Blair ready to clear his name

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A former gym owner in the Houston area said Thursday he has been issued a subpoena by the Washington grand jury investigating whether Roger Clemens lied to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs.

Kelly Blair told ESPN.com's Mike Fish that he was served with the subpoena on Tuesday and initially was told to appear July 23, but Blair said he will testify before a grand jury in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 4.

"My name is all over TV and radio," Blair told Fish. "I think they're trying to bring me in as a character witness to [make me] look bad."

The New York Daily News first reported the story on its Web site. The newspaper also reported Blair told friends that several others associated with the gym, which was linked to the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs, have received subpoenas.

Blair was a partner in 1-on-1 Elite Personal Fitness, a gym in Pasadena, Texas, that closed last year. He is a cousin by marriage to New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, a former teammate of Clemens'. Pettitte's father worked out at Elite Personal Fitness, where he reportedly obtained HGH.

Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, did not return a call for comment by the Daily News.

Blair said he gave a small sample of HGH to a third party who he suspects might have then given it to Pettitte's father, Tom.

"These people [the grand jury] have no idea who I really am. Did I supply Roger Clemens? Of course not. Did I supply Andy Pettitte's dad? I probably could have," Blair told Fish. "In court, it's going to be a yes or no question. But I didn't deal with Andy Pettitte's dad directly."

Added Blair: "I know this is not going to make me look good. Have I ever sold steroids? Yeah, when I was 19. That was a long time ago. I don't deserve to be called a drug dealer."

When asked what the FBI asked him during an earlier interview, Blair said: "Just simple questions. 'Did you supply Andy Pettitte's dad?' No, not directly. ... If they're calling me in, it is a joke. They're trying to say I supplied Roger Clemens through Andy Pettitte's dad. That is ridiculous."

Now, Blair does in-home personal training and has clients in mixed martial arts. He's also recently trained boxers, including Samuel Peter, who lost a heavyweight championship fight to Vitali Klitschko in October 2008.

Blair said he never thought to contact Clemens and talk to him after the FBI met with him. He admitted that he is a fan of the seven-time Cy Young Award winner and believes Clemens' claim that he did not use steroids.

"I know that in the end, the truth is going to come out," Blair said. "And I'm just really excited about getting that out there."

Trainer Brian McNamee has told Congress and federal investigators he injected Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs from 1998 to 2001 or 2002. Clemens has denied those claims.

One of McNamee's attorneys, Richard Emery, said he believes the subpoenas issued to Blair and his associates indicate the Justice Department has gone beyond McNamee's claims as it investigates Clemens.

Shaun Kelley, owner of a Houston training center who denied meeting Clemens or providing the pitcher with illegal substances, told the Daily News he had not received a subpoena. Kelley said he had taken a polygraph test for FBI investigators in April.

Mike Fish is an investigative reporter for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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