So the final word has been spoken on the 2007 season for the Yankees and A-Rod is the league’s MVP. Congrats to him, he deserved it…but he played his hand just about as badly as one could in city where an athlete of his caliber is constantly under the microscope. Instead of working out a contract extension with the Yankees and accepting this award on opening day of 2008 like a conquering hero, A-Rod will have another PR crisis on his hands.

Now he’ll have to have a repeat MVP performance next season to make the fans in the Bronx forget that he wanted to test the waters of free agency only to find out they were frigid. He’ll have to win more games in dramatic ninth inning walk-off fashion for the rumbles about his post-season failings to take a back seat to his regular season work. Unfortunately, this guy does not know how to thrive on success without tripping over his feet — which is what he did when he either thought he could make more money in California, or listened too keenly to his agent.

Either way, this award only symbolizes what he’ll have to do in 2008 to win back the fans he had just won over in 2007.