Yesterday’s House committee assault-round of questioning established very little.

We were pretty much left with a few truths we know coming in:

• Roger Clemens’s story is shaky, and hard to believe.
• Brian McNamee’s story is shaky, but easier to believe than Clemens’s.
• Republicans dislike Democrats; Democrats dislike Republicans.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform took the two former pals to task, ripping each man’s credibility, motives and inconsistencies.

At times, the questioning turned all-out assault, ranging from light –

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) came down on Clemens the hardest, finishing off with the following declaration:

“It’s hard to believe you, sir, I hate to say that. You’re one of my heroes. But it’s hard to believe.”

… to the more personal –

Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) told McNamee:

“You’re here under oath, and yet we have lie after lie after lie after lie!”

Clemens and McNamee responded quite differently to what turned out more to be more of a reprimanding than an inquiry.

While Clemens got defensive, slightly poetic and loud when backed into a corner, McNamee began speaking softly, more reserved and appeared to be hurt by the 4 1/2 hour session. It may be safe to say that the House oversight committee “wore the breaks off” these two fellas.

The session concluded with committee chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Ca.) banging his gavel and quieting Clemens, who was getting a bit testy as they disputed whether Clemens interfered with a potential witness, his former nanny, as the committee inquired whether he attended a party hosted by former teammate Jose Canseco years ago. Little clarity was reached in this matter.

In the background, 6-foot-6 tall IRS agent Jeff Novitzky paid close attention. He already used McNamee as an asset to the Clemens investigation. Now, he may be forced to look further into whether Clemens perjured himself.

For as much trouble as athletes and trainers are getting into these days, can anybody definitively say that human growth hormone (HGH) is more deadly than cigarettes or alcohol? Shoot studies my way as you find them.

What best describes the situation of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports is the famous saying:

“We fear that which we do not know.”

In PEDs ignorance, there is no bliss. Only constant finger-pointing and reprimand after reprimand until the full circle/process/circus has gone its course.

Can there really be a true winner when the smoke finally clears?

Let’s pause for a moment and create a mental picture:

Somewhere in the Bay Area, Barry Bonds lounging with his feet up on the couch, his hands buried deep in popcorn and/or pretzels (not sure which is his junk food of choice) and laughing his large-domed tail off. In his mind, today’s action on The Hill may be the best comedy of the year.

At the end of the day, either Roger Clemens or Brian McNamee will be under investigation for perjury. McNamee claims to have injected Clemens on over 20 occasions with steroids. Clemens claims McNamee’s claims are untrue. Someone must be lying.

Clemens requested the committee hearing today to “set the records straight,” because at this point he feels as if his name can no longer be completely absolved of all the speculation surrounding his career. Much like with Bonds’ accusations, Clemens has already been viewed as guilty in the court of public opinion. The public is not the best judge for finding guilt for persons either famous or unknown. But, as we saw during the Bonds witch hunt, the “Making of Bonds: The Anti-Hero” book deals and numerous accusatory articles pointing fingers at players, media ratings spike when strong claims are laid out against our most famous entertainers.

Right now Clemens is getting grilled by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) of the House committee, playing defense mostly, trying to hold strong to his own claims of innocence without trying to smear his old buddy Andy Pettitte’s credibility. Pettitte is the X-factor in the hearing, claiming that Clemens told Pettitte in 1999 or 2000 that he’d used human growth hormone (HGH). So at this point, Clemens is trying to play nice with Pettitte’s highly respected name as an honest person, saying his old buddy simply “misremembers” their conversation.

And the band plays on, as the MLB reputation ship sinks…

Court TV meet MLB TV. Introduce yourselves, get to know each other and get comfortable. Strike a deal, create promos with the most famous MLB players setting up clips, and get this relationship going. There are dollars to be made.

I’ll keep my eyes and ears glued to the congressional testimonies today. Clemens appears to be up against the ropes, getting grilled pretty intensely right now. If we had to call the “match” right now, Clemens has already provoked enough conflict of testimonies to justify an investigation into perjury.

Clemens has an uphill battle to fight. What are the chances Bonds takes a break from rolling on the floor in laughter to pick up the phone and offer some support?

