Roger Clemens is guilty.
Why am i even writing about this? I guess it is because since i was home helping with the baby for the past few weeks that i was available to watch the entire 5-hour debacle that was Clemens before Congress. And as a huge sports fan and a proud american, i’m not sure which i am most disappointed with: Clemens or Congress.
Now, i know all the evidence isn’t out and there hasn’t exactly been a “real” trial, but i find it very difficult at this point to believe the 7-time Cy-Young winner. His trainer admits to giving him shots of steroids and HGH. His best friend and work out partner admits that Clemens’ trainer gave him HGH. That same friend, under extreme guilt and confession, admits that Clemens told him that he had been using HGH. Chuck Knoblauch, Clemens’ teammate admits that Clemens’ trainer gave him steriods and HGH. Mike Stanton, another teammate, says he saw Clemens bleeding through his pants and confronted him on steriod use. MRI’s from an abscess on Clemens’ butt cheek has been identified by specialists as consistent with injections of Winstroll, a strong horse steroid. And to top it all off, Clemens’ own wife admits that the trainer injected her with HGH in the Clemens’ own master bedroom.
With all of the people Clemens was closest to admitting they used steroids and HGH from McNamee, and many confessing that Roger did too, how do you believe the only voice opposed? Particularly when that voice is the voice of the accused, and the only one with so much to lose.
I doubt this will ever be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in court somewhere, but the evidence is increasingly strong. And as a sports fan during this era, i am completely robbed. The best hitter (Barry Bonds) and the best pitcher (Roger Clemens) of my era are total frauds. Almost makes your time and money spent watching supposed history be made feel like an identity-theft scheme.
But, despite my major disappointment in sports, i think i am most disturbed by the people we have somehow elected into Congress! What i saw on tv was the single most embarrassing thing i have seen our government take part in. I mean there were congressman there that didn’t even know how to pronounce the names of the main defendant in the hearing! Rather than seeking the truth of the matter, one congressman even asked what jersey Clemens would be wearing into the hall of fame!
Maybe most sad was the partisanship. To a person, the republicans in the room came in backing Clemens and firing at McNamee. On the other side, each Democrat came in backing McNamee and attacking Clemens. As you watched the hearing, it was blatantly obvious that many had come into the hearing with their minds already made up and some sort of agenda to push. In fact, since each congressman had only 15 minutes to ask questions, most of them either didn’t ask questions and used their time to orate a sermon loaded with their agenda, or they asked questions and never listened to the answer!
There is so much more to be disgusted in that i could be writing this blog forever. However, bottom line, i was embarrassed. If this is how Congress acts investigating baseball (which in the grand scheme of things doesn’t really matter–why are they involved anyway?), how scary is it that they are investigating things that really do matter? If republicans and democrats can’t come together to find truth in a simple game, how can we expect them to ever come together to run a country?
Oversight committee? More like Near-sighted committee.
So, here we are in election season. Makes you wonder whether anyone you vote for can ever effect positive change in a system that is so obviously broken.
Wow. i’m cynical today.
While this is entirely unrelated to the topic at hand, I figured you’d be proud to hear that this site is the #1 google result for “Nick Loyd”
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nick+loyd
Congratulations, Paytyn Lynn Loyd is worth 234 points in Scrabble!

A really interesting thing about this is that in 1919 the Congress ruled that baseball was above the government and should be able to govern itself. I think that Curt Flood (the first free agent) broke that rule in the 1960’s.
I believe that Bonds and Clements (and Brett Boone and David Bell) should all be punished. The saddest thing, and I agree with you, nick, is that we are having our tax dollars wasted by this while Bud Selig does nothing (ok, so the mlbpa really wont let Selig do anything, but I still hate the guy!). I think the worst part about the steroid scandal of the past decade is that Baseball’s owners and leaders have done nothing about it. Look at the punishments for using it. Slap on the wrist. I’d take the risk in a heartbeat if it meant putting up Clemens-like numbers.
I agree with the decision in 1919– baseball should govern itself. Too bad if it were up to the leaders the hitters would still be on ‘roids… because that makes the game just that much more fun.
Where can I get some roids? I have been a little too peacefull lately. I want to go on a roid rage so horrific it would make a pit bull shiver in his/her paws protectors
Love, peace, and hairgrease,
Dave Horton
I John 3:16