Larry Brown Sports

There is something I never will be an expert on: the world of performance enhancing drugs. Just not my thing. As of now, Viagra isn’t an illegal drug according to MLB — what do they care what dudes are doing to enhance their peckers? But it looks like they might develop some interest in investigating Viagra. Why you ask? Sources tell the NY Daily News that Roger Clemens, still denying his use of PEDs, was pumping the V-pill, and not just to impress 15-year-olds. Even Victor Conte said that all his athletes at BALCO were slamming the pickle juice. Why would they do such a thing you ask?

[Conte said] “It’s bigger than creatine. It’s the biggest product in nutritional supplements.”

Among the off-label uses for Viagra, which first went on the market in 1998, it:

* Helps build endurance, especially for athletes who compete at high altitudes
* Delivers oxygen, nutrients and performance-enhancing drugs to muscles more efficiently
* Counteracts the impotence that can be a side-effect of testosterone injections

Oh, and some athletes actually do use it to grease their Louisville Slugger. But there are some guys actually don’t like the stuff. As Bonds’ mistress Kimberly Bell said, Baroid didn’t like it because it messed with his vision and stuffed his nose up. Man, this stuff is way beyond me. Whatever just happened to having a bowl of pasta for some extra energy before a game, or some secret Wade Boggs chicken? Viagra? Are you serious?

Gosh, this guy is such a weez. Deny, deny, deny. Then he throws his wife under the bus for taking HGH, says Andy misremembers everything, and now he’s denying all the affairs he had. What a freaking joke. He’s got an entire family, wife and kids, and he was screwing around. Three people have come forward and said they were involved with Roger. The 15-year-old even said the whole thing was true. But yet Roger’s still standing there, denying it all. What a skeeze.

”Even though these articles contain many false accusations and mistakes, I need to say that I have made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry. I have apologized to my family and apologize to my fans. Like everyone, I have flaws. I have sometimes made choices which have not been right.”
…
”Now, I have been accused of having an improper relationship with a fifteen-year-old girl. Nothing could be further from the truth. This relationship has been twisted and distorted far beyond reality. It is just one of many, many accusations that are utterly false.”

Roger, in case you’ve never heard of the law of diminishing returns, let me refresh your memory. At some point you will reach a time when defending yourself no longer carries any weight. What you say no longer matters, and nobody will listen or believe you. Unfortunately my friend, we have hit that point. It can’t be any more clear that you’re a scumbag. Defending yourself is useless; nobody cares what you have to say. Maybe go back to 15-year-olds — they don’t know any better.

OK, this is just entirely too creepy. The New York Daily News (of course) has a story suggesting that Roger Clemens had a 10-year relationship with country singer Mindy McCready that began when she was 15-years-old. Dude, Rocket, I was a sucker for Hayden Panettiere for a while there, but damn, at least she was like 17 or something. 15 though? That’s like Jesus from Lebowski style right there. There’s no way to be certain about the story, but the Daily News apparently has several sources confirming the romance.

One other aspect to this story, besides the obvious disgusting nature of a grown man getting down with a 15-year-old, is that it could sully Clemens’ argument that he is a solid character, family man. You know he’s trying to sue McNamee for defamation or something, and when it comes to he-said/she-said stuff, this could hurt his image and character. Some of the reports here are just simply weird. Clemens’ wife Debbie says she was aware of the relationship, as Roger says it was strictly a family friends thing. But I ask you: what kind of grown man has a family friend relationship with a young, good-looking teenage woman trying to become a famous singer? Not too many that I know of. This is exactly why agents partition “discretionary accounts” for their clients — so there are no traces of the money going to these side broads.

UPDATE: Per Spin in the comments, McCready admits it’s all true.

Ahah! Maybe a serious breakthrough in the Roger Clemens/Brian McNamee he-said/she-said ordeal. Friday it came out in the NY Daily News that some kid had photo evidence that Roger Clemens was indeed at a Jose Canseco party in 1998. That would be significant because McNamee testified that Clemens first became interested in steroids in 1998 when he talked with Canseco about ‘em at a party. Additionally, Clemens swore under oath that he was not at the Jose Canseco party. Now the latest report from the NY Daily News is that Clemens’ attorney Rusty Hardin is hedging on his original stance because of the photo. Hardin’s backtracking represents a major turning point in the case.

If you remember a few weeks ago, I pointed out that Rusty Hardin said in a news conference that this was the “second coming of the Duke Lacrosse case,” and that many of us who said Roger was a user would have to eat our words. That was the first time I was worried about jumping to the conclusion that Clemens was lying. Hardin was so forceful and persuasive in his speech that I really had no choice but to reconsider my stance. Well now after reading Hardin say “Roger was playing golf at the time of the party, and has stated that he may have stopped by the Canseco house after playing golf before heading to the ballpark for the game,” I have no choice but to think these guys are full of it. How could Clemens say he wasn’t at that party, but Hardin is now reading statements saying “hey, there’s always the possibility the guy was there.” What the heck is that? Either Roger is lying to his legal staff, or the legal staff knew Roger was lying the whole time. Point McNamee.

