(Clemens, towering, submits to a grilling from [L-R]
Mike Lupica, Bob Costas, and other Hall of Fame voters)

After my comments below on The Needle and his groupies (ie Costas), I gotta admit this column by Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock sums up the Clemens media debacle much better. Whitlock’s argument that at least Bonds used steroids for the right reasons is sure to get Bonds a first ballot HOF ticket, but I must take issue with Whitlock’s charges clearly aimed at my reporting on the Clemens matter: “White folks can’t wait to forgive Clemens … The witch hunters never wanted to burn Clemens at a stake. You never heard them talk about Clemens’ hat size, muscle growth, physique change and career resurrection with the kind of passion and righteous indignation they discussed Bonds.” Mr. Whitlock, I bought my stake, lighter fluid, and matches at Home Depot three years ago, so give a guy some credit. Did I have evidence, photo montages, or FOX $$$ to back me up? Hell, no. Just irresponsible spite and a dream. Says Whitlock:

Say what you want about Barry Bonds, but if he turned to the needle, he did it solely to dominate the game, keep pace with McGwire and Sosa and help the Giants win games. Bonds couldn’t care less what anybody outside his immediate circle thinks about him.Roger, it appears, is consumed with image. He’s worried about what guys like Bob Costas think. Roger wants to give Costas, Lupica and all the other baseball-is-America keepers of the faith a reason to believe Roger is better than Barry.

Costas sold that line of garbage on Bill Maher’s HBO talk show last week. Somehow Costas argued that Brian McNamee’s sworn statements about rear-ending Roger and his wife with HGH was less compelling evidence than the gossipy book “Game of Shadows.” Maher, even more incredibly, bought Costas’ line of (spit) and argued that jealousy motivated McNamee’s testimony.