AU basketball, now baseball? What!?!

Yes, Auburn University beat writer Collin Mickle is still working for the Opelika-Auburn News. Actually, he’s working really hard for the O-A this week (wait, that’s every week. Seriously, the C-Man is averaging like 57.2 bylines a week or something crazy like that.)

That’s why I’m at baseball today and was at women’s hoops last night. Collin is covering everything else on the Plains, which in the spring is a lot.

A LOT, I say.

Right now, he’s at spring football practice, which, let’s face it (and I’m not trying to take anything away from the other sports ... but) football is king in these here parts. Plus, now, with a full-blown quarterback controversy, it’s amazing I’m not at practice as well.

Don’t worry, I will be tomorrow for the scrimmage ... 10 a.m.-ish at Jordan-Hare. Nice.

** Just had to stand for the national anthem. I love the anthem at baseball (OK, I love the Star Spangled Banner anywhere. I’m patriotic like that.) But baseball might be the only sport left where the athletes are actually on the playing field when the anthem is played. There’s just something about all the players and coaches lined up down the baselines with their hats off. Classy.

Anyway, I’m getting strapped in for an exciting baseball game between the Auburn Tigers and Florida State Seminoles. Should be a good one.

Until later, enjoy ...

Iron Ball

Greetings,
I’m here at the Auburn vs. Alabama basketball game, which is being broadcast on CBS today.
Maybe I’ll get on TV. If so ... Hi, Mom!

Why do people always say hi to their moms? Why not their dads? Or brothers? Sisters? Friends? Why Mom? It’s not that I have anything against moms, but my guess is, mom’s not watching. She doesn’t like sports. She’s probably watching TLC or Dancing With The Stars or ironing. At least that’s what my mom’s doing.

And she’s definitely not reading this blog. So, let’s say hi to the people who are reading ... (crickets ...)

Anyway, it’s 7-3 Auburn with 15:30 to play in the first half. This isn’t the best basketball I’ve ever seen, that’s for sure.

But, Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum is packed. They said it was a sell out at the gate. There are, however, a few seats open. Not a lot, but there are some. This is, however, the biggest crowd I’ve seen in BEMC since last year’s game against Florida.

I’ll check back later ... Enjoy the game.

Baseball needs this ...

Who’s lying?

Someone is. And I don’t know who to believe.

Did Roger Clemens ever take steroids, HGH or any other performance-enhancing drugs during his incredible career, that has seen him win seven Cy Young awards?

Did he? Do you care?

I care, but not because I’m a Clemens fan, or even because I’m a baseball fan. I care because enough is enough.

First of all, no one will ever be able to prove that Clemens, Barry Bonds or “insert future Hall of Famer’s name here” did steroids. We can’t test their blood from five years ago.

So, to try to figure out if a player was using during their career is moot. There’s no way to do it, so we need to move on. So why the circus? Why the hearings? Why does the government need to get involved? Why is this Must See TV?

Well, because there’s more going on than just cheating. There’s the purity of the gam ... (sorry, I couldn’t get through that without laughing). The purity of baseball—America’s Pastime—is about as cloudy as chocolate milk. There’s no purity in this game anymore. It’s tainted.

But can it clean itself up? Well, yes. And that’s why the Clemens hearing and all the other Grand Jury proceedings are necessary. For baseball to get right, it needs to be purged. Cleaned out. Rid of all the people who have polluted the game for way too long.

And how do you do that? You start punishing people who lie about it. Jail time. Serious jail time. Marion Jones jail time.

Put Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or someone else on that level behind bars for more than a few months, and you’ll see a change. Maybe not right away, but you have to set a precident.

If you want to slap wrists, it needs to be with handcuffs. That’s from the legal side. If you lie under oath, you go to jail. That’s why the government needs to be involved. Perjury is serious, and needs to be punished.

But Major League Baseball also has to play a role in the discipline process. Baseball can’t put anyone in a lockup, but it can do something.

If you take performance-enhancing drugs, you’re gone. For life. Make it real. And then, if you lie about it, then you not only lose baseball for life, you get tossed in jail.

Pipe dream? Probably. But that’s the only way I can see baseball become clean and pure ... again.

That’s my soapbox ...

Below is Clemens’ opening statement, courtesy of the Associated Press ...

