Over the weekend, Andy Pettitte came forward with an admission that he used HGH. Fernando Vina went on ESPN and announced that he, too, had crossed the line. Earlier today, we brought you the news that Brian Roberts came clean as well. Even the lesser known names of the Mitchell Report -- Gary Bennett, Dan Naulty, F.P. Santangelo -- have bared their souls. There's one guy, however, who isn't admitting anything and denying everything. I give you the words of Roger Clemens:"I want to state clearly and without qualification: I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substances at any time in my baseball career or, in fact, my entire life. Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut no athlete should ever take.Um, wasn't the appropriate time to answer the questions when George Mitchell asked to speak to you regarding allegations of your steroid abuse? I think so, especially when your testimony would be that you did absolutely nothing wrong, ever.
I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt, but I understand Senator Mitchell's report has raised many serious questions. I plan to publicly answer all of those questions at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. I only ask that in the meantime people not rush to judgment."
Sorry, No Photos
Look, it's nice that that Clemens hasn't offered the half-hearted and hollow sounding "I only did it once" and "I just wanted to help my team" rationalizations that some of the players above have, but, really, you don't get why you've lost the benefit of the doubt? Every time one of those players comes forward and says that they used PEDs, no matter how inane their explanation, it makes it that much harder to believe that Clemens didn't.
Because Pettitte used HGH provided by Brian McNamee, the same guy accused of fueling the Rocket with Winstrol, doesn't mean that Clemens did use them, of course. If you're going to deny it, though, and wonder why people aren't giving you the benefit of the doubt, there should be something more to your statement. Why is McNamee saying these things about you? Why did the Jason Grimsley affidavit name you? These are the questions that Clemens will have to answer when he does decide to address these allegations and the answer will have to be better than his first statement of never failing a drug test.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
12-18-2007 @ 6:29PM
HatCat said...
Come on Clemens, get a life!!
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12-18-2007 @ 6:38PM
Jack Schneider said...
It must be flaxseed oil defense again. Roger you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time.
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12-18-2007 @ 6:41PM
ron said...
Way to go Rocket or is that a Dud! The rational thing to say "I will respond at the appropiate time." In other words "I will respond when my lawyer comes up with the words that will not hang my ass."
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12-18-2007 @ 6:56PM
Robby Horten said...
Clemens is as arrogant as "Steroid Bonds". I lived in Boston when he was there and he complained his wife had to carry her own bag places and didnt get a valet parker and had to walk. He also wanted his sons to be able to work out with the team. He started taking steroids in last year with the Sox. During final year he had only won like 3 games the first half and suddenly won 12 in a row the 2nd half.
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12-18-2007 @ 6:56PM
nickstoli said...
Call me crazy, but I believe him.
Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Damn, I was almost able to write that with a straight face.
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12-18-2007 @ 6:58PM
orish12 said...
right rog....and your big head, big chest, and small crotch and playing into your senior years better than other comparable people has nothing to do with roids......christ you people make me sick...you think we are stupid, we have eyes don't we? we see your body has changed, you, barry, sosa, mcguire, etc., all look alike except for your skin color. you all tell the same lie, (must have the same coach), no your reputaion of 25 years mean nothing, why should it? you and greedy people like you have hijacked our beloved american sport, and turned it into a money-making, gangster driven(gambling), lying cheating(roids) entity. if you care prove yourself innocent.....otherwise, s t f u.
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12-18-2007 @ 6:59PM
Jojo2007 said...
Too bad he couldn't do it the natural way, like Lance Armstrong.
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12-18-2007 @ 7:04PM
Brownbomber said...
Good one JOJO
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12-18-2007 @ 7:06PM
Joel said...
"I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt,"
He really does think he's God's gift to baseball... Why on earth would he deserve the benefit of the doubt over all of the guys named in the report who manned up and told the truth, including his buddy Andy Pettite?
Your 25 years in public life have earned you millions of dollars, buddy. Anything else you get is a gift from the public.
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12-18-2007 @ 7:07PM
ikeinc28 said...
The rocket is how old? Barry Bonds is how old? Come on guys it's obvious the money went to your heads. i guess if I was making that kind of money I would juice too. see what happens to big headed people. Just stay humble and no one will have it out for you
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12-18-2007 @ 7:54PM
arkmanmat said...
Fess up Jethro............you don't know geography and you don't know science.......I'm just glad your grandmother isn't here to hear your lies......she'd have a heart attack!!!!
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12-18-2007 @ 8:15PM
chornstein said...
i think the report has a lot of heresay and questionable sources at best, who very well may have been coerced.
Wouldnt surprise me if he did or didnt do the PEDs.
But this lame ass statement sure makes him look guilty. If innocent why not go after mcnamee and grimsley as the backstabbing sc+mbags they are and defend your reputation? By not going after them, Rocket looks like he has more to hide.
My idea is Rocket should sunmit to a lie detector test done by a certified third party? let the results speak for themselves...if innocent, why not?
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12-18-2007 @ 8:31PM
Darell harris said...
You mean Barry Bonds is not the only person who did steriods.
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12-18-2007 @ 8:44PM
dave said...
How long until Clemens issues the Barry Bonds alibi of "I unknowingly took steroids?" Or better yet, why not just follow the trend and say you were prescribed steroids and HGH by some phony doctor to heal from some rare disease that doesn't really exist? As sad as those excuses are, it's better than flat out lying that you never used them. How did that work out for Rafael Palmeiro? Speaking of which, whatever happened to him? Maybe he can hang out with Roger and McGwire now that they are all in the same boat.
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12-18-2007 @ 9:01PM
EskinSux said...
Hell..You would have to be a total idiot to think he wasn't juiced. He was as juiced as Bonds, and now just as arrogant about it, and now just as busted. Hopefully these two frauds are out of baseball forever....
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12-18-2007 @ 9:04PM
Dewton Williams said...
'Fess up...accept your fate...move on. It's not the end of the world, Clemens. Start mapping out your tour around the Nation's school's gyms to encourage our young ones to grow and strengthen their bodies naturally. In a few years America wil forgive, and admire, if not praise, you for your service to our communities. The plus is, you'll still hold onto your millions. Well, you may have to give back Steinbrenner his six million for last season. After all you only won him six games
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12-18-2007 @ 9:07PM
weve said...
Yeah, psycho Roger "I thought it was the ball" Clemens "did not take steroids, HGH, or " blah, blah, blah. Freakin' liar. Notice he didn't say "or let God strike me down right now."
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12-18-2007 @ 9:12PM
Bob said...
OK then submit to a drug test that the track athletes take.
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12-18-2007 @ 9:15PM
rob said...
Clemens is a phony with a capital F. Now we know why he threw that jagged bat at Piazza. Its called roid rage, Roger. It also helped him go from an almost washed up pitcher towards the end of his Boston career, to an immortal similar to Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver. Sorry, Roger you shouldn't be included in their company, unless you ask them to drop their draws and inject them with your meds.
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12-18-2007 @ 9:24PM
DA24JG said...
"WELL, IF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL THINKS THAT PETE ROSE WAS A BAD BOY AND IS BANISHED FROM THE HALL OF FAME, THEN WHAT WILL COMMISSIONER 'BONE HEAD' GOING TO DO WITH ALL THE CURRENT AND FUTURE HALL OF FAMER'S SINCE ROSE ISN'T AND NEVER WILL BE ACCEPTED??? WELL, COMMISSIONER BONE HEAD?????" DO YOU 'REALLY' THINK THAT ROSE IS MORE GUILTY THAN THE STERIODS AND HGH USERS???? C'MON 'BONE HEAD' COMMISSIONER.....
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