One is a disgrace to his sport, despite vindication. The other walked away from his, but you can't escape him because of his endorsements, among other things.
Earlier this year, Roger Clemens was cleared of charges that he'd lied to Congress about using performance enhancing drugs. Now 50, Clemens has signed on to pitch for an independent minor league team in his home state of Texas. Sure, it's a publicity stunt, but, predictably, the media is overplaying it by suggesting that Clemens is using the Sugar Land Skeeters as a springboard to a major league comeback. Uh, no. The guy's spent most of the summer playing softball, and admitted that he's not in perfect shape. He's become a regular guy. I don't see any major league team taking a chance on him in 2013, unwilling to risk the persistent media scrutiny, which can get out of control, especially in scandal-happy New York. Just let him play out the remainder of the Skeeters' season, and move on.
Meanwhile, in New York, the Daily News and other outlets are reporting that former New York Giants star Michael Strahan (Fox NFL Sunday) has been tapped as Kelly Ripa's new partner, succeeding the retired Regis Philbin (who's still doing commercials), effective September 4, which, of course, is the day before the Giants open defense of their latest Super Bowl title by hosting Dallas in a rare Wednesday night tilt at the Meadowlands. Strahan, thus, will now be working 6 days a week, but then there's also the fact that he is one of a slew of celebrity endorsers, along with Fox NFL Sunday cohort Jay Glazer and Olympic hero Michael Phelps, for Subway. As far as television executives go, Strahan, who failed with a Fox sitcom a couple of years back, has the most famous gap tooth this side of David Letterman, and, thanks to his Fox work, is accustomed to live television. Six days a week, though, may be asking too much, but we'll wait & see. Live With Kelly, oh, by the way, is produced by Disney, so they could be looking at trying to pry Strahan away from Fox with a sweetheart deal beyond the morning show. Ya just never know.
As for the Skeeters, well, no one outside of Texas had heard of them before they took a chance on Roger Clemens. It's 15 minutes of fame, stretched out across a month at the most. A footnote in history. No one will remember them by this time next year, unless they find another ex-major leaguer to boost ticket sales......
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