Mitchell Report Creating New Collecting Pariahs?

Your Roger Clemens collection may have taken a hit, but we're betting Juan Gonzalez isn't totally bummed. He was being mentioned on ESPN for the first time in years.

Bits and pieces of sports memorabilia-related Mitchell Report fallout:

From Advertising Age:

"It creates the perception that the playing field isn't level, and that throws the very thing sponsors are interested in being associated with off-kilter," said Ken Ungar, president of Indianapolis sports-business consultancy Ungar Strategies. "It's going to be really, really hard [for baseball]."

But it will be even harder, Ungar said, for the players named in the report to continue to make money from endorsements and memorabilia. "For their sake, I really hope they have crisis-management plans in place."

From WIFR-TV, which interviewed Mike Lamps of Rockford, IL shop Tomorrow is Yesterday:

"I'm really angry someone that really didn't need to be using steroids is using steroids."

A lifetime of idolizing Roger Clemens, has Mike Lamps feeling like a sucker. Clemens is one of more than 70 Major League Baseball players accused of using anabolic steroids.

"This is the modern era version of the Chicago Blacksox. This is 'say it ain't so Joe' all over again but this is far more damning than that ever was," he says.

He expects sales of Clemens baseball card and other such steroid users to plummet, because fans will now see these legends as cheaters.

Michigan card shop owner Dave Zittel told WJRT-TV in Flint, MI:

"The spectators today don't want to have a hero that can't play by the rules," he said. "People are really turned off by this and tend to avoid buying their cards or other memorabilia."

Dan Means, owner of Sports World Specialties In Pittsburgh told the Post-Gazette that the scandal probably would affect the value of memorabilia connected to the players involved.

"McGwire is as cold as could be," Mr. Means said. "His rookie card is like 25 bucks. No one wants anything McGwire. Same as Bonds. There's no question that part of this is steroids. McGwire was really popular, especially autographed balls. But not so much anymore."

While all of that was going on, Alex Rodriguez quietly put his name on a new 10-year, $275 million contract with the Yankees. Part of the deal includes $6 million payouts for making appearances and signing autographs when he reaches each of five milestones toward the home run record. That could equal $30 million more. He'll get the bonus when he matches the career totals of Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (756).