Dumb Yankee

I know, I know. I’ve seen all the commercials, and I’ve heard it a million times. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” I’m sure by sharing this I’m breaking all kinds of rules and might lose my Vegas pass but, so be it. It’s worth it. For the record, it doesn’t concern me or anyone I personally know. Just someone I really don’t care for who just so happens to play for the New York Yankees.

After first hearing the story, I was some what skeptical. But I heard the same story two more times, in different casinos and from different sources. So, I’m pretty confident that the story I’m about to share is true. See, Thursday morning we were playing in that tournament at Paris and one of the other players began to tell the table about the World Poker Tour games going on over at Bellagio. He said all the big names were there, this was something I knew before we got to Vegas so, it was no surprise. What makes this worth sharing is who was seen playing in a cash game with KU alum Sammy Farha, and the fact that it was the day after a tragedy struck one of his teammates. It was none other then Alex Rodriguez. Mr. 252 million himself, playing with what I’m told had to be near one hundred grand.

Now he’s filthy rich, and $100,000 to him is nothing. And I have no problem at all with him gambling with his money, that’s his business. What makes this a story worth telling is the fact that this poker game was going on Wednesday. The very day that Cory Lidle died in a plane crash in New York City. You may have seen something about this on the news, I think they mentioned it. So here is A-Rod, a guy with a serious image problem in New York right now, playing high stakes poker AFTER his teammate has been killed. I’m not saying he needed to release a statement as Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi did but, his playing cards was a statement. Only Dubya needs to work on an exit strategy more then Alex.

Alex reminds me so much of Kobe Bryant, it’s uncanny. Both guys are super intelligent, to the point that they out smart themselves. I was a fan of each of them at first, as I’ve always liked the guys who seemed to be the “next” great ones. Alex was to be the next Cal Ripken/Ken Griffey Jr., or even the Michael Jordan of baseball. And Kobe was the next Jordan. Each of them kind of started off on the wrong foot with Kobe orchestrating a trade from the Hornets to the Lakers and Alex holding his scholarship to Miami U over the Mariners to negotiate a better contract. Pretty typical negotiation tactics in pro-sports these days but, neither move was done by those they were supposed to take the torch from.

They are both these really good looking, very articulate and well behaved mega-stars who had egos that couldn’t handle playing second fiddle. Alex has Griffey Jr. as his teammate in Seattle, and there were reports that their relationship chilled. And everyone knows the soap opera that was Shaq and Kobe. They both just can’t seem to get out of their own way. They try so hard to be liked, and to say the right things that it all looks so well rehearsed and fake. They are both probably pretty decent guys, among professional athletes but, there’s no real personality of their own to embrace. So now I find myself disliking them both, and pretty vehemently I might add.