I got one question for Roger Clemens:
"How come no players (past or present) are coming to your defense?"
I mean, even when Barry Bonds got accused of 'roiding up based on nothing but rumor and hearsay, players came to his defense. Guys that played with him in SF... Pittsburgh... Guys who only saw him for a couple innings a year during all-star games... Guys who played with him in college came out in his behalf.
Now, none of these people claimed that Barry was Mr. Warmth or even civil to be around; but they all—to a man said, "Barry's one of the greatest ballplayers I ever saw and last I checked we’re innocent until proven guilty...If he's juicing I don't know." Even current and former athletes from other sports like NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley have decried the Bash Barry Witch hunt.
Roger, where's your squad of get-up-off-my-man?
Where's Joe Torre talking about what a stand up guy you are and how you'd never cheat. Where's your catchers you got Cy Youngs with from over the years talking about how clean you are. Where's all the guys you won pennants and rings with? Where's all the guys from the all-star games talking about how clean you are?
You see Roger, unlike Bonds people kept their mouths shut regarding you because there was no hard evidence against you.
While every fan and media and comedian and blogger went off on Bonds based on nothing but rumor, they all gave you the benefit of the doubt. But now, you've got the Mitchell Report, which you didn't even acknowledge for almost 2 weeks. Then you did that stupid online video. And two months after the evidence comes out, you go on a talk show slinging more heat than you've thrown since the Yankees' last World Series win.
And all along, not one player has come out to your defense. Not even Andy Petite who is your boy and admits to being on HGH... Not even Andy, the guy you've trained with for years, will come out and say, "Hey, I know what I did. I know I used HGH and steroids, but I never saw Roger do anything." In fact, Andy’s backing the trainer who says you’re dirty.
Why, Roger? Why?
Now, where I'm from, people turn on you for 6 reasons:
1) You're Broke and the gravy train is over.
(2) They're Jealous and can't wait to see you fall.
(3) You're in trouble and they're more scared of whoever's coming after you than they are of you; and they don't want any part of your headache.
(4) You done so much dirt that folks don't wanna get any on ‘em.
(5) You've been nominated the scapegoat for everyone else's dirt.
(6) You're randomly accusing people of stuff.
(7) You're an a--hole.
Now, let's break 'em down...
1) Roger you ain't broke; and even if you are, players make their own money and don't need yours. (STRIKE ONE)
2) Competitors and teammates might be/have been jealous; but jealous drives athletes to beat you, not play hard with you, or possibly lie on you. Maybe Andy Pettite’s lying—maybe. (BALL)
3) Maybe some players fear Bud Selig (smirk). Maybe they were all truly scared of the Mitchell Report and Congressional hearings. (But what's any of that got to do with going public to stick up for you?) (BALL)
4) You're accused—with reliable evidence—of being dirty. I guess McNamee could be a total liar, but even that wouldn't explain the stunning silence from your colleagues. (BALL)
5) Sorry but, Barry Bonds beat you to the scapegoat throne. (STRIKE TWO)
6) You haven't accused anyone of anything other than Mcnamee... and George Mitchell... And sorry, but they've got better stories than you. And besides G. Mitchell, most folks couldn’t couldn't pick you out of a line-up and McNamee goes to prison if he falsely picks you out of one. (FOUL)
7) As for your being an A-hole? Hmmm... I'm gonna be nicer than you've ever been to anyone not named Clemens and give you FOUL on this one as well and keep you locked up at a full count.
Why?
Because you are an a--hole... have been for most of your career. That's not even up for discussion. That's something people have gone on record to say.
Guys play with a--holes but they don't like playing with them. And no one's ever liked playing with you. Players never have anything nice to say about you. Most people in the press aren't huge fans of yours but they've inexplicably given you the benefit of the doubt since Day One. So much so that they've kissed your butt in every interview, enough to call your surly attitude a "competitive streak"... enough to declare your spoiled antics during contract negotiations "wheeling and dealing" and enough to label your blatant headhunting over the years against players you knew would never fight back as "protecting the plate"; and enough to label your added bulk in recent years the result of your "legendary workout regimen."
Nobody's gotten a bigger pass than you, Roger Clemens. But regardless, the players won't support you. Because you were probably an a--hole to most every guy you ever played with and none 'em want to help you.
Funny thing about a--holes... Every liar isn't an a--hole, but you're hard-pressed to find an a--hole who doesn't lie. A--holes are selfish. They only look out for themselves. And lying is about protecting and elevating self.
Teams tolerate a--holes if they're good enough to help 'em win, but they don't like 'having 'em around. Only the sycophants in the media and fandom love a--holes because they give media content and fans something to worship. But everyone else hates an a--hole.
And Roger Clemens, no matter how many Cy Young's you have... no matter how many strikeouts you've tallied.... no matter how many push-ups and wind sprints you've done, you're still an a--hole.
And nobody trusts an a--hole.
So when you say you're clean, nobody trusts you. And they shouldn't. A--holes should have to work harder to convince people they're truthful and decent. Why? Because they're a--holes and being an a--hole is a choice, not a birthright.
Hope all those "B-12" shots were worth it... fatboy.
