Bring in Mitchell, He'll Get to the Bottom of this

We've all seen the list:


Barry Bonds, Jason Grimsley, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, Timbaland, 50 Cent, Mary J. Bli...What?


According to the Albany Times Union, which is in fact a real newspaper, the list of linked superstars with steroids and HGH isn't only in the clubhouse. So far Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Timbaland, Wyclef, and Tyler Perry have all been linked to a Steroid scandal brewing in Queens, NY. Seriously. Also mentioned, but not directly with the Queens bust, was Sly Stallone (who was linked to HGH in Australia in May 2007).


Do we need to put an asterik next to Timbaland's album sales? Will we have to take back Sly Stallones star on the Walk of Fame (if he has one). At least now we know what's really in that Formula 50 Vitamin Water, 1 part water, 1 part grape flavoring, 2 parts winstrol. Also, this let's us know that one of the unknown side-effects of steroids is being bullet-proof. Sweet.
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You say the most when you say nothing at all

Well I didn't want to talk too much about the Mitchell report because I'm not the biggest baseball fan - call me un-american whatever - and I just wanna say, DUH. Of course these guys considered taking a shot in the ass to get more money. As the days have drug on, and eaten up a ridiculous amount of airtime, some athletes have come through with the "If I admit it, I'll be left off easy". But the largest story is Roger Clemens, the highly decorated pitcher has been listed in the report. Until yesterday his lawyer has been fielding questions and delaying his response, only for him to finally divulge,

"I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt...I will answer the appropriate questions at the appropriate time."

Now, if I'm reading and hearing the same thing as everyone else, Roger Clemens has said exactly the same thing his lawyer has said, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Rocket, did you learn anything from McGwire, in 2005? McGwire's ass saw more than a needle after the media destroyed him for his silence. With all that is on the line for you, use your big boy words. Tell mommy who hurt you.

UPDATE:  Clemens says that  he never took any performance enhancing drugs.  Good game.  Just wait for your Congressional Hearing.  Don't let the silence over take you the second time around.

For his statement read/hear here: Clemens

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Added Thoughts on a Slow Day

I was recently informed that Tampa Bay Buccaneer WR Micheal Spurlock returned a kickoff for a Touchdown. No small feat by any means. Why is this important? It was the TEAMS first kick return for a TD in 32 years. By contrast Devin Hester has 4 Kick Return TDs, in 30 games.

Arizona Assistant Coach/Interim Head Coach Kevin O’Neil officially gets to add another title to be introduced as, Arizona Assistant/Interim/Head Coach – in waiting, Kevin O’Neil. I would love to see that on a business card.

The Bears offense looked pitiful last night. Apparently Kyle Orton is not the savior. Who woulda thought? He’s got 2 more chances to prove himself before April when the Bears announce they drafted Andre Woodson/Brian Brohm/Colt Brennan to be the new QB1 for Chicago.

Congress is getting involved, again, in the steroids scandal after the Mitchell Report’s release. They are planning a hearing of epic proportions. Part of me is picturing the scene from Godfather II when Frankie Pants is going to testify, and then recants seeing Michael with his brother. Imagine Radomski getting up there to testify and then turning around and seeing Clemens and Bonds on the flanks of his Mother in the audience. The other part of me is picturing the hearing scene in Casino with Gary Sheffield berating Sen. Mitchell on the stand. Either way, this should be epically more entertaining than the most recent steroid/congress hearings in March 2005, when McGwire refused to comment and Sammy played the whole “No Habla Ingles” card.



Part of me is angry at these coaches jumping ship after promising commits they will be there and signing these contracts. Then again if I’m getting a $1.1 million dollar pay-bump I’m not so sure I don’t do the same thing. With that said it is really disgusting that Rodriguez, allegedly, contacted Terrelle Pryor one of the most sought after recruits and told him to attend Michigan before telling anyone ANYONE that he was leaving the Mountaineers, except maybe Mrs. Rodriguez.

Back to Orton for a second. For those of you who watched the game, that 55 yard, off the wrong foot HEAVE he chucked that got picked off in the end zone, wasn’t a bad decision. Sure he didn’t need to make it, Chicago still had 1 Time Out and 98 seconds to score 7. The problem with the play is purely mechanics. His skills are not that of an NFL starting Quarter Back. Had he thrown the ball a half yard deeper and one and a half to the right, that’s a TD and an amazing play. Unfortunately, in the NFL 2 yards is a big difference. It’s the difference between First and Ten and Fourth and Two, between he caught it with both feet in and he didn’t get his left foot in, and in this instance it’s the difference between a TD and possible win and a Pick and a Loss.

Miami Tackle Vonnie Holliday said of Sunday’s win, “It was like winning the Super Bowl” complete with dancing, celebrating, and tears of happiness, seriously. Uhhh you might finish 3-13, but have the Patriots coming up so most likely you’re looking at 2-14 at best. Vonnie, I have never played in an NFL game, a surprising fact to many, but I am willing to bet, it was absolutely nothing like winning the Super Bowl. I wasn’t even like beating the Niners in the Wild Card game when you were a Packer in 2001. It was however exactly like beating the floundering Ravens to keep your team out of the record book as the worst in NFL history.

Back to Clemens, The "Rocket's Red Flags" piece, is hysterical, please give it a read.

