In the Alex Rodriguez steroid controversy, ESPN may be dealing with the appearance of a conflict of interest.
A week after Rodriguez admitted using steroids in an interview on the network, with a reporter who he hand-picked, ESPN is using the slugger in its ads for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Rodriguez is one of four players, including Yankee teammate Derek Jeter, “featured in a global campaign promoting the WBC on ESPN.” The campaign, which features print, television, online and outdoor ads, was set to debut on Saturday. In the ads, the players describe “their respective … heritages and the pride it instills in them as they prepare to participate in the global baseball tournament.”
One of the print ads features Rodriguez with the text: “I’m playing for my country. I’m playing for my quisqueya la bella.”
The ads were shot weeks before Sports Illustrated‘s report linking Rodriguez to steroid use.
For ESPN, this is somewhat of a different approach. In 2007, ESPN dropped ads featuring Roger Clemens within hours of the pitcher being named in The Mitchell Report.
