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| Athletics and Valentines day may not mix |
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| A romantic chili dog dinner and a ballgame - that's a sports reporter's life |
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I'm sure that all of you who have spouses or significant others are aware that yesterday was Valentine's Day.
We are bombarded with sales ideas for the perfect gift to show our love and affection, and I'm sure that any of you that have forgotten to at least get your wife a card know the dangers of ignoring such a romantic day.
Well, I thought that all of you who took your wives out for romantic, candlelight dinners would like to know how sports writers get to celebrate.
Wednesday night I left a card on my wife's favorite chair in the living room and went to bed. When I got up Thursday morning Karlene was long gone for work. Since I had the privilege of covering the Crook County girls basketball game in Madras we had an exciting, romantic chili dog dinner at home and I left for the game.
Tonight when I probably should be making up for last night, I get to go cover the boys' home basketball game against the White Buffaloes which begins at 7 p.m.
I know, for all you women out there I'm not doing well so far, but I'm making up for it this weekend. We are going to Portland for a romantic weekend for two. Well sort of. Actually we are going to the state wrestling tournament so that I can cover it, but at least we will be together for the ride up and back and during some of the breaks in the action.
You know the thing is, I'm actually having a fairly good Valentine's Day compared to some others in the world of sports. Yesterday Jacques Villeneuve caused a wreck at Daytona International Speedway that took several people, including himself, out of this Sunday's Daytona 500. Former champions Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliot also failed to qualify.
Imagine the wonderful Valentine's Day they all had. But even they have had a good week compared to Roger Clemens. Clemens spent much of the week testifying before a congressional committee about his alleged steroid and human growth hormone use. Clemens has denied everything, but things are not looking well for him. Over the course of the week his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, has insisted that he injected Clemens with both steroids and HGH. Clemens insists that he is lying, but the other people that McNamee says he injected have all admitted that he is telling the truth about them. This includes Clemens' wife who this week submitted a sworn affidavit that McNamee had indeed injected her with HGH. Even Clemens' best friend, fellow pitcher, Andy Petite, says that Clemens did it.
Bend cyclist Chris Horner is also not having an especially good week. This week he learned that after his best performance ever in last year's Tour de France he will not be allowed to participate this year because of past incidents of doping by the team he rides for. Horner himself has never been accused of any wrongdoing, but is still excluded because the entire Astana team that he rides for has been removed from the race.
So you see, all in all, I'm not doing so badly this Valentine's week after all. No wrecks, no testimony before congress, and the only drugs I'm on are my blood pressure medication. Apparently in the world of sports that's a pretty good week. Happy Valentine's Day. |
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