Much, perhaps too much has been said about the performance enhancement drug use in Major League baseball players. After the recent developments involving Clemens I have a different spin of my own.
Major League Baseball hired an independent committee headed up by former Senator George Mitchell. The report was really anti - climatic if you follow professional baseball. Nothing Earth shattering was revealed. Of course that is because the "fraternity" loyalty rules were applied and 99.9% of all present and past players refused to cooperate. And the couple that did like Jason Giambi only admitted what he already had admitted before. He refused to comment on or about any one else. Jose Conseco a steroid advocate, is the only player to buck the "fraternity" system. But he had already named people in a previously released book a few years ago.
The report centered on the testimony of two physical trainers. Kirk Radomski and Brian MacNamee. They both reportedly by their own admission supplied and in some cases administered steroids and HGH into some of their clients. All the players MacNamee outed have since corroborated his statements except Roger Clemens.
Now here is my angle. At the release of this information MacNamee had the credibility of a seedy crack dealer. Clemens on the other hand was on a pedestal in the baseball world. Of course the public airing of these accusations or alleged events were like stinky slime cast on the baseball superstar. But guilty or innocent Clemens turned up the fire into a 5 alarm blaze.
This is why I am making the assertion that Clemens could never run for public office. Why? Very simple. Any seasoned politician would have swerved his way around this scandal with little fanfare. A simple press conference announcing that you "appreciate the efforts of Senator Mitchell and MLB for trying to clean up the tarnished image of baseball. However you are genuinely surprised that your name surfaced in this manner. This is clearly an error and there is no need defend something you didn't do. He said vs he said is of no value so why make a scintillating story out of nothing. I am thankful for Mr. MacNamee's help in the past but I will not be dragged into a tit for tat debate."
However innocent or guilty one is in these cases, less is always more. The more he has said the more foolish he has appeared. He is legitimizing his accuser by condescending to his every point of the finger. It hit a climax on Wednesday February 13, 2008. Because of his gushing of the mouth when the story broke he was asked to appear before a House Committee in Washington, D.C. Had he kept it simple he would have clearly been given the benefit of the doubt considering his then public persona.
At this hearing however he looked desperate. At this point he has everyone around him involved implicating him. He admits that his wife was poked in the tush by the same guy with HGH. He admits that he was poked in the buttocks by MacNamee only not with steroids or HGH. Now mind you he may be giving us the harsh reality but a good politician would never, ever put his butt at the scene of the crime.
I must admit that watching a grown man throw everyone possible under the proverbial bus was entertaining to watch. He even made some odd reference to his deceased mother prodding him to try new drugs to help heal faster. Even his mom? Say it isn't so Roger.
In the end (pun intended), he may or may not make into the Hall of Fame as an inductee but with his incompetence in handling delicate and scandalous accusations he has ruled out any future as a politician.
