FanHouse

McNamee Stands by Claim That Roger Clemens Used Steroids

Larry Brown — 2008-01-07T20:18:00 00:00

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip, PEDs

Just as soon as I had pondered whether or not Brian McNamee was set up to implicate Roger Clemens, I see the story that McNamee stands by his claim. McNamee apparently sat down for an interview with SI's Jon Heyman while the pair watched Clemens on 60 Minutes Sunday night. Sure enough, McNamee repeated his claim that Clemens took steroids:

And Roger was in no way an abuser of steroids. He never took them through our tough winter workouts. And he never took them in spring training, when the days are longest. He took them in late July, August, and never for more than four to six weeks max ... it wasn't that frequent.'
"Within the culture of what was going on, he was just a small part of it. A lot of guys did it. You can't take away the work Roger did. You can't take away the fact that he worked out as hard as anybody.'' When McNamee, also a former strength and conditioning coach with the Blue Jays from 1998 through 2000, is asked to estimate how many major leaguers were involved with steroids during that period, he answers without hesitation. "More than half,'' he says.

Whether or not it was part of the culture of the game, Clemens still did it according to McNamee. So despite the phone call and the comments that he would go to jail for Clemens, McNamee is still hanging Clemens out to dry by repeating his claim.

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Was Brian McNamee Set Up to Implicate Roger Clemens in Mitchell Report?

Larry Brown — 2008-01-07T19:50:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Police Blotter

Matt Watson told you earlier today that Roger Clemens fired the first shot by suing Brian McNamee. Part of the suit is the suggestion that McNamee was threatened with jail if he didn't connect Clemens with steroids. Combining Clemens' claims on 60 Minutes with the content from the taped phone call played in the press conference today makes it seem like this is the angle the Clemens camp is trying to pursue.

On 60 Minutes, Clemens repeatedly told Mike Wallace that he treated McNamee well, better than most other people. In the taped phone call, Clemens repeated this theme -- a sentiment with which McNamee agreed. McNamee also said he raised his kids based on the model of parenting he had seen with Clemens. Naturally, I was expecting Clemens to ask on the phone why McNamee lied in the report. I've been told he wasn't allowed to do that because it would be considered tampering with a witness.

Considering that this is the angle that Clemens and his team is taking, is it believable? Is it conceivable that McNamee was setup to implicate Clemens? I realize Mitchell and his report would carry more clout with the implication of a superstar like Clemens, but I don't really buy that they would intentionally try to get Clemens out of all the possible people in the game. I also don't buy this argument because Andy Pettitte was implicated in the same section as Roger and Pettitte admitted he used HGH. So why would McNamee be pressured to lie about only Clemens, especially considering the Pettitte usage turned out to be true? It seems to me that Clemens is hurt that McNamee ratted him out, not upset that he "lied." Though the setup angle by the Clemens camp seems like a wise one to pursue, I'm not buying it.

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Roger Clemens Won't Call Steroids and HGH Users Cheaters

Larry Brown — 2008-01-07T19:15:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, PEDs

In today's press conference, Roger Clemens was asked by a reporter whether or not he considered steroids and HGH users to be cheaters. Clemens would not directly answer the question with a yes or no. Instead, it was as if he went through his file-of-facts on rehearsed responses on how he would answer the question. He gave his thoughts on steroids and HGH users by saying people only take them to look good in a three-piece suit in the lobby. When further pressed by the reporter to actually answer the question, Roger insisted that steroids and HGH don't help players perform better, hit the ball better, etc. He also said that he would not pass judgment on other players.

The way Clemens answered, rather, responded to that question, was quite telling to me. If Clemens never used steroids or HGH, wouldn't he consider those who did use performance-enhancers to be cheaters? After all, isn't that what they are? I take Clemens' response as a defense of PEDs. Seems to me that's what someone says if they're trying to defend their accomplishments on the field. I would find Clemens' defense a lot more meaningful if he answered with a "Yes," and followed up by saying he's hurt everyone thinks that he's cheated his way to where he is and that he's never used those performance-enhancing drugs. Instead, it only appeared to me as if Clemens were defending such usage.

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Lions at Packers: Sunday Is the Day of Rest

Larry Brown — 2007-12-29T13:45:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Lions, Packers, NFC North, Detroit

To get you ready for week 17, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the Detroit Lions/Green Bay Packers preview.

2007 Records:

Detroit Lions 7-8 (3rd in NFC North)
Green Bay Packers 12-3 (1st in NFC North)

Last Game:

Lions 25, Chiefs 20
Bears 35, Packers 7

When the Lions have the ball: They'll surprise you by running the ball more than you'd expect. Mike Martz has already told T.J. Duckett to have an oxygen mask handy for the week since he'll be getting the ball plenty. In the cold conditions at Green Bay, passing the ball a ton won't be much of an option for the Lions who only attempted 16 passes last week. Perhaps it's a luxury to have a bruiser like Duckett available to carry the load.

When the Packers have the ball: Who knows? They've already locked up the second spot in the NFC playoffs, so they're likely to rest many of their starters. Brett Favre will start to keep his streak alive, but he probably won't play most of the game. The same can likely be said for Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and many of the regulars on offense. What they do remains a mystery to me, though I'll guess they run the ball for the most part.

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Chargers at Raiders: JaMarcus' First Start

Larry Brown — 2007-12-29T13:20:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Chargers, Raiders, AFC West, Oakland, San Diego

To get you ready for week 17, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the San Diego Chargers/Oakland Raiders preview.

2007 Records:

San Diego Chargers 10-5 (1st in AFC West)
Oakland Raiders 4-11 (t-3rd in AFC West)

Last Game:

Chargers 23, Broncos 3
Jaguars 49, Raiders 11

When the Chargers have the ball: They'll give it to LaDainian Tomlinson and hope for the big plays he's been delivering. LT has reasserted himself as the top back in the game, rushing for over 100 yards in each of the last four games, scoring six touchdowns in the process. With the Chargers playing good defense, the offense hasn't needed to throw the ball much over the last month, keeping Philip Rivers at 25 or fewer attempts for the most part.

When the Raiders have the ball: They'll try to run the ball so that it's not up to JaMarcus Russell to make the big plays. Getting the first start of his career, it will no doubt be a rocky game for Russell who only completed 7 of 23 passes. Luckily with it being the final week of a lost season, the Raiders will probably let Russell throw the ball plenty, they'll just use the run to ease the pressure on him.

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Niners at Browns: Preparation for the Playoffs?

Larry Brown — 2007-12-29T12:55:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: 49ers, Browns, AFC East, NFC West, Cleveland, San Francisco

To get you ready for week 17, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the San Francisco 49ers/Cleveland Browns preview.

2007 Records:

San Francisco 49ers 5-10 (4th in NFC West)
Cleveland Browns 9-6 (2nd in AFC North)

Last Game:

49ers 21, Bucs 19
Bengals 19, Browns 14

When the Niners have the ball: They'll run the ball with Frank Gore, and stick to short -- and I mean short -- passes. Chris Weinke will be getting the nod at QB, making him the 4th quarterback to start for San Francisco this year. The Niners don't have many play-making receivers to begin with, and it's not like they're going to ask Weinke to make big plays in his first start for them. They'll keep it simple and run the ball.

When the Browns have the ball: They'll employ their hearty balance of Jamal Lewis and their aerial attack. Derek Anderson had a slow day last week throwing four interceptions against the Bengals to blow Cleveland's chance at locking up a playoff spot. He'll most certainly look to rebound, as long as the weather permits him to throw several passes. You can bet they'll be looking in Braylon Edwards' direction considering he's averaged a touchdown a game this year.

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Packers 38, Raiders 7: Favre Works His Magic

Larry Brown — 2007-12-10T04:40:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Packers, Raiders, AFC West, NFC North, Oakland, Milwaukee

Sure, there were several factors that contributed to Green Bay's convincing win over the Raiders Sunday, but it was Brett Favre's performance that was paramount to me. How often do you see a quarterback bounce back from a separated shoulder and injured throwing arm one week, only to throw for over 250 yards and two touchdowns in freezing cold weather the next? Not too often, which is why Brett Favre is a special player.

Favre led a Green Bay offense that racked up 445 total yards, including 156 and a touchdown on the ground from Ryan Grant, who has emerged as an elite ball carrier this year. Not only did the Packers offense dominate the Raiders, but their special teams also lit up the scoreboard. Will Blackmon returned a punt for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter, and followed that up by returning a Tim Dwight fumbled punt for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Those mistakes put the game out of reach for Oakland, as the Raiders could only muster 233 total yards.

Both Justin Fargas and Josh McCown were replaced late in the game for Oakland. Andrew Walter came in to take the snaps with the Raider offense that was too ineffective for Lane Kiffin to throw JaMarcus Russell in the mix. The Raiders, who showed promise by winning back-to-back games in weeks 12 and 13, were put back in their place, showing how far they have to go to compete with the NFL's elite. Green Bay on the other hand, completely outclassed the Raiders, proving that with key defensive players Charles Woodson and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilia back healthy, they can dominate on both sides of the ball.

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Patriots 34, Steelers 13: Pats Still Unbeaten

Larry Brown — 2007-12-10T04:10:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Patriots, Steelers, AFC East, AFC North, Boston, Pittsburgh

The smart money turned out to be quite wrong this week. When the line initially came out for this game, the Pats were around a 13 point favorite. Not so fast said the experts; New England looked vulnerable against Baltimore and Philadelphia, so playing a difficult Pittsburgh team meant the line was quickly bet down to 10 and a half. Turned out that not only was the smart money wrong, but so was Anthony Smith, who had guaranteed a Steelers win earlier in the week.

New England took what was once a close game at 14-13 in the 2nd quarter, and ran away with it by scoring 20 unanswered points. Tom Brady, who had already connected on a pair of touchdown passes to Randy Moss, started to carve up the Steelers defense, throwing for two more scores, one to Jabar Gaffney, and the other to Wes Welker. New England's unbalanced attack was prevalent once again; they passed for 399 yards, and ran for merely 22. Tom Brady's touchdown to interception ratio is now incredibly impressive at 45:5, with target Randy Moss at 19 touchdowns, on pace to break Jerry Rice's record of 22. Moss also let a ball go through his hands in the end zone that would have been his third TD catch of the day.

Much credit needs to go to the Patriots defense for their performance. Despite allowing around 350 yards on the day, they only surrendered 13 points. What was most impressive about the Patriots was their ability to shut the Steelers out in the second half. Pittsburgh only committed one turnover, moving the ball into New England territory twice in the second half. Both times, the Patriots stopped the Steelers on downs, epitomizing a bend-don't-break defense. In the end, the Steelers proved they can hang with the Pats for 30 minutes, but not quite 60. For the Patriots, they proved once again that they are head-and-shoulders above everyone in the NFL, and that perfection is only three short weeks away.

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Doc Brown's Sports Almanac Picks: Week 14

Larry Brown — 2007-12-06T15:42:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: NFL Gambling, FanHouse TV

Whether you're in an office pool or trying to skim some monopoly money off your buddies, you probably could use some advice on your picks. Doc Brown's Sports Almanac Picks gives you some of the best plays of the upcoming week, ATS.

Beats courtesy Modern Sound Productions

Season Record
Week Five 3-0
Week Six 1-1-1
Week Seven 3-0
Week Eight 1-2
Week Nine 0-3
Week Ten 2-1
Week Eleven 2-1
Week Thirteen 2-1
Overall 14-9-1

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Rodney Harrison: I Don't Know Who Anthony Smith Is

Larry Brown — 2007-12-06T08:45:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Patriots, Steelers, AFC East, AFC North, NFL Gossip, Boston, Pittsburgh

Some virtually unknown member of the Steelers decided to open up his yapper and guarantee a victory over the undefeated Patriots this weekend. The guarantee carries less credibility because of the source of the comment -- a sentiment with which Pats safety Rodney Harrison agrees. Here were Harrison's comments as told to The Drive on FOX Sports Radio Wednesday:

I don't even know who the guy is, but obviously he has to be a young guy to come out and say something like that. We have a great deal of respect for Pittsburgh and everything they've done and everything they stand for. When I was a young guy, I never came off talking about things I really didn't know about -- especially a young guy that's been in the league probably a year or two. That's something that he's going to have to deal with, and we're going to do our talking on Sunday.

Seems like a common theme in the NFL lately -- young players running their mouths. First it was Ravens players according to Randy Moss, now a young Steelers safety. I agree with Rodney; you have to be a significant player who has accomplished a lot in the league before you make such brazen claims. Now it's on Smith to back up his comments. Perhaps an interception or two would do the trick, not to mention a victory.

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Did Tennis Star Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias Get Engaged?

Larry Brown — 2007-12-05T08:40:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Tennis

At last check, we were told that singer Enrique Iglesias had no plans of marrying Anna Kournikova, nor ever having kids with her. Shortly thereafter, we told you that the couple's relationship might be over. Now there are rumors that the two might be engaged:

ENRIQUE IGLESIAS has sparked rumours he has proposed to long-term girlfriend ANNA KOURNIKOVA, after the tennis ace was spotted wearing a $6 million (£3 million) engagement ring.

The singer has previously refused to confirm the couple is engaged, but the sportswoman was photographed in London wearing a diamond on her left hand on Tuesday.

Hey, wearing an engagement ring isn't necessarily the end, but it's not good for us men out there. Sure, I'm disappointed, but there have been reports of relationships, engagements, and marriages to hockey players Pavel Bure and Sergei Federov before. I think there's a chance this might not be the end for Anna Kournikova (fingers crossed).
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England Soccer Player Ashley Young Busted for Pre-Game Internet Sex Acts

Larry Brown — 2007-12-03T07:35:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Soccer

Pre-game preparation for athletes is a unique and personal affair. Most players have particular routines -- some like to blast music to get pumped up, others like to perform mental exercises, and some just prefer to relax. British soccer player Ashley Young on the other hand, elects to get quite sexual. You Been Blinded passes along news of Young's rituals, which includes flirting online with women using a webcam to expose himself:

Within minutes he was bombarding her with instant text messages describing the sordid things he longed to do to her.

As he groped himself 22-year-old Aston Villa star Young said: "I'd love to lick ur ****** making them nice and ****...yeh babe, teasing ur ****."

Ignoring all the rules on handling, he went to huge lengths to show himself off and feverishly bashed out saucy demands like: "I wanna have my **** between ur **** and u ****ing the top of my ****."

Young recently followed the same routine and wound scoring a goal for his team in a 4-0 win. Hey, as long as he keeps playing well, maybe he should keep it up. And memo to the women of England: beware of a man in video chat rooms named Lewis.

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Broncos at Raiders: JaMarcus Time?

Larry Brown — 2007-12-01T09:55:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Broncos, Raiders, AFC West, Denver, Oakland

To get you ready for week 13, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the Carolina Panthers/Green Bay Packers preview.

2007 Records:

Denver Broncos 5-6 (2nd in AFC West)
Oakland Raiders 3-8 (4th in AFC West)

Last Game:

Bears 37, Broncos 34
Raiders 20, Chiefs 17

When the Broncos have the ball: They won't kick it away to Devin Hester, which seems to be the difference between a winning record and losing record for Denver. They'll use a balanced attack of running and passing to move the ball on Oakland, though if history's a sign, they'll probably just try and pound the Raiders the way every other team in the NFL has this year. Andre Hall may have rolled his ankle last week against Chicago, but Travis Henry and Selvin Young should be back and splitting many carries for Denver. If those two aren't feeling it, Jay Cutler will air it out to Brandon Marshall, who's become his favorite target.

When the Raiders have the ball: They'll try to run the ball as much as possible, feeding it to Justin Fargas. Daunte Culpepper hasn't had much success throwing the ball this year, and to make matters worse, he's questionable for the game with a thigh injury. Considering Josh McCown is also banged up, the NFL might actually get its first taste of JaMarcus Russell this year. In fairness, we'll probably be seeing Russell hand the ball off if he does get a few snaps.

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Doc Brown's Sports Almanac Picks: Week 13

Larry Brown — 2007-11-29T17:07:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: NFL Gambling, FanHouse TV

Beats courtesy Modern Sound Productions

Season Record
Week Five 3-0
Week Six 1-1-1
Week Seven 3-0
Week Eight 1-2
Week Nine 0-3
Week Ten 2-1
Week Eleven 2-1
Overall 12-8-1

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Angels Negotiated Hunter Deal at Del Taco

Larry Brown — 2007-11-27T21:00:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Angels, AL West, Anaheim, MLB Transactions

Much like Torii Hunter, I always thought that contract negotiations took place in boardrooms with expensive leather chairs, large tables, and lots of long distance dialing. Guess I was wrong. Apparently they can occur anywhere, like at a fast food joint if necessary. The Riverside Press-Enterprise says the Angels negotiated Torii Hunter's free agent deal at a Del Taco in Corona, CA:

During [Hunter's agent Larry] Reynolds and [Angels GM Tony] Reagins' conversation, Reynolds said he wanted to make sure that the Angels were truly interested. When he found out they were, he and Reagins decided to meet Tuesday afternoon at the Del Taco off the Serfas Club Drive exit off the 91.
...
"I think it was more Tony not wanting people to see either he or myself," Reynolds said. "It was kind of an unsuspecting spot. Both those spots met that criteria, I guess."

The second spot was at a hotel the following day where the deal was finalized. Torii as you could imagine, was quite surprised:

"I always imagined my deal would get done inside a board room or a Capital Grille," Hunter told USA Today. "Turns out it was done at a Del Taco. Can you believe it? The deal gets done over some tacos."

Maybe Reagins was just trying to save a few bucks to pay Hunter's $90 million. They may do business at cheap places, but nobody can call the Angels cheap after that move.

(via SPORTSbyBROOKS and Ballhype)

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Lo Duca Hurt Mets Never Offered Him a Deal

Larry Brown — 2007-11-17T13:40:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: New York, Mets, NL East

Paul Lo Duca apparently wants you to know that the Mets had little interest in bringing him back next season. That's according to Andrew Mongelluzzi, Lo Duca's representative who contacted the New York Daily News to set the record straight. Per Mongelluzzi, Omar Minaya only feigned interest in Lo Duca before promptly snatching up Yorvit Torrealba:

"Paul is disappointed," agent Andrew Mongelluzzi said. "New York is his home. He's real fond of New York. I don't think he ever made that a secret.

"When Omar (Minaya) called me for the first time since the GM meetings (on Thursday), it sounded like he was trying to gather information as to how many years Paul would be looking for. After I get off the phone, I find out a deal has already been cut (with Yorvit Torrealba). My point is there was not a lot of effort put into offering Paul a job, whether it was one year, two years, three years, four years. I don't think Paul was the first choice when he got here, and I don't think he was the first choice this year."

Maybe the Mets showed no interest in bringing back Lo Duca because he's not that good of a catcher, how about that? It's interesting that this is the second time this week Mongelluzzi's name appeared in the NY papers to make the Mets look like the bad guys. Unfortunately for Paul's party, I hardly doubt any Mets fans are shedding tears. Had Lo Duca played better, maybe this would be a different story.

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Panthers at Packers: Pre-Historic Quarterbacks

Larry Brown — 2007-11-17T13:00:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Packers, Panthers, NFC North, NFC South, Charlotte, Milwaukee

To get you ready for week 11, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the Carolina Panthers/Green Bay Packers preview.

2007 Records:

Carolina Panthers 4-5 (t-2nd in NFC Sorth)
Green Bay Packers 8-1 (1st in NFC North)

Last Game:

Falcons 20, Panthers 13
Packers 34, Vikings 0

When the Panthers have the ball: I'll defer to John Fox on this one, since I'm not really sure exactly what the Carolina offensive plan is. There isn't a whole lot you can do with Vinny Testaverde (pictured) as a quarterback, much less when he's banged up. To make matters worse, the Panthers' best playmaker on offense, Steve Smith, is hurting and might not even play. Good heavens, without him, how will the Panthers offense move the ball? They probably won't, and back-to-back shutouts isn't out of the question for Green Bay's defense.

When the Packers have the ball: They'll attack as they have the past month, but will probably look to run the ball more than they did in the beginning of the season. Ryan Grant seems to be the answer for the running game, going over the 100 yard plateau two of the last three games. Grant is just another option for the explosive Green Bay offense where Donald Driver, Donald Lee, and Greg Jennings have been lighting it up all year, catching passes from Brett Favre.

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Dodgers Looking to Upgrade at Center Field

Larry Brown — 2007-11-17T10:55:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Los Angeles, Dodgers, NL West, MLB Rumors

Yes, I probably should have attached a "breaking news" tag to that headline, considering it's so shocking. It has been widely acknowledged that one of the Dodgers' first priorities for the Winter was to upgrade at center field and move Juan Pierre over to left. GM Ned Colletti said that he is gauging the interest of a few top free agents at the position:

Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti acknowledged Friday that he is looking at free agents Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones and Aaron Rowand as potential upgrades in center field.

Colletti described his pursuits of the three players as being in their initial stages.

"We're curious to know what their interest level is in playing here and what it's going to take to get them here," Colletti said. "They're all accomplished in their own way. They all bring something to the table."

Colletti also added that bringing in a free agent outfielder to play center would give the Dodgers more flexibility to make a trade. Such a move would make Matt Kemp and/or Andre Ethier expendable, and there's no question that Kemp would draw interest from several other teams. Rowand seems the most interested in the Dodgers, but he might also be the least attractive of the three aforementioned center fielders. It seems like Colletti is trying to put the pieces in place to make a run at Miguel Cabrera, and at the least, upgrade the talent in his outfield.

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Doc Brown's Sports Almanac PIcks: Week 11

Larry Brown — 2007-11-15T14:23:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: NFL Gambling, FanHouse TV

Beats courtesy Modern Sound Productions

Season Record
Week Five 3-0
Week Six 1-1-1
Week Seven 3-0
Week Eight 1-2
Week Nine 0-3
Week Ten 2-1
Overall 10-7-1

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Bears at Raiders: Don't Kick It to Hester!

Larry Brown — 2007-11-10T12:10:00 00:00

by Larry Brown

Filed under: Bears, Raiders, AFC West, NFC North, Chicago, Oakland

To get you ready for week 10, FanHouse is previewing all 14 NFL games. Here is the Chicago Bears/Oakland Raiders preview.

2007 Records:

Chicago Bears 3-5 (t-3rd in NFC North)
Oakland Raiders 2-6 (4th in AFC West)

Last Game:

Texans 24, Raiders 17
Lions 17, Bears 6

When the Bears have the ball: They'll pound the rock with Cedric Benson who's been setting the world on fire with his 3.1 ypc and less than 60 yards per game average. Just kidding. They'll give Benson his steady dose of the pill in hopes that the offense doesn't turn the ball over the way they did with Griese's four interceptions last weekend. When Griese does throw, he'll try to get the all in the hands of Greg Olsen, who's been one of his favorite targets recently.

When the Raiders have the ball: They'll try to do the same thing -- run the ball in order to keep it out of the hands of Josh McCown and avoid interceptions. Justin Fargas will get the heavy share of the carries as he's taken over the starting job and averaged over five yards per carry on the season. Despite their struggles, the Raiders are still fourth in the league in rushing, and will try to pound the Bears defense.

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