Reality Injection: True or Not, Clemens Hot Tub Story All Too Believable

When a Web site that touted its "Checkers With Models" feature upon its debut claims an exclusive, I wonder.

Sportsimproper.com has an exclusive interview with Brian McNamee, in which McNamee alleges that Roger Clemens had him inject him with steroids in a hot tub at Yankee Stadium. Now if I had that juicy detail, I wouldn't bury it 14 paragraphs down.

But that's not the point. The point is, the incident is believable.

That's how out-of-control the steroids era was. (We're no longer in the steroids era, but don't for a minute think the era of perfomance-enhancing drugs is over.)

For a player to take steroids in the stadium, in a part of the clubhouse, is a brazen act. But at the time, eight years ago, players were using, players knew other players were using and no one was afraid of being caught -- because there was no way to be caught.

I once heard a story about 2003, the year of "survey" testing, in which if more than 5 percent of players tested positive, the testing would become permanent. One player -- a widely suspected juicer because of his sudden career surge -- took his test, walked back into the clubhouse, waved and said, "Sorry guys."

Meaning: I know I tested positive, you know I tested positive, and it's up to you guys to keep it under five percent, because I ain't stopping.

And that's how we got where we are today.

It was a time of lawlessness. And despite Major League Baseball's lack of enforcement, the use of steroids was against federal law.

Who knows how many players had the inner moral compass that favored not cheating over the tempting edge? All we know now is that there weren't enough.