Does anyone actually like Roger Clemens?
So what do we think of Roger Clemens now? Just read this SI.com article and thought this whole taping a conversation with his former trainer was a pretty pathetic attempt to get his trainer trapped in some sort of lie. Is this a man fighting for his life and reputation or the kind of crap knuckleheads like this do when their backs are against the wall? I assume the latter. I kind of believed Rafael Palmeiro when he shook his finger at Congress (it was the mustache that made me believe) only to find out he was a dickhead and I was gullible. Shouldn't Roger just have let this one go like McGwire did and fade away forever? Or come out like Giambi and at the very least say the words "I apologize" (granted, Giambi he never said what he was apologizing for other than letting the fans, media, and Yankees down.) At the end of the press conference yesterday, Clemens rips the head off one of the reporters for asking about the Hall of Fame and acts as if he has never even thought about it again proving (to borrow a line from The Sheriff) he is the douchebag we thought he was.
One last note, in the SI.com article it says that Andy Pettite has hired the same attorney that Sammy Sosa had; thought a hilarious SNL skit would be Pettite walking into his Congressional hearing on his cell phone talking to Clemens saying "Roger, not to worry old chum. Nothing will come from these proceedings that will danger my future let alone your sterling reputation," then he sits down in front of the cameras and the dais of congresspeople next to an interpreter and says "Me pitch da ball. Throw ball hard. Strike out. World Series. Chimichanga. Me love beisbol" and then walks out.
1 Comments:
Couple thoughts:
1. Overall impression: methinks thou dost protest too much, Roger.
2. As to no one giving Clemens the benefit of the doubt he thinks he deserves, he can place all blame squarely on his own shoulders for that. That's what acting like a sullen, arrogant jerk with serious anger management problems for 20 years will do for you. You want the benefit of the doubt? Don't be throwing shards of broken bat at your opponents. Also, here's a little advice: during the press conference you hold, try not to do a couple of things, such as (a) intimate that McNamee would be physically harmed if he came to Texas, (b) sarcastically ask if you can take a drink of water, and then (c) storm out of the press conference you yourself called after insulting everyone there in an expletive-laden tantrum. The man is a child. He's also confusing public sentiment with criminal procedure. In the current climate, no one gets the benefit of the doubt when their name pops up in the Mitchell Report (Sammy and McGwire and Raffi made sure of that), but especially not this guy.
2. I think the taped conversation was mostly 15 minutes of nothing. Anyone can take whatever they want from it. But I'm certainly skeptical about the motives of anyone who would surreptitiously tape record a conversation (while their lawyers are likely sitting there handing them notes about what to say). The fact that Clemens had such an organizational/preparatory advantage in the conversation and McNamee still doesn't come off looking very bad is perhaps more important than anything actually said. Also, how many times does McNamee ask Clemens "what do you want me to do, Roger?" and the response is NOT ONCE "Tell the truth"? If you're so deeply convinced you're being slandered, don't you think that suggestion might come out of your mouth?
3. Clemens' statement that he had no warning whatsoever that McNamee had named him has now been contradicted by his own attorney's timeline of events. Tough to gain the upper hand in a "he said, he said" situation when you're out there lying on 60 Minutes.
4. What it this vindictive rant about the Hall of Fame and money all about? I don't expect him to speculate on what this will mean to his now pending candidacy, but to claim it's never crossed his mind? What a load. And Pete Rose doesn't care, either.
Also, what exactly is "the private sector" as compared to Major League Baseball? Is pitching for the Yankees government work now? That must be like G-4,237 on the pay grade. Is someone in said "private sector" going to be offering Roger Clemens $15,000,000 for three months' work in the future?
January 8, 2008 at 7:10 PM
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