Live Coverage:

• Live Video of the Hearing (Washington Post)
• Live Blogging from the WaPo Nats Journal (Washington Post)
• Jayson Stark live blogging (ESPN)

Non-Live Coverage:

• The Supplements Made Me Do It by Sen. Orrin Hatch
• Like Reality TV? Tune In To Clemens by Mike Lupica
• Oh, Snap! He’s Talkin Bout Yo Wife! by MindRiteSports

In wake of the abrupt conclusion to the second Joe Gibbs era, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder knew he could ill afford to make mistakes in choosing a replacement head coach. His franchise just endured one of the most exhaustive and tragic seasons in NFL history. And to make matters worse, the head honcho and glue of the entire locker room operation, Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, announced the end of his second era as Redskins head coach.

Knowing the utter importance of finding a follow-up to a local legend, Snyder kept Gibbs on-hand as an adviser. In the wake of any perceived bad decision, the most respected man in Washington — debatably more respected than the leading man living in the White House — would be by his side every step of the way.

The search went on for what seemed like ages (33 days, to be exact) but the Skins claim to have their man. Many of us thought it best for the well-being of the franchise to promote someone within the organization. Well, they did. Sort of.

Hired as offensive coordinator two weeks ago and subsequently promoted today (Talk about climbing the corporate ladder at a record pace!), the end result, folks, fans and all those seated “to the left, to the left,” meet: Jim Zorn.

Who exactly is this guy? Glad you asked. Here is a quick rundown of what we know about him:

• He spent the last 6 years (sans the 2 week O-coordinator gig) as quarterbacks coach in Seattle; he comes highly regarded as the man who helped turn Matt Hassleback into a Pro-Bowler.
• He played quarterback in the NFL for Seattle and the two Bays — Green and Tampa.
• Conveniently enough, like his predecessor, Zorn is considered a deeply religious man.

“Continuity” is the key buzzword going into this new Zorn coaching era. He came into his new job thanks to:

1. The kind heart of Snyder
2. The adoring recommendation from Seattle QB Hasselback and;
3. As to fulfill the continuity department, the bulk of Gibbs’ coaching staff remains — that is, if you take away the two recently fired head offensive and defensive minds, Al Saunders and Gregg Williams.

The torch was, essentially, handed from Gibbs to Zorn (with a few dozen hands clawing and grabbing at it from below). In his introductory press conference, Zorn acknowledged how much respect he had for the historic Redskins franchise, including his Hall of Fame predecessor (no pressure!) and how shocked many — including himself — were that he was the answer to a 33-day search:

“I look at these three trophies, it’s quite intimidating, and I know who’s behind this little group here,” Zorn said. “I’m very proud to be standing in an organization that has these and . . . I understand the opportunity I’ve been given. I’m sure there are some surprised people. I know I was surprised to get the opportunity, but I know how hard I’m going to work to earn everyone’s trust and confidence.”

So, Zorn, the keys to Washington’s beloved franchise are in your hands. The potential for the team is large:

• A great young quarterback in Jason Campbell, eager to stop switching coaches and offensive systems and ready to start getting settled in to his own system where he can become comfortable (that way no more backups *cough, cough, Todd Collins… *cough* can slide in and steal his starting position if unforeseen circumstances arise) and prosper.
• A formidable defense who showed in the past 2 years they could be in the top tier of the league.
• A fan base in Washington that is as large as any in the country — and, quite possibly, as crazy dedicated.

With that said, Mr. Zorn, please enjoy your days in the driver’s seat; at the adult’s table; wearing the big boys pants. Coach your little heart out but, whatever you do, don’t screw up!

You wouldn’t like the boss when he’s angry.

Don’t believe me? Just ask Marty Schottenheimer.

Erik Bedard has finally been traded. After weeks of speculation and a deal that seemed virtually in place for the last 2 weeks, the trigger has been pulled on a deal that sends Bedard to Seattle for 5 prospects.

Bedard sports a repertoire that includes a vicious mid-90’s fastball, a baby hook he uses as an out pitch, along with a serviceable slider and change-up. He has steadily improved his numbers between the 04’ and 06’ seasons, consequently going from raw talent to potential stud during that span. The 2007 season saw potency become reality, as he posted a 13-5 record, 3.15 ERA, 221 K’s, and a 1.09 WHIP, all while having to sit out September with an oblique strain.

With his move to Seattle, Bedard inherits a perennial pitcher’s park in Safeco Field. With its massive foul territory, and cavernous left center gap, Bedard’s value can only increase with the switch from the hitter’s haven that is Camden Yards. While Safeco does feature a short right field porch (321 down the line), lefties have hit a combined .226 against him over the last 3 seasons, so that shouldn’t significantly affect his numbers.

