Mike Wallace can inspire deep-seated terror when he strolls into a corporate office with a camera crew. But he was the WRONG choice to let accused steroid-pumper Roger Clemens have his say on 60 Minutes.
Note these observations from the Sports Illustrated website:
Where Wallace came up short was in not pressing Clemens. He did not follow up on why McNamee injected Clemens with Lidocaine, and B12. Most glaringly, he did not press Clemens about his longtime friend Andy Pettitte, who validated McNamee's account regarding Pettitte's growth-hormone use. "Why would Brian McNamee tell the truth about Andy Pettitte and lie about you? Wallace asked. "Andy's case is totally separate," said Clemens. "I was shocked to learn about Andy's situation. Had no idea about it."There was no follow-up question, and there needed to be. Clemens has long claimed Pettitte as the Tonto to his Lone Ranger, a relationship not fully explained to viewers on Sunday. To characterize Wallace as sympathetic to Clemens would be unfair, but there was a clear distinction between he and Logan in terms of aggressiveness. (CBS declined to make Wallace available to SI.com after Sunday's broadcast.)
Clemens will likely be testifying before Congress on January 16. If so, it will be worth watching. Buddy Mike Wallace went easy on him. Congress probably won't. He can either clam up and take the fifth, or he can repeat under oath what he said last Sunday night.
If he does, then he puts himself in the same position as Barry Bonds, i.e. liable for perjury if he lies.
Baseball, what are you going to do about the fetid stench that cheating members in good standing of your Player's Union have caused?
