Considering how depressing the news has been around baseball due to the Mitchell Report and Roger Clemens’ denial that he didn’t cheat, this story was about as bizarre as it gets and in a way comical.

Well, just maybe not to Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. According to the closer via Mark Pratt’s AP report, his bulldog Boss ate the series clinching ball. Guess he showed Pap who was boss.

“He plays with baseballs like they are his toys,” the 27 year-old from Baton Rouge Louisiana explained to Hattiesburg (Miss.) American of the ball he K’d Colorado pinch-hitter Seth Smith on to complete Boston’s second WS sweep in three years.

“He jumped up one day on the counter and snatched it. He likes rawhide. He tore that thing to pieces. Nobody knows that. I’ll keep what’s left of it.”

Can’t you just hear George Washington Duke’s Rocky V character now going, “Only in America.”

Maybe it’s better off this way since it probably would’ve wound up on ebay. What isn’t on there these days? Just imagine if Papelbon kept the torn threads and rubber. Couldn’t you just see some desperate fans paying a ridiculous price of what’s left of a ball that was in Boss’ mouth?!?!?!?!?!

Man, I wouldn’t go anywhere near that. But you know it would happen because people these days just don’t give a damn. Just picture this ad:

Item: 2007 World Series Game Four Series Clinching Ball

Details: It might not be like other pieces of sports memoribilia. But that’s what makes this special. You are bidding on the remains of a 2007 World Series clinching ball which Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon struckout pinch-hitter Seth Smith swinging to complete the Red Sox’ second series sweep in three years. Papelbon’s dog Boss accidentally ate the ball tearing it to shreds. But right here in front of you is a rare thread from the remains. Just imagine being able to have this limited piece adding it to your collection. Touched by one of the best young closers in baseball. And a championship to boot.

Starting bid: $8.00

As the bids would come in one by one, it would reach astronomical proportions. The slimy remains from the bulldog’s mouth. But hey! It was a piece of history. :-) And that’s all that matters baby!

I can’t recall getting this carried away over something. Eh. Who am I kidding? I crack up pretty much everyone I come into contact with.

Well, the good news is that the Red Sox weren’t too worried about the ball like that whole Doug Mientkiewicz debacle in 2004 which broke an 86-year drought.

“The 2004 ball is obviously very special to us because it was the club’s first World Series win in 86 years,” team spokesman John Blake admitted earlier today to the AP. “This ball was in the hands of one of the players and we take his word at what happened to it, but it’s a non-issue as far as the club’s concerned.”

“We did not ask for the ball,” spokesman Jeff Idelson added. “We were more focused on other items.”

Hey. They got two championships and clearly look like the favorite to repeat next year. What more could they want? If you live in Massachusetts these days where the Sahhhxxx are on top of the baseball world, the Patriots are looking to make NFL history as they aim for a fourth Super Bowl ring, the Celtics are back with a vengeance thanks to Kevin McHale and even the Bruins are competitive, life is good.

Who knew? The dog must have.

This is Derek and this is what’s floating around my brain. Well, some of it anyway!

1.Even when you want the Knicks to lose, they break your heart.

2.Last year’s Eastern Conference champion Cavs lost by 18 for crying out loud. How did this team make the NBA Finals again?!?!?!?!?!

3.Say it ain’t so Jamie Lynn Spears. Wonder how the parents feel about how their kids are turning out?

4.If you told me Will Smith from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air would become the highest paid actor, I would’ve laughed my ass off. Remember him in the good ‘ole dayz here?

5.Chris Simon probably deserved the rest of the season to think about his utter stupidity. If a repeat offender who’s been suspended seven times can’t learn from last season, when is enough enough?

6.Mike Lupica likes to use a couple of doctor’s quotes and toss it around as gospel like he’s some kind of authority on baseball. Has this self-proclaimed know it all ever played organized sports? The real Daily News writers who worked extra hard on their special reports on HGH and steroids are the ones who deserve to be respected. Not this joke who has things handed to him and uses their information to look good and beat a topic to death.

7.Speaking of which, how come Lupica never uttered a word about Paul LoDuca who from the looks of it inspired other former Dodger teammates to cheat? Too easy.

