Get ready for a firestorm. He's been indicted, which I think is a good thing. But this will quickly devolve into a racial/celebrity slug fest, I'm afraid... http://www.nbc11.com/news/14608788/detail.html
Wow. I wonder who else will fall before this is over. If Barry wants to show his love for baseball, he will take Bud Selig down with him.
What's Bud got to do with it? I mean, he turned a blind eye, no doubt. But it's the players who did this to themselves, and the player's union who refused to institute realistic drug testing. And it's the players who have lied about it, time and again (ala Marion Jones). He/they deserve whatever happens.
Bud's blind eye is symbolic of everything he's done to wreck baseball. When I was a kid, baseball was revered as the "national pastime", and was viewed as a game of integrity and good character; the Major League took pride in its ability to affect the game all the way down to the Little League level, and in its image as a bearer of America's good name. None of that, it turns out, is important. On the one hand, I appreciate that the pretense has collapsed in recent years so that people are using such lines less and less. To the other, it's tragic that once again, it's just not worth it to Americans to preserve a symbol of our better parts. As with so many other expressions of our national and cultural nobility, it's too bad it was a lie. Baseball under Selig's tenure has suffered, and Bud's blind eye is part of that. For conceding the fight and giving over to the whores, I hope Selig goes down.
I think one of the most poignant moments we might see is when, back to the wall, Barry Bonds pleads for mercy, and we get to see whether or not anyone cares that other people have already done time in order to protect him.
There are people who will defend him, for racial reasons, regardless of what happens and what has happened.
Well, they already made the facile comparisons to Hank Aaron during the home run chase, didn't they? As if Bonds were suffering scrutiny because of his race? I thought that was pretty silly. I wasn't rooting against him because he was black. I was rooting against him because I think he's a liar and a criminal, and as you alluded to, is indicative of everything that has sullied what was once a great game.
Took them long enough didn't it? They knew about this last year but waited until AFTER he got his goal accomplished didn't they. This is ridiculous and a big waste of taxpayers money and time now that its all over.
Yeah, but you know one thing that proves American creativity without a doubt is our ability to invent a race discussion. We'll see.
What's wrong with steroids, specially those that are not illegal? Are you guys want to see new records and slugfest or are you happy with a 30 years old record? This is similar to the Martha Stewart case, where she was indicted not for insider trading but lying about it...
Why not just let the players used corked bats then? If you give yourself an unfair advantage by using something other than your own hardowrk and talent, your cheating.
Or spit balls or pine tar or any other "cheats." Seriously, the entire premise of sports (athletes with unequal abilities competing on an equal playing field) depends on the integrity of the games and their participants.
When someone is over the age of 18 and is of sane mind, then only one person is responsible for taking drugs, sticking a needle in their arm....themselves. Bonds made a decision to cheat and take drugs. Bonds made a decision to lie. Bonds is a liar and a cheat. It's incredible that for decades Black kids are told to 'just say no' to drugs and then a criminal like Bonds is not turfed out on his ass and denounced as the scum that he is. Black Americans join the military and fight and die for their country but a scum like Bonds pockets millions for being a dope head and cheat. Bonds is a liar and cheat. A scum that needs to be exposed as a scum.
Have kids, Syz? Show them before and after pictures of Lyle Alzado. • On the left • In black, 1990; notice he needs help to walk And then read them the words of Lyle Alzado: And then pat your kid on the head and say, "Go get 'em, Tiger. Maybe this year you'll make varsity." Toward the end of his life, I happened to catch his appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show. See, I live in Seattle. I grew up despising—nay, hating—the Oakland/L.A. Raiders. But nobody could deny that Lyle Alzado was among the most fearsome things we'd ever seen. And all of that hatred, all of that fear, drained away when we saw him withered and weeping, telling the tale of true courage, a young boy who, like Lyle, was dying. It took a little boy to teach Lyle courage, and he still couldn't face what was coming. And in those few minutes, we all wept with—and for—Lyle. This was all he had left to give us, his wretched body and broken spirit as a testament to what these drugs do to people. Tell your kid it's worth it. Because if they do it now, they might make the first team. And then they might make it to a good college squad. And maybe, just maybe, they'll get a chance to play in the Show. Tell them that if they ever want to be in the record books, this is what they have to do to themselves. And then tell them it's worth it. I can't. I may have hated the man for wearing silver and black, but all that went away when I realized that he, too, was a frail human being. And I would never tell a young athlete that it's worth it. That's what's at stake with Barry Bonds. He's it because he's just made the statement: This is what you have to do to be the best. And it shouldn't be that way.
Barry Bonds, before and after: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! See also: • Analysis of Bonds' statistics from Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams • FreeRepublic call for before and after photos including some interesting numbers (see below) According to the Free Republic post, Bonds checked in early in his career at 180 lbs, with a hat size of 7.5. Later in his career, he would check in at 260 lbs, with a hat size of 9.5. AngryOrange has an image of Bonds' rookie card. The difference is amazing.
This is purely anecdotal, of course, but I saw Bonds in spring training when was still with the Pirates. Back then, he was the "little" guy, because Bobby Bonilla was the "big" guy, the power hitter. Now people obviously "thicken" as they get older, but they tend not to bulk up and hit MORE home runs, even as the close of their career approaches. Yet, this is precisely the case with players like Bonds, McGuire and Canseco.
Because it is illegal?? When Bond was using steroids it was NOT illegal!!! Let's face it, people want 2 things: cheap food and circus. In today's sport they get circus. And don't give me this Kid shit. Bond started the steroids after 30, nobody advocated teenager useage. And as dumb as today's kids are, they might as well use it... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! There are lots of degrees and nuances of drug usage i sports. I promise you EVERYBODY in prosport is trying to use something that gives them some kind of advanage.... Marion Jones, cyclist dude, you name it....
