What’s notable (to me, anyway), is how few people actually asking whether Clemens’ remarkable endurance (some would say resurgence) is due to some kind of PED. After all, it’s not like there’s any shortage of red flags. Clemens is arguably one of two players — the second being Barry Bonds — whose Hall of Fame career was (is) capped (being capped) by his most dominant years coming after the age of 35. …
Over the last year, more people have started to question Clemens’s remarkable run, but even after the mini-imbroglio involving Clemens and the Grimsley affidavit, the vast majority of folks — fans, sportswriters, and team executives, and MLB officials — prefer to stick with their see-no-evil approach and hope the Rocket keeps on bringing fans to the ballpark.
It certainly is a nice touch that, after years of stories about how reporters kept their heads in the sand about steroids, they’ve immediately gone right back to it with Clemens, who, after all, was reported to be in the Jason Grimsley affidavit (unlike, say, ahem, Albert Pujols). Do you want to know the terrifying truth, or do you want to see him strike some guys out? Strikeouts! Strikeouts!
Well, maybe Canadians are too iffy about the violent striking of children to let the now infamous Frank Thomas pillow commercial hit the air, but that doesn’t mean the Blue Jays can’t still have some fun with it.
On September 2, the Blue Jays will be hosting Frank Thomas Pillow Night, in which the first 5,000 fans aged 14 and under will receive a free Thomas pillow. It is unknown whether or not Thomas will actually smack the children once they enter the gate — in a similar fashion to Albert Belle Bat Night from a decade or so ago — but we shall keep our fingers crossed.
We are fascinated, by the way, by a comment on the original Frank Thomas story which said, essentially, that Canada is cool with the weed but not so hip on the stylized violence, and we Americans are the exact opposite. We’re not sure which mindset we agree with more. Close call. Can’t there be both?
This fine video, found and posted by Bethlehem Shoals on NBAFanHouse, serves to remind of the days when Naughty By Nature owned pop music and Tom Gugliotta ruled DC hoops. It’s an NBA-commissioned version of ‘Hip-Hop Hooray’ featuring the stellar draft class of ‘92 – from Shaq and ‘Zo to Baby Jordan and LaPhonso — and Shoals reveals the true scene stealer …
After much deliberation, I’ve decided that the highlight is Christian Laettner’s star turn. Decked out in a beige turtleneck, he enthusiastically lip-syncs “I live and die for hip-hop.”
This just might have to be the Blog Show YouTube Clip of the Week.
“I’m sorry Barry feels that way, and I don’t have any resentment toward him whatsoever, but I have no intention of trying to get in contact with him or doing anything with him in regard to his [chasing the record]. Nothing. Why should I?” said Aaron, who discovered only recently that the privately sensitive slugger for the San Francisco Giants wants to become pen pals or something. “It’s really not a big concern of mine. I don’t know why I should have to do anything. I might send him a telegram, and that would be the extent of it.”
First off: A telegram! How cute! Only if he gets the ribbon changed on his typewriter! Whatever your thoughts on Bonds, it’s incredibly bizarre that neither Aaron nor commissioner Bud Selig will show up if Bonds breaks Aaron’s record. Please let hit happen in Florida. It’ll just be Barry, Anibal Sanchez and Pedro Gomez.
Commish Roger Goodell gave them the proverbial press release bitchslap:
“Your conduct has brought embarrassment and ridicule upon yourself, your club, and the NFL, and has damaged the reputation of players throughout the league. You have put in jeopardy an otherwise promising NFL career, and have risked both your own safety and the safety of others through your off-field actions. In each of these respects, you have engaged in conduct detrimental to the NFL and failed to live up to the standards expected of NFL players. Taken as a whole, this conduct warrants significant sanction.”
So, Pac Man is out a year’s worth of rain, and Henry will miss a game for each arrest (or close to it). We ask them both, even though they’re going to miss a significant period of time, to not change, you beautiful bastards. Don’t ever change.
Shawn Vandergrift filed a lawsuit Monday against Irvin in Denton County, claiming that the former player yelled at him and grabbed him during a December dispute over a final payment for the construction work. The suit claims that Vandergrift is permanently disabled by a hip condition and that he required medical attention as a result of being grabbed on the left arm during the confrontation.
As much as this surprises even us, we must side with Irvin on this one; sounds like he, at worst, grabbed the guy on the arm. (What does the hip condition have to do with anything again?) But this whole thing sounds like a front to us. “Contractor.” “Payment.” “Vandergrift.” This is all about crack.
Yesterday, in one of those small roster moves that no one every pays any attention to, the Red Sox signed reliever J.D. Durbin to help out with a somewhat banged-up bullpen. We won’t say it’s a desperation move, but in his last appearance, Durbin “pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits.” You hate to see that.
But that’s not why we call out attention to Mr. Durbin. Instead, we point you to his MySpace page, eloquently titled “Tits And Ass For Me.” There are pictures of Durbin with Garth Brooks, his dog HOSS and, of course. some ladies with both tits and an ass. What do you need to know about Mr. Durbin? “I’m a 24 yr. old pisces that enjoys having fun. I deff. do not like negative people. I am all about having fun and nooooo drama. I love going out on the town as well as staying in with my baby boy ‘HOSS.’” But what are his favorite lady parts?
I’ve never really given much thought to Kevin Millar, and if I did it would go something like this … He’s an average to below-average 1B/DH-type who doesn’t look like he should be able to compete physically yet still gets on base and posts his share of doubles and dongs. And he also goes socks high, frosts his hair and loves to style facial growth.
Ever since signing with my favorite team (O’s are still my 1, Nats are my 1A) before last season, he’s just been one of those guys. You know, those Marty Cordova or David Segui-type guys that Baltimore gives decent money to for no reason at all. They’re just kind of … there. Not really good anymore yet not quite bad either. Certainly on the downside of their career yet still getting regular at-bats. I imagine them counting their playing days and their money while living high on the hog (or at least as high as one can live in Charm City) while fans wonder what the hell is going on with this franchise.
But all that changed this morning while making the rounds through the blogosphere (yes, I really do such a thing on the daily). Via my friends at Gheorge: The Blog, here’s Millar doing the Ray Lewis dance upon being introduced during Opening Day at Camden Yards …
Move over Bedard, Tejada, Cabrera, B-Rob, Markakis, Ray, Loewen and lifetime favorites Surhoff, Sheets and Reboulet, there’s a new boss in town, and his name is Millar. Anyone who can get away with doing the God’s Linebacker dance in B’more is alright with me.
As we prepare for the annual Somebody Ask Roger Clemens To The Prom sweepstakes, Seth Mnookin reminds everyone that Clemens is pretty much as tied to steroid rumors as Barry Bonds is.
Well, maybe Canadians are too iffy about the violent striking of children to 
After a few months of grumbling from 
This might ultimately be for the betterment of the league, but man, it’s gonna make 2007 considerably less fun around here.
We haven’t had a good 
Yesterday, in one of those small roster moves that no one every pays any attention to, the Red Sox 