8.Roger Clemens is a great pitcher who belongs in Cooperstown but he sure looks foolish trying to defend himself here. Especially when butt buddy Andy Pettite who used the same trainer Brian McNamee came clean. One quote comes to mind:

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

9.If you read most of the Mitchell Report like I did, one thing becomes clear. Steroids was a baseball epidemic. Some of the info they had on these players was priceless. Jaw dropping stuff. I’ll just be honest and admit that it freaks me out. Did any of these guys not follow what happened to Lyle Alzado? Or what about all the wrestlers who dropped dead at young ages? Geez. At what cost is abusing your body worth it?

10.You want to follow an up and coming NBA team. Look no further than the Blazers who won their ninth straight last night 101-96 over Toronto to improve to 15-12 without Greg Oden. Last year’s Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy overcame a bout with the flu to score 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Not bad for the former University of Washington star.

11.Speaking of Roy, I love Deron Williams and Chris Paul and often wonder which PG is better? But you have to toss Roy into the mix. Which of this exciting young trio would you rather have to build your team around?

12.Think Chauncey Billups (28 and 8 dimes) and Richard Hamilton (8-of-11 FG, 21 pts) sent a little message to the Celtics last night in their two-point win dealing Boston their first loss at home?

13.Keep a close eye on the improving Hawks who defeated the dreadful Heat in OT last night for their 13th win. Ditto Rudy Gay who’s buzzer beater from down town helped the Grizzlies defeat the Spurs. The second-year small forward is quietly budding into the star many thought he’d become out of Uconn. Last night, he dropped 23, nine boards, three assists and two blocks against the defending champs.

14.Man, the Falcons really can’t catch any breaks, huh? Is Bill Parcells really that desperate to be in the sunshine state?

15.Who would you rather have? Zach Parise or Mike Richards? Let the Devil and Flyer fans fight over that one.

16.The Giants better not chance it to that final home game against what should be an undefeated Patriots team aiming for history.

17.Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo or Henrik Lundqvist?

18.As stated earlier, I really liked how extensive the Mitchell Report was in detailing as much as they were able to through other sources, etc. on the 86 suspected players. However, any comprehensive list without Pudge Rodriguez, Luis Gonzalez, Brady Anderson, Edgardo Alfonzo, Carlos Baerga and probably Mike Piazza and even David Ortiz seems a little incomplete.

Just how bad is pro basketball in the metro area? It was bad enough that the Nets lost to the Knicks a few nights ago but they couldn’t even beat a depleted Kings squad who had just one road win on the season.

Even without leading scorer Kevin Martin (out 4-6 weeks with groin injury) and Mike Bibby (thumb injury), Reggie Theus’ club came into a dead environment at the Izod Center (what kind of a freaking joke of a name is that) and defeated the struggling Nets 106-101 Tuesday night.

John Salmons’ career high 31 and seven assists paced the Kings as four players finished with 20-or-more. They also managed 23 assists spreading things out in a game which featured little defense as the Nets actually had four more assists if you can believe that.

Now just picture an angry Knicks fan (maybe me, kidding here) yelling at the top of their lungs wondering how the hell other teams can move the ball and wind up with that many assists.  

The Nets shot well enough (over 50 percent) but were done in by turnovers (20) and their opponents’ three-point shooting where Sacramento connected on 13 of 21 from beyond the arc while Lawrence Frank’s club made just four of 15.

You combine those two stats and there’s your difference in the latest depressing Nets home defeat where they’re now 5-10. Putting things in perspective, the Knicks are 6-8 at MSG.

The Kings also made the most of their chances at the charity stripe going 23 of 28 while New Jersey was 19 for 26. Ah. Another one of those lost simple fundamentals which usually comes in handy down in crunch time when the game’s on the line.

So despite shooting over 50 percent from the field, outrebounding the Kings 45-31 and finishing with four more assists for an impressive total of 27, the Nets once again came up on the short end before an announced paid crowd of 11,902. I want to know if they actually count the people who show up cause there were so many sections empty that it looked more like seven or eight at best.

So, who else did in the Nets? Bronx product Francisco Garcia knocked down five treys including a backbreaker which put them down 103-99 with 15 seconds left. The ex-Louisville star finished with 24 points on six-of-12 shooting and drained all seven free throws.

Former LaSalle and St. John’s star Ron Artest chipped in with 20, four boards, three assists and two blocks. Reliable veteran center Brad Miller added a double double (23 and 10) including some late free throws where he missed just once in eight attempts.

It was enough to spoil a 36-point nine rebound performance from leading scorer Richard Jefferson. Jason Kidd narrowly missed another triple double falling an assist shy with 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine dishes.

