Remember everybody, “Honesty is the best policy.”

Just ask Roger Clemens. I’m pretty sure that the former all-everything, sure-fire Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher wishes he would have abided by that simple life philosophy right about now.

If he would have just told the truth from the beginning of this whole steroid, human-growth hormone controversy, the fallout would already be over.

Here’s what he should have said when the Mitchell Report first implicated that Clemens had taken performance-enhancing drugs in December: “I apologize to my family, all of my fans and to the entire baseball community for mistakes in judgment I made in the past and for the distraction that has resulted.”

That’s it. Simple, to the point and apologetic. It would also prove that Clemens is taking responsibility for his actions — something that a lot of people are currently having trouble with.

Sure, the fallout about Roger Clemens admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs would have been an enormous story. But the fallout would have been nothing in comparison to what he is now dealing with.

It just amazes me how some athletes (Clemens) actually think they are bigger than life itself. In my opinion, Clemens truly believes that he can do no wrong, even when he’s caught red-handed in several lies. His supposed best friend, Andy Pettitte, called him a liar. His former trainer and friend, Brian McNamee, called him a liar and another former teammate, Chuck Knoblauch, also called him a liar.

It was just about a year ago that Clemens announced to the world that he would be returning to pitch for the Yankees. It came during a May 2007 game against the Seattle Mariners. At the end of the seventh-inning stretch, Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard told fans to turn their attention to the box, where Clemens was standing with a microphone. As the video scoreboard in right-center showed Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner made the announcement himself.

“Well, they came and got me out of Texas and I can tell you it’s a privilege to be back,” Clemens said. “I’ll be talking to y’all soon.”

I bet Clemens wishes nobody ever came and got him out of Texas. Since that time, he has showed up in the Mitchell Report, lasted just one inning in his final Yankees’ start and came off as a smug fool in front of Congress. Clemens also remains under FBI investigation for alleged perjury, stemming from his denials to Congress that he used anabolic steroids or any other illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

And just when you thought Clemens could do any more damage to his reputation, he does. You can now add starting a 10-year affair with a 15-year-old country music singer, among other things.

On Monday, the New York Daily News reported that Clemens had a decade-long affair with Mindy McCready. The next day, McCready told the Daily News that she couldn’t refute anything in the story.

Clemens, through his attorney, has acknowledged having a long relationship with McCready, but has denied it was sexual or inappropriate.

But there’s more. Wednesday, the Daily News reported about other women Clemens allegedly had affairs with, and on Thursday, the newspaper wrote about another alleged affair between Clemens and John Daly’s former wife.

Unbelievable.

Remember kids, honesty is the best policy. Just ask Roger Clemens, who is currently suffering the effects of karma.

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com