After today's developments the scenario forwarded by Clemens and his peeps is even more farcical. If you’ve never heard of Occam’s Razor, now might be the time to familiarize yourself with it.
As an aside, today’s hearings should mark the end of this charade that somehow athletes are role models. Of course this will never happen, but really the thought of someone being a role model just because they are good at a sport is as shallow of an exercise as I can imagine. As a former athlete, someone who works with athletes and a father of 3 young boys I’ve never subscribed to this point of view. The Clemens situation serves as positive reinforcement.
This isn’t to say that today's events mean that Brian McNamee is not a low-life, for he surely is. He is a drug dealer, a drug dealer that had a captive audience of one, a drug dealer that had more of a partner than a passing, random client. And whether he had 1 client, 3 clients or 300 clients, to use a phrase from the hearings, “It is what it is.”
Today’s hearings didn’t help choose sides in this debate or improve one person’s reputation at the expense of the other. The hearings revealed that Clemens and McNamee – and Pettitte and their wives - were in it together, and that all parties are equally to blame for putting themselves in this fine mess. McNamee has no reputation to worry about and it appears that Clemens could be in that same boat very soon.
Article comments
1 - Tan The Man
"As an aside, today’s hearings should mark the end of this charade that somehow athletes are role models."
They could be. The ones that truly are usually don't get the publicity, mostly because they don't want it and don't need it.
MLB doesn't do a good job promoting the community service it does (or if it does).
2 - The Haze
The game will never be the same,largely due to the fact that the fans want that "over-the-top" performance. The publics WWE mentality towards sports has turned a once proud staple of Americana into a farce! As long as the people keep wanting more(and willing to pay for it!,it will be provided.....at whatever the cost!!!!!!! WHERE HAVE YOU GONE JOE DIMAGGIO?
3 - sal m
i think you are right haze, the fans haven't shown that much of an interest in this issue, and there's been a lot of "who cares, i love home runs, it's entertainment" talk.
and by the way, the feds are involved and aren't going to go away now that they've had 3 hearings. there are trials, investigations and big names to catch. and somebody will get caught.
and with regard to role models, who cares if MLB has their players perform community service? this is a program that players take part in, and just because players write checks or make appearances at kids hospitals every so often doesn't make them role models.
just as titan of business shouldn't be roles models simply because they are successful and throw money at causes, athletes aren't worthy of role model status either.
4 - The Haze
Sports "entertainment" has morphed into some grotesque monster that our society has created and could care less the direction it takes, as long as the junkie gets his fix. The NBA was the first to go, then the NFL and now MLB. Curling and Table Tennis anyone?
5 - Tan The Man
To you or the kids they're visiting?
6 - The Haze
C'mon Tan,I think you know where Sal is going with that staement. Sure all kids are going to "worship" a visit from an athlete(whether in a hospital or not)and want to put them on a pedestal,but that shouldn't make them worthy of role model status. If that was the case then all those "Regular Joe" volunteers have a huge leg up on them. It's about the connection that youth has with their favorite athletes today. Almost like there's a price tag on it.....whether or not your the giver or the receiver and that is the shame in it.Some of these athletes crave the accolades,but not the responsibility of being a "modern day athlete".
7 - sal m
the fact that these leagues have to make a concerted effort to get their guys to give back illustrates their unworthiness - as a group - to be role models. certainly there are some guys who do great things without being prompted, but they are the exception.
even as an adult i can separate a guy who is a great player from a guy who is a dirt bag. as long as people keep this distinction in mind we can keep things in perspective.
and writing a check or showing up at a publicized charity event is a hollow, meaningless gesture, whether it's an athlete, movie star or a titan of wall street. i'm am sure michael vick participated in some of these feel good projects before he landed himself in jail, but this didn't make him a role model. it didn't even make him a better person.
8 - bliffle
Maybe this new scandal will help to de-emphasize sports in this poor beleagured nation. we have enough other projects to undertake. Crooks steal our treasure and politicians steal our liberties and our nation while we sit hypnotized in front of the latest super sports spectacular.
9 - Personal Trainer
Typical lawyer lies - saying premise statements and questions as if they are true. Even if they aren't true, it makes the person answering seem wrong. It plants seed in others heads, and if enough seeds are planted, the person being questioned is guilty by the people listening, even if they answered correctly every time.