Roger Clemens Defense Fighting Correct Fight

A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.

- Bruce Lee

Sometimes I wish I was a game show host. That way, when someone finally saw the big picture and learned a valuable lesson, I could raise my microphone up, point to the curtain behind me, and say, "Johnny, tell him what he's won."

With the judge declaring a mistrial today in the Roger Clemens perjury trial, I think Roger deserves that round of applause. And no, I'm not praising him for his misbegotten attempts to stand against the evidence and the witnesses of his lying and cheating ways while in a baseball uniform. Much to his chagrin, that evidence is irrefutable and regardless of the outcome of any such trial or defense, the damage to his legacy is done.

Rather, I'm praising Clemens and his legal team for finally realizing that defending themselves against their statements is just a waste of time. Instead, Clemens attorney Michael Attanasio intends to put the onus of the defense on the government and have them justify why they were investigating Clemens's steroid usage in the first place.

Can these guys get a standing ovation from the crowd?!

Certainly, it is a last ditch effort by Clemens and his team to combat the charges against him. It would be a losing cause to defend against the lies at this stage, as any findings would only hurt his other civil cases with Brian McNamee. Instead, they are said to be focusing their efforts into whether or not they were within their congressional rights to treat the Clemens hearing as an investigation.

Finally, someone questions the legal validity of holding a full congressional hearing to hear a he said, he said dispute that already has legal proceedings filed on its behalf. Finally someone asks whether it is in the best interest of the taxpayers for Henry Waxman and his cohorts to have a meet and greet with a former ballplayer.

You, I, or any other Joe Schmoe blogger can rant until we're blue in the face about what business this is of Congress's, but this is the first time in history that a $200 an hour lawyer has seen the crack in the case.

Now as I said before, this trial serves no purpose. Guilty of lying or not, Clemens has already had his grave dug for him and the damage to his "legacy" has been done. He's someone who was once one of the most dominant players in the game and when he wasn't anymore, he tried to find a shortcut to get back to it. He walked his path, made his bed, and dug his grave.

No two-bit public servant with an inferiority complex is going to manage to dig it any deeper for him.

Sources:

• - Judge Declares MisTrial In Clemens Case, latimes.com
• - Clemens Plans To Question House Probe's Validity, foxsports.com