WASHINGTON — Roger Clemens’ prepared opening statement before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government:
Chairman Waxman and Members of the Committee:
Thank you for inviting me to be here today. Before I begin, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Representative Tom Lantos. I did not know Congressman Lantos, but I have learned about him in preparation for my appearance before this Committee. I understand that he was a Holocaust survivor and that he lived a life full of courage, conviction and accomplishment. I know that his passing is a heartfelt loss to this Committee and our country.
I appreciate the opportunity to tell this Committee and the public — under oath — what I have been saying all along: I have never used steroids, human growth hormone, or any other type of illegal performance enhancing drugs. I think these types of drugs should play no role in athletics at any level, and I fully support Senator Mitchell’s conclusions that steroids have no place in baseball. However, I take great issue with the report’s allegation that I used these substances. Let me be clear again: I did not.
I have tried to model my baseball career, and indeed my entire life, on the premise that ``your body is your temple.‘’ The suggestion that I would use steroids or other illegal drugs is totally incompatible with who I am and what I stand for. I have worked hard to succeed at every level. I have given speeches to young people all over the country about the dangers of taking shortcuts to reach your goals. Steroids are a dangerous shortcut. I have made no secret about my feelings on this subject, and I practice what I preach.
I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My stepfather died when I was a young boy. I was raised by a hardworking mother and grandmother who took care of and provided for six children. My mother was a wonderful woman who sacrificed her own needs for the needs of her children. My mother worked several jobs to make sure that I always had new sporting equipment, even though she often went without new clothes. My mother insisted that I attend college, despite that fact that professional baseball teams approached me after high school.
My mother nurtured my interest in sports, including baseball, from a very young age. She taught me through her example that hard work and determination were the only ways to be successful and reach goals. Shortcuts were never an option. It probably comes as no surprise that I firmly believe that much of what I have accomplished would not have been possible without the valuable lessons instilled in me by my mother and grandmother.
I have not gotten to where I am today by accident. My hard work and dedication were instrumental to me achieving many career goals. The awards, accomplishments, and milestones I have achieved during my career have been fully documented by the media and I will not repeat them here. I will say, however, that none of these accomplishments came easily and none of them came in a bottle of steroids or human growth hormone.
I cherish my major league baseball experience, but I have always said that baseball is what I do; it is not who I am. Anyone who has spent time around me knows that my family is and has always been my top priority. My wife, Debbie, and my sons — Koby, Kory, Kacy, and Kody — mean more to me than anything in this world. Having said that, baseball has definitely provided me with significant opportunities off the field.
I have had the privilege and honor to visit our troops in Kuwait, Qatar, and Afghanistan and salute them as our nation’s true role models. Through the work of my foundation, I have had many chances to influence special needs youngsters. I have had many chances to influence young athletes who have just begun to experience the value and challenges of working with a team to achieve a common goal. These experiences mean as much to me, if not more, than anything I ever accomplished on the field.
Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to work with many trainers, chiropractors, physical therapists and other professionals to try to educate myself and to use the knowledge they had to keep my body in the best shape it could possibly be. Brian McNamee was one of the many people I met and worked with during my career.
I met McNamee while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998. I trusted him, put my faith in him, and brought him around my family and my children. I treated him just like I have done others I have met in my life; like family. There were times over the years in which I wondered about what kind of person he was and what he was doing when he was not around me. I questioned McNamee about these things, and at the end of the day, I was willing to take him at his word and give him the benefit of the doubt.
McNamee was good at what he did — helping me exercise, diet, and stay in shape. We shared an interest in grueling, military-style workouts, but I never asked him nor did he ever give me steroids or human growth hormone. I had no idea that this man would exploit the trust I gave him to try to save his own skin by making up lies that have devastated me and my family.
I am a positive person and enjoy doing things for others. I am not just a ballplayer; I am a human being. As I said before, baseball is what I do; it is not who I am. I played the game because of my love and respect for it, and I pride myself as an example for kids, my own as well as others. I have always tried to help anyone who crossed my path who was in need.
But here we are now, with me being accused of using steroids and cheating the game of baseball. If I am guilty of anything, it is of being too trusting of others; wanting to see the best in everyone; and being nice to everyone. If I am considered to be ignorant because of that, then so be it.
I have chosen to live my life with a positive attitude. Yet I am accused of being a criminal and I am not supposed to be angry about that?
If I keep my emotions in check, then I am accused of not caring.
When I kept quiet at the advice of my attorney until he could find out why in the world I was being accused of these things, I was accused of having something to hide, so I am guilty.
When I did speak out, I was accused of protesting too much, so I am guilty.
People who make false accusations should not be allowed to define another person’s life. I have freely and without question shared the talents God gave me with children, young and old, and will continue to do so. I have been blessed with a will and heart that carry me on in life. I have had thousands of calls and e-mails from friends, working partners, teammates, fans, and men that have held the highest office in our country telling me to stand strong. These words are very welcomed during some very tough times for my family and me.
Do I think steroids are good for helping someone’s performance? No. In fact, I think they are detrimental. Should there be more extensive testing? Yes. I think whatever is necessary for everyone involved to satisfy themselves that it is not going on, should be done.
At the end of the day, I have been accused of doing something that I did not do.
I have been asked to prove that I did not do it. How in the world can I prove a negative?
No matter what we discuss here today, I am never going to have my name restored. I know that a lot of people want me to say that I have taken steroids and be done with it.
But I cannot in good conscience admit to doing something that I did not do; even if it would be easier to do so. That is not the type of person I am. Instead, I will try to set the record straight, and I will do so directly to Congress and under oath. I have been told that by doing this, I am subjecting myself to possible criminal prosecution. I know that some people will still think I am lying no matter what I say or do. And I know that because I’ve said that I didn’t take steroids, it will look like an attack on Senator Mitchell’s report. I am not saying Senator Mitchell’s report is entirely wrong and I am not trying to convince those who have already made up their minds based only on an allegation.
For those with an open mind, however, I am saying that Brian McNamee’s statements about me are wrong. Once again, I never took steroids or human growth hormone.