His move to the AL West will prove to be a plus for him, as he no longer has to play the Yankees and Red Sox 18 times each. Playing Anaheim, Texas (particularly at Arlington Stadium), and Oakland will not be stat-padders, however, I would prefer to take my chances with the latter (if only because of the inept Athletic offense).

The defensive unit he inherits in Seattle is only a slight improvement over the one he had in Baltimore. Ichiro Suzuki, the perennial gold glover with a howitzer for an arm, mans centerfield; while the newly-minted gold glover, Adrian Beltre, is stationed at the 3-bagger. The Mariners’ feature shortstop, Yuniesky Betancourt, who undoubtedly features more range than the aging Miguel Tejada did, as well as, Kenji Johjima behind the plate, who posted a 37.8% successful throw out rate (good for 3rd best in the AL).

The Seattle offense, like the defense, represents only the slightest of forward steps for Bedard. The Mariners had a slightly higher team avg. (.287 vs .272), OBP (.337 vs .333), SLG (.425 vs .412) OPS (.762 vs 746) and more homeruns (153 vs 142) than the Orioles in 07’. In the larger scheme of things, these minute statistical difference mean little to nothing, and fantasy owners needn’t concern themselves with them.

The fact that Bedard won’t have to rely on the shaky Baltimore bullpen anymore, translates into another big plus for him. Last year, Seattle’s bullpen posted a 3.95 ERA, which looks unhittable compared to the 5.71 ERA turned in by the Oriole pen. The Mariners also feature one of the best closers in the league in J.J. Putz, who recorded 40 saves (2nd in the A.L. behind J. Borowski with 45) while posting a 1.38 ERA and an astonishing 0.70 WHIP.

Another small tidbit to consider is that in leaving Baltimore, Bedard is also leaving the invaluable tutelage of pitching coach, Leo Mazzone. When he was in Atlanta, it was no coincidence that pitchers seemed to get better while under his guidance, and worse after they left (See: Wright, Jaret). The significance of this loss is softened because the man occupying Seattle’s pitching coach position is Mel Stottlemyre. If I had to build a team I would take Mazzone and his incessant rocking on the bench over Stottlemyre, but given the impressiveness of their resumes, I believe this becomes a moot point from a fantasy perspective.

All things considered, Bedard’s move to Seattle does boost his value, but not so significantly as to select him before the 4th round in mixed formats and 3rd round in AL only formats. He is a proven source of K’s and WHIP, but he’s never pitched 200 innings in a season (196 in 06’ is his most), and has had a history of elbow injuries. I don’t think a 15 win season is out of the question, but that could prove generous in light of an inconsistent Seattle offense. One could even make the argument that he’s not the best pitcher on his own team.

In mixed formats, he is certainly a top-10 pitcher, however, I would suggest taking him toward the back end of that 10. Pitchers like Santana, Peavy, Webb, Kazmir, Beckett, Sabathia, and Haren should be taken ahead of him (and potentially a handful of others). His value obviously increases in AL only formats, where I have him pegged as either the 4th or 5th pitcher selected (behind Kazmir, Beckett, and Sabathia; and contingent upon how you value Lackey).

Ultimately, to net Bedard on draft day is going to require you to pay top value for him. While he may very well prove to be the ace that Seattle thinks he is, be wary of over valuing him simply because of the scenery change (by overvaluing I mean, do no pass up some of the previously mentioned names to take him). The track record, while progressive and promising, is not complete enough to warrant making Bedard the centerpiece of your staff if better options exist. Anyone who does so risks hitching his pitching hopes to the star of potential; and potential, as any fantasy owner should know, is ever intriguing but never dependable as gauge for fantasy production.

Derek is a special contributor to MindRiteSports.com. He can be reached at ddaskala@gmu.edu.

Men have gone to fisticuffs for much, much less. And, hell, we all know a certain pitcher who tossed a broken bat at a certain opposing player for a certain dirty look that one time…

So, as if Roger Clemens needed any more of a reason to want “bad things” to “accidentally” happen to his ex-trainer, Brian McNamee, the latest report from a Washington source is sure to have the potential Hall of Fame pitcher in a “rage” of sorts — so to speak.

