Troy Glaus finally spoke to reporters today only to say that he had no comment on the current situation.  His name has been linked along with Rick Ankiel's in the HGH buying scandal from an internet pharmacy in Florida.  Glaus says he understands that reporters have a job to do, but hopes they will respect his position at this time.  Maybe Troy is being confused with the ancient Grecian Hero.  Certainly he was trying to look like him.

In other words, what Glaus is really saying is that he took HGH along with other steroids ordered from this pharmacy.  The news report says he appears shaken.  Once again, this can only mean he is upset because he is guilty.  If he were innocent, he would come right out and say it isn't so.  Unlike Barry Bonds, he is not under a sitting grand jury nor is he being prosecuted by a federal investigator.  This whole story is the result of the feds attempting to shut down internet pharmacies which prescribe HGH and other steroids without as much as an office visit.

It is a quandry that all sports are in and as the truth unfolds we are going to see many more names surface.  Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and many more could all find themselves staring at allegations of using performance enhancers.  What will MLB do then?  My solution is to set up stringent testing now, lable this era with an asterisk, and move on.  The players union and MLB will have to agree to blood testing so they can pick up HGH because it is not detectable yet in urine tests which is the only test that is being used in MLB.  Cyclists have to submit to blood tests, so why not baseball players.  Of course I think HGH is an even bigger problem in the NBA, but no one wants to admit it.  How many high school kids are taking HGH right now to grow an extra couple of inches.  It is the perfect time for them because their bone plates are still not fused and they can grow taller without the fear of acromegly, or caveman head syndrome as I like to call it. 

Of MLB is not the only sport with steroid problems.  One look at the NFL and WWE and one can realize that steroids have always been an issue.  From Lyle Alzado to Chris Benoit, steroids will always be used where athletes are looking for an edge.  Bodybuilders have been using them for decades and no one tried to clean up those sports.  It was only a matter of time before they infiltrated every other league.  One has to wonder if Bud Selig has been taking them as well.  After all, it appears he has no balls to do anything about them.  Maybe it's because his have shriveled up from taking all that Rogaine.

Troy Glaus can bemoan his situation all he  wants, but one thing is for sure;  when you come out with no comment you've said a mouthful.

SoCalSportsFan

Okay, I have finally come to the conclusion that Barry Bonds used steroids.  It's time to strip him of all of his accomplishments.  He is a cheater and as such should not be rewarded with the all-time HR record.  With that said, I have one question for those of you who are so happy to see me condemn Barry.

What are you going to do with Roger Clemens when he is finally "outed" as a steroid user?  Curt Schilling, an authority on everything, has already said that many pitchers are using steroids and appearing in September as fresh as April pitchers.  Today, a judge has decided not to reveal the names on the Jason Grimsley affidavit, but the Los Angeles Times has already reported that Clemens, Pettitte, Tejada, and Gibbons' names are blacked out on that officially sealed document. 

So if we assume this sealed grand jury document is as accurate as the one used to condemn Barry Bonds, what do we do with the Rocket?  Should we just strip him of his Cy Young Awards that he won in 1997, 1998, 2001, and 2004?  Or should we take away all seven?  Fair is fair, and I think we should just take them all away.  Who knows what else he was taking back in 1991!   After all Clemens was 18-10 in 1991, but then he went 11-14 in 1993, 9-7 in 1994, 10-5 in 1995, and 10-13 in 1996.  Then suddenly in 1997 he goes 21-7.  That is some spike in performance!  Of course it is all circumstantial, but how else does an old guy go 20-3 in 2001 and continued to dominate for three more  years.  It's just not natural if you ask me.  How can anyone in their 40's get better and better or stay the same.  Just tell me what each of you Bond's haters wants to do with Clemens after we bury Barry.  I'm all in!

SoCalSportsFan

Like Barry Bonds, my birthday is this week.  Each year my family goes through this ritual complaining because they say that they don’t know what dad wants for his birthday.  No matter how many times I tell them, “I like fishing rods, power tools, and camping equipment,” my wife insists that she has no clue about what I like.  In fact, every year she waits until the last day before she goes out and buys me clothes or some other thing that I have to smile and pretend to like.  I suppose I am like most dads and it really doesn’t matter what they get me because in the end I can always go out and buy my own rod, but if my wife would really just listen she could have bought the right gift weeks ago.  That got me to thinking about what Barry really wants for his birthday.  Here are just a few suggestions I would give to the important people in Barry’s life.