Meanwhile, Vince Carter had only 15 taking just 12 shots. Nice $68.5 million investment!There were a couple of instances where he passed up wide open looks including one where he was setup by J-Kidd from 15 and another on the right side of the arc but opted to overpass turning it over. That was the problem for the Nets on this night, especially late. Way too much passing. Sometimes, that can be bad. I’ve witnessed it at games I score. If you’re open and have a decent look, take it. Especially if you can shoot.

In his first NBA start, rookie Sean Williams didn’t disappoint finishing with eight blocked shots along with 11 points and seven boards in over 42 minutes. The former BC standout who sat out last year is looking more and more like a steal for the Nets. If he continues to develop especially on offense, watch out.

At the very least, now the Nets have a shot blocker who can alter shots and be an intimidator. They haven’t had that since the last time Kenyon Martin was relevant.

The Nets next visit Miami who just flat out suck. If they can’t win that, maybe they should just pack up.

So now they’re 10-15 while the Knicks are 7-17. That’s a combined 17-32 for those keeping track.

On that note, good night.

Yet another baseball player came clean about steroid use earlier today. A few days after Yankee pitcher Andy Pettite admitted to taking human growth hormone (HGH) to help recover from an elbow injury back in 2002, Baltimore leadoff hitter Brian Roberts also said he used steroids once in 2003.

The two-time AL All-Star second baseman hit .290 and stole a career high 50 bases in 2007. His name was one of 86 which appeared on last Thursday’s Mitchell Report.

In it, the information noted that Roberts told then teammate Larry Bigbie that he had used steroids “once or twice.”

Earlier today, he released a statement to the Associated Press which read:

“In 2003, when I took one shot of steroids, I immediately realized that this was not what I stood for or anything that I wanted to continue doing. I never used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance enhancing drugs prior to or since that single incident.

“I can honestly say before God, myself, my family and all of my fans, that steroids or any performance-enhancing drugs have never had any effect on what I have worked so hard to accomplish in the game of baseball.”

“I am very sorry and I deeply regret ever making that terrible decision,” Roberts added in the statement. “My only hope and prayer is that the Orioles, my family, friends and fans that have supported me so faithfully will forgive me.“ 

“I have worked very hard to develop a good reputation both on and off the field,” he also noted. “I have always taken pride in being a man of integrity and values. I know that by being a professional athlete, I am held to a very high standard. I never have and never will take that for granted. However, I am also human and I have made mistakes.“ 

Along with former Met now ESPN baseball analyst Fernando Vina, Roberts is the third player in the report to come clean adding further credence to the list which Former Senator George Mitchell worked extensively on.

The more players who come forward, the more embarrassing and humbling it gets for fans.

I still maintain that had baseball actually been able to have a tougher anti-drug policy in place, maybe you wouldn’t be seeing this widespread epidemic.

Part of the problem as magnified throughout the report was the lack of cooperation by the Players Association. (MLBPA).

We’ll try to document some of that a little later at home when there’s more time.

So, how do you think Roger Clemens looks right about now?

I will also try to have more on what I feel was lacking in the report.

See ya’ll later.

Today’s edition(s) come courtest of a couple of skilled youtubers who put together some cool funny ass videos based on Crank Dat “Soulja Boy.”

One video depicts some classic scenes from Family Guy while the other is Sponge Bob singing the song.

Lot of haters out there who can’t appreciate skill or just want to rain down on the parade.

It’s all good.

Just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get anymore humiliating to be a Knicks fan, it did during last night’s blowout 119-92 loss at The Garden to the Pacers.

I didn’t catch this one as I wisely had fallen asleep only to wake up and have my close pal message me online about the latest debacle against an average team in a weak East.

Just what is Isiah Thomas smiling about here:

  Nevermind. There can only be so many thought$ as to how this clown who destroyed the CBA and everything else one of the NBA’s 50 greatest former stars came into touch with.

Good god. When is David Stern finally going to step up and do something about the disgrace that calls itself a pro sports franchise on 7th Avenue and 33rd at Penn Plaza by Penn Station?!?!?!?!?!

Haven’t hoop fans suffered enough in this city? This franchise hasn’t won an NBA title since 1972 and now that feels like a century ago. Especially when you look at the current disgusting state this team is in thanks to the real life version of Dumb and Dumber. Do I even have to specify here?

Dolan and Isiah make Harry and Lloyd look like geniuses who aced all their classes and scored perfect 1600’s on their SATS.

