Will A-Rod still be voted into the Hall of Fame despite steroid use?

Give Alex Rodriguez a break. He took steroids at a time when it was legal and the whole league was juicing. He owned up to his actions, took the blame, and whole-heartedly apologized, something Barry Bonds and others have not done. He did not lie to Congress; he lied to Katie Couric. In America, the land of second opportunities, A-Rod certainly deserves one. And he deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame

Last season A-Fraud thought the worst of his problems was getting caught hanging out with Madonna, 20 years after her prime. This season it is a whole new story in the tabloids, as Alex Rodriguez admitted to using steroids in his three seasons as a Texas Ranger. Chuck Norris can't even get A-Rod out of a jam that will surely cost him a spot in Cooperstown.

Colin McDonough: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire are just a few of the "Future Hall of Famers" who were caught using steroids and now are ruined. Mark McGwire was not even close to getting voted into the Hall of Fame, even though he broke Roger Maris' single season home run record. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, arguably two of the best players at their positions in the last 20 years, have now been essentially shunned from the major leagues and will most likely be kept out of the Hall. The fact is that players who have any ties to steroids are not Hall of Famers in the eyes of the public and certainly of the sports writers that vote.

Matt McDonough: Alex Rodriguez did something we can all appreciate. He did a half-hour interview with one of the most respected baseball writers, Peter Gammons, and explained his situation thoroughly and clearly. He apologized and came clean. He did not wear goofy glasses, chug water, and plead the fifth like Mark McGwire did. He did not claim he could not understand English like Sammy Sosa did. He did not point a finger at Congress like Rafael Palmiero did. And he did not purge himself like Barry Bonds did, or run away from his problems like Roger Clemens did. A-Rod's case is different, and it should be treated differently.

Colin: A-Rod committed the same crime as all the other juiceheads in baseball, and even though he said sorry in a different way, he still cheated. His 156 homers in 2001-03 can be thrown out of the window. He must work his way back up to Hall of Fame totals, and then hope and pray that the voters believe he didn't cheat in Seattle or New York. Alex Rodriguez now has 397 home runs in his career. He is only ten homers behind former Brooklyn Dodger Duke Snyder on the all-time home run list.

Matt: You are forgetting the same Duke Snyder is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And besides, it is clear that not every steroid user got caught. Therefore, some members of the Hall of Fame may be "illegitimate". If baseball wants to maintain their already stained image, they need to reward the honest players, and condemn the ones too afraid to admit their wrongdoing. A-Rod was a star in Seattle before his steroid use, and he is a star now in New York after he stopped.

Colin: If A-Rod lied to Katie Couric about taking banned substances, then how can baseball fans believe him when he tells Peter Gammons he only used in Texas? For baseball to move forward, it must only reward the clean players who put up good numbers. Is 3,000 hit man Craig Biggio a better player than A-Rod? No, but Hall voters know he did it the right way.

Matt: A-Rod has done wrong, but no other player has dominated over the past five seasons the way he has. He has 198 homers since being traded to the biggest stage on Earth and two MVP's in New York has once again shown A-Rod plays at a Hall of Fame level when he is substance free. His off-field controversies and playoff failures have overshadowed the good he has done. And now it looks like this failed test will unfortunately overshadow his bravery and courage in telling the public how sorry he is.

Colin: If A-Rod gets a bust in upstate New York, than so should every steroid user who cheated his way to get there. That is not good for the game or for the fans. A-Rod's admirable apology was good enough for me, but not good enough for the voters. As a fan of the game and the Yankees, this news is terribly depressing. Last summer at Yankee Stadium I watched A-Rod believing he was going to be the best player I would ever see. He would break Bonds juiced record, and not just be a Hall of Famer but the greatest ever. But like A-Rod, I was stupid, selfish and na've.

Matt: A-Rod doesn t have a ring, a great image, or now a clean record, but he has saved his self-respect. When it is all said and done, he will end with some of the greatest, yet tarnished stats of all time, but Hall voters need to look closer. This whole era is tarnished, and A-Rod was one of the victims. Commend him for honesty, and send him to Cooperstown.