THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

It’s always the cover-up that gets them.

If any congressman was going to be caught doing something like this, he’s the one I would have put money on.  Well, him or John Boehner.

I thought his apology was terrible. He says he loves his wife, he’s responsible and that he was a victim in the same apology. Lame.

Weiners reactions seems to be a typical reaction. Most people would behave in the same way. In Germany we had our minister of defense acting the same way, when allegations came out about plagiarism in his doctor thesis. Once they deny, they feel oblieged to continue to deny, making things worse. In the minsiters case, he had to retire, maily because of the lies after the accusations.

Fred/3 was marked for moderation and is now open.

Actually Hammer/4, I have the opposite take.  I find it fascinating to watch how people react to these things, and I think there are enormous differences.  Let’s assume all of the people I refer to below are guilty of the PED “crimes” they are accused of, and that they all are aware that they’ve intentionally committed those crimes.

Matt Lawton (and Andy Pettitte) admits immediately and apologizes.
Jason Giambi dodges questions for a bit and then apologizes in some vague general sense.
Mark McGwire does not apologize but states he is “not here to talk about the past”.
Manny Ramirez says nothing.
Lance Armstrong says he’s never failed a drug test.
Barry Bonds says he didn’t know he was taking steroids.
Alex Rodriguez initially denies the accusations but later (years later) admits after further evidence is presented.
Roger Clemens denies accusations and goes to the point of suing his accuser, a former friend.

It’s fascinating, to me, the different approaches people take when they are caught.

What’s even more fascinating is that these are people who have knowingly cheated (again, my supposition)… and yet many of them cannot bring themselves to lie about it.  Giambi, for example, and even Armstrong.  In my opinion, both of them know full well that they’ve cheated, but they’re unwilling to lie about it, knowing that one day they could be proven liars as well.  It’s like they could handle being labeled cheaters, but not liars.  Weiner was the same way.