Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

A-Rod has long been suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs, but denied it many times. With this news, Yankee fans need to make a choice -- do they continue to support him as part of the larger team, or change their allegiances?

As a baseball fan, it seems like an easy choice -- stick with the team. But A-Rod's circumstances are unique. He has nine years left on his contract, so if you're with him, it's for the long haul. And unlike teammates Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte, who (sort of) admitted their use and moved on, A-Rod has repeatedly denied using, and so far this weekend has remained quiet. Plus retired Yankee Roger Clemens keeps digging himself deeper into legal trouble by denying use as the evidence against him mounts. So Yankee fans are pretty tired of seeing more of their players get branded as cheaters.

My husband is a big Yankee fan. He abhors the "steroid era" of baseball and wants all the stats wiped clean for any player known to have used. But he said that for him to keep rooting for the team that he loves, he will begrudgingly continue to cheer on A-Rod. In this case, his loyalty to the team outweighs his disappointment in any particular player. He just hopes that A-Rod admits it, apologizes, and moves on. And with a new stadium and jacked-up ticket prices, the Yankees better hope that other fans react similarly.

I think baseball in general really messed up by creating a culture that allowed for steroid use in the first place. Loyalty to the game of baseball itself is in jeopardy, as well as loyalty to teams and players. It looks like another example of short-termism (see Don Peppers video blog), where baseball execs were more interested in home-runs now than ramifications later.