Friday, January 4, 2008

New York Cheaters?


1) We were struck on two fronts last evening with two potential issues for NY professional athletes perhaps bending/breaking the rules for their benefit. One is an ongoing story and the other a more recent and potentially breaking news story.



  • Roger Clemens claims he was only injecting "vitamins and pain killers".

  • N.Y Islanders goalie was forced to remove /relinquish his new goalie pads last night

2) First the Clemens issue. Some of his impending 60 minutes interview with 98 year old Mike Wallace became public/published yesterday. In it Clemens made claims that he did not use any Human growth hormone or steroids, but instead received a combination of a vitamin supplement and a pain killer.

3) Since we're not physicians we decided last night to shoot off an e-mail to our resident medical expert, Dr. Varga. The good Dr. was kind enough to respond this morning. He of course wanted us to give his usual disclaimer that none of what he says is based upon any inside information/direct knowledge, etc.

4) He said that he knows of no Dr./medical rational where they would inject BOTH vitamin B-12(which he called 'Cyclobalamine') a red liquid, and Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, together. He wrote that he frequently injects B-12 into patients. Its a minimally painful procedure. He went on to say that Lidocaine is used to anaesthetise an area prior to a minor surgical or dental procedure, OR is sometimes mixed with injectable steroids into joints or areas of inflammation such as into a knee/shoulder, etc. "Never into a patient's buttocks alone unless the patient were having a mole or something removed from his hind quarters".

5) If that's Clemens defense then either he's lying about his steroid usage OR he was given the drugs without his knowledge. Its hard to fathom that a health/fitness fanatic like Roger wouldn't know exactly what was being put into his body. If either those are true, the only way we at FAUXRUMORS will believe Roger is if he sues those involved for 'poisoning him, and/or goes under oath to affirm his innocence. Else its all PR BS.


6) Next, is the Rick DiPietro pads issue. Still very early in the process, and we will withhold final judgement until we hear all the facts, but this is what we have heard at this juncture. Ricky received new pads recently. He states he has been 'breaking them in in practice' the past few days and then attempted to use them in last night's contest against the Florida Panthers. Apparently its league policy that any new equipment needs to be first inspected/approved by the NHL prior to its usage in a game else the player faces disciplinary action.


7) In interviews after the game last night he and the team's equipment manager claimed that they thought they had league approval to use the new equipment. Said DiPietro: " I was under the impression that they'd been approved." Rick admitted that he knew going into the game that they had not yet been inspected by the league but felt that after a pre game call to the league that they had tacit approval to use them. Apparently that was not the case. After the 1st period a call came down from Toronto that the pads needed to be removed and not used until they could be inspected.

8) We asked around to folks who were watching the game and some did say that they felt the new pads seemed a bit bigger, and also during the first period, television broadcasters actually mentioned that "the pads looked bigger". However its unclear/unknown at this time IF that is the case. It would be a case of immense stupidity if true. Its equally a case of stupidity to have even tried to play with them knowing that they weren't officially sanctioned by the league. As a result of these actions DiPietro faces a possible 2 game ban. If the pads are shown to be illegal its possible an even longer suspension could be handed down by the league.

5 comments:

Antzmarching said...

Interesting parallel here, Faux... Firstly, Clemens is a lying sack of something... If he wants to make a case for proving his innocence, then he needs to sue his trainer who "injected" him AND testify to being clean under oath and in front of a grand jury... Let's face it, the Rocket was either the victim of libel OR poisoning... The same can be said for Barroid Bonds, as well... Moreover, this silly, soft ball interview with that dinosaur on Sunday will not convince anyone that he is not guilty... Roger is a clown - his career was nearly over in Boston in the late 90s (look at his declining numbers over that time)... Then he comes back posting 2 Cy Youngs in Toronto... Sorry, no Cool Aid for me... Also, its nice to see the re-emergence of Dr. Varga - welcome back, sir...

Secondly, if DP was using potentially illegal pads, then he truly is stupid... Or, maybe its his arrogance... While I believe it is that arrogance that helps Ricky play at the level he does, it could be his downfall in this instance... Of course, his current GM (Garth Snow) is famous for donning oversized pads, so maybe he has been coaching Ricky to "widen" his equipment... The Isles are really testing the limits this year - we had "Skategate" with that idiot Simon, and now we have "Padgate" with DiPietro... I wonder if Charlie Wang is amused by all this...

FAUX RUMORS said...

1) Our gut feeling on the DiPietro issue is that they were a bit cavalier about using the new pads and went ahead thinking it wasn't a huge issue that they weren't inspected, and they got caught with their pants down as a result.
2) We'd be shocked if they were intentionally trying to cheat, but we will withhold final judgement until we hear the final determination
3) As for Clemens our gut tells us he's full of shit. His protege Andy Pettitte came clean and his story matched completely with the facts made by the guy who accused Clemens. To many coincidences to believe Roger UNLESS as we have all said he goes under oath and/ or sues the trainer for attempted poisoning

DMG said...

I believe that after inspection the pads were found to be legal:

"The NHL decided Friday that the brand-new pads DiPietro wore in the first period of Thursday night's game against Florida were legal and that DiPietro will not be suspended. The bigger-looking pads had not been inspected at first but were deemed OK after a later inspection."

link

The Dark Ranger said...

Whatever they are giving NY athletes, might I suggest a very strong dose of 'Cheaters Relief' sprinkled into the Vitamin Water of Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Chris Drury, Henrik Lunqvist, and perhaps a lethal overdose into Marek Malik and Marcel Hossas' pre-game glass of milk?

Please rip this up once you've read it. Thanks again.

tdr

Jibblescribbits said...

The biggest, and most daunting, evidence against Clemens is admittedly circumstantial, but pretty damning nonetheless.

Andy PEttite already admitted what Brian McNamara said was basically true. McNamara (or however you spell it) testified, under oath, that he injected both Pettite and and Clemens with steroids.

So if we go under the assumption that Clemens is telling the truth and has never taken steroids (yes a stretch but work with me), then McNamara would be lying, risking jail time and a federal conviction for implicating Clemens, when he could have protected him by telling the truth.

That just seems too surreal a story to believe. It's circumstantial for sure, but unless some really really bizarre details are being hidden (and I mean McNamara has mob ties, or a lifelong psycho grudge against Clemens or something) chances are he was telling the truth.

And I can't for a minute believe Clemens won't lie under oath (just to be professional: If he has to). If there's anything the Bonds, Palmero's and countless other star athlete's have taught us, is that they feel their entitlement extends to the courtroom and that the hubris of being talented rich athlete's (i.e. the royalty of American Society) makes them think they can lie to congress and the feds and not have any consequences.

 
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