American Sports Thread

[heganboy]

aye- I watched the Pettite press conference, he sort of came out and said, Im sorry I did it when it wasn't against MLB rules, I did it to recover from injury more quickly and Im really sorry. He also came out and said "mac told the truth about me" He also said he felt for Clemens, but specifically did not back him up.

Clemens is going down...

[Puckoon]

NBA
Shaq face to face with Kobe again for his new team, and Jason Kidd back in Dallas. Who do you fancy for the play offs and the title?


Phoenix have a great shot if Shaq can take care of himself and integrate into the team

Lakers with Bryant on form and Andrew Bynum back will be a match for most teams

Dallas??? Dont score enough

San Antonio look too old, infact they are the oldest team in the NBA

Pistons or Celtics??

[AZOffaly]

The Suns have taken a gamble here. Shawn Marion was very popular in Phoenix, and although he's been surpassed by Amare Stoudamire for the publicity in the past season or so, he was a very important part of the Suns run and gun offence. Shaq will bring a completely different dimension to the Suns, the big man at Centre, both offensively and defensively, but he is old, hurt and how hungry is he?

Shaq 6 years ago would have been the final piece in the jigsaw. Shaq now? Not so sure.

[Puckoon]

Well I suppose he would have to put a positive spin on this, but Steve Nash seems pretty happy about the whole thing. Said that shaq told him he wouldnt let him down. If he can regain some hunger, work on the free throws and stay fit - it will be interesting to say the least. Its quite an open looking end to the season so far.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Can see a Lakers - Celtics Final myself

[stew]

Any thoughts on the Clemens affair.

To my mind he's ties himself in knots. the points below combine to swing it for me

• Andy Petit says Clemens said he did it
• he has messed up dates consistently in his story (ies)
• Why would he tell the truth about the other 59 names and then just add Clemens his big mate
• Clemens' wife took HGH
• McNamee has the syringes and swabs which he has handed over
• The abscess in his ass is consistent with steroid injection - no recorded cases of it happening with b12 ever

I think he's going to have to cop to it, though he seems like he's ready to brass it out...

Clemens to me is as guilty as sin, and I think the vast majority of the public agree with me. He always was an arrogant git although I always liked him when he was with Boston and pulled for him in Toronto.

His wife took HGH and he had no knowledge of it??? I find that hard to believe.
The most damning component of the whole situation is Andy petites testimony, that killls any credibility Clemens had.


By the way, some of those congressman are so out of touch with reality it is hard to believe they got elected. One guy lambasted mcnamee without having his story straight and by doing so told everyone he thought Clemens was truthful despite the fact that his team mate acknowledged that he and Clemens had talked openly about their use of steroids and HGH.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

big NBA trade today - could shake the East up

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3257159

[Carmen Stateside]

Cleveland seem to have come out winners in this trade! Wallace and Szczerbiak along with Le Bron should give them enough now to challenge Boston!
And still nothing from the Knicks   Nobody will take any of their overpaid flops !

[Gabriel_Hurl]

would you blame them

[Puckoon]

That was some comeback for Notre Dame!

[Oraisteach]

Good trade for the Cavs.  Would have liked a bona fide point guard, but Wallace should be tough on the boards, and Wally "I'd like to buy a vowel" will give LeBron more room with his 3-point shooting.  Boston still the favorites in the East, but the three remaining games against the Pistons should be exciting.  Will the Cavs. have enough players left to play against Washington? I'll have to buy a program to keep track of the roster.

[J70]

And still nothing from the Knicks   Nobody will take any of their overpaid flops !

I presume the Knicks didn't get any interest in the end - last night's "heroics" in Philly probably put paid to any slight interest there was.

Its hard to know where they go from here - Thomas obviously has to go, as do the likes of Jerome James (how much is he earning?), Marbury, Jeffries and probably most of the squad except for Crawford, the younger lads like Lee, Balkman, Morris and maybe Collins (if he's ever going to be given a role), and perhaps Randolph. Curry, after showing some promise last year, has been awful this season, perhaps because of Randolph taking over some of his role, but regardless, he offers nothing in defense. Not sure about Nate Robinson - he's done very well at times in Marbury's absense, but like Crawford, blows a bit hot and cold. They're probably stuck with most of them anyway, given the contracts. They'll probably leave Thomas in place so that they can finish as low as possible at this stage to help them in the draft!

[magickingdom]

just heard on cnn that the justice dept is going to investigate wheather clemens committed perjury, that should take them all of 5 minutes. move over barry bonds you got company..

[Puckoon]

It has to be in the affirmative.

[SammyG]

Still don't understand why Clemens wanted to go to Congress. If everything went for him, he didn't gain anything and if it went tits up (which it has) he's looking at jail time. I don't know if he was very badly advised or if he was just so arrogant that he thought he could blag it.

Probably the greatest pitcher ever (and certainly the greatest of the modern era) but you have to wonder whether his record means anything.