Jim Rome Clone Report by Greg in Sun Valley

Summary of today's Jim Rome Show

Mark McGuire

   The former major leaguer and former single season home run record holder admitted to using steroids over a ten year period. He did a sit down interview with Bob Costas.

This topic took up a majority of today's show.

Jim first compared McGuire's interview with Bob Costas with his testimony before Congress in 2005. Jim said, "...Back in '05, that was a disastrous day for McGuire. Yesterday was not. On the Hill he said nothing. He owned nothing...So that day was a disaster. Yesterday wasn't ...Yesterday he mostly...mostly came clean. He admitted to doing 'roids on and off for a decade. He apologized for it. He seemed to mean it, and was obviously torn up, about what I'm still not really sure. But I don't think those were crocodile tears...and as 'roid admissions go, he went much further than anybody else who had copped to it before him, and did so of his own free will. There was not a leaked positive drug test that put him in that chair. The National Enquirer didn't have the goods on him...He put himself in the crosshairs, for one full hour on live television, with a tough and credible interviewer, and no conditions attached. Credit for that.
   Jim added, "I was also disappointed in a lot of what he was selling...much of the goodwill that he gained by coming foward was negated by his insistence that 'roids did not enhance his performance...that the only reason he did was to recover more quickly from injury.

E mails

E mails were going against McGuire. Much of the audience was upset. A portion of Ugly Bob's E mail:

"Mark McGuire came off looking like a total candy ass. He's a grown man and he cried like Alvin...Own it and move on. Don't cry like a little child. It's over and done so don't talk about how much you regret it. Just own it. Words to live by."

Jim responded in part, "...I think the guy felt some real anguish. I think that he's been carrying this burden...We want to see some contrition, by the way. What you don't want is to own THAT and move on. That's not just something you own and move on."

Interviews

Goose Gossage (Hall of Fame Pitcher)
  He said Mark was one of the greatest teammates he ever had. Goose went on, "...Time will tell, Jim, what's going to happen and how he's perceived by the public, by teammates, by guys that didn't cheat...but you've got to start somewhere." Rome asked about McGuire's claim that he would have hit all his home runs without steroids. Goose responded, "Then why did he do it?...That doesn't hold much water with me." And later, "The bottom line is, Jim, it's cheating. And Henry Aaron didn't have that opportunity..."

Tom Verducci (CNNsi writer)
   He agreed that the McGuire interview was riveting and fascinating TV. Tom wondered why Mark McGuire was so anguished if he did steroids for health reasons. Tom surmised that Mark really thinks steroids didn't enhance his performance but stated he should come to grips with that fact. Jim asked Tom's opinion of why McGuire did this interview now. Tom guessed that it was because McGuire wants to get back into baseball and knew this would be necessary first. Tom did not think the interview was done as a play to get into the Hall of Fame.


Scott Service

   The former major leaguer called in himself and ask Jim ,"What are you doing?"
Jim calmed him down. Scott went on to defend Mark McGuire and tried to back the claim that McGuire would have hit just as many home runs without steroids.

Text Contest

There was not text contest today. Jim did read an E mail from Vic in NoCal that basically thrashed Scott Service.


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