In Class Free-Write: My Primary Sources

My three primary source all fit together by way of how they pertain to Alex Rodriguez and the big mess that he has gotten himself into. Thinking a little more critically about this, they are all arguments as to why Rodriguez would use steroids or what he has done to his image now that he is a known steroid user. I think that many people would say that these three articles all make an argument for why a player with this kind of talent would do something to this magnitude. All three of these article also look at when and where he used steroids and why he might have felt the need to use performance-enhancing drugs.

These three sources are different because they all look at different aspects of Rodriguez' steroid use. The first two primarily look at what drove Rodriguez to use steroids while the third looks at the people and players around him that possibly made him want to try and continually use steroids. The first article is by far the most benefical source that I have obtained for my second essay in this class. This article stands above the latter two sources because it goes more in-depth, looking at the ins and outs of steroids and how Rodriguez handled the steroid allegations. The first article is different from the other two because it was published in a Sports Illustrated by authors and writers who are very skilled in the field of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

The warrents or unspoken values and assumptions of these three sources are: Rodriguez knowingly used steroids to gain an edge, Rodriguez was pressured into using these drugs, and that Rodriguez only used steroids while he was in Texas. I believe that all three of these warrents can really help me in my paper. I think that each of these warrents can create great arguments. The first warrent is one the would most likely seem very obvious to outsiders. I believe that there is more to this warrent. After reading and researching many articles, it is a valid arguement that Rodriguez did not know what he was putting in his body. Some people honestly believe Rodriguez when he said that he was simply too young to know better.

These three articles definitely show the basic model for arguments in America. All three of these articles make a point and attempt to prove it. These articles also attempt to disprove someone or a group of people. After reading and analyzing these three articles I now have a pretty good idea as to what the state of argument is in the United States. I now think that most arguments in the US are made through using evidence and primary examples to prove or disprove point. In the US, it is evident to me now that arguments have two or more than two sides. I now realize that a good argument is not only one-sided. In attempting to prove or disprove, I now think that a rebuttal is a great way to make an argument.