Kimberly Bell:  An autographed copy of her Playboy.  It’s not like Bell hasn’t already given Bonds enough trouble.  After she broke up his first marriage, she continued to be his mistress throughout his second marriage, only to turn against him once she was spurned.   In it she could say, “Thanks for the hooters, they really have come in handy lately!”

Gary Sheffield:  Former friend and work out partner of Bonds should continue to say stupid things to the press in order to deflect any criticism Barry may get.  Funny how Sheffield trained with Bonds and was also a Balco client, but steroid allegations with him just sort of waft away like a puff of smoke.  Yet, I can’t help but feel sorry for Gary because he appears to be one of the most bitter athletes I have ever seen play the game.  No one has ever treated him right.  Not the Dodger, the Braves, the Yankkees, and in a year or two the Tigers.  He never has anything good to say about anyone.  Maybe the best gift Barry can receive from Gary is to just not say anything.

MLB Writers:  Enough votes to get into the HOF.  After all, the HOF has other known cheats in it.  ####lord Perry immediately comes to mind.  He routinely used Vaseline to throw his famous pitch and even bragged about it often, yet he is still in those hallowed halls.

Roger Clemens:  He could test positive for steroids thereby further proving that pitchers take steroids just as much as hitters.  It would also show the double standard when Clemens would immediately be ignored while Barry is still persecuted. 

Hank Aaron:  Aaron should try to be in attendance for the big game.  He alone could go along way in helping people to accept the new record.  After all, Aaron had some help when he started taking “greenies” in a down HR year.

Bud Selig:  An admission to being at least partly culpable in the whole steroids debacle.  It was on Selig’s watch that baseball players ballooned over night, but as long as they were hitting the long ball and brought fans back to the game, Bud turned a blind eye.  Now he wants Barry to take all the blame.  It would be such a nice present if Bud just accepted part of the blame. (Selig, pictured at right,  doing his best imitation of Homer Simpson)

There you have it.  Just a few of the gifts that would make Barry smile on his 43rd birthday.  For me, turning 44, I would just enjoy that fishing rod and a chance to use it with my two boys. 

SoCalSportsFan

With the normal summertime lull in sports comes the blockbuster summer movies.  Just in time I might add, or I would be bored to tears.  Sunday night I managed to go out and watch the latest installment of Diehard with a few friends.  I actually enjoyed it up until the “jet” scene and then I realized this guy really is “Unbreakable.”  Of course the movie I can’t wait to see is Transformers because I can take my two sons to watch it with me.  If you have never heard of Transformers, it is a story about robots which can transform themselves into cars or other automated machinery that is complete with the weaponry of a naval warship.  Never mind that these are alien robots that just happen to transform into machines which one would find on this planet!  Anyway, this got me thinking about what I would transform into if I were one of these robots.  Better yet, what would some of our athletes transform into if they could?

Ricky Williams:  A marijuana pipe would keep Ricky close to his nearest and dearest friend, Mary Jane.

A-Rod:  A Stripper Pole, so at least I could be close to my new friend without anyone recognizing me.

Kobe:  Michael Jordan, because I always wanted to be like Mike. 

Barry Bonds:  The Incredible Hulk, because when he grows to epic proportions in his altered state, he always returns to normal size.  Right now, I am stuck with this big head and small……

Michelle Wie:  She would transform into a trophy.  Listen to her own words, “I want to be a winner…because, like, winning is so cool.  I’ve never won, but I am playing really, really well right now.  My game isn’t off too much, but I would be a winner if I could.”

Roger Clemens:  “An F-117 Stealth Fighter, because so far I have been able to avoid all of the steroid controversy even though I have continued to win well into my 40’s.  I am still as dominant as I always was and my head is getting even bigger with each win.”

Well there you have it for these athletes.  I am sure you can think of a few more to add to this list, so just leave those suggestions in the comment line. 

