Could there be a smoking gun in the Clemens/steroid case?

On Sunday my attention was wrapped around that football game in Wisconsin so I didn't notice the article in the Daily News about a 2004 meeting between Brian McNamee and Jim Murray - a representative of Clemens' agents Randy and Alan Hendricks - to discuss Roger Clemens' steroid use. The meeting supposedly took place at an Upper East Side Starbucks near Clemens' apartment.

McNamee claims that he explained, in detail, Clemens past steroid use:

"The meeting coincided with baseball's announcement of testing," said Earl Ward, McNamee's lawyer. "Brian wanted to let them know Roger had some problems. They discussed steroid use, and this was as far back as 2003 or 2004, and Murray took notes."

This is the same Jim Murray that was mentioned in the 17 minute tape that Clemens played at his press conference, when the two were discussing former Mets drug dealer clubhouse attendant, Kirk Radomski.

"I did speak ... I told your guys, man. I told Murray. I told him his name ... I told Murray."

"I asked you point blank," Clemens responds, "I said, 'Do you know who this cat is when we were working?' I said 'There's some rumblings about some guys with the Mets. Do you know who this guy is?' You told me 'no.'"

McNamee then goes on to say, "I told Jim Murray. I told Jim Murray. I told him. I told him. I sat down with him in Starbucks on the corner where you used to live, and I told him the guy's name."

If there is evident that McNamee spoke to Mr. Murray in 2004, years before the Mitchell Report, it will be very, very bad for Clemens, and his fight to save his already tattered reputation.

UPDATE: ESPN had this to say about this story on Sunday:

Rusty Hardin, Clemens' attorney, told the Times on Friday that no one from the Hendricks agency mentioned the alleged conversation between McNamee and Murray in 2004. Hardin added that the agency denied that either Hendricks brother ever received a message from McNamee on the topic.

"McNamee never told Jimmy that Roger or Andy were in any way connected to steroids or human growth hormone," Hardin told The Times.

More he said/she said in a case already full of it. Somebody is definitely lying here, and that somebody is going to be in a lot of trouble.