What GM and Chrysler can learn from A-Rod

Yesterday, Alex Rodriguez became the seventh person in major league history to hit 600 home runs and the youngest person ever to reach that mark. At this pace he should pass Barry Bonds' record of 762 dingers in just four or five years if he stays healthy.

Yes, he's an admitted steroid user. Yes, this achievements will be questioned. But he's not being vilified. Not the way Barry Bonds is.

So what can GM and Chrysler learn from this: Apologize, shut up and perform.

Deliver great products and the past will slowly fade from memory as new generations of car buyers that weren't burned by your history of ineptitude enter the market.

Five years from now someone driving a (hopefully) world-class Chevy won't care about the unmitigated disaster that was the Citation. Just as they won't really care about A-Rod's steroid use when they put his name in the record book.