Roger Clemens: My Thoughts

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Many of you have asked me over the past several days, in private, if I believe Roger Clemens.

The first time I had ever heard Roger Clemens name was last week: I kid you not. I am not a pro-sport enthusiast for many reasons, but that is an entirely different topic. While I had heard of the Mitchell report, I didn’t pay much attention to it. Steroids in sports are no surprise.

Anyway, one reader asked me to watch a clip about Roger Clemens online at CBS last week, and then I saw the full Roger Clemens interview this past Sunday on CBS 60 Minutes.

When I watched the interview, while I didn’t see any indications of deception, I didn’t get a positive feeling that, boy, this guy is honest. What I got out of the 60 Minutes interview with Clemens was simply that he was angry, upset, frustrated and stressed out, but there was nothing more conclusive in the interview.

Clearly, Clemens could be frustrated, angry and annoyed that the truth came out equally as much as he could be that someone is lying about him using steroids.

Read moreWorse, since Clemens is exceptionally wealthy, one of the richest athletes in North America, he may feel a superiority and power with his financial status, and believe that he can overcome anything. I do detect an arrogance.

This, I fear, could impact his demeanor, beliefs and feelings about what he can and cannot do–what he can get away with. It could diminish his “fear” if he was lying as he has the power and connections to make things happen, and that, in turn, could effect the clues that leak and indicate deception. Read more about high-stake lies here.

Clemens high-stakes scenario is not as high-stakes when you factor in the power of money, influence and status. If Clemens or the Clemens camp can pressure McNamee, or offer him something under the table (or others for the matter), it can have major impact to these allegations. He knows it, you know it, and I know it. Money buys many things. And if McNamee is as desperate as he sounds, will we ever know the truth? If Clemens camp discredits McNamee, and McNamee falsely fesses that he made it all up (hypothetically), who will believe whom?

That gives me pause in watching for clues to deception in this scenario, and makes me question the efficacy of it all with the uber-rich. Maybe that is why I have been hesitant to give opinions on big pro athletes.

It’s certainly not black and white. There will be cases where power and influence are weaker, and the effects won’t be the same, but it is something to consider when power, influence, status, and money are equally strong. If the baseball industry as a whole were steadfast against steroids, that would change things but we are not dealing with an industry that is. None of the players are willing to denounce others if they use steroids.

There is a known problem with steroids within the industry, and yet we still allow the industry to self-police, if I understand it correctly, which makes absolutely no sense. This is a business where billions of dollars are generated, and one that keeps a large group of people “uber” wealthy. There are plenty of people here who would have reason to fight and support Clemens, regardless of what the truth is.

To expect one to cut off his own foot in the name of morality isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. What industry is going to cut off a billion dollar money generator, and admit to their advantage? Be reasonable.

Furthermore, these powerhouses have the funds, and connections to do what they have done before, to create undetectable drugs. It’s big business. Why on earth would they stop when the public keeps swarming to them despite all the allegations?

With that, while I have a suspicion in this circumstance, power, money, influence and status all can impact the clues I see, rendering them less effective and less trusthworthy. Furthermore, Clemens has an industry that has every reason to want to fight for Clemens, regardless of the truth, which further complicates this situation.

I hope you appreciate my sincere honesty to refrain from an opinion on Roger Clemens.

Hannah Montana Mom really sorry?

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I am sure most of you have heard about the mom who helped her daughter write an essay in hopes of winning free tickets to the Hannah Montana concert in New York on January 9th. She wrote an essay, and won.

Priscilla Ceballos helped her six year old daughter write “My daddy died this year in Iraq. I am going to give mommy the Angel pendant that daddy put on mommy when she was having me. I had it in my jewelry box since that day. I love my mommy.”

It was a complete lie. Her dad didn’t die in Iraq. Furthermore, these are clearly not the thoughts of six year old. It doesn’t take an Einstein to see that.

Ceballos tells everyone that she didn’t know it was breaking the rule to create a fictitious story.

Oh really?

Read moreCeballos seems to forget the moral obligation of parents to teach children honesty, and how to win a competition with integrity and fairness. Instead, she tries to twist the truth again. She wants you to continue to buy her deceptive games. She wants you to believe she just didn’t know any better.

Excuse me, but I’m not buying it. And Ceballos boldly takes it a step further. Watch here.

Matt Lauer says, “How did you explain to your daughter that she won, and then lost this contests?”

Ceballos responds, “…I..I…I really haven’t. I mean… I really told her…I’ve actually told her the truth. You know, I told her we wrote an essay and… you know, their…they…they said it was a lie and you know… we… I…I refused to accept the tickets.”

Matt Lauer says, “Refused to accept the tickets or they were taken away from you?”

Ceballos says, “Well…I…I did refused to accept them, but I told her that, you know…there… there will be another time.”

Refused to accept them? Told her child the truth?

Ceballos is continuing to add insult to injury. She is insulting us with her “stories” a second time around.

Irish Man Corroborates Jane Tanner’s Story

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News has broke today from Sky News and Fox that an Irish man, Martin Smith, has come forward to say that he saw a man carrying a child on the night Madeleine disappeared. He is sure it was not Robert Murat.

He tried to speak to the man when he and his family bumped into him. He asked the man if the little girl he was carrying was asleep, but the man did not reply which caught his attention as unusual.

It makes you wonder why Smith asked that. Did something make him curious? Perhaps it was a subconscious thought.

This gives some credibility to what Jane Tanner has said. While I have always believed her, I know there is a group of skeptics out there. Perhaps this will help people believe Jane.

Marty Tankleff Released After 17 Years

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Marty Tankleff was 17 when he found his parents murdered in their home. He supposedly slept through the whole nightmare. Police immediately focused on Tankleff, and after hours of questioning by police, he made a confession.

Homicide investigator James McCready lied to Tankleff and told him his dad, who laid unconscious in a coma, was given adrenaline, came to, and pointed the finger at Marty.

Marty said his dad never lied, so he questioned if he blacked out. But shortly after that, he claimed his confession was a lie. Tankleff was convicted, and sentenced to 50 years for murdering his parents.

Read moreFor 17 years, Tankleff has stood firm on the fact that he did not kill his parents, and that he believed his dad’s business partner, Jerry Steuerman, who owned his dad thousands of dollars needed to be investigated.

Steurman was last known to be at the Tankleff home at 3:00 a.m. on the night of the murders. The two business partners, who were not on good terms, still played poker together.

After the murders, in a bizarre twist, Steuerman faked his own death and moved to Southern California to live under an assumed name. When tracked down and questioned about his behavior, Steurman said he was under a lot of stress, but had nothing to do with the murders.

It took the work of a pro bono legal team, and one hard working retired New York cop, Jay Salpeter, to finally get Tankleff free. He was released in late December 2007, and word has now come out today that the prosecutor of Suffolk County will not try the case again.

Steurman, or other people who have been pointed at as the potential killers, have yet to charged with anything to date.

This story really takes a lot of twists and turns, and I couldn’t possible recount the story anywhere near as effectively as 48 Hours did. It’s online and a very compelling story to watch. It’s a must see!

I think what Salpeter digs up clearly speaks for itself. The world needs a lot more people like Jay Salpeter, that’s for sure!

“Twenty five percent of people
who have been exonerated by DNA evidence
confessed to crimes they did not do.”
– 48 Hours

Next time someone confesses to the crime, remember it doesn’t necessarily mean they are guilty. Makes me think of Chuck Erickson, and Daniel Wade Moore.

MySpace

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For all of you who read my blog, I thought you might want to know I have a MySpace page. Come stop by, say hi and share your thoughts!

http://www.myspace.com/eyesforlies