Clemens' Press Conference

[BillySmith]

This is being talked about in the 60 Minutes thread, but it probably deserves it's own. I'm assuming most HO'ers were all over his press conference. If not, it will be all over the evening sports.

He taped a phone call with McNamee and it was priceless.

The most damning part to me was "Mac" asking Roger what he wanted him to do, about a million times, and not once did Roger say, "tell the darn truth".

Also, the guy said he would go to jail for Roger, he felt so bad. So would he need to lie now to go to jail? Or would he tell the truth now and then go to jail for lying earlier?

[section34]

I get the feeling McNamee was telling the truth and now is saying he'll change his story to help Roger. Its the only way he could go to jail.

Roger's guilty, McNamee needs to tell the truth, its all he has left.

[Jagwar]

I get the feeling McNamee was telling the truth and now is saying he'll change his story to help Roger. Its the only way he could go to jail.

Roger's guilty, McNamee needs to tell the truth, its all he has left.

I have never been a Clemens fan, but I'm actually leaning towards believing him.

Look at Clemens' response so far.

- He issued an immediate denial through his lawyers, then issued his own statement

- He held a press conference where he left no doubt that he was convinced that McNamee's accusations were false.

- He aggressively denied any steroid use, and expressed outrage that his name was in the Mitchell report

- He said that if he had known his name would be in the report, he would have immediately made himself available to Mitchell

- He said that he contacted Congress about his willingness to testify voluntarily at their hearings next week. (Most important IMO)

Contrast these responses with say, McGwire, who was accused repeatedly in the media of steroid use. You never saw McGwire issue a single statement professing his innocence, and he seemed to disappear from the face of the earth. I'm not sure that anyone even knows where he is.

Isn't Clemens reacting exactly the way that everyone wanted McGwire (or Palmeiro) to react if they in fact were innocent?

[Jagwar]

I get the feeling McNamee was telling the truth and now is saying he'll change his story to help Roger. Its the only way he could go to jail.

Not true. He could likely go to jail if he actually lied to the feds and the commission. I'm sure he brokered some sort of deal where they agreed not to prosecute him if he sang.

Roger's guilty, McNamee needs to tell the truth, its all he has left.

And I don't agree with this statement at all. We have no clue how much pressure the commission or the feds put on McNamee, or what they threatened him with. We have no idea whether he told the truth, made himself think it was the truth, or was pressured into saying it was the truth.

How long did Pete Rose lie about gambling on his own team in baseball? How many times did he change his story?

[66-70-83-??]

I have never been a Clemens fan, but I'm actually leaning towards believing him.

Look at Clemens' response so far.

- He issued an immediate denial through his lawyers, then issued his own statement

- He held a press conference where he left no doubt that he was convinced that McNamee's accusations were false.

- He aggressively denied any steroid use, and expressed outrage that his name was in the Mitchell report

- He said that if he had known his name would be in the report, he would have immediately made himself available to Mitchell

- He said that he contacted Congress about his willingness to testify voluntarily at their hearings next week. (Most important IMO)

Contrast these responses with say, McGwire, who was accused repeatedly in the media of steroid use. You never saw McGwire issue a single statement professing his innocence, and he seemed to disappear from the face of the earth. I'm not sure that anyone even knows where he is.

Isn't Clemens reacting exactly the way that everyone wanted McGwire (or Palmeiro) to react if they in fact were innocent?

I disagree.

McNamee has no reason to lie. He wants to avoid prison.

Clemens reminds me of Raffy. Instead of wagging his finger at us, he chose 60Minutes. Funny that he insisted that Wallace (admitted big fan) do the interview.

We will see if he follows through with this suit. It could be a way as some have speculated to give him an excuse to not answer questions when he is called to testify in front of the Congressional hearing.

He came across to me as a liar in the softball 60Minutes interview.

He already changed his story from McNamee NEVER injecting him with anything to well some lidocaine and B12 a few times....

He didn't exactly come right out with any denials. He got lawyered up first.

That could be his plan- hire an expensive dream team to drag it out into oblivion. Or a quiet out of court settlement where McNamee agree$ to $top speaking in public.

[orangedive]

Contrast these responses with say, McGwire, who was accused repeatedly in the media of steroid use. You never saw McGwire issue a single statement professing his innocence, and he seemed to disappear from the face of the earth. I'm not sure that anyone even knows where he is.

Isn't Clemens reacting exactly the way that everyone wanted McGwire (or Palmeiro) to react if they in fact were innocent?

I think this is an answer to your own question. Roger saw that it (a lack of defense) made Palmeiro & McGwire look guilty, so his strategy was to come out and defend himself.

I don't know if he's guilty or not (and I really don't care), but just because he is adamently defending himself doesn't mean that he is more innocent than Raffy & McGwire.