If anonymous sources out of Washington are to be trusted, the latest from the Brian McNamee’s “bag o’ Clemens evidence” is that he reportedly told congressional lawyers today during an eight hour “getting to know you” session that he injected Mrs. Clemens too — just before the couple participated in the Sports Illustrated photo shoot seen to the right –at the very request of Mr. Clemens himself!

(My friends, even Jerry Springer could not plant this much juice into a story about juicin’.)

Like most of these McNamee accusations, there is no way to tell whether this is even remotely truthful. Because if we are to believe the Clemens defense, McNamee is just a bitter old trainer with some sort of grudge, sinking, and trying his best to drag the biggest names down with him.

Let’s assume McNamee and Clemens speak on the phone again — of course, I know there is no shot in a juicer’s backside that’ll happen again, but bear with me — the conversation is likely to proceed like so:

Clemens: Who’s this?

McNamee: Hey, Rog, it’s me… BMac.

Clemens: …

McNamee: Hello? Rog, hello? Rog?

Clemens: I will do you like Tyson did Holyfield.

McNamee: Cool. Let me gather up my digi-cam and a ziplock and I’ll be right over. I have one more session with the boys on The Hill in the near-to-distant future.

The End…?

Pretty soon every sports site will need a lawyer on the writing staff in order to explain the recent happenings among what we thought were just mere “games” at some point.

With the football season completed and the NBA not yet at its crescendo of all-out action (damn close, though, with all those trades!) we focus on baseball… sort of.

Here is the latest from Sports on The Hill, where our tax dollars are hard at work, battering pro ballplayers in an attempt to find out something along the lines of, “Who shot who in the what now?” –

• Roger Clemens is temporarily a lobbyist.
• Brian McNamee is baseball’s Frank Lucas.
• Andy Pettitte has the chance to either help or hurt Clemens… or so that’s what we’re told.

When, oh when, can we get back to swinging the bat and tossing the ball…?

This baseball off-season has been dominated by two stories of dissimilar natures. One is the much maligned Mitchell Report, which concerns the corruption of the illusory romance America has with its professional games. The other has been the well-chronicled saga involving uber-pitcher, Johan Santana.

From my spectatorial vantage point, I have no reason to believe that Santana has taken, is taking, or wants to take steroids or HGH (although, I would understand if he did). Fantasy baseball has the peculiar fortune of being concerned with yearly statistics and not their historical accumulation. As a result, questions regarding the past only matter if they can be relied upon to predict the future. Santana on ‘roids matters not; however, Santana in New York matters a lot.

It is from that spirit of egoism that I examine the fantasy implications that follow from Santana’s recent uniform switch (and tax bracket leap, I might add).

Listed at 6′0, 208 lbs., Santana’s slight build belies a mid 90’s fastball with life, a plus change-up that blurs the laws of physics every time it’s thrown, as well as a serviceable slider. With that said, lefties should call in sick to work when Santana’s in town, and righties should just hope the ESPN camera man is dozing off when it’s their turn at the dish. In the midst of his physical prime (he will turn 29 in March), he has spent the last 3.5 years dominating the offensively-inclined American League. During that span he has averaged 200+ innings pitched, 200+ K’s per season (07′ 9.66 K’s/9, and 4.52 K/BB ratio), as well as sporting an ERA under 3.00 and a WHIP that hovers just above 1.00. Victory does not come without its spoils, as Santana has twice been the recipient of a Cy Young Award, in addition to a Gold Glove in 2007.

His track record is as consistent as his future is bright, which, when taken in combination, has a justifying affect on his status as a first round mainstay and the consensus first pitcher taken in fantasy drafts.

Despite the gaudy numbers, Santana has had his detractors in the world of fantasy baseball, most of which arise out of blind principle and not observable particulars. I’m referring to that general paradigm prevalent in the fantasy baseball world that suggests hitting be selected over pitching, as the oftentimes volatile unpredictability of performance and health of the latter is often viewed as an unnecessary risk early in a draft. Additionally, the type of league one is involved in can affect a player’s projected worth. Santana’s value would appear greater in a rotisserie league where a cap is placed on expendable innings, whereas, in a 5×5 H2H league his dominance in ERA and WHIP take precedence over categories such as K’s and W’s that can be augmented through spot starters, et al. Being a starting pitcher obviously precludes him from contributing to saves, which further devalues him in comparison to an offensive player that can touch all 5 categories, without exception.

