They’ve been spotted at each others’ apartments. They have even rendezvoused at Seinfeld’s Hamptons home in October. Now, reports say that Madge is moving back to New York City to be closer to A-Rod and that he’s had a secret “love nest” near the Material Mom’s apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side since 2007. And now reports are stating that they might go public by Christmas. Joy to the world, indeed.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, let us recap: Cynthia Rodriguez filed divorce papers on July 7, 2008, citing A-Rod’s emotional abandonment of her and their children and his series of extramarital affairs as the driving forces behind their “irretrievably broken” marriage. Though not explicitly named in the suit, Madonna’s home wrecker role in this case is no secret. After US Weekly exposed A-Rod’s late-night visits to the Manhattan apartment of Guy Ritchie’s wife, the Rod’s marriage quickly fell apart.
Rumors of A-Rod’s infidelities began circulating years ago. In 2007, the New York Post even coined the nickname “Stray-Rod ” for the Yankee slugger after his purported strip club date with an unidentified blonde that he later took back to his hotel room. But it was the Material Girl who managed to deliver the final blow to the Rodriguez’s marital bliss after all the previous alleged sexual infidelities. Why?
In A-Rod’s own words, “Madonna is my f*%ing soulmate.” And with that his relationship with his wife took its last breath. The MLB’s three-time MVP would have been better off with, “I’m f*%ing Madonna,” because publicly admitting that someone other than your spouse is your soul mate is synonymous with pleading for a divorce. Though the previous affairs likely left Cynthia feeling cheated, royally pissed off, and murderously vengeful, Alex’s emotional abandonment prompted her swift motions for divorce and her flight to visit friend Lenny Kravitz at his home in Paris for support.
For Cynthia, handling rumors of sexual indiscretions paled in comparison to dealing with the 50-year-old Madge, who just finished her “Sticky and Sweet ” world tour where she strutted around onstage in fishnet stockings, had won over the heart, mind, and soul of A-Rod. How can Cynthia, or any of us, compare with Madonna? I mean, really.
Cynthia’s plight is hardly unique in the SWAG world. Infidelity has become an integral part of professional athletics, and the responsibility has fallen to the pros’ wives and girlfriends to differentiate between mistakes and deal breakers. At the risk of over generalizing, SWAGs rarely excuse emotional affairs but often forgive sexual misconduct. In fact, in rare instances, they promote it.
Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko’s wife Masha Lopatova, well aware of the temptations of the NBA lifestyle, allows Andrei “one free groupie” a year. In other words, she gives her husband a free pass at sexual infidelity every season, confident that his heart will remain with her.
What does this say about the state of professional athletics when cheating has become, if not permissible, at least an expected part of the job? Is the best a SWAG can hope for these days is a partner that loves her but sleeps around?
No party will come out unscathed in the Rodriguez divorce. A-Rod’s hitting slump contributed to the Yankees’ poor performance in 2008, while he faces his prenuptial reality and the huge chunk of change he will owe Cynthia. C-Rod loses the husband she claims she still loves and faces the daily barrage of media coverage highlighting Alex and Madge’s shared Kabbalah teacher, visits with the Seinfeld’s and intimate dinners in Manhattan.
At least Alex’s recent 0,000 contribution to Madonna’s Raising Malawi charity ensures that some will benefit from his unfaithfulness. And this generosity of spirit is something even Santa might approve of.
