AP: "Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were asked Friday to testify before a congressional committee on Jan. 16, along with their former trainer, Brian McNamee."
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Roger Clemens's decision to issue a complete and utter denial of having used steroids or PEDs has always seemed like a failed strategy, not only because I think he's lying, but because it offers no wiggle room.
He is now unable to admit to a little wrong-doing, cry some fake tears, and beg for forgiveness. And now Fat Billy seems unable to keeping his story straight.
Roger Clemens, December 23, 2007:
I did not provide Brian McNamee with any drugs to inject into my body.MLB.com:
Roger Clemens told Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes" that ... his former trainer, Brian McNamee, only injected him with the painkiller lidocaine and the vitamin B-12.Oops.
Lidocaine is a drug, isn't it? And why didn't Clemens mention these vitamins during his video apology?
Does Wallace ask Billy about this obvious contradiction? I don't know, but according to this advance report,
Clemens calls the accusation "ridiculous" and says he "never" used any banned substances. "Swear?" Wallace asked. "[I] swear," Clemens said.Jeez, let's hope that's not Wallace's toughest follow-up question.
One of McNamee's lawyers, Earl Ward, says McNamee stands by what he told Senator George Mitchell and federal investigators.
Brian has a master's degree in sports medicine. He knows the difference between Lidocaine, B-12 and testosterone. What he injected into Roger Clemens wasn't Lidocaine or B-12. It was testosterone.Another lawyer for McNamee, Richard Emery, says that Clemens will be facing a lawsuit if he claims that McNamee was not truthful. Emery also says he's mystified as to why Clemens's lawyers would allow him to do this interview.
So either Clemens will continue to say that McNamee is a bald-faced liar -- in which case, libel suit here we come! -- or he's planning on saying that McNamee was shooting him up with steroids and Honest Rog assumed they were harmless vitamins. (It's the ol' "OMG!!! They were steroids?!?!?" defense.)
This is going to be must-see TV this Sunday. I'm also hoping that some unbroadcasted parts slip out and hit the internet.
26 comments:
I didn't like Clemens much before, but I just cannot stand a person that absolutely refuses to admit mistakes and who continues to lie to cover up other lies.
We all know that Clemens could solve this once and for all by asking to appear before Congress and issuing his denials under oath. Or, he could issue an affidavit that swore under pains and penalties of perjury that he did not take steroids.
We all also know that he won't do this because in doing so he would be committing a criminal offense of perjury.
I'm with Curt on this: give back the Cy Young awards, you fraud!
I think you are right, he seems like he is going to try to use the excuse that "sure I got injected with stuff that I thought were vitamins, I had no idea they were steroids".
But remembering off the top of my head, wasn't McNamee pretty clear that he never provided anything to Roger, but instead injected Clemens with what was given to him?
Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com:
"And so it comes to this: An 89-year-old "correspondent emeritus" who adores the New York Yankees, spends quality time in owner George Steinbrenner's stadium suite and considers latest interviewee Roger Clemens "my friend," becomes our best hope to arm wrestle the truth out of the accused pitcher. ... For the fans' sake, baseball's sake and even Clemens' sake, we need Wallace to be indiscreet in the interview. We need him to be unrelenting. We need him to park his friendship with the seven-time Cy Young winner at the front door."
Howard Bryant, ESPN.com:
"If the Clemens interview is anything resembling the program's recent soft-toss profiles of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Clemens will be seated for just another celebrity, woe-is-me interview -- more Barcalounger than hot seat. ...
On Christmas Eve, Clemens posted a video on his Web site that contains the following quote: "Let me be clear: The answer is no, I did not use steroids, human growth hormone, and I've never done so. I did not provide Brian McNamee with any drugs to inject into my body."
Now, according to a partial transcript of the "60 Minutes" interview, Clemens is playing word games with that last sentence. Instead of "any drugs" by McNamee, Clemens is now saying McNamee injected him with only lidocaine and vitamin B-12. Already, the denial has softened, perhaps giving Clemens plausible deniability, Bonds-style, that he didn't know what McNamee was injecting.
Now Clemens has been asked to testify. So....
Now we're cooking with evil gas. :>)
AP:
Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were asked Friday to testify before a congressional committee on Jan. 16, along with their former trainer, Brian McNamee.
Also invited to appear before the House Oversight Committee were former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski ...
Wow , I want to see The Rocket go down , but this a witch hunt far beyond what was ever done to Bonds....The witness list is just Clemens , Petite , Macnamee, Radomski and Knoblauch.....There is over 80 names listed in that report and Petite already admitted he did them.....I think 38 and Mcain might be behind this.....
but this a witch hunt far beyond what was ever done to Bonds
I never comment in the steroid-related threads, but this jumped out at me. Far beyond?? Think of how long the media has been after Bonds about steroids. Think of the ink and airwave time expended on it. Bonds has been the poster child for possible steroid use in baseball for years and years. The Clemens issue started a few weeks ago.
I don't care what happens to Clemens either way, but he's not going through anything even remotely like what Bonds has put up with (deservedly or not).
Congress has you testify a month after someone says you are on steroids....Bonds has yet to visit congress, maybe because of his federal indictment, perjury doesn't sit so well with some people....
What has Bonds put up with anyway? He chose his path.....
Yeah, I don't see this as a witch hunt at all. And like L says, nothing like the Bonds thing. I really wanna see if people will go even half as crazy with asterisks and balls shooting into outer space with the white guy.
And Curt going after Roger? I think that's a breach in the mentor/protege relationship.
What has Bonds put up with anyway?
Don't take this the wrong way, but have you seen any sports pages or magazines or SF Giants highlights or any sports-type show on television or radio in the six or seven years?
