By: Justin Jacobs and Chad Ruter
Chad: Justin, do you know the last time we played a game of beer pong as teammates?
Justin: Why that would be weeks ago. If my memory serves me right, we lost. Then I beat you in a game of 1-on-1.
Chad: I’m not sure about that. I think you’re misremembering the situation.
Justin: Maybe so… anyhow, I assume you’re trying to get somewhere with this bit, but I may need a map to find out.
Chad: Well, maybe if you’re going to go in front of Congress, you should pull out a dictionary and make sure you know the boundaries of the language you’re speaking.
Justin: Ah… Congress. Takes me back to the days when our buddy Joe almost got arrested at the Capitol for showing off his guns. But that’s a different column, hell a different column altogether.
Chad: True story. I know you watched the coverage of Clemens and McNamee on Capitol Hill today, and I saw some of it as well. Did anybody win here?
Justin: Alright. You got me. We’ll talk about Roger Clemens. As far as who “won” between Roger and Brian McNamee, well I guess that’s up for interpretation. I think the most important bit of information we got out of the whole circus, besides how split Democrats (pro-McNamee) and Republicans (pro-Clemens) are, was that Andy Pettitte told Congress that Roger did in fact use performance enhancing substances. Everything else was just a bunch of non-sense, I believe one Senator asked what jersey the Rocket was going to wear into the Hall of Fame. Ah yes, another fine example of our tax dollars at work.
Chad: Hell, even the guy that asked what jersey he was going to wear was wrong. They wear hats in Cooperstown – not jerseys. So do you believe Clemens is guilty?
Justin: Well I know we’re not completely on the same page on this one. I think the Rocket is guilty for these reasons. In the Mitchell Report McNamee names three people who he injected with performance enhancing drugs: Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and Roger Clemens. Both Pettitte and Knoblauch have admitted that McNamee did in fact juice them up, Roger is the only one who continues to deny these allegations. That for me is the damning fact when it comes to Roger’s innocence.
Chad: I understand where you’re coming from, but is that enough to call him guilty? The motto for the court of public opinion during this internet generation is “Guilty Until Proven Innocent.” I cannot blame Roger Clemens for anything that he has done in trying to convince the world he’s innocent. If he is truly not guilty, then why in the world wouldn’t he do everything in his power to prove his innocence? Pettitte and McNamee are sources of information, but how credible are they? Pettitte may have a solid track record, but McNamee tells the truth when it’s convenient and when it feels right to him. Using a most extreme comparison, this is a murder investigation where Clemens is the alleged murderer, but the only evidence prosecutors have is a guy that said he did it, and a guy that heard the gunshot – nothing physical. At this point in time – I really can’t call Clemens guilty. I need hard evidence. If the gauze isn’t bloody, your evidence is muddy!
Justin: Good point. McNamee isn’t a very “credible” witness, but while we’re on the analogy express, try this one on for size. Clemens is like a mob boss. Someone who is almost impossible to get to. You have to start at the bottom and work you’re way up if you want to get to a guy like Clemens. Most of the time you have to start with the petty drug dealer, hey isn’t that a convenient analogy for McNamee to get to one of the Boss’s friends… hello Andy, to get to the big kahuna… aloha Roger. If it weren’t for scumbags like McNamee, none of the major people in crime would ever come to justice. Of course then you have to have physical evidence, which would be the needles that McNamee kept in a beer can for seven years (weird), I’m not sure if they will be admissible in a court of law, but if the DNA fits, you cannot acquit!
Chad: And another scenario that jumps in my brain is that if Clemens is innocent, then what the hell is McNamee doing? Is he being blackmailed by someone? Is someone offering him up money under-the-table for doing this? It’s possible that something that we don’t even know about is affecting this case. If he isn’t telling the truth, then he needs to get out now – the stakes have gotten to high. And you’re right…storing needles with beer cans is crazy, and really creepy.
Justin: Hm… maybe Oliver Stone will make a movie about this, but probably not. Another area of contention is why would Clemens keep McNamee around after he injected his wife with HGH, unbeknownst to Clemens? Or what about the time McNamee used Clemens image without the Rocket knowing about it? There are all these reasons that Clemens should have fired McNamee but he never did. Curious…
Chad: Oliver Stone…nahhh, you absolutely have to Tarantino this one. Maybe the fact that he didn’t have a PhD would be a cause for concern? Isn’t this something you would check up on?
Justin: One would hope so. Then again, how many athletes could tell you whether or not their trainer has a PhD? How many athletes even know what a PhD is, or know what the heck their trainers are sticking them with? Scary. Anyways let’s broaden this conversation, what does having the greatest pitcher and hitter of our era being accused of using steroids mean in the grand scheme of things?