All things considered, I find myself adhering to the aforementioned paradigm more often than not. My reasoning for this, in addition to what has already been mentioned above, is that a watchful owner can augment his pitching deficiency easier than one in the hitting department. I think I stand a much better chance at pulling a plus pitcher from the waiver wire (F. Carmona, JJ Putz, T. Lilly, J. Shields, C. Young, J. Maine, and that’s just out of the final top 50) than I do of pulling a guy that’s going to give me 30 homeruns or 50 stolen bases. In short, the Ted Lillys of the world are much more abundant than the Ryan Brauns, and as such, I draft accordingly.

This common paradigm holds in most cases (at least in my experience), however, it seems like an unnecessary precaution in light of Santana’s track record (health and performance) which doesn’t suggest any near future alterations outside of divine intervention. In fact, his move to New York actually looks to improve his numbers, and increase his already stellar fantasy value.

The first and most obvious benefit to Santana is the change to the National League. Generally, he moves to a foreign league where the hitters will require time to study him, which, as in most cases, places the advantage on the side of the pitcher. Specifically, there are no teams in the NL that sport a ‘murderer’s row’ caliber lineup like that of the Yankees or Red Sox. Additionally, he gets to trade in his frequent encounters with the offensive juggernauts of the AL Central (Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and when the planets are aligned, KC) for the less imposing NL East (Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, Florida). I will admit that Philly is no cakewalk and Atlanta is still dangerous (even without Mendoza Jones (Andruw)), but I doubt anyone will argue the other two aren’t already W’s in the column. As a whole, the learning curve and decrease offensive potency of competition stand to benefit Santana, greatly.

Santana’s move from the Metrodome to the confines of Shea will only matter marginally. The Metrodome ranked as the 3rd most favorable park for pitchers in 2007, while Shea ranked only slightly worse at 8th. The move from turf to grass should only nominally figure into things, as well; however, the defensive stalwarts that occupy the positions behind him are a serious upgrade (T. Hunter, notwithstanding). The Mets showcase a defensive unit that includes 3 gold glove winners (Castillo, Wright, Beltran), along with a future one in Jose Reyes, and a defensive specialist at catcher in Brian Schneider. As long as he can keep the ball out of the bleachers, which he has had trouble with (33 in 07′), Santana should benefit from his new defense.

What does this all mean for fantasy owners? Before his move to NY, Santana was a first round pick, and debatably the first pitcher off the board (I use ‘debatably’ as a loose acknowledgment of any fantasy owners that have suffered brain trauma or are clinically insane). With his ascension into contractual history, he solidifies his position in the mid to latter first round in mixed leagues, and becomes a top 3 pick in NL only leagues. In a mixed format I would still take several big bats before him (A-Rod, Reyes, Wright, Pujols, and a few other contentious ones), but in NL only leagues the shortage of elite arms leads me to value him above guys like H. Ramirez and R. Howard. The next best thing is J. Peavy and then the list drops off a bit (B. Webb, D. Haren, R. Oswalt, C. Hamels, C. Zambrano), only to drop off significantly after that. In my opinion, only Peavy could match Santana as an unquestioned ace for a fantasy staff, but I think the Met offense combined with the league switch puts Santana well above the rest of the pack.

My advice on draft day, if Santana falls to you, put the paradigm of ‘hitting first’, aside. His track record is as solid as it comes, and all the intangible elements are in favor of an increase in performance. He is the sort of pitcher that can anchor an entire staff, particularly in leagues where innings are limited. With that said, I think fantasy owners stand to gain, along with Santana, from his move to the New York Mets.

Derek is a special contributor to MindRiteSports.com. He can be reached at ddaskala@gmu.edu.

If the deal to send Shaquille O’Neal to Phoenix in exchange for Shawn “The Matrix” Marion and Marcus Banks goes down (at this point only a Shaq physical stands in the way), both teams could stand to benefit largely.

But, of course, there is a caveat.