I'm pretty sure Laura was referring to the ongoing negative comments of sports media and fans to Bonds for the last 6-7 years.
Billy has had maybe .01% of that so far.
I just cannot stand a person that absolutely refuses to admit mistakes and who continues to lie to cover up other lies.
musn't ... make .... political ... comment .... noooo .... have .. to ... ignore ...
Two of redsock's funniest comments ever come between 9:11 and 9:14 in one night! No offense to the 9:12 comment.
Ah, but I wasn't trying to be funny at 9:12, so I'm a clean 2-for-2 tonight!
January Fist Pump!
POLITICAL COMMENT COMING
Speaking of Curt, here's a bit on his buddy McCain:
The United States military could stay in Iraq for "maybe a hundred years" and that "would be fine with me," John McCain told two hundred or so people at a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, on Thursday evening. ...
After the event ended, I asked McCain about his "hundred years" comment, and he reaffirmed the remark, excitedly declaring that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for "a thousand years" or "a million years," as far as he was concerned. The key matter, he explained, was whether they were being killed or not: "It's not American presence; it's American casualties."
Ah. So as long as only Iraqis (or any human who was not born in the USA) are being tortured, raped, murdered and blown apart, McCain is cool with that going on for 100+ years (not that there'd be anyone left to kill by 2108).
Hell of a man you're stumping for, Curt! Bravo.
9casey said...
What has Bonds put up with anyway? He chose his path.....
We have been down this road multiple times but , Clemens will be out of the game when the dust settles, Bonds played for six years with controversey breathing down his neck....And continued to cash huge checks , would you put up with what he did and do the things he did for millions of dollars..and he was smart in the fact that he has a trainer who keeps his mouth shut, and goes to jail for him....
If Clemens goes to congress and tells the truth , whatever that might be, And it turns out that he did use steroids, Selig will have to do something, Bonds has been untouchable to Selig for years, Bonds put up with media scrutiny and people throwing syringes at him for years , but will never be hurt finacilally by this , Clemens could lose everything , Cy Youngs Hall of Fame, And Records....Bonds knew people didn't like him and he doesn't care he will laugh all the way to the bank , after a short stop at court.....Clemens cares about his legacy, If he didn't he would not be on 60 minutes and taping videos for websites.
Clemens is going to Congress to answer one question.....We all saw what happened to Mcgwire.......If it is not out of the ordinary to just send 5 of 82 to congress then I am way off base.......
Jere said...
I really wanna see if people will go even half as crazy with asterisks and balls shooting into outer space with the white guy......
I never even saw it that way, neither ,I guess, did congress...
Nah, Selig won't do anything to Clemens. Billy will retire, so that will be that.
And taking away awards is a slippery slope that no one wants to go down -- since we will never know who was using what when and how much.
I don't believe there is a chance in hell that anybody will be asked to return any awards. That would be a pretty BIG can of worms to open.
I believe the reason that Bonds was charged when he was is related. Selig makes sure that the record has been broken 1st. The deed has been done, and he didn't get in the way of history. Now, let the charges fly and the proof come out. I don't think they'll change the record book.
Clemens or McNamee one is lying through their teeth. Considering that Clemens is already starting to "adjust" his story, my money's on him
I wonder if we'll actually get to hear anything resolved on Jan 16.
Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, says "We welcome Chairman Waxman and the Committee's interest in this very serious matter. Roger is willing to answer questions, including those posed to him while under oath."
But then he adds "We hope to determine shortly if schedules and other commitments can accommodate the committee on that date."
Apparently FB is scheduled to play in a golf tournament that week.
"Sure, I'll answer questions! Under oath? No problem! Bring 'em on pard.....oh wait. I've got a tee time. Can't let ol' Bob Hope down, ya know. I'll get back to ya. Now, where's my retirement investment counselor? I need to check on my Haliburton stocks"
What has Bonds put up with anyway? He chose his path.....
Every athlete who has used or not used chose his/her own path. That wasn't my point.
You said there was a "witch hunt" after Clemens. I am saying that what is going on with Clemens - investigations, media, fans - is a miniscule fraction compared to what has been going on with Bonds for several years.
Which is what my original comment said. Completely leaving aside the issue of what Bonds or Clemens deserves or does not deserve, Clemens has been in the media spotlight about steroids for a few weeks. Bonds has been in it for years. But there's a witch hunt after Clemens? I disagree.
"Clemens or McNamee: one is lying through their teeth."
I believe McNamee. Right now he's looking at jail time if he's caught lying. Until Clemens testifies under oath, he doesn't have jail time hanging over his head.
Former SI associate editor Don Yaeger was supposed to work with Jose Canseco on his new 'roids book. But he will not be doing so.
"I'm passing. I had a chance to review the Jose Canseco (material) that he provided me. I don't think there's a book there. I don't know what they're going to do. I don't think he's got what he claims to have, certainly doesn't have what he claims to have on A-Rod. There's no meat on the bones.
Jose Canseco on his new 'roids book
Speaking of Jose, I guess on Thursday he made an appearance on WEEI's big show (the show called him). I haven't found the link to the interview yet and I didn't hear the interview but it appears that FB's attorneys called him. Of course Jose defended rahger in the interview forgetting all about his rant in his first book about b-12.
As for the congressional appearance, Waxman will subpoena his butt if he declines the invitation, but what I have heard is they want to question him about the veracity of the report.
IMHO - waste time on something else congress.
If Roger Clemens is interested in submitting to a polygraph examination he may contact Professor Joel Reicherter at my e mail address: univpoly1@aol.com or voice: 631 423 6368 or cell: 631 455 2650. Prof. Reicherter is an adjunct instructor at the U.S. Defense Academy for Credibility Assessment, Ft. Jackson, S.C.
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