Reflecting on National Signing Day

Wednesday was National Signing Day, don’t know if you heard.

It was a great day here at the Opelika-Auburn News. We had 11 high school seniors and their coaches and families attend our annual luncheon at the newspaper.

You can read more about that here.

Also, if you want to look at the photos that were taken of the day, which included lunch from Chuck’s Barbecue (big ups to Chuck and his peeps over there. That’s some good food. Book it), you can see them here.

I even got to be on TV yesterday, getting my bald dome on WRBL—our Media General News partner. If you want to watch any of the signing day video from my boys Jack Rodgers and Shawn Skillman did, you can peep it here.

There were really no surprises on the high school side, at least from our area. Everyone signed where they said they were. No suspense. No hat tricks. No fake reverses.

At Auburn University, however, it was a different story.

Collin Mickle, our Auburn University beat writer, has a lot more to say about the Tigers 2008 signing class on his My Five Cents blog.

*** I did an interview with Auburn High head coach Tim Carter yesterday after our luncheon for a column I’m writing for Sunday’s paper. The focus of the column, and the interview with Carter, was to really figure out if high school football recruiting is too much hype.

Carter should know, he coached one of the nation’s best, and most hyped, safeties in Dee Finley, who signed with Florida. He also had two other players sign scholarships Wednesday—running back Brandon Ross is headed to Memphis, while defensive end Baylor Bennett is going to Jacksonville State.

If anyone should know about trying to deal with the expectations and the reality (which most times are two very different things), it’s Carter.

Here are some excerpts from our interview. You can read the full column in Sunday’s Opelika-Auburn News.

OA: What does a day like this mean to you as a coach?
TC: It’s real gratifying to me, because it’s the culmination of all the hard work of, not only the players, but the coaches, too. This is an opportunity to change their lives. It’s a great opportunity.

OA: How do you keep your kids grounded during the recruiting process with all the national exposure on TV, radio and Internet.
TC: I don’t know if there is a perfect science, because you want your kids to get exposure, but you want them to be a part of, and think, team.
You kind of have to take the good with the bad. With all the recruiting services and stuff, it’s very time consuming.
You want them to keep it all in perspective. I guess that’s our job.

OA: Is there too much hype surrounding these kids?
TC: It depends on the kid. How much support does he have at home? How’s is maturity level? It depends on a lot of that.
There’s a lot of pressure, because it makes these kids larger than life. It’s a burden to some of them, because they feel like they have to live up to these expectations.
But there’s a lot of give and take. Because if it wasn’t for the recruiting services, players wouldn’t have the opportunity to maybe get signed or have opportunities to play in the Under Armour (All-Star) game like Dee (Finley) did.

Again, you can read more from that interview in my column in Sunday’s paper.

Super Bowl, Signing Day and The Bible

First things first.

I TOLD YOU SO!!!

I’m not one to gloat. Never. No, I’m one to gloat, rub it in, jump up and down, scream and clap my hands.

If you read my column Sunday, I told you the Giants were going to win the Super Bowl and why. Why? Because they were the underdogs, and you’ve got to love the underdog.

But also, because of Plax Burress’ guarantee. You’ve got to love a guarantee, especially coming from a guy wearing a white ski cap and sunglasses inside. (NOTE: That’s what Plax was wearing during Media Day last week, when he predicted the Giants would win 23-17 over the previously undefeated Patriots).

So, he got the score wrong. Whatever.

I was right. That’s right! Whooooooo!!!

Sorry, for the excitement, I’m not right very often, just ask my wife.

** Here’s something I wanted to point out. I eluded to it in my column in today’s Opelika-Auburn News, but wanted to explain it here.

OK, just stay with me all you Biblical scholars.

In the Book of Samuel, the prophet anoints the youngest son of Jessie (David, maybe you’ve heard of him). Anyway, out of all Jessie’s sons, David was the least thought of. Well, remember, it was David who slayed Goliath and became the King. You with me so far?

OK, well, I made reference the the New York Giants were like David, beating Goliath (the Patriots) in Sunday’s Super Bowl. And that Eli Manning (the youngest of the Manning clan, and the least thought of—with brother Peyton stealing most of the spotlight, and even father, Archie, getting more love) was the one who finished off New England with a MVP-worthy final drive.

I thought that was kind of cool, maybe a little stretch, but still cool. Well, do you know who played a major role in Samuel’s life? That’s right, it was Eli.

Let that soak in. OK, I’ve got more time on my hands than most people.

** Right now, I’m on the verge of getting tomorrow’s paper, and our office, ready for National Signing Day. It’s a great day. Like I said in today’s column, it’s one of my favorite days of the year.

It’s great to see these players realize their dreams of playing college football. And it’s especially cool for the parents and families who have supported these athletes their whole lives.

Today, at the Opelika-Auburn News, we are hosting a luncheon to honor all our local high school athletes signing scholarships, along with their families. It’s going to be a great day, and I’m excited.

Check back tomorrow for some musings from our annual Signing Day Extravaganza.