THANKS JOSE by ST

Not sure if my title is sarcastic or accurrate. When Jose Canseco released his tell all book back in 2005 I recall the consensus that he had an axe to grind, was kind of an a-hole and had no credibility. Turns out the freaking publication was dead on the screws, blew the lid off the steroid mess and we actually owe the guy a debt of gratitude. That said, for years he was a liar and a cheater. Those facts don't change. What's different is we now have to deal with these kinds of people in a new manner. If you ever watch "Law & Order", it's commonplace for the defense to call out a prosecution witness with either a criminal history or a past filled with lies. Now we see it doesn't mean they're not telling the truth now. That brings us to cycling's Tyler Hamilton who has handed in his 2004 Olympic Gold medal on the heels of a revealing interview with 60 Minutes. He's called out Lance Armstrong for doping. It's the ultimate dilemma. Do we believe a confessed liar and cheat? Do we see Lance as pretty much the only clean successful rider of his generation? Have the athletes lost the benefit of the doubt? Pretty tough questions. Heck, Pete Rose lied for nearly 2 decades about betting on baseball until it was time to sell a book. In 2028 will Armstrong make a confession prior to the release of "Lie-Strong": How Juicing Helped Me Raise Money and Awareness about Cancer"?
On yesterday's(Thur) show I talked about the difference between the stud young point guards, Derrick Rose of the Bulls and the Thunder's Russell Westbrook. I felt Rose had that calm and maturity about him while Westbrook seems to have a lot of growing up to do. He seemed to be adamant about remaining in attack mode despite the potential damage. Call it an element of cement headedness. It exploded last night and coach Scotty Brooks sat him for the entire 4th quarter. His jawing at Brooks is completely unaccpetable and immature. Right now, though the same age(22), Rose seems miles ahead as far as leadership, poise and demeanor.
We're off early due to Oregon Baseball. Have a nice weekend.