MLB - Sports Rumors

Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:53 am EST

Congressman wants A-Rod to talk to kids about steroids

By Joe Zedalis

Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings has written a letter to Alex Rodriguez asking the Yankee slugger, recently outed as a steroid user, to participate in "Powered by ME!" — a public schools campaign against steroids in Cummings' district in Maryland.

A spokeswoman for Cummings said the letter does not ask A-Rod to meet with congressional investigators — a situation in which Rodriguez would be compelled to tell the truth under threat of false-statement charges.

Cummings sits on the House Committee for Oversight and Government Reform, which has pressured Major League Baseball to clean up its act. Cummings led some of the most skeptical questioning of Roger Clemens during the public hearing before the committee last year.

The committee also sent investigators to interview Miguel Tejada about steroids in 2005, and referred the shortstop to the Justice Department on suspicion that he lied. Tejada pleaded guilty Wednesday to having made misrepresentations to those investigators.

It doesn't appear Rodriguez will be put in a similar bind - for now.

"He has not sent a letter asking for that, and we haven't planned on sending a letter asking for that," said Jennifer Kohl, Cummings' spokeswoman. "That would have to go through the committee.''

Source: New York Daily NewsNew Window

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216 Comments

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  1. linebackerheaven
    1. Posted by linebackerheaven Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    Congress has more important things to worry about then the MLB. BIG BROTHER with his fingers some place they dont belong again. Waist some more tax payer money FM.
  2. MJ
    2. Posted by MJ Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:45 pm EDT

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    ok kiddies this is how you take steroids... watch and learn because i can only do this once before i test positive again
  3. theonlymaskman
    3. Posted by theonlymaskman Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:04 pm EDT

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    So just what is he supposed to tell the kids? I guess it's where they can pick up supplies at budget prices. I can't wait until they subpoena him so he gets the full opportunity to lie before Congress just like Clemens, Tejada, Palmeiro and the others. Then he won't have to worry about HOF anymore.
  4. live 4 surf
    4. Posted by live 4 surf Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:56 pm EDT

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    not sure this is a good idea,the kids might bring up topics like telling the truth and fidelity. kids say the darndest things.
  5. justnty
    5. Posted by justnty Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:45 pm EDT

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    I showed this to my 10 year old son. This is what he said; "why do I want to talk to A-Rod? He's a liar".
  6. jp
    6. Posted by jp Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:00 pm EDT

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    Good idea. A-rod is a real credible role model. Kids should listen to him and believe what he says.
  7. Crux
    7. Posted by Crux Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:34 pm EDT

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    God...I love kids frankness....excellent #5!
    Don't you think a guy like Jeter would have more credibility with kids? He can say "you can have success without steroids"
    surfy guy,...5:30?.
  8. live 4 surf
    8. Posted by live 4 surf Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:56 pm EDT

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    maybe they should do a trial run with clinton talking to kids about fidelity.
  9. Artist formerly known as Evil Empire!
    9. Posted by Artist formerly known as Evil Empire! Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:13 pm EDT

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    i wonder if he'll be doing those commercials anymore with the Boys and Girls Club of America or whatever it was.
  10. live 4 surf
    10. Posted by live 4 surf Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:56 pm EDT

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    crux just 4 you,:-) brother is having surgery and i didn't sleep much last night. been a little out of sorts last few days.
  11. linebackerheaven
    11. Posted by linebackerheaven Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    come on surf . i did not have sexual relations with that women. we just smoked cigars.
  12. I_AM_MATEO
    12. Posted by I_AM_MATEO Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:22 pm EDT

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    Instead of Congress worrying about A-Rod talking to kids about steroids Congress should talk to kids about ripping off the country and actually do something that is beneficial instead of spending millions of tax dollars on these steroid investigations, but I guess these type of things they can actually win because it is not anything against their fraudulent selves.
    Anyone who took steroids needs to get on with their lives and suffer the consequences later when the affects will be worse than any kind of stupid penalty that Congress would hand down.
  13. live 4 surf
    13. Posted by live 4 surf Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:56 pm EDT

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    linebacker your right ,bad idea.
  14. tourist
    14. Posted by tourist Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:03 pm EDT

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    Cummings should be more thoughtful on his behavior...........There're 2 things mattered now...One that he steroided. The other that he lied public denying it when asked. Oviously it affected big on kids. But adults are too.
    Why he only must be given the chance to be with kids? Does it matter with ticket sales in new stadium ? If they treat drug and hormone injections lukewarm, sooner or later MLB will become like car industry. Fans coming to stadium will unknowingly give their hardship bugs for these liars to buy drugs.
  15. Derik f
    15. Posted by Derik f Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    "hi kids,today we have the highest payed baseball player of ALL time!! He once used steroids,and he's going to tell us why YOU shouldn't"...yeah,that'll fly...why not bring in the local coke dealer with the Benz and he can tell the kids why drugs are bad.
  16. Jim
    16. Posted by Jim Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

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    okay, just a quick question about the whole Arod thing. I am not a Yankee fan, nor am I an Arod fan. However, if it was not illegal at the time of the test, who cares? Besides, the "latest" report is Selig says "Arod shamed the game". Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? I mean sure Selig didn't do steroids, but what he has done to MLB.... and still earned approx. $17M last year??? I'm having a hard time with this whole thing.
    Again, I don't like the Yanks or Arod, but let it go already.
  17. TrueThat
    17. Posted by TrueThat Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:31 pm EDT

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    I have to agree with Avs back to glory (#16).
    You can't punish 1 guy when there are over 100 more players that are guilty of the same thing. If you punish 1 guy then let all the names come out and punish them all...otherwise, move on and get ready for the season. And again, agreeing with #16, I'm not a Yankee fan or an A-rod fan but move on unless you plan to uncover everyone.
  18. Edwin
    18. Posted by Edwin Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    And we can ask congress to talk about how they lie to the general public when A-roids done. By the way, how many times do you have to lie to be a liar? I'll leave that question to Congress.
  19. teddyballgame
    19. Posted by teddyballgame Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:14 pm EDT

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    Steroids are illegal. He had them illegally. They shouldn't HAVE to be banned from baseball. Is there a rule in the rulebook against murdering the opposing shortstop? Duh. That is a stupid argument. He cheated. I wouldn't let this idiot talk to my dog or cat.
  20. Derik f
    20. Posted by Derik f Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    Wouldn't it be closer for Brian Roberts to attend POWERED BY ME!!?? this is just another case of a congressman trying to get his name in the SPORTS section.
  21. Gaylord
    21. Posted by Gaylord Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:46 pm EDT

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    Great!! Let's give this fraud another chance to lie through his teeth.
  22. Denise
    22. Posted by Denise Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    Derik, mayne A-Rod can say "my wife left me, I ended up with some half-century old pop 'star' that uses even more steroids than I did, everyone hates me now - even Yankee fans and kids who doesn't yet know the alphabet, I'm miserable! Stay away from drugs or you'll end up like me, America's public enemy." Hey, that could work!
    Spring Training in 12 days/
  23. Wylde
    23. Posted by Wylde Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:35 pm EDT

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    Cummings must have been watching the baseball channel.
    Harold Reynolds advised this a few days ago.
  24. lman12
    24. Posted by lman12 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    Remember, just because he fessed up to and admited using DOESNT'T make him less guilty. I got a good laugh when i read where Giambi was quoted as saying"A-rod did a good thing coming clean". Like what other choice did he have....deny it when the feds have a POSITIVE DRUG TEST in their posession...exactly how *STUPID* are these MLB players!!!!

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