Clemens' plan backfires

We didn’t need to hear Roger Clemens publicly apologize to his college coach about being unable to attend his son’s funeral. We didn’t need to hear him constantly criticize the media. And we definitely didn’t need hear him get loud and use profanity when the questions got too tough.

All we needed to hear was Brian McNamee admit to lying about injecting Clemens with steroids on the phone conversation The Rocket secretly recorded.

And it never happened.

All we learned was that McNamee is a little more pathetic than we all thought, but no less believable. In fact, he only strengthened his credibility by not telling Clemens what he wanted to hear.

The Rocket’s legal team prepped him for that conversation and he followed the script the same way he did in his interview with Mike Wallace. Meanwhile, McNamee came away looking far more authentic, distraught about what he did, but unwilling to admit that he lied

"I'm with you. I'm in your corner," McNamee said. "I don't want this to happen. But I'd also like not to go to jail."

McNamee is no Greg Anderson. He told investigators everything he knew to avoid jail time, just as you or I would do in the same situation.

By continuing to attempt to damage his former trainer’s name, Clemens is stepping into a batter’s box to face some intimidating opposition. It seems like he and his legal team are inferring that George Mitchell’s investigators pressured McNamee into giving up a big name. If so, you can expect the government to throw everything in their repertoire at the 7 time Cy Young Award winner. That might include Andy Pettitte, who isn’t likely to lie under oath.

The plan was for Clemens to clear his name today. The taped conversation was supposed absolve him from any wrongdoing. And we were all supposed to grant him his “inch of respect” and move on.

Unfortunately for Clemens, the plan backfired.

Does anyone believe Roger Clemens is telling the truth? – Sports Business News