Immaculate Redemption

I’ve alluded in the past to the parallels in media and fan perception of both Alex Rodriguez and Rich Rodriguez. While their shared surname is quite likely a coincidence, they certainly can relate to each other when it comes to stereotypes. Alex Rodriguez has been one of baseball’s villains ever since he signed a $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers nine years ago. Before that, he was universally recognized as a great baseball player and only a great baseball player. He was one of the rising stars in the sport and was well-liked by fans across baseball. It wasn’t until he wrote his name on that contract—something every single breathing human being would’ve done—that he became “selfish”, “greedy”, and “a cancer.” Similarly, Rich Rodriguez was well-recognized as one of the best coaches in college football. He had rebuilt West Virginia into a powerhouse capable of beating any program in the country. He was affectionately coined, “The Godfather of the spread” and was universally...