McNamee's smoking gun?

You find HGH on the vials and Clemens' blood/DNA in/on the vials and guaze and based on carbon dating show that they are the same age, its looking closer that McNamee's story is true. Before, its just his words, now you have physical evidence, not perfect, but much closer.

Its huge. Live testimony is nice, but physical evidence is better, it cannot change its story or be cross-examined.

 

First, that type of evidence wouldn't last six seconds in court, and second, even if accepted it wouldn't prove Clemens took steroids. The timing of this "discovery" leads me to believe this is just another element of gamesmanship on Ward's part here.

 

What are the odds that this Smoking Gauze evidence is a well-timed PR move to combat yesterday's sworn testimony?

It's a no-lose for McNamee & the Feds: Now you have public opinion swooning over possible DNA samples, and even if the tests reveal nothing, they can say 'gosh darn, eight years was just too long to preserve this stuff.'

 

Okay, the more I think about it, this is just ridiculous.

You're a trainer in 2000 and 2001, before anyone is seriously investigating steroids. You're getting your guy some illegal stuff, knowing if anyone finds out, you're committing felony drug possession and a few other major crimes. And you KEEP the evidence??

But let's say you did keep the evidence, maybe you'll sell it on eBay as memorabilia someday. And a few years later, there's rumbling and suspicion in baseball, and pretty soon, there's BALCO. And who's going to jail? THE DEALERS AND TRAINERS. You STILL keep the evidence??

And now you're coughing up your guts to Congress and the Feds, you're a major source for Mitchell....and just now, when Clemens finally testifies, you suddenly remember the old syringes and gauze hidden away??

Something is wrong with this tale.

 

All good points. And, why didn't McNamee tell the Mitchell investigators about this evidence when they interviewed him? They must have asked him if he had any proof that what he was saying is true. What, did he just suddenly remember he had the syringes? Doesn't add up.

 

Not sure where you get that six seconds in court because its only getting thrown out if its proven unreliable and DNA testing is not the novel thing it was 10 years ago. DNA nails people 20-30 yrs later, see all of the get out of jail releasees with nothing more than DNA testing.

It does not prove definitively that Clemens was shot up, but its something else to contend with beyond just McNamee's word against Clemens' word. Its like your notes, everyone can argue that you made those notes up, but its better to have your memory plus your notes, rather than just your notes.

 

The syringes and guaze pads did not expose McNamee to any more potential criminal sanctions, they had no idea what it was.

The problem is you think you would not have done it so you question whether why he did it. You need to put yourself in his shoes. He knew that there was a chance that Clemens hangs him out to dry, so he wants some insurance. That's all, and perfectly reasonable. If he wanted to expose Clemens, you would have heard a very different person on the phone. I may be totally off base but that's my gut sense.

 

Makes no sense. Why, in 2000, would he feel the need to protect himself from Clemens? This was supposedly a close and loyal relationship. Under what circumstance would he suspect Clemens would turn on him? Why not destroy the evidence and protect both of them?

And btw, none of this means Clemens did or did not take steroids. I'm just so cynical about the standard 'AHA!' every time a new shred of 'evidence' surfaces.

 

I would say Raj is dead in the water, but won't he just say he thought Mac was shooting him up with B12?

 

Ding ding ding ding!

That's the only way both of them can stick with their stories under oath. If Clemens didn't know McNamee had the physical evidence when he testified, he ought to be sweating bullets now if it's legit . . . except for Lugnuts' way out.

I'm bored with all the speculation about court and legal guilt. Clemens' reputation is what's teetering on the brink, and I think it ends up toppling over.

 

At the time MacNamee shot up Clemens, the steroid issue wasn't even being seriously investigated yet. He would have needed a crystal ball to forsee a day when he'd need this kind of insurance against Clemens. In the meantime, he was keeping evidence on hand that could be used against him on a drug trafficking charge. And if he kept the syringes and gauze specifically for this reason, why didn't he get it in the Mitchell report or tell it to the feds who originally threatened to put him in jail? Or why didn't he mention it when Clemens first called him a liar? I believe Clemens is full of shit, but there are lots of questions to be answered before accepting this particular "evidence" as reliable.

 

If I'm Clemens, though, I'd argue that I believe I was taking B-12 injections or whatever and the McNamee obviously unknowingly injected me with steroids and kept the syringe so he could use it to blackmail me down the road.