The Roger Clemens saga has taken another turn. The news broke last night that Clemens' trainer, Brian McNamee, has physical evidence that will implicate Clemens. This is huge…not because it is another piece of evidence against Clemens and the accusation that he cheated, but because this now involves Congress and swearing under oath that you are telling the truth. Unless your name is Bill Clinton, you can’t sit for a deposition and lie. So, if McNamee is able to produce needles, vials and other things…then Clemens has lost more than his baseball reputation.
As Roger’s lawyers heard the accusations they shot back with this canned line,
“Brian McNamee is obviously a troubled man who is obsessed with doing everything possible to destroy Roger Clemens.”
Rule one in bad PR management (at least it is my rule number 1 of bad PR) attack the person, not the claim. This makes Clemens look even guiltier. Notice that the lawyers didn’t restate that Clemens had never used HGH or steroids they call McNamee a “mad man.” That may be true. McNamee might be a nutcase that just wants the limelight. He can be a mad man…but if has some needles that have some Clemens DNA on it…then Clemens will be rubbing some HGH on some big dude in prison…probably Prison Mike. 
I want to believe Clemens…I want to think that he was one of the greatest pitchers ever to play the game. But if it is true that he did use HGH or steroids, lied about it to the public and Congress and engaged in character assassination, then he deserves to follow Pete Rose down the Baseball Walk of Shame.
