Alex Rodriguez and baseball fans go to White Castle

Opinions are a wonderful thing. Everyone has them and an amazing amount of people love expressing them, including yours truly. There are the shy, the timid, the lurkers, and the people with no real bunts to give of course. However, the internet has provided people with a wonderful avenue of getting their opinions across to others from far distances away without having to worry about the social implications of actually saying it to someone's face. Anonymity, ladies and gentlemen; the best & worst thing about the internet. Speaking of "Things people have opinions about," have we talked enough about Alex Rodriguez yet? This blogger would like to think so. He'd be wrong.

"I wish this would all just go away" and "I'm tired of talking about it" are phrases I've read quite frequently these past two weeks when the subject of A-Rod & Biogenesis come into play. Last week was most certainly a romp in the crazy patch when Ryan Braun accepted suspension in exchange for ridicule, disgust, saving money, and being under contract till 2021 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Justice is served! Did you know Milwaukee is actually pronounced "Mill-e-wah-que" which means "the good land' in Algonquin? Fun fact. Here's another fun fact: People love to talk about A-Rod.

Another thing I've seen people ask is "Why does the media focus so much on A-Rod?" when the answer to that question is obvious: because it's interesting and people love talking about it. There will be some of you that say, "I don't like talking about it at all" and such other quotes that I mentioned in the previous paragraph. If that were your only quote in these types of topics, I might believe you. Usually it's not, though. Trust me, I've looked. I'm watching you like the Humbler watched Travis Hafner. Silently.

Ever stop to look at how many people actually comment in A-Rod related topics? Allow me to show you yesterday's front page at around 1:50 AM...

That number is likely to grow by the time this article is published. Other A-Rod articles have done the same. Most of them feature the same comments over and over again, no matter what angle of this ongoing story we decide to write about. This is an article discussing nothing else but how many comments other A-Rod articles receive and I fully expect to see the same talking points discussed once again. Prove me wrong, Pinstripe Alley. Prove me wrong.

The reason I wanted to talk about this is not to call people out, despite how much I do love calling people out. It's mainly because I find the social aspect and reactions fascinating. I have this belief that when it comes to pretty much any issue, the issue itself is not as important as the public's reaction to it. An issue comes up and boom, people cannot wait to get their point across, see if others agree with their point, and delve into why people with whom disagree with their point are wrong. Does their point have to do with the actual facts, or lack thereof, on the matter at hand? Irrelevant.

The thing about this particular baseball issue is that it's not going away for a long time. Rodriguez could be suspended before or right after this article is published and it's only going to move the discussion along like White Castle sliders move through your intestines, and for pretty much the same reason. It's delicious, it's tasty, everyone has an opinion about it that they want to share on a constant basis, and in the end it results in cruel, hilarious, and sometimes painful moments in our lives. Yet that doesn't stop us from eating more sliders or continuing to bring up the same talking points about A-Rod. It's just that good.

Alex Rodriguez is the White Castle's slider of the baseball world right now. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm now in the mood for an entire Crave Case. I shall pay the price later.