Clemens issues steroid denial via video

Roger Clemens posted a video yesterday repeating his denials of the steroids use alleged against him in the Mitchell Report and said he will be interviewed for a future episode of "60 Minutes." The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was accused in the report of using steroids, an allegation made by his former trainer. In October last year, the Los Angeles Times reported Clemens was linked to steroids in the May 2006 sworn statement of a federal agent who cited former big league pitcher Jason Grimsley. At the time, the names of players in the public version had been blacked out. When the full affidavit was unsealed Thursday, Clemens's name was not in it, and the paper issued a correction and an apology. "I faced this last year when the L.A. Times reported that I used steroids. I said it was not true then, and now the whole world knows it's not true, now that that's come out," Clemens said in the video, which was posted on rogerclemensonline.com and on YouTube. George Mitchell, a director of the Red Sox and a former Senate majority leader, wrote in his report that former Toronto and New York Yankees strength coach Brian McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids in 1998 while with the Blue Jays, and in 2000 and 2001 while with the Yankees. McNamee also claimed he injected Clemens with human growth hormone in 2000. "Let me be clear, the answer is no. I did not use steroids, or human growth hormone and I've never done so," Clemens said. "I did not provide Brian McNamee with any drugs to inject in to my body. Brian McNamee did not inject steroids or human growth hormones into my body either when I played in Toronto for the Blue Jays or the New York Yankees. This report is simply not true." While Clemens has released a written and video statement since Mitchell issued his report Dec. 13, he has not answered questions. "After Christmas, I'm going to sit down with Mike Wallace of '60 Minutes,' and I'll do an interview, and he'll ask me a ton of questions on this subject, and I'll answer them right there in front of him, and we'll do all of this again," Clemens said.

Outfielder So Taguchi, who hit .290 for St. Louis last season, signed a one-year contract with the Phillies. The 38-year-old Taguchi led all National League pinch hitters with a .406 (13 for 32) batting average. Taguchi played all three outfield positions for St. Louis in 2007, starting 41 times in center field, 21 times in left field, and twice in right. As a member of the World Series champion Cardinals in 2006, Taguchi hit .400 (6 for 15) with two home runs and four RBIs in the playoffs.

Gary Pinkel, who helped lead long-suffering Missouri into college football's elite this year, will receive a $550,000 annual raise, boosting his guaranteed compensation to $1.85 million a year. The Tigers' coach also gets a one-year extension through 2012. Late last season, he was given a $225,000 raise and three-year extension. The announcement comes as No. 7 Missouri (11-2) prepares to face No. 25 Arkansas (8-4) in the Cotton Bowl Jan. 1 in Dallas. Pinkel, 55, is in his seventh season at Missouri, which won the most regular-season games in school history and was briefly ranked No. 1 in both the AP poll and BCS standings before losing the Big 12 Conference title game to Oklahoma in early December. He is 48-37 at Missouri and 121-74-3 in 17 seasons overall . . . Florida State assistant Jimbo Fisher said he will be staying at the school, ending speculation he might become the next coach at West Virginia. "I know media reports are circulating regarding the possibility of West Virginia's head coaching position. I am a native of West Virginia and I love the state, but I want to make clear that I am staying at Florida State," Fisher said in a statement released through the university. The 42-year-old offensive coordinator said he would follow Bobby Bowden as head coach at Florida State in a news conference Dec. 10, when Bowden's contract was extended for one year. Bowden's contract allows him to decide on his coaching future on a yearly basis.

Julio Baptista scored a wonder goal and Real Madrid won, 1-0, at traditional rival Barcelona to move seven points clear in the Spanish League title race. Baptista swapped passes with Ruud van Nistelrooy before driving the ball high into the top corner of the net in the 36th minute. Madrid's third victory at Barcelona in 24 years stretched the defending champion's lead over second-place Barcelona from four to seven points going into the midseason break. Inter Milan punished a blunder by AC Milan goalkeeper Dida to beat its neighbor, 2-1, in Rome and remain seven points ahead in the Italian League title race. In the 63d minute, Milan defender Paolo Maldini's poor clearance went straight to Esteban Cambiasso. The Inter forward mistimed his shot, but Dida dived too far across goal and the ball rolled past him for the winner . . . Cristiano Ronaldo beat former teammate Tim Howard from the penalty spot with two minutes to go and Manchester United edged Everton, 2-1, in London to cut Arsenal's Premier League standings advantage to one point.

Austria's Thomas Morgenstern failed to win a record seventh straight event in World Cup ski jumping after finishing third at Engelberg, Switzerland. The Olympic champion was beaten by Andreas Kuettel of Switzerland, who won with jumps of 125.5 and 136 meters in the large hill for 252.7 points. Austria's Gregor Schlierenzauer was second with 248.9 points after jumps of 124.5 and 136. Morgenstern was third with 124.5 and 135 meters for 246.6 points, ending his bid to break the record for most consecutive victories. Going into the two-day meet, Morgenstern had already become the first skier to post five straight victories to start a season - and he extended his streak to six in Engelberg Saturday. Morgenstern leads the overall World Cup standings with 660 points . . . Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Hank Egan had bypass surgery Saturday morning, and coach Mike Brown said there is no timetable for Egan's return to the team. Brown said he has spoken with team doctors about the surgery, which was performed at Fairview Hospital in suburban Cleveland. Egan, 70, has been in coaching for nearly 40 years, including the last three as an assistant with the Cavs . . . The Northeastern men's basketball team announced it has signed another recruit for the current season, 6-foot-9-inch forward Vinny Lima. Lima, who is from Sao Vincent in the Republic of Cape Verde, has enrolled in classes for the upcoming semester and will be eligible to compete for the Huskies beginning with their Jan. 12 game at George Mason.