Wednesday, February 11, 2009

What have you done for us lately?

In 2006, when a certain former Houston Astros pitcher gave $3 million to Memorial Hermann to help build the Texas hospital’s sports medicine clinic, the facility was named the Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine.

At the time, the pitcher in question said, “Throughout my professional career and my life with Debbie and our four sons, I’ve tried to promote the importance of family, good health and fitness.”

What a difference a couple of years, a steroid accusation, a catastrophic appearance before Congress, and — oh — news of a dalliance with a young Country-Western singer, can make.

In December, the hospital announced Clemens’ name was being dropped from the clinic. If you’re wondering, yes, apparently they’re keeping the money.

The University of Miami also is keeping some money — in this case, cash received from one Alex Rodriguez for the renovation of its ball yard, Mark Light Field. The diamond’s rededication and renaming — you’ll never guess what they’re going to call it — is set for Saturday — one week after A-Rod was revealed as a steroid cheat and a liar.

Why the renaming? Let’s just say there are 3.9 million reasons for it. So, goodbye, Mark Light Field; hello, Alex Rodriguez Park.

Despite the steroid news, Miami has no plans to cancel the dedication or the name change. For the life of me, I’m not sure if that makes the U more dishonorable than Memorial Hermann or less.

But back to Mark Light Field. According to hurricanesports.com, in 1974 the then-state-of-the-art field was built with money from a Hurricane booster named George Light, and the field was named after Light’s son, who died of muscular dystrophy.

But that was then and this is now. George Light and his son are both gone, A-Rod and his money are here.

Hmmm … I think I just answered my own question about dishonor.

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