Double Your Standards...

Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star had an interesting observation over at Foxsports.com. I confess that I have had similar thoughts, and my faith in human nature has taken a small tick upward since I saw that someone else through the same thing:

White folks can't wait to forgive Clemens. All he needed to do was offer the same kind of half-hearted apology Jason Giambi gave. A momentary show of contrition and the steroid witch hunters would've returned to their primary mission of tar and feathering Barry Bonds.

Right now, the masses are upset with Clemens because he's turned attention away from Bonds by claiming innocence and glad-handing congressmen. The witch hunters never wanted to burn Clemens at a stake.

You never heard them talk about Clemens' hat size, muscle growth, physique change and career resurrection with the kind of passion and righteous indignation they discussed Bonds. No, Clemens and McNamee were celebrated for their work ethic. For years we've been shown pictures of a 21-year-old Bonds juxtaposed against the 40-year-old Bonds. This is supposed to be undeniable proof that Barry did steroids. I've never seen one ESPN show do a similar picture graphic of Clemens.

By the way, Mr. Whitlock happens to be a gentleman of African-American persuasion. So my faith in human nature will probably take a large tick downward when the inevitable response from a certain segment of our society comes forth. That won't make his observation any less true, though...