Projo Sports Blog

February 27, 2008 Archives

WASHINGTON (AP) - A majority of baseball fans think pitching great Roger Clemens lied when he told Congress he has never used steroids, yet most also say he should enter the sport's Hall of Fame, according to a poll released Wednesday.

At the same time, fans seem more forgiving about whether to punish past steroid users than they did before the Mitchell Report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball was released, the Gallup Poll showed. The report, unveiled in December, linked Clemens and dozens of other current and former players to the use of such drugs.

Asked about Clemens' denials, 57 percent said they think he was lying. That was nearly double the 31 percent who said he was telling the truth.

Clemens had a combative session earlier this month before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at which he repeated earlier denials of using steroids. On Wednesday, Committee chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey asking the Justice Department to investigate whether Clemens "committed perjury and made knowingly false statements" to a House committee.

The two said Clemens' statements in a Feb. 5 sworn deposition and at the Feb. 13 public hearing "that he never used anabolic steroids or human growth hormone warrants further investigation."

>> Continue reading: Poll: Most believe Clemens lied about steroids, but still should enter Hall

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to investigate whether Roger Clemens made false statements to a House committee.

The chairman and ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said they sent a letter to Justice.

"We believe that his testimony in a sworn deposition on Feb. 5, 2008, and at a hearing on Feb. 13, 2008, that he never used anabolic steroids or human growth hormone, warrants further investigation," committee chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis wrote. "That testimony is directly contradicted by the sworn testimony of Brian McNamee, who testified that he personally injected Mr. Clemens with anabolic steroids and human growth hormone.

"Mr. Clemens's testimony is also contradicted by the sworn deposition testimony and affidavit submitted to the committee by Andrew Pettitte, a former teammate of Mr. Clemens, whose testimony and affidavit reported that Mr. Clemens had admitted to him in 1999 or 2000 that he had taken human growth hormone."

Click below to read the text of the letter.

>> Continue reading: Congress requests investigation of Clemens statements

Right now on our fantasy sports blog, you will find early-bird position-by-position player rankings and complete pitcher rankings, an analysis of rookies to watch in both leagues, and columns that predict how veterans who switched teams over the offseason will fare in their new surroundings.

The blog will be a great resource for fantasy owners all season long, so be sure to bookmark it.

| Categories Red Sox

Because of a late change in his schedule, Kevin McNamara will not be able to do today's hoops chat as planned. He sends his apologies and encourages readers to still send in questions; he will answer some of them later this week on the College Hoops Blog.

To send a question: go to projo.com/chat, click the red "launch chat" button, choose a display name (you don't need a password) and enter the college hoops chat room. When typing a question, do not press enter or click send until you have finished your thought.

| Categories PC basketball URI Basketball

Click the play button below to see and hear the show, as Paul Kenyon previews the Rams game Wednesday against the Colonials.

| Categories URI Basketball

Through AP Video, we will have live coverage of today's hearings in the House of Representatives on drug use in sports. The hearings will begin at 9:30; go to this link to watch.

Expected to testify: Former Sen. George Mitchell; MLB Commissioner Bud Selig; NBA Commissioner David Stem; MLB Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr; NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell; NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman; NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw; NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly; USOC Executive Director Jim Scheer; U.S. Anti Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart; NCAA President Myles Brand; Robert Kanaby, Executive Director, National Federation of State High School Associations; Alexander Waldrop, CEO, National Throughbred Racing Association.

Jacoby Ellsbury is expected to key the Red Sox batting order as well as be named the team's starting center fielder. Also, the Patriots release Rosevelt Colvin, and it's High School playoff time.
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Weather-permitting, we plan to have a live video feed of the ceremony on the South Lawn today, when the MLB champion Red Sox meet President Bush. Check this link today at 3 p.m., when the ceremony is scheduled to start, to access the feed.

| Categories Red Sox