Barry Bonds

[lilbrownindian]

Well he just tied the record, what do you guys think, did he possibly take steroids? will he maybe get an asterisk next to his name in the record books?

[Scalliwag]

It is a shame that we have come to a place where this was ever in question. One thing I do know via history is that Babe Ruth was a crazy ass drunk that would have never survived todays media just as Mickey Mantle would be viewed differently by todays standards.
To me it is better if in the very least we hold famous figures to the same standard we hold ourselves, friends and family.
It is real easy to forget that those we judge are a individual person who has friends and family. Those outside the loop may not be able to get the same perspective as those closer to the subjerct under the microscope.
I have been wrong about people before and I *try* to give benefits of the doubt.
Some things you can't apologize for or at least the apology never makes up for the tragedy your judgment cause.
It can take a little living to understand that thought.

[lilbrownindian]

I never thought about it til the media started to constantly talk about it, i just dont know what to think anymore.

[Scalliwag]

Well I guess the thing to keep in perspective is that the media was not nearly as maniacle pre-20 years ago. Princess Diana would most likely be alive and well if people were not trying to document her every move 24/7.

If I was a "friend" of Lindsay Lohan I would be scared to death knowing that the odds of her or Britney or the flavor of the week will not get the privacy to work through their demons us commonfolk are afforded. How old are these kids?
I would love to see media people get the same kind of ruthless scrutiny. See an editted vid of some assholles daughter on tape going down on some random guy and then hearing them plead for "privacy" while the resolve their family "matter". People are a lot less critical the closer it comes to home sometimes.

Compassion seems to be something a bit too rare to me today. Sometimes a person that knows they screwed up can get a lot more from compassion than someone pointing out the obvious flaws. If it was your kid or sister or whatever would you be different about it?
If you leave this world and your worse fault was that you were slow to critizise and showed a little more compassion than maybe some deserved it may actually make a really nice epitaph.

[buttpintoo]

Does it matter if he took steroids? MLB has condone it all these years, and fans don't care as long as he's on their team. Baseball records belongs to MLB and baseball fans. It is also their's to ruin. Asterisk or not, his record has been in the making a looong time; no point complaining about it now.

[nicayotte]

The damage is already done anywho i think he took them but it deson't matter anymore....

[Sonthert]

Sure, drunk, wife beater, dog fighting scandal, cocaine deaths (Rod Beck?, Ken Caminiti) professional athletes take a lot. These people committed crimes. Except the drunk part. Pete Rose gambled on major league baseball games. He didn't even cheat, but it was illegal. Now the all-time leader in hits won't be officially recognized, unless MLB changes their ruling. The Black Sox Scandal wasn't even ever proven, just suspected and Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven other guys were banned from ever being considered for records. Pete Rose admitted he had a problem and was castrated.

So, we have Barry Bonds, a highly suspected steroids user. We have people, 80 years ago, without the press we have now that managed to get 8 guys banned from baseball for suspicion (A jury acquitted them). A guy who did something illegal, but hurt nobody really, one of the greatest players of all time, banned and admitted he did it (after some badgering). What should we do to a guy who denies using steroids, but all these fingers keep pointing at him if he really is guilty. Rafeal Palmeiro was dirty and it basically disappeared when he admitted it. What really stinks is that Bonds, if truly guilty, keeps lying about it and if he admits it shortly after breaking the record, I think his name should be deleted permanently from the record. The thing is, in my opinion, steroids is cheating. He's lied and had friends and employees indicted to cover up his lie. He's a poor excuse for a human being. His father, Bobby Bonds and Willy Mays, his godfather are great players in the tradition of baseball. Barry Bonds is bruise on the good name of the game. I suspect he will be indicted and that he will be found guilty for lying under oath about taking steroids. He's just trying to drag this all out until after he breaks the record. It wouldn't do to be suspended before you break the record. Think about it, he doesn't care how he gets his name in the record books, if he's guilty, taking steroids is proof of that. He might even enjoy the idea of being a shamed record holder. Either way, he needs to have been suspended long ago, in the tradition of the great Shoeless Joe Jackson...he's bad for whatever dignity the game has left. Also, the fact that bats haven't been standardized and he uses a maple bat should be examined.

If the Bonds indictment comes down and timed after this season, expect that it was hometown political maneuvering to wait until after he broke the record...because he's guilty as sin.

