One would hope that having a billion dollar empire, the protection of one’s ass(ets) would be a priority. But, of course, hindsight is 20-20, and now Sir Paul McCartney has officially learned the hard way.

Losing more pennies than Charles Barkley after a weekend in Vegas, McCartney’s ex-wife, Heather Mills, officially gets $48.6 million per the divorce settlement officially ruled on today.

To marginalize the meaning of this marriage the way I know how — in sports terms — Mills ends up with a marriage contract worth the equivalent of $12 million a year. In local terms, she got as much as Miguel Tejada did with the Orioles up until they traded him to Houston this year.

All things considered — McCartney and Mills did have a 4-year-old together — pending further review into the numbers, Mills proved to be more productive for McCartney than Tejada for the O’s.

• 

  Kareem Abdul Jabbar has a blog through the L.A. Times website. Where have I been?

• Kobe put up 30 (of his season-high 52) in the 4th quarter and OT en route to a Kidd-added Mavs shut down.
• LeBron put on his own show while shutting down the Bulls and their own new-look team.
• No word yet on where Randy Moss might land. How entertaining would it be if he landed in Big D?
• Philly’s Donovan McNabb needs a formidable receiver? What breaking news, go on…
• Atlanta won in the “L.T.’s backup” sweepstakes, and will send Warrick Dunn packing.
• Norman Chad condenses the various sports headlines to 6 words each.
• 10 losing seasons in a row and a crappy draw in divisions (nobody should have to face the Red Sox and Yankees as much as they do each year) the Orioles finally admit to rebuilding.

At Tuesday night’s political debate in Cleveland, Ohio, Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton referred to a Saturday Night Live skit as she accused the media of providing “cushions” for her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, instead of offering him tough, fair and balanced questions.

Up until today, Brian McNamee could have accused House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform members of the same charge. Exactly two weeks ago, McNamee received a verbal beat-down from Republican members of the committee who openly lambasted him for being a “liar” and a “drug dealer” in very pointed, personal tones. Meanwhile, they lofted softballs at their new-found pal and “great American icon,” essentially putting him up in a Watergate Hotel room with extra pillows and as many of those little chocolate mints as he wanted.

Now, after a number of Clemens’ stories revealed gaping holes, the committee officially launched a federal investigation to see if the former Yankees pitcher is guilty of perjury or obstruction of justice. Yes, the same charge Barry Lamar Bonds is currently charged with, after the feds went after him for two-and-a-half years.

Bonds never received the “extra pillow” treatment during the beginning of his accusations stages, and the reasoning is explained simply as his lack of likability. People — especially Republican senators — feel a special bond with Clemens, and there were willing to cling to his every word until he deceived them… and even then, maybe, just maybe it was a mistake. Maybe he just… “misremembered.”

But maybe Clemens has breached an element of change similar to Sen. Obama; maybe his “extra pillow” treatment is warranted, given his ability to mobilize the masses and get people talking about baseball again despite its current state of being — infiltrated with drugs, accusers and pesky congresspersons with too much free time on their hands.

Clemens, with the help of The Mitchell Report and his mention in it, managed to conjure up unity and change in two different areas: fans and now, congresspersons.

The Fans

In a Gallup poll survey of 462 baseball fans between February 21-24 (after the congressional theatrics), 57% believe he lied to congress about his use of steroids. Even with that majority of assumed guilt from the court of public opinion, 62% still believe Clemens deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The same question was asked about Bonds and he received 46% support. It should be noted that Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both recorded numbers similar to Clemens’ 62% HOF support. So what does this prove? Likability comes into play when it comes to fans’ HOF support; but as of last year, McGwire has not breached “the block” of a HOF induction. It is very apparent baseball fans give players much more credit than HOF voters.

Weeks before George Mitchell shook up Clemens’ life, in a different poll, 60% of those surveyed said that players named in The Mitchell Report should be punished; 37% said there should not be punishments.

In the latest poll, opinions have flip-flopped; now, 55% believe baseball should not punish current MLB players named in The Mitchell Report.

What changed once the report was released? The report managed to drag the once-pure Clemens name through the mud, after many years of the former HOF “shoo-in” being labeled simply as competitive but likable. Bonds was treated like a villain during his chase for Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record; even the commissioner played a back-and-forth game about whether he wanted to be at the historic moment or not. The number of harsh judges stood at 60% after Bonds was seen as the most popular, best statistical player to get hit with the most scrutiny about steroid used; now that Clemens elevated his level of presumed guilt (remember that 57% of those thinking he lied to congress) as Bonds, many of the judges back down and managed to unite — or at least rethink individually or collectively, but all at once — and become more lenient all of a sudden.

Such amazement, no?

The Congressional Members

When we last left the House Oversight Committee partisan bias show two weeks ago, Democrats tended to pepper Clemens with more in-depth question, while Republican members took it easy on the man they labeled a “great American icon.” Here we are a few weeks later and now — just like after The Mitchell Report release, with Clemens’ name the biggest of the allegedly caught fish — Clemens has managed to unite a divide.

The committee’s chairman, Henry Waxman (Democrat), and the committee’s ranking Republican, Tom Davis, (a Republican), collaborated to send a letter over to the attorney general Michael Mukasey in order to spark a Department of Justice investigation into whether or not Clemens lied to them under oath, and may be guilty of perjury or obstruction of justice.

An excerpt:

Congress cannot perform its oversight function if witnesses who appear before its committees do not provide truthful testimony. Perjury and false statements before Congress are crimes that undermine the integrity of congressional inquiries. For these reasons, we take evidence that a witness may have intentionally misled the Committee extremely seriously.

We are not in a position to reach a definitive judgment as to whether Mr. Clemens lied to the Committee. Our only conclusion is that significant questions have been raised about Mr. Clemens’s truthfulness and that further investigation by the Department of Justice is warranted. We ask that you initiate such an investigation. The record of the Committee’s proceedings will be made available to the Department of Justice to assist in the investigation.

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Henry A. Waxman, Chairman

Tom Davis, Ranking Minority Member

For as much division as we saw before — historically, and especially with the last 7 years of extreme political bias from both Dems and Republicans — it’s amazing to see two conflicting party members united for a single cause and purpose — finding out whether they were duped by Clemens, their “great American hero.”

Just a little bit of help from baseball’s new “Uniter” and BOOM! Change.

So fear not, people of America, and baseball fans. Change is near, change is now.

And it comes by way of the man, the myth, the legend, the “great American hero”:

The Rocket.

• Shaq loses a close one in his Phoenix Suns.
• Kidd loses in Dallas debut.
• Phillies’ Ryan Howard wins $10 mil in arbitration.
• Getting to know new Washington National outfielder Elijah Dukes.
• Gary Sheffield hates Scott Boras, too, calling him a “bad person.” Oh, snap! Boras, you gonna let him call you names?!
• Will Leitch’s God Save The Fan book tour hits D.C. tonight, at the Barnes & Noble in Georgetown. Support the sports blogosphere, folks!
• The New York Times printed a story where they say John McCain has a constant battle within on ethics; and he may have had an “inappropriate relationship” (read: affair) with lobbyist years ago.

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?

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.

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.