Clemens sues McNamee over Steroid issue

by John Amato on Jan 7, 2008 3:25 PM EST in News Comment 7 comments

Roger Clemens is suing Brian McNamee now:

Pitching star Roger Clemens has sued his former trainer for making false and defamatory statements about his steroid use that was chronicled by Major League Baseball's Mitchell Report.

The lawsuit, filed in state court in Texas late on Sunday, said Brian McNamee's claims that he repeatedly injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone are not true and exposed Clemens to "public hatred, contempt, ridicule and financial injury."

Did anyone see him on 60 Minutes last night. First of all the editing job they did on him was awful. They clipped every response he made and put it into neat little sound bites. Then he waffled like hell when asked if he would take a lie detector test and complained that it would cost him a lot of "cash" to prove himself innocent if that was even possible. Using the " money line" didn't help you Roger. You've made more money than 99% of any worker in this country. You can see the video of him on 60 Minutes here.

"Never happened," Clemens says. "Never happened. And if I have these needles and these steroids and all these drugs, where did I get 'em? Where is the person out there gave 'em to me? Please, please come forward.

And that's our country, isn't it? Guilty before innocent. That that's the way our country works now. And then everybody's talking about sue, sue, sue. Should I sue? Well, let me exhaust. Let me just spend. How about, let's keep spending," Clemens says. "But I'm gonna explore what I can do and then I want to see if it's gonna be worth it, worth all the headache."

How about a lie detector test?

"Some say they're good. Some say they're not. Do whatever," Clemens says.

"So as far as you're concerned, you would conceivably?" Wallace asks.

"Yeah. I don't know if they're good or bad," Clemens replies.

"Were you to pass a lie detector test, would that help prove that you're telling the truth and help restore?" Wallace asks.

"Would it?" Clemens says.

"I don't know," Wallace replies.

Apparently he decided that shelling out some money will help clear his name after all. And while a lie detector test isn't valid in a court of law it might help Roger in the court of public opinion. Clemens had to sue Macnemee as far as I'm concerned if he wanted to try and clear his name. I heard a guy from ESPN say that he believes Roger will try to bleed Brian dry because he didn't make 20 million dollars a season and couldn't afford a lengthy defense. That's for you to decide, but the Sports Writer's are pretty much lined up against him.

Check out this USA TODAY round up of opinions from other sports writers here.

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He

is just digging himself deeper and deeper, when it does get proven that he did use steroids, then hell be in more legal trouble for sueing him.

I dont believe the fact that he said he didnt no andy used HGH thats bull shit. He knows the last time Andy took a shit.

And the fact that he said it was B12 and Lycopane was a bad lie. A doctor would have to inject or at least prescribe the painkiller, where is his prescriptions for it? He would easily be able to prove this if it were true

All McNamee has to do is prove where He or Clemens bought the roids and Clemens is Done for life.

by Soriano NY 12 on Jan 7, 2008 3:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Remember

Remember that interview was recorded several days ago.

Maybe I'm just playing devil's advocate here, but what lengths does he have to go to in order for anybody to believe him?

From the beginning, I thought there was a chance that McNamee felt some direct or implied pressure to cough up some big names as a condition of his plea, so the whole "he can't lie under oath" argument goes out the window if the Feds are encouraging him to give up particular names. Now Clemens says this is exactly what happened.

After Canseco's book came out 3 years ago, most pundits said that if these guys are being wrongfully accused, where are the libel/slander lawsuits? Now we've finally got one, and we don't buy it.

We've seen countless athletes deny steroid use, or deny "knowingly" taking steroids, yet I can't think of one who has gone to such lengths as Clemens to deny the allegations. Appearing on national TV, filing a defamation suit, and from what I've heard he will be telling his side of the story before Congress next week, not just pleading the fifth.

Maybe, just maybe, could he actually be telling the truth? I guess this could be one huge elaborate cover-up, but come on, the more you go down that road the more preposterous this becomes.

If Clemens wasn't truly innocent, I don't believe he'd be going to such great lengths to try and prove it. Most liars tend to hide, plead ignorance, or shy away from the attention (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, I could go on). Most people don't have the wherewithall to concoct such a thorough denial. Let's face it, Bill Clinton didn't go to such lengths to prove his "innocence", and he had a hell of a lot more to lose.

by kuri3460 on Jan 7, 2008 4:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

i see

what your saying but i think he jsut feels theres not enough evidence that he can get away with this elaborate "cover-up". Not to mention he has 1000x more money so his legal team will eat McNamees alive.

by Soriano NY 12 on Jan 7, 2008 4:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

McNamee is a liar

I just listen to the phone conversation between McNamee and Clemens. McNamee said he would go to jail and tell the feds the truth about Roger.

by BillyBobisdrunk on Jan 7, 2008 8:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

they are both liars, in a multitude of ways

but Clemsns did it

take it to the bank

by Frank Malzone on Jan 8, 2008 1:36 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Bad situation from every angle

McNamee's interview on SI.com is on point. Rocket's usage shouldn't take away from what he accomplished.

But Clemens is guilty.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Jan 8, 2008 7:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Comparison

I don't know about all this he said-he said business, but if you look at Clemens physically 20 years ago to today, there really isn't much of a change that I can see.

by The Knuckler on Jan 8, 2008 4:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs