Daily Sports Roundup 1/7/08

January 7, 2008June 15, 2012Danny Vinik Leave a comment

Big day in sports today as Clemens filed a lawsuit and the BCS National Championship game is tonight among others

Clemens Files Suit Against McNamee: The saga continues as Roger Clemens filed a defamation lawsuit against former trainer Brian McNamee. The suit alleges that at fifteen different points while speaking to George Mitchell, McNamee said things that were “untrue and defamatory”. McNamee has responded, through his lawyer of course, that he will file a counter-suit against Clemens, claiming that Clemens’s remarks in his “60 Minutes” interview are a “total lie”. Clemens also released a tape of the phone conversation between Clemens and McNamee. From my perspective, this is a great move by Clemens. Taping and releasing the conversation makes it seem as if the phone call was not to speak about the situation, but rather to catch McNamee in a lie. McNamee never admits to lying about Roger using steroids, but does say “Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll go to jail. I’ll do whatever you want”. Remind you of someone? Greg Anderson, Barry Bonds’ former trainer, has sat in jail cell for months for refusing to speak with federal investigators. This situation is different though, as McNamee would go to jail if he said that he lied to George Mitchell in his investigation. If McNamee takes the stand and says that he injected Clemens with steroids, he doesn’t go to jail.

After waiting a month to really take a stand, Clemens did it today and this story is not going to go away. The greatest pitcher of my generation is accused of using steroids. I have tried to stay as partial as possible while looking at the evidence. After originally believing that Clemens used steroids, my opinion is changing and I now believe that Clemens is innocent. Apparently there aren’t many people like me as in an ESPN SPORTSNATION Poll, more than 57% believe that Clemens used steroids, 25% believe Clemens is innocent, and the final 18% are undecided. The congressional hearings that will be held on January 16th will be extremely interesting in seeing if either person changes his position. After todays’ whirlwind of news, I doubt that either is going to adjust there stance. The one other question I am wondering is whether Chuck Knoblauch and Andy Pettitte, both asked to speak in front of congress, will risk going to jail. If Clemens used steroids, I believe that both of those players saw it. Steroids weren’t exactly being hidden in clubhouses. If both Knobluach and Pettitte take the stand and say Clemens is innocent, that is only going to increase my belief in Clemens. Continue reading “Daily Sports Roundup 1/7/08” →

Daily Sports Roundup 1/2/08

January 2, 2008June 15, 2012Danny Vinik 3 Comments

There were only a couple of stories worthy of writing about today so here they are:

SMU Wants June Jones: Hawaii head coach June Jones just finished the final year of his contract with the Warriors and SMU has shown interest in the coach. Hawaii went 12-1 this year with their only loss yesterday to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Jones has spent the last 9 years in Honolulu, compiling a 75-41 record and making a BCS Bowl this year. SMU is prepared to offer Jones between $1.5-1.7 million a year while Hawaii has yet to negotiate with the coach. I’m sure they will make a bid for Jones and I hope Jones accepts an offer, even if it is for a little less. He has done such a great job in Hawaii and the school loves him.

BCS Bowls A Bust, So Far: Yesterday was the first day of BCS Bowls with the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl. Unfortunately, the games were one-sided and were not close for long. USC destroyed Illinois 49-17 in the Rose Bowl while Georgia beat up on Hawaii 41-10. Hawaii and Illinois were both underdogs going into the game and rightfully so. Some experts believed that the Warriors and Illini could pull upsets, but neither had a chance. They both were dominated in all statistics and both quarterbacks struggled mightily. Hawaii’s Colt Brennan threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns while the Illinis’ Juice Williams threw 2 interceptions and also did not throw a touchdown. For those college football fans looking for close the games, the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl were both disappointments. For those fans looking to change the college football playoff system, then they were happy. USC and Georgia both looked capable of playing in the National Championship Game. There is hope though, as West Virginia and Oklahoma face off in the Fiesta Bowl tonight. It should be a close, hard fought game and I am looking forward to watching it. Continue reading “Daily Sports Roundup 1/2/08” →

Daily Sports Roundup 1/1/08

January 1, 2008June 15, 2012Danny Vinik Leave a comment

It has been a pretty big day in sports so let’s get to the stories:

Penguins Win Winter Classic: The Pittsburgh Penguins won the first ever NHL Winter Classic 2-1 in shootout over the Buffalo Sabres. The game was held outdoors in the Buffalo Bills football stadium. This was the first ever pro hockey game held outdoors in the United States and the weather did not agree. A mix of snow, sleet, and rain covered the ice for almost the entire game and forced Zambonis to redo the ice during the middle of each period. The puck moved slower and players had to battle the wind, yet the event was a huge success. Sidney Crosby scored in the shootout to give the Penguins’ the win and jumped towards his bench in celebration when the puck hit the back of the net. 71,217 people braved the elements to see the NHL’s first ever Ice Bowl. Fans loved the game and created an energetic atmosphere that players loved. Watching it on TV, the ice looked small in the huge stadium, but it was a great game and I could feel the energy in the air.

Non-BCS Bowl Games: New Years has brought plenty of great bowl games today including the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. First, though, was the Capital One Bowl where Michigan defeated Florida 42-35. It is a sweet ending for Michigan who lost to Appalachian State earlier this year, erasing any hopes for a National Championship. The Wolverines came out on top in Lloyd Carr’s final game and will hopefully move back into the Top 25 after beating number 12 Florida. In the Cotton Bowl, number 6 Missouri destroyed Arkansas in what could have been Darren McFadden’s final collegiate game. McFadden ran for 105 yards and a touchdown, but was not happy with the result. “We had a bad game. You don’t want to lose a bowl game. You only have fun when you win a bowl game” McFadden said. He has not stated whether he is going pro or not, but most scouts expect McFadden to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL Draft. Also today, number 16 Tennessee faced off against number 18 Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. Tennessee finished the year at 10-4, the Vollunteer’s first 10 win season since 2004. Led by Quarterback Erik Ainge, Tennessee had 365 yards passing with Josh Briscoe receiving 7 of those passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Continue reading “Daily Sports Roundup 1/1/08” →