Chad: That they won’t be a part of the Hall of Fame. That baseball writers will have a topic to write about for another 50 years. That Bud Selig will be viewed as a commissioner that couldn’t control the game he was in charge of when he knew what was going on. The list is endless, but its effect on the game and on Johnny Fan is utterly meaningless. Tell me, are you going to stop watching baseball because the greatest pitcher of this era, who even pitched for your favorite team may be a cheater? I doubt it.
Justin: Not at all and I’ll give you two reasons why I don’t care. 1. At this point I just assume that their were a large number of people using steroids in the 90’s and in the early part of this decade. As much as people hate to admit it, it was a bunch of roided up monsters that brought the masses back to baseball after the ‘94 strike. I’m not mad that Roger Clemens may have used steroids, I’m pissed that he insists he is innocent even though there are multiple people claiming he isn’t. 2. I didn’t even start watching baseball until the 04 season, so all Roger is to me is a 25 milliion dollar investment we made last year that ended up being a horrible decision. If anything else, last year made me loathe Roger Clemens, and made me negatively bias in this whole ordeal.
Chad: That overtone really doesn’t show (laughing).
Justin: What can I say, I’m a true Yankee fan. What have you done for me lately Roger? But damnit, if he would have led us to a World Series in 2007, I would have been at the front of the picket line in DC marching for his innocence!
Chad: Have you had enough Roger for one night?
Justin: Wow. That’s what she said! Anyone? No? Alright then, I guess it’s time to move on.
Chad: Actually…that’s what he said…but that’s beside the point and wayyyy off topic. For the third time in a two week span, we’ve seen a blockbuster trade in the NBA that strengthens top teams in the Western Conference. Today, it was Jason Kidd (along with Malik Allen, Antoine Wright and a 2nd round pick) going to the Mavericks for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, three expiring contracts (DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager, and Devean George), along with two first-round picks and the NBA max $3 million in cash. Think the Mavs could throw in a convertible with that deal?
Justin: What I’m wondering is where they fit all these people on their roster? It’s going to be the size of a high school football team. Let’s be real here though, the pincipals in this trade were Kidd (ofcourse), Harris, Stackhouse and the two first rounders. What do you think Chad, are the Mavericks just reaching here in light of all the moves made recently out west?
BREAKING NEWS (Courtesy of espn.com and my friend Dan G.): Devean George has exercised his right to block the trade involving Jason Kidd going to the Mavericks for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse and two first-round picks.
Chad: Well sonofagun…I guess Mark Cuban will be throwing in that convertible after all!
Justin: Wow… you can’t make this stuff up.
Chad: Well, I could. But I just don’t have that good of an imagination.
Justin: More importantly, how the hell did Devean George get a no-trade clause in his contract?
Chad: They submitted the contract one night that Cube got completely wasted, and he didn’t read the fine print!
Justin: Actually I’m surprised that doesn’t happen more often.
Chad: Me too – especially when you have owners like Mark Cuban, Jerry Buss, and the Maloof Brothers looking over contracts with showgirls around. Since we can’t assume this trade will happen now, that kind of kills this subject. To conclude tonight, what are your initial thoughts on the allegations of rule violations by Kelvin Sampson at Indiana?
Justin: I have to admit I wasn’t too keen on the subject of Kelvin Sampson and his recruiting violations, but again I always just assumed that this kind of stuff is going on. Maybe I’ve seen the movie Blue Chips one too many times, but in this day and age isn’t something like this expected?
Chad: Blue Chips – great movie. Nick Nolte was great, and we get to see Shaq and Penny when they were in their respective primes. This seems like a case of, “I told ya so!” to Indiana Athletic Director Rick Greenspan. He knew that Sampson had problems with that sticky cell phone and office phone when he coached at Oklahoma, and even put provisions in Sampson’s contract denying him bonus money if he even dialed wrong. DUH! If you have to include clauses like this in someone’s contract, aren’t you just asking for a problem?
Justin: You bet. What I can’t wait for are all the Illini fans eventually talking about Sampson doing shady things to get Gordon to play for Indiana. I’m also wondering if Indiana will lose their playoff eligibility because of this, something that Michigan has had to deal with because of the Fab 5 scandal. Then again, maybe this is just me trying to blame everything on Chris Webber. Welcome back to the league Chris, no one missed you.
Chad: The only way I see this affecting their postseason play is if they choose it as a self-imposed penalty. Since none of the players that are playing are ineligible – I don’t see it happening. What I do see happening is that Kelvin Sampson is coaching his last season in Division-I basketball. You can’t even risk keeping him if you’re Greenspan. Cut the cord, and go get a guy that knows Indiana basketball. Hey, I think Bobby Knight’s available!
