Truth & Consequences

A-Rod Making Headlines  Across The Nation

From a rare front-page color photo in the WALL STREET JOURNAL to President Obama's first press conference to Letterman's Top Ten list, it's all A-Rod, all the time. The general skinny: His on-camera admission plays to mostly favorable reviews, but many observers just don't know what to believe anymore. And his lack of specifics and challenge of SI's Selena Roberts earn negative marks. ESPN goes heavy on the story, devoting its entire 60-minute early "SportsCenter" to the exclusive interview. But Peter Gammons takes his lumps, as critics pan his "gentle" questioning and lack of follow-up. One network getting early high marks is MLB Network, which "has not ducked the story" and had Roberts on last night to respond to Rodriguez' charges. What's next? Watch whether U.S. Rep Elijah Cummings (D-MD) continues to make noise about bringing A-Rod to the Hill to face the Government Reform Committee, and whether this issue creates a severe fissure in the union/management relationship.