Comments on: Pardoning Roger Clemens

By: LiveFromNewYork

LiveFromNewYork — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:15:32 +0000

Congress didn’t regulate Wall Street but its got its nose in baseball players and steroids. I can’t imagine why there is a financial crisis (for everyone except baseball players.)

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:57:15 +0000

ok first of all George Bush is a total jackass…and he’s done at high noon Tuesday. I highly doubt a pardon would come because W is a fan of baseball and all it would do is make Clemens look guilty (guiltier) and just add another cow patty to W’s legacy. We all know Clemens is guilty and Bonds, Big Mac Sammy etc as well…don’t we??? But Congress will drag baseball through the mud. Just ignore and think of Opening Day it’ll feel better. Go Yankees!!!!

By: Mike Masnick

Mike Masnick — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:46:50 +0000

He can’t be pardoned for a variety of reasons. A few others pointed it out, but he hasn’t been convicted of anything, so there’s nothing to pardon.

Not only that, but presidential pardons can only be done for someone who was convicted 5 or more years ago… and for someone who has shown remorse for what they’ve done (though, that’s up to the president to decide). They can commute the sentence for someone earlier, but that’s not the same as a pardon.

Whoever is floating the idea that Bush will “pardon” Clemens doesn’t understand the law concerning presidential pardons. There’s nothing to pardon Clemens for since there’s no conviction, and even if there was there would need to be a 5 year wait, by which time (as we all know) Bush is no longer president.

By: dave

dave — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:07:55 +0000

You’re right Rebecca. Those kids will never have to work a day in their lives, and doors will open for them just on name alone.

Poor, poor kids.

By: Joseph M

Joseph M — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:03:01 +0000

I don’t know how many of you have heard Chris Rock’s bit about rich and weathy. The players are rich the owners are weathy. What rock has Congress been hiding under with respect to going after the owners of the franchises that saw the value of their franchises skyrocket, built regional sports networks, and bilked cities from one end of the country to the other out of billions to build largely unnecessary new stadiums all on the back of the resurgence of the sport that was fueled to a large extent on the super accomplishments of the steroid era.

When we see the owners being hammered the same way Bonds and Clemens are being hammered then we can take all these criminal charges more seriously, until then, pardon Clemens and Bonds and let’s see if Congress can find something else to do with their time.

By: dan

dan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:46:53 +0000

How do you give money for a pardon? If you’re talking about a bribe that’s obviously not ok. If you’re rich you’re not getting special treatment either– I dont understand what ur saying

By: Hawkins44

Hawkins44 — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:47:39 +0000

I agree with you..but the numbers sure don’t support your statement. Power is way down even in the small parks like Comiskey and Coors…

By: pounder

pounder — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:41:39 +0000

This is more about why Clemens and Pettitte chose to leave the Yankees.They must have felt,or were warned that the steroid situation could possibly become toxic. To address that ominous event they chose to go to Texas,where that renowned and respected baseball figure,Boy George hailed from,and would provide these two’ good ole boys’ with a pardon,when W’s time thankfully reaches an end.

By: D.B.H.O.F. p.k.a The Last Don

D.B.H.O.F. p.k.a The Last Don — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:10:18 +0000

“part of me thinks the health of baseball and the continued success of the game would benefit from the opportunity to put the Steroid Era behind us once and for all.”

All of me thinks that. But we can not do that because WE ARE STILL IN THE STEROID ERA.

Just because one guy put out a list that outed just a small percent of the guys who they caught, or had some evidence of does not make the problem go away.

I saw we keep beating on this issue until the players want to make sure their game is clean. This problem could be controlled by the players themselves and their union.

By: ortforshort

ortforshort — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:59:53 +0000

Unfortunately the whole era is tainted by steroids. It was a sign of the times. Clemens, McGuire, Sosa, Canseco, Caminiti, Bonds and many others were only doing what was fairly normal for the times. Also, these substances weren’t specifically banned by baseball during the era, altho’ they were illegal, in some cases, generally. You would probably only have a handful of players in the Hall of Famer if you banned everyone who ingested illegal substances. Alcohol in the Twenties. Pot, coke and amphetemines in the Sixties thru Eighties. On top of that other eras have been tainted by the exclusion of blacks and latinos and the depletion of talent by wars. What all this adds up to, to me, is that I personally pardon all of these guys because they were a product of their times and Clemens and Bonds belong in the Hall of Fame because they were great players relative to their times. However, I would take their lifetime stats with a big grain of salt because they obviously prolonged their productive careers many years well into their Forties by their use of steroids, but they were still great players.