[66-70-83-??]

Here is an editorial that I just read about Clemens...

About that tapes played at his news conference....

And Clemens responds, "I don't know who is on our lines, or whatever."

The truth, as we were told minutes later, was that Hardin was listening in, as were Clemens' agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks. Clemens knew they were listening in, that they were in the room with him, that this had been arranged beforehand.

The truth is that, in trying to prove who the real liar was, Clemens lied to McNamee.

Feeling a little queasy yet?

But, the same man who angrily denies accusations in front of the camera when interviewed by his buddy (Wallace) with "approved" questions wasn't willing to answer any at his own news conference:

Clemens said his kids have never been so humiliated. Guess they were too young when he threw a jagged-edged broken bat at Mike Piazza, sent him to the hospital with a beanball in an interleague game, wore eye black and got thrown out in the second inning of a 1990 playoff game for arguing calls, or allegedly asked to be taken out of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Mets.

He was a kid himself back then. Not the grown man he is today. A grown man, by the way, who suddenly stomped away from the podium as reporters began to dissect the latest incongruities of a defense that clearly could use some performance enhancement.

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/20080108_Sam_Donnellon___A_BAD_CONNECTION.html

[66-70-83-??]

I think this is an answer to your own question. Roger saw that it (a lack of defense) made Palmeiro & McGwire look guilty, so his strategy was to come out and defend himself.

I don't know if he's guilty or not (and I really don't care), but just because he is adamently defending himself doesn't mean that he is more innocent than Raffy & McGwire.

That is true.

Marion Jones defended herself for years with angry denials and she also filed a defamation suit against Conte/BALCO.....

[theonestevewh]

That press conference was one of most despicable things I've ever seen. He calls up McNamee with his lawyers, gets McNamee all emotional by talking about his sick son and then tries to get him to lie for him. Clemens had all ready lost my respect as a ballplayer by trying to feed me that same B-12 crap that Palmeiro flung at us but now Clemens has lost my respect as a man. That tape was basically Clemens trying to use his family and friendship with McNamee to get him to lie and take the fall for him. Disgusting.

[SVOF]

This reminds me of Pete Rose, OJ, Marian Jones, Raffy, all saying they were innocent when in fact they were all guilty. Petitte has corroborated what the trainer said about him so I am inclined to believe the trainer over Roger.

[Jagwar]

I didn't say he WAS innocent, just that I am leaning more towards believing him at this point.

All very good responses to my previous post.

McNamee has no reason to lie. He wants to avoid prison.

Unless his reason to lie was to avoid prison. He doesn't strike me as the brightest bulb in the box, and the feds just may have strongly suggested what the truth had to be.

He didn't exactly come right out with any denials. He got lawyered up first

Nothing wrong with that IMO. You mean to tell me that you wouldn't seek immediate representation if you were accused of something that even hinted you might be prosecuted for a criminal offense (steroids possession/use)?

I don't know if he's guilty or not (and I really don't care), but just because he is adamently defending himself doesn't mean that he is more innocent than Raffy & McGwire.

I agree totally. I'm just not convinced that he is less truthful than McNamee either.

But, the same man who angrily denies accusations in front of the camera when interviewed by his buddy (Wallace) with "approved" questions wasn't willing to answer any at his own news conference

Did you actually watch the news conference? He answered plenty of direct questions, some very forcefully, especially when asked about how little he cared about HOF induction.

[Jagwar]

I'll admit that I didnt' see the conference. However, does anyone really believe the self serving statement (in this case) that Clemens doesn't care about the HOF? IMO, this just makes me believe him even less. He's just saying that to show the lack of motivation he would have had to cheat and extend and boost his career with PED's.

Go watch the conference, and listen to the taped phone call. I don't think anything is certain at this point for both parties.

I don't trust either of them, but I'm not willing to jump all over Clemens yet. I have never had much confidence in the way the Mitchell Report played out, or in how Clemens' role has been portrayed.

Personally, I'm hoping Congress gets REALLY tough on MLB and the Players' Association

[ElToro75]

This reminds me of Pete Rose, OJ, Marian Jones, Raffy, all saying they were innocent when in fact they were all guilty. Petitte has corroborated what the trainer said about him so I am inclined to believe the trainer over Roger.

How many guilty people actually come out and say that they did in fact do what they are being accused of? This is even more true when the accused is a prominent/famous figure, who arguably have more to lose than us commoners would.

It will be interesting to see what transpires in front of Congress should both Pettite and Clemens appear and actually answer questions.

[Sports Guy]

Taping the conversation makes him look desperate IMO.

[Moose Milligan]

Taping the conversation makes him look desperate IMO.

Desperate for what? Every possible shred of evidence that he can get to help clear his name?