Manny being ??????

Being a huge Redsox fan, I feel a requirement to share my thought on the situation involving Manny Ramirez. In case you didn't know, Manny has been caught using a substance that has been banned by Major League Baseball, and has subsequently been suspended 50 games.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4148907

I thought long and hard last night to come up with an analogy to describe the situation and how I feel about it. This is the best I could come up with. It would be like meeting your room mate freshman year of college, and eventually he becomes your best friend. You do everything together. You experience all the good (2004 and 2007) and bad (2003) life has to offer. During this time you are dating someone, then all of a sudden he swoops in, steals her away, and acts without a shred of remorse. Then a year later, he is arrested for having a false identity. He was such a big part of your life for so long, and now you have no idea who exactly he is.
For 7 and 1/2, Manny Ramirez was part of the Redsox and the lives of all their fans. Sure Papi was likable, but every Sox fan knew that when the game was on the line it was Manny we wanted at the plate. He became arguably the best pure hitter in baseball which everyone attributed to his tireless work ethic and loads of natural talent. Sure he was goofy, quirky, unpredictable, and even selfish at times; but it never mattered because once Manny stepped out of the dugout you knew exactly what you would get.
Now we have the same results. Manny still produces like one of the best hitters in the game, but how did he really get there? Did he really have that much talent? Did he really work that hard? Was he really that goofy and lovable or was that an act put on to distract everyone from the truth?
I will still remember all the good times Manny had with the Sox. I am still grateful to him for what he did for us in 2004 and 2007. I am still upset with him for what transpired in 2008. Unfortunately there is another emotion that I will always associate with Manny Ramirez; I will always wonder who he really was.