TheLounge
02-11-2008, 03:37 PM
Roger Clemens took the plunge. There’s no backing out now for the seven-time Cy Young winner. Clemens met with congressional lawyers and —*under oath — repeated his strong denials of never using steroids or performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Now, any proof of Clemens using puts him in double-jeopardy, so to speak. Not only would he be an embarrassment to himself, his family and baseball, he could face prison time for lying under oath.
Just to add to Clemens’ “Maalox Moment” is a report stating Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, has turned over to investigators physical evidence — bloody guaze pads, syringes and vials with traces of steroids and PEDs —*that implicates Clemens.
People say not to believe everything you read, but there is also the saying where there’s smoke, there’s fire. There is enough smoke swirling around Clemens right now that even the most vehement of denials is met by sketicism by the public at large.
The fact that both the all-time home-run king and the one of the best pitchers of all time are caught up in the steroids mess prove without a doubt that the late 1980s through the early 2000s was the “Steroid Era.” Now that it’s acknowledged, can baseball please move on? I think its the perfect time. The old guard of the Steroid Era are mostly retired or on the verge of doing such. Barry Bonds and Clemens are most likely done as professional baseball players, now is the time to officially put the Steroid Era behind us and move forward. Put the focus back on the field. I know I speak for a lot of people when I say I just don’t care about who was using what, when. It’s old and tired. I’m more concerned with who will play third base for the Giants and wonder if A’s fans will show up to watch who Billy Beane puts on the field this season.
***
The Golden State Warriors needs to slowly back away from the trading table. With all the moves going on —*loading up the an already loaded Western Conference —*there is no need for the Warriors to do anything rash.
They broke a 13-year playoff drought last year. You expected them to go the NBA Finals this year? Getting to a championship level takes several years —*unless a team catches lightning in a bottle —*the Warriors are in the formative stages.
With Paul Gasol going to the Lakers (who had 24 points and 12 rebounds in his debut), Shaquille O’Neal headed to the Phoenix Suns and Jason Kidd rumored to be going back to Dallas, there is not a move Golden State can make this season that will propel the Warriors over those three teams. Not to mention the other six or seven teams battling for five remaining playoff spots.
The Warriors have one of the youngest teams in the league. And one of the most talented. Monta Ellis, Andris Biendrins and Brandon Wright are only going to get better. Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson give the team the heart and soul championship teams require. Sure, they need to add a few pieces — a pure shooting guard and a rebounding, defense-first big man. But those types of guys are not out there right now. Even if they were, I still don’t think it puts the Warriors over the top.
Golden State needs a couple more years of maturity and experience, not a block-buster, team-busting trade.
Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 117.
Just to add to Clemens’ “Maalox Moment” is a report stating Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, has turned over to investigators physical evidence — bloody guaze pads, syringes and vials with traces of steroids and PEDs —*that implicates Clemens.
People say not to believe everything you read, but there is also the saying where there’s smoke, there’s fire. There is enough smoke swirling around Clemens right now that even the most vehement of denials is met by sketicism by the public at large.
The fact that both the all-time home-run king and the one of the best pitchers of all time are caught up in the steroids mess prove without a doubt that the late 1980s through the early 2000s was the “Steroid Era.” Now that it’s acknowledged, can baseball please move on? I think its the perfect time. The old guard of the Steroid Era are mostly retired or on the verge of doing such. Barry Bonds and Clemens are most likely done as professional baseball players, now is the time to officially put the Steroid Era behind us and move forward. Put the focus back on the field. I know I speak for a lot of people when I say I just don’t care about who was using what, when. It’s old and tired. I’m more concerned with who will play third base for the Giants and wonder if A’s fans will show up to watch who Billy Beane puts on the field this season.
***
The Golden State Warriors needs to slowly back away from the trading table. With all the moves going on —*loading up the an already loaded Western Conference —*there is no need for the Warriors to do anything rash.
They broke a 13-year playoff drought last year. You expected them to go the NBA Finals this year? Getting to a championship level takes several years —*unless a team catches lightning in a bottle —*the Warriors are in the formative stages.
With Paul Gasol going to the Lakers (who had 24 points and 12 rebounds in his debut), Shaquille O’Neal headed to the Phoenix Suns and Jason Kidd rumored to be going back to Dallas, there is not a move Golden State can make this season that will propel the Warriors over those three teams. Not to mention the other six or seven teams battling for five remaining playoff spots.
The Warriors have one of the youngest teams in the league. And one of the most talented. Monta Ellis, Andris Biendrins and Brandon Wright are only going to get better. Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson give the team the heart and soul championship teams require. Sure, they need to add a few pieces — a pure shooting guard and a rebounding, defense-first big man. But those types of guys are not out there right now. Even if they were, I still don’t think it puts the Warriors over the top.
Golden State needs a couple more years of maturity and experience, not a block-buster, team-busting trade.
Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 117.