The Sports Truth

Gary Matthews Jr. apologized to the Los Angeles Angels for causing a distraction to the team during spring training.

Well, his agent did at least.

Matthews allegedly was sent human growth hormone in 2004 from a pharmacy that’s part of a widespread steroid investigation, and Angels owner Arte Moreno has asked Matthews to publicly address the issue, a stance baseball commissioner Bud Selig backed Saturday.

“Gary regrets the distraction this story has caused the Angels front office, the manager and his staff, teammates and fans,” Matthews’ agent, Scott Leventhal, said in a statement. “However, given the ongoing investigation, he simply cannot discuss the matter until appropriate to do so. Gary sincerely apologizes for this distraction and is determined to resolve this issue in a timely manner.”

That sounds sincere. An apology for causing a distraction - not for illegally taking performance enhancing drugs - read by your agent is sure to quell the issue.

We don’t claim to be legal minds here at The Sports Truth … but if you didn’t take HGH, and your name is connected with taking HGH, we’re pretty sure you’re allowed to come out and say you didn’t take HGH.

In related news, Barry Bonds recently invited Matthews over for brunch.

Former NBA player John Amaechi became the first openly gay male athlete to sign an endorsement deal with a mainstream company.

HeadBlade Inc., creators of a popular head-shaving razor, announced Monday it had signed Amaechi to a multiyear deal. Financial terms were undisclosed.

“I think it’s fantastic that HeadBlade has approached me to endorse the brand,” said Amaechi in a statement.

Amaechi became the first NBA player to acknowledge his homosexuality with the release of his memoir, Man in the Middle in February. The book is currently on The New York Times Best Seller List.

Concern about endorsement deals is one reason some male athletes stay in the closet during their careers.

“John Amaechi is the newest face of the brand because he embodies many of the qualities representative of a HeadBlader,” HeadBlade chief executive Todd Greene said. “He is a man comfortable in his own skin and he’s not afraid to go against the grain.”

Here’s to hoping Amaechi sends a free razor to fellow former player and bald homophobe, Tim Hardaway …

Isiah Thomas has shown “significant and evident progress” as coach of the Knicks this season, says Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan.

As a result, the worst executive in the history of team sports received a multi-year extension today. After all, his team does possess the 8th best record in the most pathetic conference the world of athletic has ever seen.

New York is 29-34, having already surpassed last season’s victory total, sure,; but perhaps the bar should be set a little higher than 23-59 regardless of who is coaching. David Lee has emerged as an exciting sixth man and Eddie Curry is actually a feared post presence - but might Dolan be drinking from the poisonous Isiah Kool-Aid a bit too soon?

“I think every player has done well under Isiah,” Dolan said. “I think we have a great future.”

Compared to what? John Kerry in the White House?

Putting aside the seasons of Lee and Curry, Thomas has benefitted from injury good fortune this year. Quentin Richardson, Steve Francis and Jamal Crawford have all missed significant periods of time, shortening the rotation and removing the difficulities of finding floor space for players who occupy the same roles on the court.

Meanwhile, in case we didn’t emphasize it enough earlier, the Eastern Conference is a joke. Toronto sits in first place in the Atlantic Division … by five games … with a record of 34-29. This is the same team that had the first overall draft pick a few months ago and would be fighting for its playoff life in the West.

Why didn’t Dolan at least wait until after the season to reward Thomas? Why didn’t the fact that he instigated the brawl with Denver play any role in this decision? Why can’t Isiah at least be stripped of his general manager duties?

We’ll probably never receive any of these answers. But Knicks fans will be treated to first round playoff exits for years to come.

JaMarcus Rusell is a big, strong, athletic quarterback. Scouts compare him to Daunte Culpepper.

Of course, the last time we checked, Culpepper had lost his starting job in Miami to the immortal Joey Harrington.

We know Daunte was still recovering from a knee injury, but his only true talent during his glory years in Minnesota was throwing the ball high in the air and watching Randy Moss come down with it. True, Moss is now in Oakland, a potential target for Russell. But he stopped caring about football about three years.

First Round Quarterback Busts

More than any other position in pro sports, quarterback has seen its share of busts. Especially at the top of the draft. Need we remind San Diego fans of Ryan Leaf? Or those in Seattle of Rick Mirer? What about Akili Smith, Heath Shuler … the list goes on and on.

We know Al Davis is concerned solely with the allure of a big arm and deep passing attack, but maybe he should take a look around the league to see how the top teams have been built. Indianapolis, granted, made the right decision in drafting Peyton Manning first. He’s really good.

But the Patriots’ starting QB was a sixth round pick and that club is known for stock-piling draft picks. The Bears rely on a strong defense. San Diego actually traded out of the top pick in order to draft a supposedly lesser quarterback later on. And just how is Philip Rivers doing these days?

Bottom line: As important as a good quarterback is to a team, one is also easy to find later on in the draft. The most consistent teams are built around a sturdy offensive line (and Wisconsin tackle, Joe Thomas, is as solid a prospect as the league has seen in years) or defensive line.

But if Oakland must select a signal caller, it shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Brady Quinn. He actually played in a pro offense in college - but he hasn’t won the big game, critics claim. Know the last college QB they claimed that about?

