New York Yankee 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez reportedly tested positive for anabolic steroids use back in the 2003 season, his last with the Rangers. SI.com has the exclusive:

Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s ‘03 survey testing, SI’s sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.

When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. “You’ll have to talk to the union,” said Rodriguez, the Yankees’ third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, “I’m not saying anything.”

The MLBPA issued a statement, saying “Information and documents relating to the results of the 2003 MLB testing program are both confidential and under seal by court orders. We are prohibited from confirming or denying any allegation about the test results of any particular player[s] by the collective bargaining agreement and by court orders. Anyone with knowledge of such documents who discloses their contents may be in violation of those court orders.

Alex won the AL MVP award in 2003, where he hit .298 with 47 HRs and 118 RBIs. A-Rod was traded after his 2003 season to the New York Yankees, here is what the GM that traded him, Jon Hart, thinks about the test results.

“At the time, you were in the dark as to what was going on, or who was using something,” Hart said. “Nobody talked about it. “You’d hear rumors going around, or you could look with your own eyes and maybe notice something. But Alex was a great player coming out of high school, and we never had any reports that resembled that.”

Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball Executive Vice President of Labor Relations, released this statement on the tests:

“We are disturbed by the allegations contained in the Sports Illustrated news story which was posted online this morning. Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be non-disciplinary and anonymous, we can not make any comment on the accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named.

“Based on the results of the 2003 tests, Major League Baseball was able to institute a mandatory random-testing program with penalties in 2004. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have improved the drug testing program on several occasions so that it is now the toughest program in professional sports. The program bans stimulants, such as amphetamines, as well as steroids.

“Any allegation of tipping that took place under prior iterations of the program is of grave concern to Major League Baseball, as such behavior would constitute a serious breach of our agreement.

“Under Commissioner [Bud] Selig’s leadership, Major League Baseball remains fully committed to the elimination of the use of performance enhancing substances from baseball. As the Commissioner has said, we will continue to do everything within our power to eliminate the use of such drugs and to protect the integrity of the program.”

Many will now compare A-Rod’s appearance on 60 minutes to Rafael Palmiero’s finger pointing on capitol hill, where both of the players denied the use of steroids. Only to be proven wrong later. Here is the interview:

In 15 MLB seasons, Rodriguez is a career .302 hitter with 553 Homers and 1605 RBIs. Many considered Alex to be the savior for this generation of baseball. Just last year, many sports writers were predicting A-Rod to hit 900 homers and would become the first legitimate home run king since Hammerin’ Hank and would banish Barry Bonds’ name from the record books. I myself bought into this theory. I thought Rodriguez was the best pure hitter that made his paycheck based on skill and hard work. When I met Alex at the 2006 All-Star Game FanFest in Pittsburgh, he didn’t seem very “big.” When Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire were on the juice, they looked like professional body builders, but A-Rod just looked like a normal business man when he had a dress shirt and khakis on. It was his legs that gave him all of his strength. For a while, when magazines or writers would create the “perfect build” for a hitter, they would use Alex’s legs.

I think this announcement is a game changer for Major League Baseball. Rodriguez has been the face of the game ever since he became the highest payed athlete in the game. Even the “housewives and girlfriends” know about A-Rod, mostly due to his off the field drama with Madonna. More and more fans are losing interest in the game as more and more athletes are given the title of “cheater.” Fortunately all of these positive test results are from a few years ago, and the MLB has one of the best drug policies known to man now.

It looks like MLB will lean on the likes of Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun and David Wright to lead their business, one full of asterisks.

Todd Haley is the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season, Haley designed one of the greatest passing offenses in NFL history. The Cardinals became the first team ever to have 3 wide receivers with over 1000 yards receiving, Larry Fitzgerald(1431), Anquan Boldin(1038), and Steve Breaston(1006). With weapons like that, you can't blame Todd for taking advantage of their talent.

But now, Haley is taking over a team whose offensive superstars are either old or unhappy with the team. However, both Tyler Thigpen and Dwayne Bowe emerged as pretty solid if not good players over the course of the '08 season. Bowe finished the year with 86 receptions for 1022 yards and 8 TDS, and Thigpen ended up with 2608 yards and 18 TDs in 14 games.

Tony Gonzalez is still the face of the franchise, but he is getting up there in age. Tony will enter into the 2009 campaign at the age of 33, but is still producing as he caught 96 balls for 1058 yards and 10 TDs last year. Larry Johnson has already asked for his way out of Kansas City, so it seems like Jamaal Charles will take over as the primary back.

So, Todd is coming into a franchise without a true franchise QB, an emerging wideout, and one of the best tight ends in the game. So, what is missing from the offense? Bowe's Fitzgerald, that's who. Haley has his Boldin prototype in Bowe and his Breaston, or a possession receiver, in Tony Gonzalez. But he is missing a Fitzgerald. Where can he grab a young Fitzgerald to pair with Bowe?

In the 2009 NFL Draft. Michael Crabtree, who is frequently compared to Fitzgerald and even Andre Johnson, is projected by most mock drafts to go to the Seattle Seahawks as the #4 overall pick. But now that an offensive guru is the head of the Chiefs, who have the #3 overall pick, I think the franchise goes offense, and there is no better fit for Kansas City than Crabtree.

However, some would argue that drafting Crabtree doesn't make sense as the team has no proven QB, and I agree. This is the biggest X-factor for Haley and his staff. If Thigpen can continue to play as he did when he was handed the starting job last year, then the Chiefs should be in pretty good shape. But if Tyler turns out to be a fluke, the franchise will either be in the hands of Bradie Croyle or a new addition to the team.

If the Chiefs choose to go out of their own talent pool to grab a QB, here are some of the options they have: Matt Cassel, Kurt Warner, J.P. Losman, Matt Leinhart, Graham Harrell, or Nate Davis.

The best of those options is obviously Cassel, but the Chiefs would either have to pay him a gross amount of money or trade for him. The latter is the most likely of the two options as the Chiefs could offer Larry Johnson, and future picks to land Matt. Graham Harrell is also an interesting choice. Taking Harrell in the 4th or 5th round could be a terrific sleeper for Kansas City, as I am sure Haley could form a system around Harrell and Crabtree.