J-Lo saved A-Rod's life and 4 other things we learned from Sports Illustrated's Alex Rodriguez feature
Alex Rodriguez, former baseball playing hero, turned villain, turned lovable goofball entrepreneur, is featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story this month. He looks good -- per usual.
The story covers much of A-Rod's 43 years on Earth: How he went from an exciting 20-year-old superstar shortstop with the Mariners, to a $252 million player who couldn't win, to a much-despised player who was suspended from baseball, and then, somehow, to a lovable, Instagram famous MLB TV analyst who's engaged to Jennifer Lopez.
We also learned some fun new anecdotes from the article that we didn't know about A-Rod before. Here are 5 of our favorites.
-The comeback story? Mostly all due to J-Lo
The article talks about how A-Rod put up a fake persona during much of his career, referring to himself as a "robot." His fianc¨¦e fixed that.
¡°The key to being in the public eye is being your best self,¡± says Lopez. ¡°It¡¯s not being fake. It¡¯s being you. But the best version of you.¡± ... Lopez helped him see how he could be more. ¡°She just sees it. She helps me out all the time when I¡¯m trying to land a point on something. She¡¯s just a wordsmith.¡±
Like seriously, she actually helps him understand words.
¡°Balmy?¡± Rodriguez asks. ¡°How do you spell that?¡±
¡°B-A-L-M-Y. Balmy.¡±
¡°What does it mean?¡±
¡°It means when there¡¯s a little bit of a humidity in the air. It¡¯s hot but not scorching. When it feels like there¡¯s a blanket around your skin. Balmy.¡±
-A-Rod drinks a lot of coffee
"He¡¯ll often hit the gym at one in the morning, fueled by one of the nine cups of coffee he can consume a day, most of them served in A-Rod mugs."
-A-Rod is a big Coldplay fan
S.I. writer Ben Reiter went on Rodriguez's private plane with him and, apparently, A-Rod just shouts out bands that he wants to hear.
"[There's] a smooth sound system that plays Rodriguez¡¯s favorite bands, like Bon Jovi and Journey. ¡°Ash!¡± he shouts out to an assistant, upon boarding. ¡°Coldplay!¡±
-A-Rod does his best working out at 1 in the morning
Probably so he can blast his favorite tunes as loud as he pleases.
-A-Rod might run for president
Reiter asks him if he'd ever run for office. Although A-Rod denies it at first, he leaves us wondering with this.
"He keeps thinking about it, though. ¡°That¡¯s funny you say that,¡± he says. ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡±
First lady Jennifer Lopez? Who wouldn't want that?