They were born six months apart — Alex Rodriguez on June 27, 1975, and Tiger Woods on Dec. 30, 1975.
They made their grand entrances into the world of professional sports at pretty much the same time. Woods became a professional golfer in 1996, and A-Rod, after two short stays, played his first full major league season that same year.
They became the biggest and most accomplished stars in their sports. Woods has won 14 majors and 71 PGA tournaments, while A-Rod has been an MVP three times and an All-Star 13 times.
They have been the biggest money makers in their respective sports.
And now their careers are crumbling. Tiger’s free fall continued with his dramatic exit after nine holes Thursday in the Players Championship, reportedly because of leg injuries, and A-Rod remains in a slow descent, barely hitting over .200 in May.
Their bodies are breaking down.
This is what else they share: Tiger and A-Rod both reportedly were sought for questioning by federal authorities last year.
Why? Because they shared the same witch doctor: Anthony Galea, the Canadian indicted in October on charges of distributing performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes in the United States.
Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez, the perfect symbols for their times.
Despite the ostriches who want to bury their heads in the ground, the possibility exists that Woods’ problems on the course have as much to do with his divorce from Galea — taken off the market by the feds — as they do with Woods’ divorce from Elin Nordegren following the revelations of his bimbo fest.
Speaking of women, Tiger and A-Rod may have shared one: Rachel Uchitel, who People magazine says partied with A-Rod as well as had her well-publicized relationship with Tiger.
Woods said Galea used blood-spinning therapy to help him recover from knee injuries and said Galea never gave him any illegal performance-enhancing substances. But the fact remains that he chose a doctor who is not licensed in the United States to treat him.
A-Rod — an admitted steroid user — made the same choice when he was recovering from hip surgery. Galea told the Associated Press in March he had treated Rodriguez but said he did not provide him with human growth hormone.
“He needed anti-inflammatories for his hip,” Galea said. “I was basically helping in the rehab.”
Galea is now talking to the feds, according to the New York Times, and it is safe to say that those talks might include conversations about Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez. They rose together and are now falling together, joined at the damaged hip and knee and other body parts that are being exposed — along with their legacies.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
