Clemens Trial Declared A Mistrial

The US Government continues it's stellar record at prosecuting steroid using athletes by screwing up their case against Roger Clemens in its second day that the judge declared a mistrial.  It sounds like Clemens will likely file a "double-jeopardy" claim that would prevent him from being tried again.  And the government will also have to decide whether or not to continue with its case...but I think that since they have wasted all this money and effort you might as well go to court even though a hayseed lawyer, Rusty Hardin, is able to outwit the incompetent US Attorneys.

Clemens Trial Starts Today

I just got back from a relaxing and enjoyable extended holiday weekend and what is waiting for me to follow?  The Roger Clemens trial of course!  I continue to follow all the cheaters and their efforts to get away with cheating.  So far Barry Bonds has successfully dodged any legal ramifications from his cheating and now Roger Clemens is next (to steal a baseball analogy) up to bat.

I'm not sure who his lead attorney is for this case but I hope it is his regular attorney, Rusty Harden...the guy is a complete hayseed and has no clue.  I think Roger could end up being found guilty if it is up to ole Rusty...but if Roger has a clue in his brain, he should have gotten Bonds' attorneys...or as close as possible to them.

Jury selection starts today and I am following the action on Twitter (as I did with the Bonds trial), which, if the reporter is active, a person can get a blow-by-blow account of the entire trial.

As I did with Bonds, I hope Clemens gets found guilty.  But in either case, like Bonds, the amount of money these guys are spending to keep their name clean is outrageous.  I don't think you could find a person on this planet that doesn't think either of those two guys juiced.

Bonds Guilty Of Obstruction - Muddled Verdict

So the Bonds trial ended somewhat bizarrely, with only one verdict decided and that was for obstruction of justice, while the 3 charges of perjury the jury was unable to reach consensus on...word is, on the one count of lying about being injected by other people all the jurors except one felt Bonds was guilty because Kathy Hoskins saw Greg Anderson inject Barry Bonds, but the one juror said that Kathy was like family to Bonds so that left reasonable doubt in her mind.  WTF?  I can't figure that statement out but I figure she was probably bribed and thats why it was 11-1 on that one count...there was no way she was ever going to convict Bonds...

So in the end the entire trial was a waste of money and the government will have to decide if it wants to retry Bonds again and waste even more money.  Bonds of course is appealing the verdict and arguing to have the charges dropped based on the trial's conclusion and not ending in consensus.

Roger Clemens is probably got a great big smile after seeing and hearing how Bonds fared because his trial will be starting up soon and will likely be similar to Bonds' in a he said/she said type trial and the jury won't believe any one and will find Clemens not guilty due to inconclusive evidence.

The cheaters are going to get away with it...

Bonds Jury Selected, Trial To Begin

Well, its only been what, 4 years since Barry Bonds quit playing baseball and several of those final years under a lot of scrutiny for his steroid use.  Well, today is the big day...the trial begins.  Jury was selected yesterday and today opening arguments will be heard and I would imagine the government will get to begin their case.

Most everyone on the planet knows Barry Bonds is guilty of using steroids, now it is a matter of whether or not he has good enough lawyers to fend off the government's case...of course the #1 star witness, the guy shooting Bonds up with roids, his trainer Greg Anderson, will be sitting in jail during the trial because he will refuse to testify against Bonds.  He doesn't care, he has already sat in jail for over a year and the courts keep letting him out...this time, he will be in jail during the trial and then let free after it is done...really not putting any pressure on him to testify...I don't get why they can't just lock him up and keep him locked up until he agrees to testify...letting him free is pointless.

From what I have read, the government will have a good case so it will come down to how good the lawyers for Bonds are...plan and simple.  We know a person can get away with murder in this country with the right lawyers, we will now see if Bonds has some of those lawyers...

Like with the Landis case, I will be following the Bonds case closely...for some reason seeing how these liars try to get away with it interests me...

Bonds Trial To Start

The NFL lockout is, by all appearances, all but inevitable, but us sports fans will have a little drama to keep us occupied for the next couple weeks and no, I don't mean exhibition mlb.  The Barry Bonds trial starts next week and I hope, once and for all, that he will be branded the cheater that he is.  Of course his trainer, Greg Anderson, who gave Bonds the roids as well as injected Bonds, will not testify against Bonds and will then be put into jail for the duration of the trial...which they figure should last about two weeks.  Anderson has already spent over a year in jail for not testifying against Bonds so a two week stint will be a walk in the park for him.

