[Bond]

Well, apparently McGwire isn't really admitting even that much (from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel):

I don't know if you saw the Mark McGwire interview with Bob Costas on the MLB Network, but baseball "insider" Ken Rosenthal had this analysis of it: "He blew it."

I have to agree.

Totally suspending belief, McGwire reiterated several times to Costas that he considered his steroid use to only help in recovering from injuries, not to enhance performance or boost his strength.

"I was given the gift to hit home runs," said McGwire. "The only reason I took steriods was for health purposes. I got no power benefit. I did not take this for any strength purposes."

Costas, who certainly knows better, gave McGwire several opportunities to backtrack and clarify that stance, but he refused to do so. Thus, as much credit as you want to give him for coming forward with the steroid admission, you take away points for McGwire's insistance that it didn't help him hit more homers.

Asked point-blank by Costas if he could have hit the 70 home runs in 1998 without steroid use, McGwire replied, "Absolutely."

Really? Does McGwire actually believe that? You have to hope that he doesn't actually believe that. You have to hope that this is merely as far as he's willing to go at present with his admission. The guy can't be that stupid.

Laughable.