So what did I miss? Somehow, the Knicks allowed Mike “freaking” Dunleavy to chew them up and spit them out for 22 of his career best 36 in the third quarter.

You know, they only allowed 66 second half points after trailing 53-46 at the half. 

Afterwards, Lord Isiah was fuming:

“As a coach, you bring certain things to the table, but our collective energy, our collective heart, our collective toughness, we say the right things but we don’t gut it out for 48 minutes,” Thomas indicated to the Associated Press.

“We don’t grind and we don’t compete like we should for 48 minutes and I’ve never … a lot of things that can be said about me and teams that I’ve coached and the way I played, but I’ve never been accused of not having heart or competing. Tonight was very discouraging to me because we didn’t collectively play with heart and compete like I know I do.”

“I can give you a lot of things, but I can’t give you pride and heart,” he added. “A certain amount of that, the team collectively as players got to bring that to the court every night.”

Jason Kidd and the Nets are probably pondering how they actually could’ve lost to this laughingstock. 

Funniest most bizarre comment from former student Jermaine O’Neal about his ex-coach:

“My heart goes out to Isiah, because I know him personally. Isiah’s like a father to me and I know the type of competitive nature he has and the effort that’s out there, and it’s tough to see. It’s tough to hear the crowd say fire him.”

You really can’t make this stuff up.

So here’s a little poem I wrote from scratch a little while ago about the joke known as Knickerbocker basketball.

“Only in Knicks Land” 

by Derek Felix

A team without heart or desire
Which should be burnt into a fire
Selfish players and a moron boss
Who make fans yell after every loss

Embarrassing, appalling in every way
Yeah that’s Isiah all night and day
The phoniest grin you ever saw
Which breaks every basketball law

Creating misery for all who still flip on a game
Wondering what they did or if they’re really insane
Ah but it can’t get any worse or so we think
Until you see Isiah’s lover Dolan laugh and wink

The dumbest CEO who ever walked the earth
How could anyone create this joke giving birth
Whose sig phrase is duuuuuuuh uhhh as he stands aloof
Good god he is in a 2nd rate jazz band what a doof

It’s been too long since we had a good team to root for
With players who cared oh knock knock knockin on heaven’s door
Instead we watch with our eyes half closed in utter shame
At the pathetic display which is Knicks basketball where it always rains

Remember the time when a hoops fan could actually sit down and enjoy a good game from one of the big teams? Yeah. It’s been a while since we could cheer for the Knicks, the St. John’s Redmen (not that silly Red Storm tag because of too many supersensitive people who don’t get sports and never will) or now even the Nets.

With my alma mater falling to out of all teams Niagara at Carnesecca Hall the other night for the first time in 44 years along with a heartless Knicks team having enough to get by even Jason Kidd and Co. which features the worst $68.5 million perimeter investment in the NBA, it begs the question when does it finally end?!?!?!?!?!

If you want bad ballin’, then sadly you came to the right place where the Jim Dolan/Isiah Thomas Knicks are tied for the NBA’s fourth worst record (7-16). Despite a big three of Kidd, Vincesanity and RJ, the Nets aren’t much better at only 10-14.

For our statistical analysts such as John Giagnorio AKA JPG, that’s a combined record of 17-30. As the words in one of the better Weezer songs says, “Say It Ain’t So.”

These days, it’s getting harder for hoop fans to find a team who can actually make them smile and enjoy the game. Luckily for myself, I at least get that opportunity once in a while thanks to scoring ACIS games at Berkeley Carroll in Park Slope.

Yes. There’s actually some good ‘ole fun team oriented high school ball being played at the athletic center. That can happen because the star player Zoe Cohen of the girls varsity team actually listens to her coach and makes teammates better around her. Amazing concept, huh?

The varsity boys don’t possess much size but they won’t always settle for the outside jumper. One of the lost arts I notice with today’s game is how little ball movement there is. Take the Knicks-Bulls game a few nights prior in Chicago. All I had to do was watch a few possessions and it was easy to see why these teams are stinking it up. There was way too much one-on-one play with teammates standing around watching instead of moving constantly.

Simple fundamentals such as passing, finding the open man and sliding your feet have become almost extinct in our bad teams. Instead of just hustling and doing what it takes to win, our star players would rather try to get as many points as they can and not be unselfish and group serving. That means playing D too. Not letting a guy five inches smaller than you abuse you inside like Eddy “Fat Albert” Curry.