Like the Landis trial, I'll be keeping a close eye on this trial...but I would imagine that regardless of the outcome whichever side "loses" will appeal and this will go on for many years...but winning the first round is always good for the pr campaign.

Landis Admits Doping

Well, well, well... Floyd Landis came out and admitted to using steroids now...

I had followed the whole Landis steroid case (You can type Landis in the search box or just click the 'Steroids in Sports' tag to the left to follow my reaction at the time) and when his case was tried, twice, and Landis lost in both cases I had already been swayed to know he was juicing.

So why is Landis coming out now and admitting he was cheating? Well, I'm guessing Landis is looking for some dough...a book deal or interview fees...why do I think this? Well of course Landis isn't going to go down alone...he is taking everyone down with him and of course America's biggest name in cycling, Lance Armstrong. Landis details his team's, which included Armstrong, blood doping routine for the 2003 Tour de France...he also details his extensive use of many steroids including HGH.

I have given Armstrong the benefit of the doubt...and continue to do so, for the most part, but when every other member on his US Postal team has been busted for cheating at some point in their career...I have begun to let doubt creep in and would not be surprised if Armstrong, at some point, eventually does admit or some actual tangible evidence is produced to prove his usage. But as I have said in the past, cycling was probably as bad, if not worse, for cheating than MLB during a period of time...we find out now that most of baseball's biggest stars were all cheating during the period of juicing in baseball, including the best pitcher (Clemens) and the best homerun hitters (Bonds, McGwire, Sosa). Anyone juicing during the roid era in baseball was untouchable...Lance Armstrong won every Tour de France during the roid era of cycling...I don't know how anyone could legitimately win against a field of cheaters...unless, of course, you were cheating as well...

Roger Maris Billboards

2 of these billboards are up in Fargo, ND ... Anyone that wants to come to this town and defend the steroid users is going to have a tough crowd ...

We's don't like cheaters around these parts....

McGwire: Now Admitted Cheater

Not to anyone's surprise, but Mark McGwire has finally came out to admit that he used steroids to break Roger Maris' single season homerun record. I continue to contend that 61 is still the single season homerun record hit by Roger Maris in 1961 ... steroid free. Hank Aaron is still the career homerun record holder with 755 ... steroid free.

Bronson Arroyo Details Supplement Use

When David Ortiz's name was recently leaked as to have tested positive in 2003, most of the media and fan focus was on him. He came out to say that he did take vitamins and supplements but never steroids. Well another Red Sox player (at the time), Bronson Arroyo, said his name may also be on the list for taking tainted supplements.

Arroyo came out to detail all little bit about his 'supplement' use and a person can clearly see that he, as well as all the other players doing the same thing, knew that they were walking a very thin line and were aware that they could possibly taking tainted supplements.

What his admission does, more than anything, is prove that all these players that come out (like Ortiz) and claim that they were only taking vitamins and supplements also were well aware that some of these 'supplements' were likely tainted...and really, tainted is the wrong word...they knew full well that the supplements were likely laced with roids.

Interesting, Arroyo drops Curt Schillings name as a person that introduced him to a caffeine drink that he consumes prior to pitching...I wonder what else Schilling might have been consuming to assist him?

Ortiz Rolls Out Same Old Excuse; Leyland Tired Of Roid Talk

So David Ortiz, the latest victim of a 2003 steroid list leaking, held a press conference on Saturday to answer questions about his positive steroid test and offered up one of the excuses that has been used over and over again..."I only took vitamins and supplements...but not steroids." Of course when it comes out what specific steroid he was one, he will of course stick with that excuse and say the supplements were tainted or whatever... but the bottom line is, his excuse is about as believable as all the rest of the roid users and that is not at all...

