When I was a kid, I used to think that if you had to speak to Congress on national television, someone was going to be in BIG trouble. Then, I saw Ollie North play the patriot card and get a talk radio career. I saw Anita Hill accuse Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, and guess who is now a Supreme Court judge? President Clinton didn't even testify before Congress and he got impeached. Basically, talking to Congress doesn't really accomplish anything. Much was the case this week with Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee.

If you haven't been paying attention to your sports ticker or national media lately, Roger Clemens has been accused in The Mitchell Report for using steroids and human growth hormone. His ex-personal trainer testified against him, and bizarrely enough, claims to have the needles and gauze from when he injected Clemens in 2001. Where do you keep such things? A safety deposit box?

On Wednesday, the two men spoke before Congress. Clemens says he didn't, McNamee says he did, and Congressmen scolded and chastised them both. One of them is obviously lying, and if someone were to delve deep enough, I bet they both are fibbing to a certain extent. Clemens claims to know nothing about HGH, but claims he had conversations with a fellow pitcher about his wife using it. So your wife used a banned substance and it didn't faze you enough to learn about it? I knew you didn't have to be bright to be a pitcher, but that kind of makes you a lousy husband.

McNamee claims he lied previously about covering up the injections and feels bad about it. When you claim to lie before now, why should people believe you now? You've already admitted to lying. You could be lying about lying now. You said you're a liar. Doesn't that pretty much put into question anything and everything you say?

So it's a 'He said' 'He said' kind of trial. Someone is blatantly lying to Congress and America, and yet no one is going to jail. No one is up for perjury charges. The local police force isn't investigating for clues to solve the crime. It's just a bunch of talk about something that happened over six years ago.

The most damning evidence against Clemens is The Mitchell Report itself. Not so much that McNamee gave the information. It's that a lot of other ball players have come out publicly admitting their use after the being named in the report. Andy Petitte claims he used HGH once to heal from an injury and never again (The Oops Defense). Paul LoDuca just apologized for his "error in judgment" regarding being named in the Mitchell Report (The Giambi Defense). Some Rockies players you've never heard of admitted their use this week and felt better for coming clean (The Redemption Defense).

Aside from Clemens, not many ball players are disputing the claims in the report. Chuck Knoublach doesn't seem to remember ever playing baseball at all, but that's about as close to a denial as anyone besides Clemens is attempting. This doesn't even discuss the big boppers of McGuire, Sosa & Bonds, and I think we've all made our decisions on those guys.

That's really where the punishment lies: the court of public opinion. Mark McGuire was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame until his non-admitting admittance. Raphael Palmiero stuck around long enough to actually get caught. Sammy Sosa hit his 600th home run last year, and people yawned.

What effect will it have on baseball? Not much. It's just another addition to the lore of the game. The Black Sox scandal, corked bats, spitball pitchers, pine tar incidents, betting on your own team, and now steroids. It actually proves that to a certain extent, baseball mimics the life and times of America. Nevertheless, pitchers and catchers are reporting for duty, and Spring Training begins again. The game goes on.

The numbers are now inflated. The accomplishments during the Roid Years will be downplayed, and eventually their records will be broken anyway. The American Pastime continues to be huge, even if its players have shrunk.

Play ball!

Chris Jungle used to take Creatine for his workouts until he got a wicked charley horse.