Roger Clemens tries to clear his name again, this time on the big stage - "60 Minutes". Trainer Brian McNamee told the Mitchell Report about injecting Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone in 2000 and 2001. Clemens latest claim is that it was "lidocaine" and "B-12". "It's for my joints" says Clemens. "Brian has a master's degree in sports medicine and knows the difference between lidocaine and B-12 and what he injected Roger with and Clemens knows the difference too" says McNamee's attorney Earl Ward. Ward has also warned Clemens not to characterize the former strength and conditioning coach as a liar on "60 Minutes." "We're prepared to file a defamation lawsuit if he does" Ward adds...
It's reported that Clemens in his "60 Minutes" interview with Mike Wallace calls the accusation "ridiculous" and says that he "never" used any banned substance. Wallace looks him in the eye and asks Clemens if he swears he never used any banned substance. "Swear" says Clemens...
What Mike Wallace should have also asked Clemens is if he feels he robbed a bank for the fortune he made for his 6-6 comeback year with the Yankees in 2007. Clemens made enough money to send all the adopted children of Brad and Angelina to Harvard for four years and feed all the starving people of Angola for a lifetime...
So come Sunday night, Clemens takes the big stage to tell his version of the truth. Will he defame McNamee? Will he redeem his tarnished image? Will he be believed? Will he suffer a fate worse than the heartbreak of psoriasis? At the end of the "60 Minutes" interview will Roger Clemens prove his case or will he wind up Capsaicin Blue???
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1759] Wedding Bells: George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis and instead of cutting into a wedding cake, it's a cherry pie baked by the new bride (1/6)...1945] Future President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Pierce tie the knot in Rye (NY) (1/6)...
- 1885] 'Scalpel': Dr. William Grant performs the first successful appendectomy on Mary Gartside, only to discover that her gall bladder was supposed to be removed (1/4)...
- 1896] A radiant discovery: Austrian Wilhelm Roentgen discovers the type of radiation that becomes known as the X-Ray (1/5). The public scoffs saying they can see right through this ruse. Now boys and girls, today's course is 'Radar 101': http://youtube.com/watch?v=BsLpwGam_gI ...
- 1935] Debuted on this date: Bob Hope debuts on network radio in "The Intimate Revue" (1/4)...1936] Porky Pig debuts in the WB cartoon "Gold Diggers of '49" (1/6). One year later Mel Blanc starts voicing Porky, Bugs, Daffy, Sylvester and Tweety... 1948] Warner Brothers-Pathe shows the first color newsreel which contains the Tournament of Roses Parade and highlights of the Rose Bowl game (1/5)...1975] "Wheel of Fortune" debuts on NBC-TV (1/6)...1984] "Night Court" starring Harry Anderson, Markie Post and John Larroquette debuts on NBC-TV. It marked debuts for Post and Larroquette (1/4)...
- 1940] 'One, one, one": The first test of FM radio is heard by the FCC. It will be one year before radios with FM capability will give the public new static free signals (1/5). I hope that demonstration was better than this one for the new Nokia N800: http://youtube.com/watch?v=SdJaksTX_gI ...
- 1957] Curtains: After 69 years, Collier's Magazine folds (1/4)...1957] Jackie Robinson retires rather than play for the crosstown Giants, a team he was traded to by the Brooklyn Dodgers (1/5)...
- 1967] 'Happy Trails': Poet T.S. Eliot dies in London of emphysema at 76 (1/4)...1993] Ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev succumbs to AIDS at 54 (1/6)...1993] Jazz great Dizzy Gillespie is a victim of pancreatic cancer at 75 (1/6)...1994] Former House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill dies from colon cancer at 81 (1/5)...1998] Sonny Bono, pop-star turned politician is killed when he crashes into a tree while skiing in South Lake Tahoe (CA) at 62 (1/5)...2001] Bandleader Les Brown dies from lung cancer at 88 (1/4)...
- 1994] "Why? Why?": Jeff Gillooly goon Shane Stant makes a pinata out of glamour skater Nancy Kerrigan's leg. Olympic skating rival Tonya Harding sets the whole thing up and is banned from competition. Gillooly and the recently departed Stant do time for the crime (1/6). Here's the whole story according to ABC News: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6T09XWRkq5M&feature=related ...
- 2004] I'm Confessin': After 14 years of denials, Pete Rose publicly admits that he bet on baseball while manager of the Cincinnati Reds (1/5). The sports world is not shocked by this admission...
- 2007] I am woman hear me roar: Nancy Pelosi is the first female elected to the post of Speaker of the House (1/4). Somewhere Tip O'Neill drinks heavily...
Music Memories:
- 1936] Number One on this date: "Stop! Look! Listen! - Joe Venuti (on a 78) is the first chart topper based on record sales in Billboard (1/4), founded in 1894 as a trade paper for the bill posting industry...1958] "At The Hop" - Danny & the Juniors (1/6). Straight off the record: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fqpBnRTbpN0&feature=related ...1967] "I'm A Believer" - Monkees (stays on top for 7 weeks)(1/4): http://youtube.com/watch?v=2VUqgZ-kl-Q ...1968] "Magical Mystery Tour" LP - Beatles (1/6)...1980] "Please Don't Go" - KC & Sunshine Band (1/5)...1997] "You Don't Have To Be A Star" - Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. (1/6)...
- 1954] Recorded on this date: 19-year old Elvis Presley records a 2-song demo ("Casual Love Affair" and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" for mom Gladys at Sun Studios (1/4). Sam Phillips kvells, sets up an audition for Elvis and signs him...1962] "Point of No Return" - Gene McDaniels (1/4)...
- 1957] Curtains: Elvis makes his 7th and final appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" singing "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Too Much" (1/6)...
Commentary:
Here are some more 'words' or 'phrases' to add to the 'should be banned' list: From Ed Pyle, "Used mostly by politicians, it seems, and I'm afraid we'll hear it ad nauseam until November - "At the end of the day". Why do they give short shrift to early in the morning, lunch time, or even, say, 3:45 in the afternoon? And come to think of it, while we're at it, we could ban 'ad nauseam' as well." From Paul Power: "Besides 'clearly' and 'unclear', I also hate when newscasters 'tease' with an upcoming story 3 hours before and say, "we'll tell you why later" (but only if you listen to us and nobody else). Channel 7 (Boston) is famous for saying "you'll hear this on just one station" but I've seen the same stories on the others previously. Kind of reminds me of when (John) Garabedian used to call songs "WMEX Exclusives" even though we (WRKO) were already playing them." I love that last sentence Paul. Thanks to Paul and Ed for adding to the vocabulary which deserves burial...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
(1/4) Michael Stipe (48), Patty Loveless (51), Dyan Cannon (71), Don Shula (78) and Barbara Rush (81)...
(1/5) Pamela Sue Martin (55), Chris Stein (58), Ted (Isaac of 'Love Boat') Lange (60), Diane Keaton (62), Charlie Rose (66), Robert Duvall (78), Walter Mondale (80) and legendary St. John's basketball coach Lou Carnesecca (83)...
(1/6) Howie Long (48), Nancy Lopez Knight (51), Bonnie Franklin (64), Lou Holtz (71), Nino Tempo (73), Earl Scruggs (84) and Pollster Lou Harris (87 with a margin of error of + or - 5%)...
Timeline Countdown for Sunday, January 6, 2008: Two more Wild Card Playoff games today, 6 days until the Divisional Playoffs, 14 days until the NFL Conference Championships, 16 down and 3 to go for the Patriots and 28 days until the Super Bowl...
