rod.