SoCalSportsFan

It appears each week as I get busier and busier I am able to write less and less, but ahh, I finished with another school year with the graduation of the 2007 class and now I should have some time to write.  But I also begin summer school on Monday, so I know that time will still be at a premium, thus the weekly installment that I like to call Sunday Socal Rants:

• Billy Donovan:  Give the guy a break!  Very few of us ever get a "do over", but Billy is lucky that he gets one.  SEC fans in every state but FL are in mourning because they now have to recruit against this guy and play his teams each and every year for a long time.  Donovan is the one who made the Magic put that 5 year no competition clause in his "exit" contract so that he could promise recruits he was staying put in FL.  Not to mention that he signed a 6 year deal, players should feel secure in the knowledge that they can play for him and finish their college career under the coach that recruits them.

• Michelle Wie:  Where shall I start?  In one of my many posts on Wie that I have written over the last year and half, I put the blame for most of her troubles sqaurely on B.J. Wie, Wie's father.  He has totally ruined what could have been a brilliant career.  I will say it again, and maybe this time people will listen, Michelle Wie will never win on the men's tour much less make the cut, and her career in the LPGA will be an afterthought.  Pressel, Ochoa, and Lincicome will lead the next generation of great LPGA players and Wie will be the equivalent of Justin Rose on the PGA.  Don't get me wrong, Wie has talent, but she lacks killer instinct and her handlers have so screwed with her psyche that she finds ways to withdraw from tournaments that are so bizarre that the rest of the LPGA has come to realize she is a fraud.  They do not fear her anymore and as a result, her finishes are at rock bottom.  Sorenstam is so right when she says Wie has no class.  Not only is she losing it mentally in every tournamet she appears in, but I believe she is headed down the same path as Jennifer Capriati and I would not be suprised if Wie turns to "medicinal" help to calm her frayed nerves.  Cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, and antidepressants will all be availabe to her once enrolled at Stanford and I fear she will become the Lindsey Lohan of the LPGA.

• Daunte Culpepper:  While I am no fan of Culpepper, it appears the Dolphins do not plan on using Daunte this year at QB.  He is not allowed to work out with the team during drills, but Cam Cameron says he has no plans on facilitating a trade.  Come on Miami, treat the man fairly.  If you bring in Green from KC, draft a young QB, and have no plans on playing Culpepper, you should not only release Daunte but you should help him find a new team.  There is such a thing as having class.  And to think the Dolphins were giving Nick Saban a hard time and saying he was a jerk. 

• LeBron James:  I am one of the few who will say I think the Cavaliers have a shot at winning the NBA Championship.  In fact, let me go ahead and even predict that Cleveland will win after being down one game to nothing.  James impresses me like no other player in recent memory.  I have followed his progression over the last few years and I truly believe he is a one of kind player who will lead his teams to multiple NBA titles.  It should be fun to watch him and D Wade over the next 10 years.  My opinion on James changed when I saw him yell at his team during the third game of the Pistons series.  As he was marching back down the court after one of his magical fading away three pointers, he yelled at Larry Hughes, "Be strong, be strong!"  At that moment I knew he was not ever going to give up.  Even though they were down by two games, James led them to four straight wins over the much vaunted Pistons.  Of course I also think the Pistons will never win with Flip at the helm and C Webber on the court.  Having two cursed people on your team is too much to overcome.

• Roger Clemens:  Simply amazing, or is it?  Speculation abounds about Barry Bonds and steroids, but I maintain that there is no way Roger can pitch like he is pitching without some special superhuman abilities at his age.  Maybe Roger has found the fountain of youth, HGH, as well.  Certainly one sportswriter, Kevin Hench, agrees with me that at least we should be asking the question is Clemens using steroids?  I wrote about this last year, and I maintain that pitchers use steroids more than hitters.  At least if and when Barry breaks Aaron's HR record, we can take solace that he did it against steroid juiced pitching.  Bare in mind that Roger's name has come up on several lists by federal investigators, but for some reason he is never pursued the way Bonds is.  Some may believe race has something to do with hit while I think the fact he is about to break a "sacred" record is probably the main reason.  Of course I think 7 Cy Young's is pretty impressive and possibly should have an asterisk next to them when Roger saunters into the HOF.