In order for the Suns to benefit from this deal, “Shaq Daddy” has to be in as close to his 2004 playing shape — when he helped Miami come within one Dwayne Wade rib injury short of a championship title — as physically possible. Of course, Shaq is no spring chicken (he turns 36 in March), so getting into excellent shape could prove to be a daunting task. To give Phoenix fans a ray of hope here: one motivating factor for Shaq would be getting the chance to battle for Pacific-division lead against his old buddy and pal (Ha.), Kobe “I used Shaq’s name in a failed attempt to justify my own infidelities” Bryant. Somewhere deep down, a fire still burns inside The Big Aristotle to show up his ex-teammate one more time by winning a 2nd championship in his “post-Kobe years.” (Tally - Shaq: 1, Kobe: 0)

The Miami Heat will benefit immediately (granted, the only direction their team can go right now is up, right?) by acquiring Shawn Marion, one of the most underrated forwards in the NBA. Marion is a smart hustle player who is one of the league’s best defenders who can also contribute on the offensive end. As we have seen with the most recent Spurs dynastic run, defense wins championships. The Heat would be moving in the right direction (See: last parenthesis) if they plan on making a title-run any time soon.

Assuming the “plus side” scenario of the aforementioned caveat rings true, NBA fans can look forward to some much-needed excitement headed into the second half of the season.

The Shaq deal, paired with the Lakers’ huge deal for Paul Gasol (A hellova move, I might add), makes the Pacific division one to pay even closer attention to — if you weren’t already.

Just like former teammate and friend Andy Pettitte yesterday, Roger Clemens will face questioning by congressional lawyers today as to whether or not he knowingly took steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. And just like Pettitte and fellow MLB veteran and All-Star Barry Bonds, Clemens will get the chance to put his freedom where his mouth is.

By testifying under oath, with the threat of perjury lingering over any lie given, Clemens can give credence to his various denials of using or taking part in any illegal PED usage.

According to his denials so far, we are led to believe Clemens was never given a shot in the booty illegally; never handed an ounce of that “oo-wee” jumpin’ juice; and he never received anything other than a cup of coffee or Gatorade to enhance his 20+ years of dedicated, effective service in major league baseball. Clemens went so deep into vehement denial-mode that he created a website, www.rogerclemensreport.com, where one can go to download a rather long document defending the career numbers he posted.

Up until today when Clemens swears an oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” we had no real way of making sure the Clemens defense was legit. The main issue regarding his website document defense meant to justify his longevity was the names connected to creating the infamous “Roger Clemens Report.” The report is from Clemens, about Clemens, using the best assistance a Clemens can afford, in order to clear the Clemens name.

Did he really hope this was going to be the end-all, be-all of PED defenses for the self-proclaimed innocent? It is an attempt — and we have to credit him for that much, anyway — but count me among the skeptics who find this defense to be a bit humorous.

Part of his defense involves dragging other names into the “RCR” — Nolan Ryan, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson — stating that their longevity is similar to his, and that it is completely normal for a pitcher to perform well into his 40s.

Doesn’t that seem a bit like saying, “Well they got away with it, why am I catching so much flak?”

So, let’s add up what we’ve got so far:

• Accused of wrongdoing, Clemens gets defensive and secretly records conversation with his accuser, Brian McNamee, and plays tape to media.
• Without receiving much backing from the press, and even from his supposed “best buddy,” Andy Pettitte, he takes to a very open, defensive 60 Minutes interview where he denies outright using PEDs.
• Still not feeling supported, Clemens commissions his own team of report-makers (take that, Georgie Mitch!) to compile a “I’ll show you my amazing numbers, compared to others like me, and prove my innocence that way” document and publish it online.”
• In said document, fellow pitchers of rustic ages — Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling — are “thrown under a bus” by Clemens’ report implying that their performances as they aged has been similar to his own.

Forgive me for dragging his name into this but if Terrell Owens were ever accused of using PEDs, this would be his entire defense. It would be labeled the “I Love Me Some Me” defense, where in defending himself, he uses bias resources, draws plenty of attention to himself and in the process, throws people under the bus. (See: T.O.’s treatment of his pre-Romo QBs)

For everyone who wanted an all-out, “sue till you drop” defense of an accused PED user, they got exactly that. But today is the day where Clemens has no choice to tell the truth, or risk his current status as “free, law-abiding citizen.”

Congress has definitely gotten out of hand stepping in on what seems like every issue regarding the integrity of sports. There is no doubt many more important issues exists that they could focus their energy and taxpayer dollars on. But if they are going to go after one iconic figure in sports (Barry Bonds) they might as well go after at least one more. No need to make it seem like they are really on a witch hunt. Just a few Congressional members keeping the system fair, balanced and justified — with no illegal enhancements.

At this point, baseball fans are more than willing to risk a few taxpayer dollars, and Clemens’ own freedom, to find out the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth — so help the game.

Thanks to Yardbarker for the clip.