It wasn’t referred to at all in the affidavit. Nor was it mentioned in written or spoken reports throughout the coverage of this McNamee/Clemens mess. But like I told you before, I braved through Pettitte’s entire deposition so you don’t have to (because after all, I’m really looking out for you). And upon reading through the deposition, I came to find out for the first time that in addition to knowing Clemens used HGH, Andy Pettitte also knew that Roger Clemens allegedly used steroids. From the deposition:

Q: I’ll ask it again. Did you ever discuss Clemens’ steroids use with Brian McNamee?

A: Yes. … We were training in my gym. And I can just remember, you know, Mac telling me that Roger, you know, that he had gotten steroids for Roger.

Now I can understand why this was left out of the affidavit — this only is Pettitte finding out through a secondary source — McNamee. So once again this puts it into McNamee’s word and credibility. But still, I can’t believe that out of all the reports and investigating going on, that nobody has mentioned that Pettitte knew of Clemens’ alleged steroids use, in addition to his alleged HGH use. It really should have been in the affidavit that McNamee told Pettitte of Clemens’ alleged steroids use as well, now that I think about it. So there you go, as you’re probably hearing for the first time right here, Pettitte also knew of Roger’s alleged steroids use.

Out of the four hours and around forty minutes of testimony heard Wednesday morning in Congress by Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee, all but one minute is superfluous. The exchange between Congressman Elijah Cummings and Roger Clemens was the paramount moment of the hearing and the apotheosis of cutting out b.s. and getting to the bottom line. The comments were noted by Jayson Stark in his blog:

“If I walked in here,” Cummings told Clemens, “and it was even Steven, you and Mr. McNamee, I must admit that the person I believe most & is Mr. Pettitte. When Mr. McNamee gave histestimony about Knoblauch and Pettitte, those allegations turned out to be true,” Cummings went on. “But for some reason, … when it comes to you, it’s a whole ‘nother thing. … How do you explain this?”

Clemens then insisted one more time that Pettitte had “misheard” him. Cummings wasn’t buying it.

“I’ve listened to you very carefully,” Cummings said. “And I take you at your word. And you’re telling me that Andy Pettitte is an honest man, and his credibility is pretty much impeccable. … You said you were misunderstood. But all I’m saying is, it’s hard to believe. It’s hard to believe your story.

“I hate to say that. You’re one of my heroes. But it’s hard to believe you.”

EXACTLY. How is it possible that McNamee was right about Knoblauch’s, Pettitte’s, and even Debbie’s HGH use, but not Roger’s? And if Pettitte’s word is the one to believe, then doesn’t that implicate Roger? Sure as heck does in my opinion. As forceful as Clemens is, and as persuasive as he legal team is, I still can’t get around that McNamee was right about everyone else (for as many inconsistencies as he’s had). While McNamee’s words aren’t 100% accurate, I think he’s telling the truth about the most important item — that Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs. Bottom line. And why were four hours of bullcrap needed when it took Cummings only one minute to lay out what really mattered?

By the way, I have another really trippy Roger Clemens story that places this whole ordeal in good context if you continue reading.

Read The Rest of the Story…

Out of all the headlines saying that Andy Pettitte supposedly outed Roger Clemens in his meetings with Congress, everyone is missing one item I find to be particularly intriguing. According to the AP, Pettitte said in an affidavit that Clemens talked to him about 10 years ago about his HGH use. The AP says Clemens responded in the affidavit by saying Pettitte misunderstood him — Clemens supposedly was talking about his wife, Debbie’s HGH use, in that conversation 10 years ago. I’m really surprised that most people are missing this angle. Sure it’s huge news if Andy Pettitte outed Clemens, leaving the man subject to perjury charges. But is everyone missing the way Roger’s planning his defense of these charges? Almost worse than cheating the game by using steroids and HGH, not to mention lying about it, would be trying to pass the buck on your wife.

Here honey, your legacy isn’t on the line, you can take the bullet for me, right? Are you kidding me? I can’t believe I’m reading all this. I can’t speak definitively yet because this is only according to anonymous sources that told the AP, but still, the thought is just horrifically creepy. About the only thing I can think of that would be comparably bad was when Baylor coach Dave Bliss tried to cover up illegal financial aid trails by saying Patrick Dennehy paid his tuition by selling drugs, after Dennehy had been shot and killed by teammate Carlton Dotson. That was awful. This is pretty bad. I hope it’s not the truth, but maybe now we know why Roger walks and talks with such confidence: he’s blaming it all on his wife.

By the way, there is no mention of HGH use in Debbie Clemens’ recommended fitness tips. I know you were curious.