Are you ready for a circus?

That's precisely what it's going to be like at the Congressional hearings in Washington, DC later this morning, when Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee are grilled by Congressional members on Capitol Hill. It's going to be an absolute train wreck of a day, that we're in for, a surreal atmosphere, and what will be looked back on, as a very ugly episode in baseball's long and storied history, a game that used to be America's Past Time. What is it now? Hard to say, but this whole story has not, and is not going away any time soon, and more closely resembles General Hospital, or your favorite daytime Soap Opera, than a professional sport, at the moment.

Clearly, Roger Clemens and his legal team, led by the combative Rusty Hardin, are on the defensive, and must come out swinging, if they want any chance to sway the public opinion to his side, and more importantly, to keep him out of jail, for possibly commiting perjury. The revelation of what Andy Pettite allegedly said in his deposition to Congress about Roger talking about using HGH in 1999 or 2000, could potentially be a damaging blow to his case, and one of many pieces of circumstancial evidence, that will be hard for Clemens to overcome.

He will have to explain away all of these things, and it will very tough for Roger, who is a very tough minded Texan, to not crack, and wilt under the pressure. He will have to keep his emotions in check, he must stay calm under the adversity of what is sure to be a long, and trying day, and he has to tell his side of the story in a very clear fashion, in order to stem the tide, of what is continuing to look like a long uphill climb for the Rocket.

He has won many hard fought battles over the course of his historically great Hall of Fame Career, but this is a different type of game he is playing, than when he is staring at a batter 90 feet away, with a 3-2 count, and the bases loaded. In this contest, he has to clear his name, protect his legacy and his livelihood, in order to avoid being put behind bars. It is quite ironic and eeerie that the damaging evidence in this case comes directly from his longtime trainer and good friend, Brian Mcnamee, and perhaps his best friend in the baseball world and longtime pitching rotation teammate, Andy Pettite.

How does the saying go? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. In this case, his close friends have become his bitter enemies, in a case that may wind up permanetely tarnishing what was not just a good name in baseball, but one of the great baseball legends in the history of the game. This morning's hearing could go a long way toward determining, if that comes to pass. A lot is at stake for Roger Clemens. That is why everyone will be glued to the set, to see exactly what happens, in that court room.