"Hello, everyone. My name is Roger Clemens and I am a cheater."
"Hello, Roger."
OK, so the Congressional hearing for the seven-time Cy Young Award winner a few weeks ago on Capitol Hill wasn't exactly your typical congregation at Cheaters Anonymous. But it might as well have been.
Between the numerous "misheards" and "misremembereds" Clemens dropped as he was pelted with questioning by endless House Representatives over his alleged steroids-usage, there was an overwhelming sentiment by the day's end that the Rocket was lying through his teeth. Democrat Elijah Cummings of Maryland had perhaps the strongest, most compelling attack of the afternoon on Clemens in terms of proving the pitcher's guiltiness, citing teammate Andy Pettitte's testimony, given the day before. Pettitte repeated time and time again that he had known that Clemens had used steroids in the past. And by the end of the day, although we still didn't know who'd stolen the cookies from the cookie jar?Clemens or trainer Brian McNamee?most everyone who had watched what had transpired believed it was Clemens.
The most disturbing part of the whole controversy is, of course, the fact that one of the two is lying. But not just that, he's lying under oath. It's as childish and callow an act as anything, and it's ludicrous that either of them would even momentarily consider pulling that kind of a stunt. And yet, one of them has. But this article is not about analyzing another insignificant congressional hearing on baseball, nor launching a "Liar, liar/Pants on fire" assault on Clemens or McNamee. Instead it is about our brains, reference points, and defamation all rolled into one?the BRD burrito, if you will.
As flustered and disconcerted as Clemens seemed at times throughout the hearing, he still managed to get one important point across to everyone listening. And it came ironically in his opening statement, just after he denied ever using steroids or any other performance-enhancing drugs, and just before Congress unleashed their tempest in his direction. "No matter what we discuss here today, I am never going to have my name restored," said Clemens. Whether you root for Roger Clemens or not, it's difficult to disagree with that statement.
When we think about other major league ballplayers that have been linked with steroid usage like Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, or Barry Bonds, what's the first thing you think of upon hearing their name? Is it the titanic home runs they hit? Maybe. But that first frame of reference should, and in all likelihood, will, be polluted with the allegations, tainting the picture of the athlete painted in your mind.
An even better way to explain this might be to administer a test. Take this for example: What is the first thing you think of when you read this man's name??Zinedine Zidane. I realize that most of you aren't soccer (excuse me?football) fans, but if the image of the Frenchman head-butting Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest during the 2006 World Cup Final, leading to his being sent off, which ultimately resulted in France's losing, isn't the first thing that pops up, I'm not sure I can believe you. What is overshadowed by Zidane's brief loss of temper is his career as one of the greatest players the world has ever seen, all of it now taking a backseat to his egregious lapse of judgment.
A similar episode took place at the beginning of this past NFL season with Spygate when the New England Patriots were caught and then reprimanded for illegally videotaping the New York Jets' signals back in Week 1. This prompted the three-time Super Bowl Champions to jump into "Eff-You" mode against every one of their opponents, running up the scores mercilessly game after game in an it's-us-against-the-world mentality, going undefeated until they fell to the underdog New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, at which time Spygate delivered another hit. This time, it was the Boston Herald, which reported that Matt Walsh, a former Patriots video assistant, said he filmed the St. Louis Rams final walk-through a day before the Patriots beat them in Super Bowl XXXVI in one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. And just recently, a report has surfaced claiming head coach Bill Belichick has been filming other teams' signals since 2000?both of these separate claims unsurprisingly have been denied by the Patriots organization.
It's true that Roger Clemens' name may never be fully restored. The same goes for Palmeiro, McGwire, Bonds, Zidane?perhaps even Pettitte. And while the Patriots' name probably would have been far more scrutinized had they actually defeated the Giants, and even though they continue to deny the accusations that have been brought against them, there's one thing that none of us can deny: The accusations are still there. In other words, it matters not whether the accusations are true. As long as they exist, and continue to gather steam as well as evidence, that is just as bad if not worse for the team or athlete than admitting their foolish mistake. Much like a rumor can tarnish someone's reputation on a high school or even a college campus, a simple accusation can adulterate a team's history or a player's career. And also, don't most rumors usually have some truth to them? These kinds of things aren't just conjured out of thin air, especially not the aforementioned accusations.
A part of me felt dejected and betrayed a few weeks ago when I watched Roger Clemens?my favorite pitcher of all-time?helplessly struggle to deflect questioning, while simultaneously trying to rescue what was left of both his name and legacy. But while I wish him the best in what has been undoubtedly one of the most difficult times that he and his family have ever had to endure, and while I am more grateful for everything that he has done for the Yankees than I can ever describe, part of me felt like he was getting exactly what he deserved. After all, he and everyone else brought it all on themselves.