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The rush of similar looking women outed as special ladyfriends of Roger Clemens has slowed down, opening the door for the Rocket himself to make his first public comments about the matter. He gave a statement to the Houston Chronicle which addressed the relationships in a vague manner while offering more substanitive denials of the most unsavory elements of the last week.

''I realize that many people want me to simply confess and apologize for the conduct that I have been accused of, but I cannot confess to, nor apologize for, things I did not do. I have apologized to my family for my mistakes. And having offered this apology to the public, I would ask that you let me and my family deal with these matters in private.''

I wonder if he consulted with former Yankee teammate Jason Giambi before composing the statement. He's mastered the language of admitting doing something wrong without saying exactly what. He was more specific about the things he denied doing. Starting a relationship with Mindy McCready when she was 15, for one, and renewed denials of steroid use.

The affairs he had with women not his wife have nothing to do with using steroids but they have a lot to do with the defamation lawsuit against Brian McNamee. A lawsuit, you'll recall, he has no intention of dropping despite now admitting to mistakes which would tarnish anyone's impression of his character, which is the heart of this and any other defamation lawsuit.