And Jim Leyland, the manager of the Detroit Tigers, spoke out yesterday that he is sick and tired of all the steroid talk and that he believes Ortiz did not take steroids because he (Ortiz) said so. To me, it sounds like Leyland is just trying to do what the MLBPA and probably most others associated with MLB would like to happen right now...for everything to get swept under the rug and lets just move on. But what Leyland and the roid users don't realize, is that fans don't want to idolize and cheer for cheaters. I remember cheering for Mark McGwire in 1998 as he was going after Roger Maris' record thinking how I am witnessing an extremely historical moment. After the steroid story broke open and it was revealed that all these incredible numbers were all artificially produced, I felt like I was lied too and that entire season, all the time I put into following the homerun chase, was just a complete waste.

I too am sick and tired of steroids, but to quell my disdain for MLB and the steroid era, nothing short of a big eraser and/or asterisks will satisfy me. I refuse to accept any records posted from 1995-2004 by any player...as time has gone on, all it has proven is that every 'great' player during this era used steroids... I see no need to continue to glorify and accredit these players with anything other than cheating.

Big Names Continue To Roid In Baseball

I had been away on vacation when David Ortiz's name was finally linked to steroid use. His name of course leaked, along with many others now, with the 2003 MLB random drug tests that were suppose to remain anonymous and are obviously not. Anyone that saw Daivd Ortiz play for the Minnesota Twins and then after he went to the Boston Red Sox, like me, had to have some serious doubts about how he became 'Big Pappi'. With the Twins Ortiz was of average size and certainly wasn't any incredible 'powerhouse'. Then he went to the Red Sox and became an incredible prolific hitter as his size grew to enormous proportions at an incredible rate.

I always thought he was on roids, like Sosa, Bonds, McGwire and the rest of the cheaters... it's good to have the validation now in his case... and not that any team would have been clean...it probably does taint the Red Sox World Series wins because now Ortiz and Manny have both been outed and they were both cornerstones to that team's success....

Sosa: Tested Positive For Steroids

It is all but official now, every 'power' hitter of the 90's through 2003 was on steroids. Sammy Sosa was finally outed and did indeed test positive for steroids in 2003.

So for those that need to review...

The "greatest" pitcher of this era, Roger Clemens, on steroids.
The "greatest" hitter of All-Time, Barry Bonds, on steroids.
Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Bonds all hit for more than 61 homeruns in a season...all on steroids.

Is MLB going to do anything to try and rectify the unbelievable skewed stats during the roid era? Probably not. The sad part is that I continue to hear all of these hall of fame voters that said they are going to vote all these roid-boys into the hall of fame because they are just 'comparing' them with others during their era...which is total bullshit because there may have been several players that didn't use steroids and what do they get for playing honostly during a dishonost time? Absolutely nothing.

I know I am going to make sure that my son knows that all these guys are cheaters and equal to piles-of-shit even though the media tries to 'soften' the crime and justify their actions. I am hoping that a commissioner down the road has the balls to banish all these cheaters from the game forever...it's the least they deserve.

ADDED:

As this story continues to hit the airwaves, sports pages, etc... I was quickly alerted to this fact:

5 out of the 6 greatest power hitters of the past decade or so have all tested positive steroids, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Manny Ramirez and Palmerio. The only player so far that hasn't had a hint of steroids attached to his name: Jim Thome ... All I could say is wow... I mean I have been one to quickly judge everyone in baseball during the roid era as guilty but I had no idea it really is that close to reality. MLB was and is a joke until it can do something to rectify all the cheating, lying and cover-ups and the best and only way that can be done, in my eyes, is to still banish all these cheaters from the game forever...no ifs ands or buts. Anything less than that is just accepting their lying, cheating and cover-up attempts as acceptable behavior.

Most Of Clemens' Lawsuit Dismissed

In what is likely a sign of how successful Roger Clemens and his crack legal staff, headed up by hayseed Rusty Harden, is going to be in their defamation case against Brian McNamee, most of their complaint was dismissed in the Houston court that it was filed in due to lack of jurisdiction, citing that most of the 'defamation' ocurred in New York and not in Texas.

It just goes to show that Clemens and his hicksvilled lawyer have no idea what they are doing and what to do next...just that they need to do something, anything to prove to everyone that Roger didn't roid up.  Well, they would better off if they just slipped away quietly and leave things as they are.  There is nothing they can do that will change people's minds, it is as much a fact that Clemens used steroids as it is Barry Bonds, A-Rod, Canseco, McGwire, Sosa, etc...

