Selig extension? Can't say this was a surprise

Roger Clemens is feeling the heat.

Giants GM Brian Sabean might be in trouble.

Rafael Palmeiro has disappeared.

Every trainer who has worked the last 20 years in baseball is terrified.

Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds are considered filthy until proven otherwise.

San Francisco owner Peter McGowan is worried.

Clubhouse guys barely making rent are wondering if they'll go to jail someday.

And players association boss Don Fehr is a pariah.

So naturally, Commissioner Bud Selig, who has yet to fully and unconditionally take responsibility for the Steroids Era, the most corrupt period in 132 years of organized baseball, gets a contract extension through 2012.

That's how much baseball owners care about Congress, the Mitchell Report or drugs in baseball.

Or that Selig refuses to adopt truly independent testing that would remove any hint of loopholes or a cover-up.

Or that Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican, called on Selig to resign.

Or that Congresswoman Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, described the game Tuesday as "rooted in cheating for profit,'' adding, "It's my opinion we're here in the middle of a criminal conspiracy that defrauded millions of baseball fans of billions of dollars.

"The more home runs hit, the more fans in the seats, the more money for owners' pockets and bigger salaries for players. Major League Baseball is filled with law breakers and co-conspirators who ignored the problem and actively fueled the problem.''

That's on the one hand.

On the other is record attendance and revenues, which topped $6 billion in 2007.

So baseball owners do what they always do, which is shut their eyes and fill their coffers.

And Selig, who reportedly has earned somewhere in the neighborhood of $60 million the last 10 years -- since he became permanent commissioner July 10, 1998, in the heat of the Sosa-McGwire Home Run Derby -- just laughs off the criticism and cashes huge checks.

Rather than scoff, we ought to admire Selig and ask him to run NASA.

Maybe then he will share with us his secret formula, and we can coat the Space Shuttle with whatever Selig uses to paint himself when he leaves the house each day.

Art Vandelay-ing

Upon learning that Eli Manning is a huge "Seinfeld'' fan, the Fox affiliate in Green Bay pulled the scheduled Saturday evening rerun and replaced it with -- we assume -- Super Bowl I and II highlights.

When Manning heard the news, he told Brett Favre that he had no hard feelings because, "It's not you, it's me.''

To which Favre replied, "You're giving me the, 'It's not you, it's me' routine? I invented 'It's not you, it's me.' Nobody tells me it's them, not me. If it's anybody, it's me!''

Ivan Boldirev-ing

You have to give GM Dale Tallon credit for looking out for his kids.

He told me he was surprised that one of his top young prospects, Troy Brouwer, could read a quote from his coach in the paper that said "his skating has got to get better.''

While true, anyone who understands hockey knows it's unnecessary and unheard of to embarrass a kid in public as he's being sent down.

"It's been taken care of. I've talked to all the parties involved,'' Tallon said Thursday. "We're going to move forward and make sure we don't do that kind of thing again.

"We care very much about our young guys.''

Bench press

Last Friday against Minnesota, Dustin Byfuglien committed a particularly bad turnover midway through the second period that led to the go-ahead goal and was benched.

In the same game, Wild defenseman Brent Burns, similar to Byfuglien in many ways, committed an ugly turnover that led to the Hawks' first goal by Brent Sopel.

If you were watching that game closely, you noticed Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire put Burns directly back on the ice and resisted the urge to rip Burns after the game.

Who's to say Lemaire's philosophy is right? Maybe he's nuts.

Just interesting to view the approach of a guy who won a Stanley Cup as a coach, two Jack Adams awards, has 482 career wins and is nearing the top 10 all time.

Craig Adams

Solid addition for the Hawks of a good character guy in a room that has been too young and lacking quality, veteran direction.

The quote

Derek Jeter to Fox Sports on Alex Rodriguez: "Last season was the best season I've seen a player have at any point at any time."

Hardware show

David Thomas of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, on Dallas' Greg Ellis winning Comeback Player of the Year: "Runner-up was Patriots receiver Randy Moss, who had 23 touchdowns after recovering from a severe case of not wanting to play for the Raiders."

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Marginal prospect declares early for NFL draft, welfare.''

And finally …

Comedian Alex Kaseberg on Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo: "Come on, the only way Jessica could ruin a game for the Cowboys is if she was in charge of adding up their points.''

brozner@dailyherald.com