IT'S UP TO PARENTS TO GUIDE OUR KIDS... NOT AROD!

I appreciate the concern, Mr. Palladino, but I'm helping to guide my own children toward the correct role models in their lives... and ARod isn't one of them. Don't worry about me.

I was taken back by a silly little article, masked as someone "concerned for the kids" today. As a parent, let me tell you something sir, I take care of my kids,  not Alex Rodriguez ... I got this.

Ernie Palladino of CBS wrote a piece titled Sadly, The Kids Have Followed A-Rod’s Example.

In it, he wrote: "...Saddest of all are the kids who idolize the steroid-tainted players who loudly proclaimed, “I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!” until it was proved beyond all shadow of a doubt that they indeed did it..."

He goes on to say, "...these athletes’ lies go beyond adults who should demand better of their public servants but remain silent. The kids follow the lives of their heroes quite closely through the celebrity magazines and sports pages. Whether consciously or not, they pick up on the personality traits and quirks. They wear their hats like them, buy the costume jewelry that makes them look like the real article, purchase the sneakers with their names on them.

And they mimic the most reprehensible aspects of their personal behavior..."

But Ernie writes blindly almost as if to suggest that the kids are out there on the field with ARod and the others who tested positive from PEDs. Sure, kids idolize players, I know I did, but as they develop, parents are the ones who guide. It's not ARod making them breakfast and helping them study for tests... it's my wife and I. And furthermore, when my son asks me if a player "is on drugs", it's refreshing to know that when I tell him that a player cheated, he's turned off by that player.  I did that. I steered him straight... not those athletes.  Ernie, with all due respect, you don't give enough credit to parents, and that's misguided and wrong.

Ernie clearly didn't read Bleeding Yankee Blue and our piece titled AROD'S SIN ISN'T THE PROBLEM, IT'S AROD HIMSELF, when I said:

"...as a father, I think it’s more important that I steer my children away from him more than hate him directly.  He’s clearly a poor role model... Personally,  I believe in 2nd chances, 3rd and even 4th. But right around the 4th mess up, I'm reconsidering how to channel my energy.  Am I gonna yell that Alex Rodriguez is a loser? Not really... I just need to circle the wagons and make sure my kids understand what positive role models are..."

No, I'm not father of the year, but I do know that my kids are too young to truly understand what a role model is.  It's the parents that need to help that along.  That's where we come in.  

 
Nurture. Teach. Guide and your children will blossom.  You know how I know that? I'm a parent.  I see positive role models that my kids should latch on to... you know how I know? My sons like to wear Derek Jeter's jersey... that's how I know.

Nice try Ernie. In your crusade to save our children... you missed the big picture. Us parents.

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