That's it for another edition of my Sunday Socal Rants.  Have a great weekend and go Cavaliers!

SoCalSportsFan

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year.  It is one of the only times where millions of Americans sit around a table with tons of food stuffing their faces without worrying about Robert Atkins, (may his soul rest in peace.)  Today as I plan on sitting in front of the TV and watching three NFL games I thought I would share all of the many blessings I have as well as a few that I can think of for some of our favorite athletes.

Eli Manning:  He should be thankful for a running back that has helped deflect all the criticism leveled towards him and the unfair comparisons to Philip Rivers.  Eli does not have an LT in his backfield, but he does have Tiki who went out on a limb and put the blame on the coaches for the loss.

Michelle Wie:  She should be enormously grateful for the over 8 million in endorsement deals she has from Sony and Nike because after this year finding that kind of money is going to be hard to do.  In order to be resigned by companies, they like to see you win, something Wie has not done yet.  Eventually she will win against the ladies, but these sponsors were hoping to see her contend against the men and that ain’t happening!

Sean Merriman:  While he sits out his suspension for four games the Chargers are 3-0.  Now if the Chargers don’t make the playoffs he can not be blamed.

Tiger Woods:  Elin Nordegren, enough said!

Isiah Thomas:  That he still has a job.

Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds:  They should both be thankful that they never tested positive for steroids, unlike Floyd Landis.

Roger Clemens:  Same as Lance and Barry, but also that he is allowed to pitch home games only and still makes millions of dollars.  What’s more amazing is that he will be in high demand come next April.

Alfonso Soriano:  Enjoy that huge paycheck while you remember that you are playing for the Cubs.

Chicago Cubs:  They get Pinella for a manager, they sign a huge bat, and now Colangelo is interested in buying the franchise.  This may be the Cubbies year.

As for me, I am thankful for a wife, four kids, my health, and all my friends at this Fox Blogging site.  After all, if you have a family that loves you and you are healthy and able to enjoy it, what more is there?  Happy Thanksgiving to all!

SoCalSportsFan

I hate to say, I told you so, but today investigators are saying Jason Grimsley has alleged that Roger Clemens and several other prominent players used steroids.   Earlier this year when I wrote several posts on Roger Clemens using steroids, many said that there was no evidence that he used these banned substances.  People have no problem believing a man in his forties can pitch with the dominance Roger has possessed over the last three years but balk at Barry because he can still hit 30-40 HR a season.  Well maybe Roger performed so well because he was taking HGH as well.  Maybe Roger is good, but not that good without the juice.

Many people believe Barry should have an asterisk by his name in the record books while others think he should not hold any records.  They believe he should never darken the steps of Cooperstown.  So should Roger hand back all of those Cy Young’s?  Should his teams forfeit the wins in which he pitched?  Should the Yankees have one of their World Series titles stricken from the record?  Should Clemens be a sure fire first ballot hall of famer? 

Along with Clemens, Grimsley has identified Miguel Tejada.  This is the same Tejada who injected Raffy Palmeiro with “vitamin B-12”, or so that is what Palmeiro believed was being injected into his derriere.  Maybe Raffy was telling the truth and it was Tejada on the juice.  Andy Pettite is also named as an athlete who was taking steroids.  Maybe Jose Canseco was right when he said over half of MLB players are taking steroids! 

For me, it does not really matter.  I believe the only way to rectify the records is to put an asterisk by every record set in the nineties; pitchers as well as batters.   My contention has long been that those who condemn hitters give pitchers a free pass.  Well tonight we see that two very respected pitchers are being accused. 

For those who say it is just accusations, remember the words of Palmeiro who said, “I have never used steroids.”  Barry has been accused but never tested positive.  If you want to wait for a positive test on Clemens, then give Barry the same latitude.  I have laid out my arguments in prior posts.  Clemens weight gain, no loss of velocity on his fastball, and ability to pitch into his forties are all signs of potential steroid abuse.  You may not want to believe that Roger Clemens is guilty of steroid use, but there is an old saying in the south, “Where there is smoke; there is fire.”  Right now the Astros dugout is a raging inferno.

 SoCalSportsFan