One of the problems is the money these guys make. Let’s face it. If you’re cashing checks which add up to $15 to 20 million, you might fall into bad habits and take it easy.

The salaries are so out of wack these days that it almost invites guys to settle rather than earn their money.

Unless you’re part of a really good organization such as the Spurs who prioritizes winning over anything else, there’s a good chance that if you have too many stars, it will become dysfunctional such as the Knicks.

That’s why I have to tip my cap and give a ton of credit to KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce of the 20-2 Celtics (NBA’s best record) because each has put their differences aside to co-exist and try to bring back the Larry O’Brien trophy to Boston like the old days when Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were starring for those great Celtics teams two decades earlier. 

The ultimate test will come next Spring when the newly formed dynamic superstar trio comes up against the Detroits, Orlandos and maybe even Toronto or the Nets if they wake up before their season collapses.

It’s true that the league isn’t as strong as it once was. As usual, the West is much deeper with the defending champion Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Jazz, Nuggets, Hornets and even the Warriors and Lakers. Houston and the surprising Blazers minus Greg Oden should also be in the mix for a final playoff spot. 

If only there was that much balance in the East where parity continues to be the theme. Though I got to give props to Eddie Jordan’s Wizards (13-10) for staying afloat despite no Gilbert Arenas. They’ve won four straight thanks to All-Stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.  Underrated backup vet PG Antonio Daniels is out two to four weeks which could hurt on the court.

Of course, praising other depleted teams who persevere and don’t make excuses isn’t solving our dilemma here in NYC.

Unless you’re a HS hoops fan who appreciates the talent of Lincoln’s Lance Stephenson, there’s really not much to suggest.

St. John’s continues to struggle and it could be another long year with Anthony Mason, Jr. banged up. When exactly does Norm Roberts deliver a team we can be proud of?

Man. Even my old HS McKee/Staten Island Tech is now putting out a team which can win games and make the PSAL playoffs.

When I went to Tech and ran track, they used to be the laughingstock. I even recall a time where the next day in gym class, even some of the players were joking and laughing about how they got outscored by one player.

It’s a small school still but somehow they’ve managed to improve the program much like track, soccer and volleyball which have had recent success.

So, when do metro area b’ball fans get a team they can appreciate?

Maybe never. 

So, here’s a little something on the awful ballin’ we get to see in a state of misery. Walt “Clyde” Frazier would be proud of that one. ;)

Remember the time when you could actually cheer

Instead of watching your team in a state of fear

When Ewing, Oakley and Starks brought the house down

But now you have Starbury, Crawford and Fat Albert along with Dolan the clown

There was a time when Kidd, RJ and K-Mart made it rain

Instead it’s VC chucking his ass off what a crying shame

There also was a normal Ron Artest, Omar Cook and Bootsy from downtown

Now it’s Eugine Lawrence and the gang which can’t shoot straight bringing frowns

This is what’s become of our city’s game

Oh the misery and oh the pain

As brick after brick clang off the rim drawing boos from the crowd

When sudden orchestrated drum beats try to stop the Fire Isiah chants which ring loud

You still find yourself watching for some unknown reason

Even if there’s nothing more to believe in this cold season

And so you continue to search for an actual real good team

Which could make it all better not making you scream

But sometimes it’s what you get to see in front of you which reigns supreme

On a cold December night you finally discovered a real basketball team

One you could admire and be proud of not hanging your head in disgust

The kind which would never let you down and fully trust

Yes. You heard right. On an NFL Sunday in the middle of December, the good ‘ole NHL decided to schedule an early dinner game. But it’s not just one either.

While we head out to see the Rangers do battle with the Coyotes at MSG with a 5 PM start, the Devils will be battling the Flyers a path ride away in Newark.

I have never really understood why the league or whoever the schedule makers are would put the game of hockey against football. It doesn’t seem to make any sense.

Maybe it has to do with how busy facilities such as the Garden and new Prudential Center are. I guess we’ll never really know why.

The Rangers enter having dropped four of five and are coming off a bad 5-4 OT loss in the nation’s cap blowing an early two-goal lead and playing very sloppy. They really do need a win over Wayne Gretzky’s hard working Coyotes in the worst way. Henrik Lundqvist is battling the flu but expected to start and Jaromir Jagr should be a go despite a stiff back.

Meanwhile, with the offense continuing to struggle, the Blueshirts recalled both Nigel Dawes and Greg Moore from Hartford. They’ll both be in the lineup as Marcel Hossa (flu) and Ryan Callahan (conditioning assignment) are out.

