JW goes off on the Rocket

[goalmouth]

Who bothers with Whitlock since he was turned out by Vivian C.?

Overrated is right.

 

[poindexter]

"white folks" can't wait to forgive Clemens

Who are these people? Talk about painting with a broad brush.

Are there protest groups out there supporting Clemens? Anyone?

 

[Stoney]

A weak broad brush effort.

I could've sworn that most "white folks" I know think Clemens is a brick and have no interest in forgiving him, but I guess I imagined that, Jason says so. And, given that the Clemens scandal is a couple years younger and still in its infancy, it seems a bit premature to going with the "Clemens got less criticism" theme. Neither the story or public reaction to this Clemens thing has even begun to play itself out yet.

And the part wondering why people didn't mention Clemens' appearance change as much ignores an important distinction: Clemens appearance did NOT change as much as Bonds. He was already one of the bigger bulkier pitchers in the league beforehand, yes he did get heavier, but it wasn't a change that seemed shocking or inexplicable for a player entering his 40s. It was nowhere near as dramatic as skinny Bonds' transformation into mammoth-headed hulk Bonds.

And, to the extent Bonds has gotten disproportionate criticism, I might suggest a couple obvious explanations that Jason ignores:

1) Bonds' steroid use resulted in the shattering of the single season and all-time home run records, perhaps the two most hallowed records in all of American sports. Clemens' use might've gotten him another Cy Young and a couple extra years of productivity, but it did not have the same impact in terms of re-writing the record books and changing baseball history.

2) The Bonds evidence broke a couple years earlier when there was still lingering shock value to steroid use revelations. But by the time the Mitchell Report came out baseball fans had become so jaded to this shirt nothing could've shocked us anymore.

 

[spnited]

Jason the fraud has never let the facts get in the way of his kissing Bonds' ass.

 

[hockeybeat]

nd 14,000 text messages for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to acknowledge he hit his fine-ass chief of staff.

Classy and oh, so professional.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of white columnists who have ripped Clemens and will rip him again.

 

[outofplace]

"Right now, the masses are upset with Clemens because he's turned attention away from Bonds by claiming innocence and glad-handing congressmen."

Who the heck is upset that Clemens is taking attention away from Bonds?

Jason doesn't even believe this. He just knows it will get a reaction. Stop taking the bait, people. He's only as relevant as we make him.

WFW.
Only good thing is he doesn't show his face much around here these days.

 

[nafselon]

JW made a crucial mistake in an otherwise good column with that comment.

I will say that a lot of the say media members who have crucified Bonds were not-as-quick to do the same with Roger until more recently.

 

[spnited]

In what way, noles, is that an "otherwise good column"?

 

[The Big Ragu]

That was excruciating... I just remember Jason on here two years ago with the strained "White folks want to persecute the black guy trying to break Hank Aaron Babe Ruth's record." Now that a white guy is in the crosshairs, you'd think he'd acknowledge that it's about who is the freshest meat, not skin tone... Everyone loves piling on the guy in the crosshairs, regardless of the color of his skin, whether it is Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens. Right now, Bonds is off the back page for the moment and Clemens is timely. And Clemens has been taking a beating. Jason's column defies the reality everyone is actually viewing.

I just remembered this exchange from May... I said at the time (and in posts well before this) that if anyone came at Clemens with the same kind of evidence Bonds had working against him, Clemens would take the heat he is now taking. Seems to me the Mitchell Report came out and he got the same kind of fan and media treatment Bonds has--despite the fact that unlike Bonds, at least he is acting the way an innocent man would, with strong denials and lawsuits. Bonds got a free pass from Congress, by the way...

bob nightengale put these issues on the table a year ago for usa today.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/giants/2006-03-29-bonds-cover_x.htm

also, let's don't forget that 55-year-old roger clemens is returning for his 35th major league season and american sports writers are so giddy that you'll hardly read a word about clemens' perfectly-sculpted body and enlarged head. no sir. not a word.

You know that most writers believe Clemens used/uses. But there also hasn't been that one damning thing with even a little stick-um on it that he has. Get him in front of Congress being evasive or dig up all kinds of evidence that he used, and attitudes toward him will go the same exact way they have for Mark McGwire and Barry Lamar.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

There has not been the same level of virulence about Clemens as there was about Bonds. There simply hasn't been. Not on the radio. Not in print. Not on TV. And he's every bit the deck that Bonds was/is. Part of it was the pursuit of the record. But not all of it.
Now if he lies to Congress and gets caught, we'll see.

 

[Fudgie the Whale]

If Clemens had been named after winning a Cy Young, throwing a perfect game in teh World Series, or winning three games in a World Series, I could see your point.

He got busted after pitching, what, a 1/2 season and flaming out in the playoffs? Big, huge difference. And as someone else noted, steroids/HGH is sooo yesterday.

 

[outofplace]

There has not been the same level of virulence about Clemens as there was about Bonds. There simply hasn't been. Not on the radio. Not in print. Not on TV. And he's every bit the deck that Bonds was/is. Part of it was the pursuit of the record. But not all of it.
Now if he lies to Congress and gets caught, we'll see.

There are many differences in these situations.

One is that actual evidence came about Bonds first. The media and public have been through this before, which does change things.

Another is that Bonds was still active and not far off from the top of his game when the stories about BALCO broke. He was chasing one of the most revered records in sports. Clemens is most likely done as an active player.

Clemens is also taking a more direct approach in defending himself. Not saying it's better, but it is different.

But hey, don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion, Fen.