Special treatment opens Pandora's Box in the sports world
There are a few constants in life; work, death and Roger Clemens once again making a mid-season return. This time, however, is a little different than before. This time, Roger might have pulled his antics on the wrong team.
The New York Yankees are the most popular franchise in all of Major League Baseball. Also, thanks to their very visible owner, George Steinbrenner, the Yankees hold themselves to a higher standard than all of the other teams. The Yankees are one of the few teams to have only numbers on their jerseys, with the name on the front being more important than the one on the back. The Yankees also have a strict dress code, with everyone's uniform looking exactly the same, hair all the same length, with no facial hair, along with the prohibition of visible tattoos.
This is where Roger Clemens comes into the equation. Since Roger's last go around with the Yankees, in which Clemens gave all indications that he would be retiring after the year, Clemens has used his sheer dominance as a pitcher to his advantage. Clemens took his ball and went to Houston, who gave Roger all of the perks that he wanted. Clemens did not have to travel with the team and could leave road trips early once he was done pitching.
With Clemens once again playing his "Will he? Won't he?" game for the fourth time and the Yankees desperate for pitching, everyone around baseball saw that these two situations were about to collide and nothing was going to stop it. Clemens once again returned to baseball for a staggering $28 million. This wasn't what surprised most people because the Yankees are no strangers to throwing around large sums of money, but what took people back was the fact that all of the perks that Roger had become accustomed to in Houston were in his Yankees contract.
For a organization that prides itself on being one singular unit, they took that mantra and threw it to the wayside for a pitcher who will turn 45 over the summer, who when he last faced American League hitting he went 13-8 with an ERA near 4...far from the Roger Clemens who when he faced National League hitting who went an average of 13-6 with a 2.38 ERA.
What Roger Clemens does is a dangerous thing for the sports world. Already its effects have started to show. Pete Sampras, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is considering a comeback. The only problem is, that it would be only for the Wimbledon tournament. For athletes to be part-time players is just disrespectful to their fellow players and their respective games. What if Michael Jordan decided he wanted to play just for the playoffs, or Joe Montana wanted to play the final eight games of the season for a team? What Roger Clemens does on what has become a yearly basis is purely inspired by greed, money, and the desire for attention. Clemens wants every team to come and grovel at his feet, begging for his services, and every year, the teams come calling and Roger sells out to the highest bidder.
If more athletes start playing these types of games, "pulling a Roger Clemens" will become part of the sports lexicon, and this current age of "me" athletes will reach a new stratosphere thanks to Roger Clemens, and his utter lack of respect for his teammates and the game in general as he continues to set a dangerous precedent in which talented players can do whatever they want and get whatever they want...as long as the price is right.
The New York Yankees are the most popular franchise in all of Major League Baseball. Also, thanks to their very visible owner, George Steinbrenner, the Yankees hold themselves to a higher standard than all of the other teams. The Yankees are one of the few teams to have only numbers on their jerseys, with the name on the front being more important than the one on the back. The Yankees also have a strict dress code, with everyone's uniform looking exactly the same, hair all the same length, with no facial hair, along with the prohibition of visible tattoos.
This is where Roger Clemens comes into the equation. Since Roger's last go around with the Yankees, in which Clemens gave all indications that he would be retiring after the year, Clemens has used his sheer dominance as a pitcher to his advantage. Clemens took his ball and went to Houston, who gave Roger all of the perks that he wanted. Clemens did not have to travel with the team and could leave road trips early once he was done pitching.
With Clemens once again playing his "Will he? Won't he?" game for the fourth time and the Yankees desperate for pitching, everyone around baseball saw that these two situations were about to collide and nothing was going to stop it. Clemens once again returned to baseball for a staggering $28 million. This wasn't what surprised most people because the Yankees are no strangers to throwing around large sums of money, but what took people back was the fact that all of the perks that Roger had become accustomed to in Houston were in his Yankees contract.
For a organization that prides itself on being one singular unit, they took that mantra and threw it to the wayside for a pitcher who will turn 45 over the summer, who when he last faced American League hitting he went 13-8 with an ERA near 4...far from the Roger Clemens who when he faced National League hitting who went an average of 13-6 with a 2.38 ERA.
What Roger Clemens does is a dangerous thing for the sports world. Already its effects have started to show. Pete Sampras, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is considering a comeback. The only problem is, that it would be only for the Wimbledon tournament. For athletes to be part-time players is just disrespectful to their fellow players and their respective games. What if Michael Jordan decided he wanted to play just for the playoffs, or Joe Montana wanted to play the final eight games of the season for a team? What Roger Clemens does on what has become a yearly basis is purely inspired by greed, money, and the desire for attention. Clemens wants every team to come and grovel at his feet, begging for his services, and every year, the teams come calling and Roger sells out to the highest bidder.
If more athletes start playing these types of games, "pulling a Roger Clemens" will become part of the sports lexicon, and this current age of "me" athletes will reach a new stratosphere thanks to Roger Clemens, and his utter lack of respect for his teammates and the game in general as he continues to set a dangerous precedent in which talented players can do whatever they want and get whatever they want...as long as the price is right.
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