Really thoughtful end to an SI article about Alex Rodriguez by S. L. Price. Greatness as a reflection. We watch because we see a glimmer of ourselves, of our potential selves or the potential of our tribe. We see something when we watch sports. Really interesting.
Rodriguez”s gift, his unprecedented completeness, was never really his; it’s called a gift for a reason. Sports is a collective of time as well as talent. Six generations of baseball players and fans, billions of dollars worth of stadia and TV time, an infinity of minor and major leaguers working for untold lifetimes – all of it combined to create the game, the numbers, the interest and hothouse environment in which Alex Rodriguez was going to be the best.
People care so much about sports greatness because, deep down, they know it’s a reflection; something there belongs to them. We gave Rodriguez his chance. We urged him not to waste it. Cashman knows, better than anyone: We hate it when we make so big a mistake.