Dickie V. was personally responsible for what I think was the single worst transaction (it wasn't really a trade) in NBA history. And the resurrection of the Boston Celtics franchise.

What happened was this: In those days, NBA free agent signings led to compensation to be decided by the commissioner. The Celtics signed ML Carr from the Pistons, meaning the Pistons were entitled to compensation.

Meanwhile, in Boston, John Y. Brown, co-owner of the Celtics, had acquired Bob McAdoo from the Knicks in one of the worst "chemistry" trades in history. It was clear that Red Auerbach hated McAdoo and all he stood for, and was in fact contemplating leaving Boston for the Knicks just to get away from him.

Then he had his stroke of genius, otherwise known as "seeing who the sucker in the room was." And the sucker of course was Dickie V.

Would Dickie V. like to include Bob McAdoo in a negotiated compensation package?

Even though the Pistons had Bob Lanier, whose attitude toward playing with McAdoo was only marginally more favorable than Auerbach's, Dickie V.'s eyes lit up, bay-bee.

And of course, since Carr was nowhere near the player McAdoo was (he's a perennial All-Star!), the Pistons would have to send over some draft choices, right?

So they did.

Carr becomes a key cog in three championship teams for the Celtics. McAdoo and Lanier get along like nitro and glycerine. Dickie V. gets fired.

But the best part is that one of the draft choices turns out to be the first choice in the draft, and Auerbach is not done. The "number one" player in college that year is Joe Barry Carroll, about whom Red was as happy to have as Bob McAdoo. So he convinces the Golden State Warriors to take his number one, trade it for the number three pick, with which he picks Kevin McHale (whom he would have taken with the no. 1 of course), and have the Warriors toss in Robert Parrish.

Dickie V. was as good a college coach as a pro coach. His last University of Detroit team featured five players who would have fairly decent NBA careers, including Terry Duerod, Terry Tyler and John Long. He didn't win squat with them either.

The remarkable thing about campaign contributions is how little it takes to win the vote of a U.S. Senator. Not life-changing amounts, not eensy-bitsy amounts compared to the value of immunity to the telecoms (or the amount poor Qwest forewent in not cooperating). No better bang for the buck is available.

It isn't Barry Bonds' trainer, it's Pete Rose's hangers-on. All those errand boys and sycophants and ass-kissers, united by their willingness to do Rose's bidding, take care of his needs and polish his apples. They were all, as Rose's defenders said for years, a bunch of liars, cheaters and lawbreakers.

They had one other thing in common: about Rose, they told the truth.

Between Clemens and McNamee, the real difference is that essentially none of Clemens' story has held up: injecting Lidocaine, injecting B-12, never discussing HGH with Pettitte, you name it. While McNamee's story has been bolstered in unexpected ways. The Congressmen aren't exactly Perry Mason (but they play him on TV), but based on one day's testimony, I'd say it's advantage McNamee.