 
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 889
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 12:52 pm: |    |
For me, the best part of Roger Clemens' dramatic announcement, during a game at Yankee Stadium, that he will be returning to baseball as a New York Yankee was the pouty reaction of some members of the sports media, who seemed to feel that it was a downright dirty damned trick, for Clemens to drop a bomb like that one without allowing them to even so much as catch a sniff that it was going to happen. Today, the media-- especially the sports media-- are so used to staging pre-fab "events" that they feel cheated when they aren't allowed the opportunity to fly in their top guys, have camera crews all set up, and sell expensive commercial time for their "live coverage" of "breaking news." The truth is that they want stuff like that to be news to us, but not to them. They are used to being fed inside information that all but bluntly tells them what is about to transpire... Oh, woe!! They didn't get a chance to hype it up, beforehand. They didn't get to have their sports anchors say things like, "The word out of the Yankees camp is that a major announcement will be made during tomorrow's game."
On top of that, they question whether or not it makes sense for the Yanks to pay Clemens as much as they will (reportedly) be paying him. What, Cashman and Steinbrenner are idiots, now? Steinbrenner, a guy who has been filthy rich for decades, doesn't know how to handle his own goddam money? There is more involved, here, than just Clemens' Earned Run Average and Strikeouts. The hype generated, alone, is worth millions of dollars. (See above.) Hell, it was worth a couple million, just to pull off that stunning spectacle, yesterday. Figuring out how much money Clemens will earn, per start, is fun, but misses much of the point. |
Spiritofdetroit
Member
Username: Spiritofdetroit
Post Number: 467
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 5:36 pm: | |
$28 million, sick. I hate how Clemens is allowed to "retire" every year, and then head over to a contender for over a million a start, halfway through the year |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 899
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 12:50 pm: | |
I, too, think it's a rather tiresome show, at this point. I think we can assume that he will help the Yankees, but I don't think any of the other teams are suddenly thinking, "Uh-oh, the Yanks are back in it. The only way to get to the World Series is to go through them." |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 900
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 1:14 pm: | |
I don't, however, agree with the folks who find the terms and provisions of his contract to be objectionable. Clemens is, arguably, one of the ten greatest pitchers ever. He is retired, and under no contractual obligation whatsoever to MLB or any of its teams. Only under certain conditions is he willing to return. He will be very expensive, and he will not have to do certain things which he is happier not doing. Those are his terms; take them or leave them. If anyone feels as though the deal is disrespectful, an affront, or offensive in any way, those people should direct their complaints to the Yankees, and the Yankees only. As I would tell the publicly critical David Wells (who I just have to love, because he loves the game so dearly, and respects it so greatly): Hey, he's Roger Clemens, and you're not. |
Patrick
Member
Username: Patrick
Post Number: 4395
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 8:20 pm: | |
Baseball? What's that? Baseball has not existed since December 31st, 1972. |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 5121
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 3:45 am: | |
Such the team player Clemens is turning out to be. |
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