A-Rod On Roids

It is becoming pretty clear that every player in Major League Baseball was on steroids from the late '80's through (at least ) 2003.  Alex Rodriguez was outed by a Sports Illustrated article using, what were to be confidential, drug tests conducted in 2003 by MLB.  He then came out and publicly admitted that he did use steroids during his 3 years with the Texas Rangers.  He did not offer up anything that he may have used steroids before or after that time frame, but did not say anything to discount that possibility.

Seeing Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens fight a losing battle both in the courts and in the media, A-Rod is trying to side-step all that by offering his excuse for doing so and apologizing for doing it.

In the end, apologies or not, it doesn't change the fact and the perception by many, of which I am one now, that think Major League Baseball was just a bunch of juicers for the better part of a decade and a half.

Bonds Pleads Not Guilty

Yesterday they unloaded the evidence against Barry Bonds and today Bonds goes in and pleads "Not Guilty".

All this time and money is being spent to prove to the world that Barry did cheat because his possible punishment;

Bonds faces a sentence between probation and two years in prison.

Certainly this would not warrant much federal attention if Bonds, himself, wasn't such a prominent figure during the steroid era. But the same is with the Clemens case ... it must be done. If not, there will always be someone out there that is willing to give these two roiders the benefit of the doubt just because they saw some 'contriteness' in their public apologies or, which is more likely the case, have some personal involvement with them that has skewed their opinion to the point of blindness.

Bonds' Evidence Released

The Feds have finally unveiled the evidence they have to use against Barry Bonds to prove that he lied about his steroid use.

Among the evidence is not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 alleged positive tests for steroids from Barry Bonds.  Bond's trainer, Greg Anderson, who sat in jail for a year instead of testify against Bonds, has said he will not testify in this trail... but the evidence that was released has a recorded conversation with Anderson describing how he injected Barry with undetectable steroids.  There is also doping calendars and notes.  

I didn't need any more proof to convince me of Bond's roid use ... Sure, he may have some super lawyer that might get him out of a perjury charge but having these sort of evidence, especially the positive drug tests, is the death-nail.  Any and all Bonds' supporters always would be quick to say "He never tested positive...".   Well, now we have proof that says the opposite ... what's your excuse now?

Clemens DNA Found With Syringes

Word is that tests have confirmed that Roger Clemens' blood was found with the syringes and gauze that his former trainer Brian McNamee turned over to the feds to corroborate his story and as further proof that Roger Clemens used steroids.

Is there anyone out there that still doesn't think Clemens used steroids?  As it has been stated by several media folks already, it is almost to the point now that the more an athlete comes out and tries to deny their history of steroid usage the more likely they are lying.  

My unofficial tally, so far, is anyone that has been accused of using steroids have either came out and admitted using roids while the others have been caught lying about using roids.  Either way, I think most everyone has underestimated at how widely steroids were used in professional baseball.

McGwire's Brother Outs Mark

Mark McGwire's brother is outing him in a book proposal, claiming that he injected Mark with steroids starting in 1994.  Most everyone with a clue already knew that Mark was a roid user but because he ended his career before testing and any substantial or speculative 'proof' was found, there were many that had a tiny bit of doubt about those accusations.  Well, looks like that is all over now with his brother coming out and claiming he injected Mark with roids.  Of course Mark's brother, Jay, may have alterior motives or just looking for an easy paycheck but you put this accusation alongside Mark's pathetic performance in congress, it now casts a much larger shadow of doubt on him.  

All this really does is further prove that Roger Maris' 61 home runs in a single season is still the record for non-roid players.  

More Roids For Clemens

Not that anyone really needs too much more proof that Roger Clemens was a roid user while he played professional baseball, convicted steroids dealer Kirk Radomnski found 2 shipping slips that he said were from packages of steroids he shipped to Clemens' home. Of course Rog will simply say they were for his wife, but I didn't believe that his wife is the steroid user in the house so I won't believe this lie either...

Branded Ball Ends Up At The HOF

How quickly things change...less than 24 hours ago the MLB Hall of Fame stated that it was not getting Barry Bonds' steroid-powered 756th homerun ball and now this morning the ball is in Cooperstown...

The best part...if Barry Bonds is a man of his word...which being a liar and a cheater I doubt that he is...has stated that he will boycott the HOF if the ball was displayed with the branded asterisk, which it will be...so we got that to hope for...