AND JUSTICE FOR ALL...

Andy Pettitte has had long couple days. No he wasn't in Tampa or Trenton getting ready for his major league comeback. He was testifying against his former teammate, Roger Clemens. Andy was a witness for the prosecution in the government's case against Roger for perjury and obstruction. Andy had testifyied to Congress during the Mitchell Report investigation that Roger admitted to taking HGH, which then Andy said Roger later denied. Sometimes being friends with a person can complicate your life. So such is the case for Andy.

Andy, sworn under oath, answered a slew of questions ranging from his knowledge of Roger's HGH use (which was based on one conversation they had in 2000) to why he himself used HGH to explaining what the DL was or why pitchers don't pitch everyday (the last two were for the jurors who knew nothing about baseball). He recalled how in 2006, when stories were coming out about players who were using HGH, asking Roger how he would answer if he were ever asked. To which Roger replied "I never said I did that stuff. I told you Debbie (Roger's wife) did" The Prosecutor asked Andy why, if he knew that was not what Roger said in 2000, he didn't persue the topic. Andy's answer was "At that point, I knew I was on my own". That one sentence, for me, speaks volumes about Roger Clemens.

This whole saga started to play out publically in 2008 with the release of the Mitchell Report to Andy admitting to taking HGH to now testifying against Clemens. For Andy this personal drama started that first time he took HGH, knowing he was probably not doing the right thing, to sitting his four kids down and telling them what he had done, to testifying against Clemens. I really hope this whole thing has come full circle for Andy both personally and publically.

I still have the highest respect and admiration for Andy Pettitte. He is a fierce competitor, a great pitcher and above all a fine man.

Hurry home to the Bronx, Andy!

MLB ON FOX AND CAPTAIN OBVIOUS

I hate when the Yankee games are broadcast on Fox Sports Saturday. Not because I necessarily like the YES broadcast better, but becauae I have come to really dislike Tim McCarver.

Tim had his time as a player and even as a color commentary man about a million years ago, but his time has passed. Aside from the fact he makes constant flubs (eg: “Kevin Long had been working with Curtis and Granderson” – HUH?), I can do without the pointing out the obvious during a game. I KNOW what a pitch count clicker looks like. I don’t need Tim to not only tell me what one looks like but how it works. Hey McCarver it’s called a CLICKER – the name really says it all. I also don’t need to be reminded the wall in left field of Fenway is really big – that’s why they call it the Monster. Lastly, I don’t need you to tell me some long winded story about how Bob Gibson pitched 50 years ago.

Frankly, unless it’s a Yankee game or post season baseball, I try to avoid watching Captain Obvious on Fox.
Here is the one thing Captain Obvious has seemed to have overlooked – he has turned into Ralph Kiner!

For the record, I am not too thrilled about his sidekick Joe “do you know who my Dad was” Buck either.

JERSEY STRONG

With the depature of the Nets basketball team to Brooklyn, I wanted to write about New Jersey and the sterotype that comes with being from and living in this beautiful state, with the hope of setting some things straight.

For those of you only familar with New Jersey through the television media, let me set something straight – I suppose it started with The Sopranos. Over the last 15 years people have come to think that everyone from New Jersey is Italian, which is simply not true. People from NJ are represented by almost every different culture there is.

On that note, I have to say Snookie from the “Jersey Shore” or the Real Housewives of NJ do not represent women in New Jersey. By the way, Jersey Shore was named for where it was filmed not where the people were from; and the women on RHNJ are mostly from NY. Growing up, “Jersey Girl” was a term I was proud of. It comes from a song by Bruce Springsteen. I am hoping instead of people seeing a “Jersey Girl” as stupid and drunk (yes, YOU Snookie) they see her as strong and intelligent.

The state of New Jersey is filled with beautiful landscapes and talented, successful people – just as all states are in this country. Perception has become reality. One day I am hoping that changes.

In the immortal words of Bruce Springsteen “Cause nothing matters in this whole wide world when your in love with a Jersey Girl” No truer words have been put to music.

As for sports, we LOVE our sports here. Yes, we lost the Nets, but we are tried and true fans of our teams. We love our Jets and Giants; our Yankees and Mets; our Rangers and Devils; our Knicks and Nets. It doesn’t matter if they are actually playing in NJ or across the river. People from NJ are devoted-sports is a big part of that devotion.

It’s easy to knock New Jersey. We are New York’s little brother. But when we need to – we step up. Immediately following the moments of 9/11 – boats of all kind, large and small deployed from the docks of Jersey City, Hoboken, Secaucus and like to help. It is estimated boats from NJ transported close to 100,000 people that tragic day.

At the end of the day, I and the millions of people who live and work here are always…

JERSEY STRONG!