Peyton Manning.

Chelsea will play an exhibition game at the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 21 - and it could be the first game for David Beckham on his new team.

As part of an exhibition tournament called the World Series of Football (that’s what they call soccer in other, less intelligent parts of the world) Chelsea will play South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings on July 17 during a doubleheader that has the Galaxy meeting Mexico’s Tigres. The Bluewings will play Tigres on July 21.

Of course, Beckham’s knee injury makes this harder to predict. His wife’s large boobs, however, make the story of him coming to the States at least somewhat interesting.

Celebrities love their sports. Just look at George Clooney trying to throw a football.

Eva Longoria probably wishes she could. Instead, she’s stuck sitting courtside as the Kings’ mascot tries to steal her heart away from fiance Tony Parker. But it was a bad night all around for Sacramento: The Spurs prevailed.

And Parker probably got to have sex with Longoria.

We find this interesting:

John Amaechi simply says that he’s gay and it’s the topic of the sports world for weeks on end.

But LSU Women’s Coach, Pokey Chatman, has just resigned due to a rumored past relationship with a player - and we bet it’s off the front page before the weekend is over.

Louisiana State University, sources said, learned of the relationship from an employee within the basketball program. It was unclear when the alleged improper conduct took place - but it’s not unclear just how improper this conduct was.

Just imagine if it had been a male coach and a female player. The coach would be endlessly lambasted and shamed … as he should be. But who wants to wager that the name “Pokey Chatman” is forgotten about in the sports lexicon within days. And why is that?

Because lesbian relationships are somehow seen as less sordid? Because Chatman didn’t take advantage of this young woman, simply because they share the same gender? Chatman is 37 years old. It’s unknown when this relationship took place, but it’s safe to assume that the age difference was around 20 years.

LSU athletic director Skip Bertman told The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, which first reported Chatman’s alleged misconduct with one or more players Thursday on its website, that no formal inquiry into Chatman’s conduct had been opened by the university. Bertman did acknowledge, though, that an informal investigation “might have happened.”

“The girl did what she did and LSU had no control over that,” Bertman said, referring to Chatman.

Maybe not. But referring to Chatman as a “girl” underscores my point. The incident is being written off as harmless, swept under the proverbial rug, because it was a woman seducing a younger, impressionable woman.

Would the response be so tepid of a man slept with one of his players?

The NFL Draft is coming up in April. And while few experts expect the Patriots to select an offensive lineman, it’s obvious Tom Brady needs more protection at this point.

After all, the hunk of a quarterback has already knocked up ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynhan - and rumors are swiring that he’s actually done it again with new gal pal, Gisele Bundchen. Bill Belichick may wanna send in Vinny Testaverde for a few snaps.

He’s so old, there’s probably no fear that his sexual passes can be completed anymore … if you know what we mean!

Still, there are worse things in the world than fathering a pair of babies with beautiful women. Like just being Kobe Bryant.

Anyway, if Brady is looking to impregnate more women than he as Super Bowl trophies, we wonder who’s next. Maria Sharapova is over 18 now, Tom. We’re just sayin.

Philip Rivers is known as a young, Pro Bowl quarterback.

George Clooney is known as a middle-aged Hollywood hunk.

But these gentlemen may have more in common than you realized. Rivers has the most unorthodox throwing motion in the league - while Clooney is attempting to portray a quarterback in the upcoming movie, Leatherheads.

Who would you rather barking out signals to your team?

We’re not even referring to the cheating, sexually assaulting Kobe Bryant. He probably never left.

But the second suspension of the Lakers star guard in a few weeks for the same flailing elbow at least proves that the self-centered, ego-tastic player is back. But there’s a good chance he never went anywhere, either.

All season, Kobe has been touted as a new team player, someone who actually cares more about winning than individual statistics. We never bought it in the first place - but let’s review his two recent, illegal instances and see why the selfish label should never have been removed.

Each took place in the closing minute of a tight game: San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili blocked Bryant’s game-winning attempt before the Spurs knocked off Los Angeles in overtime last month; and then Marko Jaric defended Kobe’s shot to give the Lakers a lead over Minnesota earlier this week.

Both times, Shaq’s former running buddy followed through with an elbow to the face of his opponent.

Did Kobe mean to injure either player? Probably not. But was he so aghast that someone dared to challenge him, so amazed that the referee didn’t call a foul in either case, that he lashed out in a desperate maneuver to force a whistle … or at least let his defender know that he was Kobe Bryant, dammit, and who the heck were you to mess up his buzzer-beating heroics? We think so.

“I’m not in the business of reading players’ minds, I’m simply evaluating the play as a basketball play,” NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson said. “And when you take a shot and follow through, followed by driving an arm back in an aggressive manner that strikes a defender in his face, that’s what we evaluated to be a non-acceptable play.”

We’ll read Kobe’s mind for you, Stu. He’s immature and yearns for the spotlight. With the game on the line, Bryant will either try to win it by himself - or respond in anger at those that dare get in his way.

And don’t even get us started on that lame, transparent marketing ploy of changing his number to 24. You’re pathetic, Kobe.