We’ll see if the pair of rookies can provide a spark for a club that’s underachieving despite adding Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to a solid lineup. Paging No.68.

Today’s video is another classic. Nas is one of the best rappers in the game. His Illmatic is one of my favorite albums featuring such hits as “The World Is Yours,” “Halftime,” and “NY State of Mind.”

Here’s another dope track from that album, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell.”

Aside from how awesome the video is, just listen to the lyrics. That’s one thing that separates Nas from any other rapper out there. He has a sick style and you can feel him from wherever you are.

“Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half man, half amazin’.” 

Represent represent!!!!! :D 

One player decided to come clean earlier today. Out of all the Yankees named in the Mitchell Report Thursday, maybe the most disappointing was of home grown starting pitcher Andy Pettite.

Today, the 35 year-old veteran southpaw who won his 200th career game in Pinstripes during a successful 15 win season in his Yankee return admitted to using human growth hormone (HGH) twice to help recover from elbow tendinitis which was consistent with this key excerpt from Thursday’s report below:

“From April 21 to June 14, 2002, Pettitte was on the disabled list with elbow

tendonitis McNamee said that Pettitte called him while Pettitte was rehabilitating his elbow

in Tampa, where the Yankees have a facility, and asked again about human growth hormone.

Pettitte stated that he wanted to speed his recovery and help his team.

McNamee traveled to Tampa at Pettitte’s request and spent about ten days

assisting Pettitte with his rehabilitation. McNamee recalled that he injected Pettitte with human growth hormone that McNamee obtained from Radomski on two to four occasions. Pettitte paid McNamee for the trip and his expenses; there was no separate payment for the human growth hormone.

According to McNamee, around the time in 2003 that the BALCO searches

became public, Pettitte asked what he should say if a reporter asked Pettitte whether he ever used performance enhancing substances. McNamee told him he was free to say what he wanted, but that he should not go out of his way to bring it up. McNamee also asked Pettitte not to mention his name. McNamee never discussed these substances with Pettitte again.”

“If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize,” Pettitte admitted earlier through his agent earlier Saturday. “I accept responsibility for those two days.” 

“In 2002 I was injured. I had heard that human growth hormone could promote faster healing for my elbow,” he later acknowledged in the statement released to The Associated Press by agent Randy Hendricks.

“I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. Though it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped.

“This is it — two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list,” he said. “I wasn’t looking for an edge. I was looking to heal.”

“I have the utmost respect for baseball and have always tried to live my life in a way that would be honorable,” he said. “If I have let down people that care about me, I am sorry, but I hope that you will listen to me carefully and understand that two days of perhaps bad judgment should not ruin a lifetime of hard work and dedication.

“I have tried to do things the right way my entire life, and, again, ask that you put those two days in the proper context. People that know me will know that what I say is true,” he also added.

It’s honorable for Pettite to come forward so quickly and respond to seeing his name in the report. Maybe it will inspire other players to do the same thing.

From what was said, it remains consistent with the information in the Mitchell Report pertaining to Pettite’s elbow injury.

It’s hard to classify him as a hardcore abuser just based on the evidence we have. It sure seems that he was a lot more cognizant than buddy Roger Clemens, whose reputation has been stained due to all the testimony ex-trainer Brian McNamee supplied the government with.

One thing that remains a question is why the list was so incomplete excluding some other big names which baseball fans would’ve expected to be on it.

A few which come to mind are Brady Anderson, Sammy Sosa, Luis Gonzalez, Jim Edmonds and former Met catcher Mike Piazza.

I like Piazza and was glad to not see his name on the list but does that mean he didn’t at some point juice? He did play for the Dodgers and there were quite a few names from some of their teams on the list including Gary Sheffield and Kevin Brown.

Unless some more extensive investigations are done, there’s really no way of knowing whether the other players we listed used performance enhancers to gain competitive edges. 

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see if anyone else is named in the future.

Jose Canseco was on hand and couldn’t believe Alex Rodriguez wasn’t on the list. God forbid. He’s supposed to be coming out with a new book. Who knows what the nature of that will be?

But the first ever 40/40 man who made no secret that he was a steroids user and abuser now looks very credible despite all the vehement denials by former teammates he accused in his Juiced book a few years ago.

We’re sure there will be more insanity and fallout from Thursday. Stay tuned.