With the Olympics complete and now that we've passed that crucial threshold of the start of March, the focus in the sports world will soon return to warm weather games, specifically baseball, tennis and golf (in addition to the spring tradition of the NCAA tournament). But it's always baseball that emerges foremost as the Ides of March approaches.

And there is now most decidedly a new tradition in spring training to go along with dreams of the hot Florida sun that keep millions of restless baseball fans mentally stable this late in winter - and that is the swirl of questions surrounding the third baseman of the defending world champions, otherwise known as A-Rod.

Just a year after a contrite - or should I say a pathetic and deceitful - A-Rod offered up the lamest of explanations for his years of steroid use during his self-called "young and stupid days" while with the Texas Rangers (and um, since when was one's late twenties considered that youthful?) in front of a duped and feeble Peter Gammons on national TV, A-Rod is again the center of an emerging controversy. Just to remind everyone, here are a few select exchanges from that rather lame attempt at a supposedly investigative and confessional interview that showed the utter lack of follow-up and truth telling:

PETER GAMMONS: What kind of substances were you taking?
ALEX RODRIGUEZ: Peter, that's the thing. Again, it was such a loosey-goosey era. I'm guilty for a lot of things. I'm guilty for being negligent, naive, not asking all the right questions. And to be quite honest, I don't know exactly what substance I was guilty of using.

PETER GAMMONS: Where did you originally get the substance?
ALEX RODRIGUEZ: Again, at the time, you know, you have nutritionists, you have doctors, you have trainers. That's the right question today: Where did you get it? We're in the era of BALCO ... Back then, it was just about what. There's many things that you can take that are banned substances. I mean, there's things that have been removed from GNC today that would trigger a positive test. I'm not sure exactly what substance I used. But whatever it is, I feel terribly about it.

This latest installment of the annual serial "Baseball and PED's" involves Canadian doctor Anthony Galea, who was arrested in Canada in October and is accused of, among other things, conspiracy to export Actovegin - an illegal performance enhancing drug - into the United States.

Vials of human growth hormone and Actovegin were discovered in a car driven by Galea's assistant as she attempted to drive into the United States from Canada. The assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, then stated to authorities that she was cognizant of the fact that the drugs were illegal. Additionally she also said that Galea told her to give the excuse that the drugs were for an upcoming medical conference and not for use on patients.

Doctor Galea has serviced many high-profile athletes, including the most famous athlete/tabloid figure on earth, Tiger Woods. Additionally he also treated Dara Torres, the swimmer who competed in the 2008 Olympics at the age of 41 (there has never been any proof that either Woods or Torres have ever used PED's). And just last week Mets shortstop Jose Reyes met with federal authorities to discuss his interactions with Galea.

Most of the athletes treated by Galea are adamant that he never injected them with any substances and the course of treatment that Galea has administered has mostly involved blood work, more specifically a type of plasma replacement therapy which is supposed to speed up the process of recovery after injury.

The connection between Rodriguez and Galea appears relatively thin; A-Rod received help from chiropractor Mark Lindsay who is an associate of Galea's. And Lindsay's name has also been connected to that most infamous of San Francisco acronyms, BALCO.

So far there appears to be no concrete proof that A-Rod was given illegal drugs by Galea or his colleagues. And if that is truly the case, then it would be simple and wise for A-Rod to state unequivocally that there is nothing funny about his connection to Galea. I mean wouldn't one want to put an immediate and definitive halt to rumors that would further impugn one's already suspect character? Especially if said person had to practically beg to regain respect just a year prior?

But not A-Rod. Yesterday Rodriguez said few words and none of them declarative. When queried on the latest controversy A-Rod said, "I can't really get into that. You'll know within time all at the same time ... this is about someone else. I'm focused on baseball." And he decline to comment when asked if he had ever been treated by Galea.

Sorry Alex, it doesn't work that way. I'm all for protecting one's rights and for not having to admit that you didn't do anything wrong if that is the case. But with you, there isn't much slack left with public opinion. If indeed you have nothing at all to hide then I would have uttered the following: "I want to wait to speak to the authorities to see what all of this is about. But I can tell all of you that I have never been administered drugs of any kind from Doctor Galea or any of his associates."

Because right now, I have trouble trusting anything the most talented player in baseball says. Past is prologue, right?

It will be interesting to see how much more A-Roid drama Yankees management, as well as fans, will tolerate. But then again it astounds me that he was able to get away with admitting so little a year ago.