Arod, are you now saying Mariano Rivera is the reason you opted out of the Yankees?

Recently we were told Mariano Rivera was so important to Arod that he'd have to leave the Yankees if there were a chance he wouldn't be back. Now Arod blames Mariano for keeping him out of a World Series (Arod's words via his hired agent Scott Boras on the ESPN News program, "First Take" earlier this week).

• NY Daily News' John Harper noted this today, wondering why ESPN News personnel failed to ask logical follow-up questions of Alex Rodriguez via his hired agent Boras in studio. Or did ESPN News just want to provide a platform for Boras for reasons of their own? Was this behavior agreed upon prior to Boras' appearance on First Take or does the program always behave in this manner if perhaps they approve of certain characterizations?
• Mr. Harper suggests follow up questions to Arod via Boras but my first would've been:

Arod, (via Mr. Boras), we're grateful for your special appearance here on ESPN News, and must ask, are you now stating that MARIANO RIVERA IS THE REASON YOU OPTED OUT DURING THE WORLD SERIES? WAS THIS ALLEGED FAILURE YOU CITE BY MARIANO RIVERA TO ALLOW YOU A TRIP TO THE WORLD SERIES SUCH A BITTER EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD TO SHOUT IT TO THE YANKEES AND ALL THE WORLD IN SUCH A MANNER?

• Reactions to this Arod/Boras' appearance on ESPN have mostly been about Boras. Boy that goofy Boras, etc. he's really reaching this time taking shots at Mariano. But that's window dressing. The real story is Arod took shots at a teammate we were recently told was pivotal to his returning to the Yankees. Second, as John Harper recounts, ESPN News personnel left logical questions back at the water cooler:

From John Harper's column:

• "For some reason, the interviewer did not respond with some obvious follow-up questions. Like:

• What about Games 5, 6, and 7 against the Red Sox, when even one clutch hit, particularly in Games 5 and 6, might have changed everything?

• What about 2005 against the Angels?

• What about 2006 against the Tigers?

• What about Games 1 and 2 against the Indians last month, when the ALDS essentially was decided?

What, those games shouldn't count against A-Rod? If anything, they should register more because the great ones should be held to a higher standard of delivering when their team needs them most.

• Same goes for the last three seasons, when the Yankees needed someone to save them from themselves, and A-Rod hit .159 (7-for-44) with one RBI, that on a seventh inning home run in Game 4 against the Indians last month with the Yankees trailing 6-2.

Can't blame Rivera for those numbers."

• From John Harper's NY Daily News column, 11/1/07, "Scott Boras Points Ridiculous Finger at Mariano Rivera." (Actually it's ALEX RODRIGUEZ pointing via his hired agent. sm)

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