What Do You Want Clemens to Do?
What do we expect from Roger Clemens? When the accusations were made toward Clemens the refrain was “Why doesn’t he do an interview?” Clemens did an interview denying he did steroids. “Why doesn’t he sue?” Clemens’ lawyer filed a lawsuit today. “Why won’t he go before Congress?” Clemens is going before Congress. Now the refrain is “why won’t he take a lie-detector test”. Get real folks. He’s not going to take a lie-detector test because he doesn’t have to take one. Period. Clemens has called everyone’s bluff so far. There is no evidence, no bounced check, nothing linking him to steroids so far, and it seems like Clemens is pretty sure that there isn’t anything out there to prove otherwise. There was a mountain of BALCO evidence about Barry Bonds, all there is on Clemens is the word of his former trainer. It’s one on one. Nothing more. There is no smoking gun. There’s no dead body. And if things keep going the way they are there may not have been a crime.
As someone who believes that more than half of baseball players have at least tried some type of performance enhancer, I believe that Clemens probably has done something throughout his history. But one man’s accusation does not prove that. And with Clemens responding as loud as he has, he is putting all of his chips in the middle of the table and daring someone to call his bet. One way or the other Clemens looks like he’s going to put everything on the line for his legacy. He’s done everything people have asked (other than admit it; like some who were apparently there when he was shooting up, would have him do). The only question is whether in the end Clemens is fighting a battle that he can’t win. One thing is for certain though; if Clemens does end up having to eat his words he will become the Black Sox of his era, he will replace Barry Bonds as the face of steroids, and his legacy will be completely; irreparably, destroyed forever.