What are the odds on who leaves first Rich Rodriguez (Mich), Dennis Erickson (ASU), Nick Saban (Bama), Bobby Petrion (Ark), or Lindsay Lohan (Rehab)?

How good is LeBron? I knew he was going to be good, but this good. I’ve always said there will never be another MJ, and there won’t. But there will be a LeBron James, and he’s getting better each year. He’s a freak. AND he’s a good guy to boot, he had tea with 4Real’s mom and her friends, seriously. I have been for awhile (since mid 2005 season) on the LeBron bandwagon and I’m not afraid to admit it. With that said how ridiculous is his new commercial, “you don’t want to be me, you want to be better than me”. Yeah, sorry to doubt you, but not possible Bron Bron.

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A couple quick thoughts on the Mitchell Report:

I was wrong about Cleveland, the Yankees had 23 players on the report.

With that said, doesn’t that make you wonder a little bit more exactly what a Red Sox front office man chose to include in the report. And also what he might have left out.

I think it’s funny. The phrase someone’s been linked to something has been around forever. People have used it to describe the players on this report being linked to the steroid era of baseball and the Mitchell Report. Technically if you go to Wikipedia, they are actually linked to the Mitchell Report.

Will these guys have to wear a patch on their uniforms next season so we can identify the 80 of the 86 that we don’t know or have never heard of.

If they did what would it be: Syringe? Scarlet "M"? Asterisk? Discuss.

There are glaringly obvious stats that back up exactly when some of these players started using according to the evidence. I don’t know when Brian Roberts is reported to have purchased or used steroids, but his stats shed some light on it. His batting avg in 2004 was .273 with a .376 slugging percentage and 12 career Jacks in 4 seasons. In 2005 his avg was .314, slugging was .515 and he hit 18 Bombs.

Look at Troy Glaus between 1999 and 2000. It’s fun, go ahead you try look up these guys on your favorite stat site. And it’s also worth noting that a lot of these guys’ numbers increase after a injury shortened year. Probably because they began using to treat the injury.

Will there be serious consideration to add a ‘Roid wing in Cooperstown. Major League Baseball quietly allowed this to happen, and I’m not so sure that they weren’t silently supporting it. Might as well just show the utmost support by adding a wing specifically for Bonds, Clemons, Knoblauch, maybe even Canseco’s Mullet can be on display next to his Devil Ray jersey.
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Runnin' with the Report

As mentioned earlier the Mitchell Report came out today, live on the radio and presumably TV as well. The list of involved parties is long, and a good majority of them come from the testimony of Kirk Radomski as part of a pleas bargain. Now this list is a lot of hearsay and the physical evidence is not amounting a lot. Many of the players were pointed out in the report due to checks (Radomski didn’t have any checks prior to 2000), packing slips, and his address book.

There is no proof of guilt but here are the players named in the Mitchell Report:

Roger Clemons, Andy Petite, Miguel Tejada, Eric Gagne, Paul Lo Duca, Marvin Benard, Barry Bonds, Bobby Estalella, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Armando Rios, Benito Santiago, Gary Sheffield, Randy Velarde, Manny Alexander, Ricky Bones, Alex Cabrera, Juan Gonzalez, More than half of 2002’s Florida Marlins Major League Roster, Rafael Palmeiro, Jose Canseco, Jason Grimsley, Ken Caminiti, David Segui, Paxton Crawford, Chad Allen, Larry Bigbie, Adam Piatt, Lenny Dykstra, Brian Roberts, Jack Cust, Tim Laker, Jonias Manzanillo, Todd Hundley, Mark Carreon, Hal Morris, Matt Franco, Rondell White, Chuck Knoblauch, Gregg Zaun, David Justice, F.P. Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Mo Vaughn, Denny Neagle, Ron villone, Ryan Franklin, Chris Donnels, Todd Williams, Phil Hiatt, Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing, Cody McKay, Kent Mercker, Jason Christiansen, Mike Stanton, Stephen Randolf, Jerry Hairston Jr., Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Fernando Vina, Kevin Brown, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett Jr., Jim Parque, Brendon Donnelly, Jeff Williams, Howie Clark, Nook Logan, Daniel Naulty, Jay Gibbons, Rick Ankiel, Paul Byrd, Troy Glaus, Jose Guillen, Gary Matthews Jr., Schot Schoeneweis, David Bell, Darren Holmes, John Rocker, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, Steve Woodard.

As I said earlier, these are the NAMES THAT APPEAR IN THE MITCHELL REPORT. That does not mean there is any guilt among these players unless, like David Segui, they have already officially come forward and admitted so. Also, as I said many of the players denied to be interviewed but were linked to the Steriod scandals so they are named.

As quoted in the report there was mention of “annual players-only meetings during which teammates reminded one another that any personal information they learned during the season needed to be kept in “the family.” He said that players understood that a failure to abide by this unwritten rule would sound the death knell for their careers. Through his lawyer, another former player who admitted his own use of performance enhancing substances claimed that his career as a major league coach would be harmed “perhaps fatally” if he were required to identify other players who had admitted to him that they had used steroids.”

There will undoubtedly be more that comes of this. Interesting note, Mark McGwire is mentioned in the Report but not for Steroids or HGH only the Andro which we all knew about and was not a banned substance at the time but is now. Slammin’ Sammy Sosa was also not mentioned in the report.
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