[lilbrownindian]

Sure, drunk, wife beater, dog fighting scandal, cocaine deaths (Rod Beck?, Ken Caminiti) professional athletes take a lot. These people committed crimes. Except the drunk part. Pete Rose gambled on major league baseball games. He didn't even cheat, but it was illegal. Now the all-time leader in hits won't be officially recognized, unless MLB changes their ruling. The Black Sox Scandal wasn't even ever proven, just suspected and Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven other guys were banned from ever being considered for records. Pete Rose admitted he had a problem and was castrated.

So, we have Barry Bonds, a highly suspected steroids user. We have people, 80 years ago, without the press we have now that managed to get 8 guys banned from baseball for suspicion (A jury acquitted them). A guy who did something illegal, but hurt nobody really, one of the greatest players of all time, banned and admitted he did it (after some badgering). What should we do to a guy who denies using steroids, but all these fingers keep pointing at him if he really is guilty. Rafeal Palmeiro was dirty and it basically disappeared when he admitted it. What really stinks is that Bonds, if truly guilty, keeps lying about it and if he admits it shortly after breaking the record, I think his name should be deleted permanently from the record. The thing is, in my opinion, steroids is cheating. He's lied and had friends and employees indicted to cover up his lie. He's a poor excuse for a human being. His father, Bobby Bonds and Willy Mays, his godfather are great players in the tradition of baseball. Barry Bonds is bruise on the good name of the game. I suspect he will be indicted and that he will be found guilty for lying under oath about taking steroids. He's just trying to drag this all out until after he breaks the record. It wouldn't do to be suspended before you break the record. Think about it, he doesn't care how he gets his name in the record books, if he's guilty, taking steroids is proof of that. He might even enjoy the idea of being a shamed record holder. Either way, he needs to have been suspended long ago, in the tradition of the great Shoeless Joe Jackson...he's bad for whatever dignity the game has left. Also, the fact that bats haven't been standardized and he uses a maple bat should be examined.

If the Bonds indictment comes down and timed after this season, expect that it was hometown political maneuvering to wait until after he broke the record...because he's guilty as sin.

i like your post it made me think about the past much more as to now, but only time will tell

[mushrat]

As some put it, and im paraphraseing becauare i don't remembver it extact:

Ruth did it on booze and broads.

I think they aught to use the modern versiion of legal thumb screws on him and once he admits to taking them, remove his ecord from the books. If he is EVER elected to the hall of fame it will be the end of the last shred of respect I have for MLB. I stopped watching after the second strike and haven't really missed it. I was a mes fan, I remeber my grand father taking me to Shea statium, long befor before inter League play began, and I watched the Yankees beat up on the mets in an anual exhibation game, every year. But today, a bunch of over priced primadonnas who think way to highly of themselves. But what do I know, If the fanns still come out and spend the bucks, why should MLB care, and certainly why whould I care what my childhood Memories have become 30+ years later?
But just because I think he aught to be only a footnote in the history books and nothing more, doesn't mean he's guilty. Until he admits it or a Jury finds him guilty, while I persoanlly think he's a perferct representatioon of a lot of whats wrong with professional sports in general, Hey, WTF...whats it really matter anyways? We all know the truth and no matter what a book says, he'll be nothing but a wanna be.

[cheeeseinacan]

I don't think MLB condones it...that's too much of a chance for them to take (the horrible p.r. if they were found out.) I think the record is definitely tainted...look at a guy like Alex Rodriguez..love him or hate him, he does it all without steroids. I'd call it admirable but it shouldn't be admirable, it should be the norm. His talent is sure something to be admired, but he shouldn't be admired just for the fact that he doesn't use steroids, but it is almost to the point where so many of these guys are using the juice that you admire a guy who doesn't. It shouldn't be that way.

Jose Conseco even called Arod a "freak" because he can do what he does without the juice. I guess that's what he basically is...a freak. If he stays healthy he'll for sure break Bonds' record and bring some integrity back to the record. That's how I feel anyway.

The baseball he hit lost a LOT of its value...Guess that says it all.

[Sonthert]

I don't think MLB condones it...that's too much of a chance for them to take (the horrible p.r. if they were found out.) I think the record is definitely tainted...look at a guy like Alex Rodriguez..love him or hate him, he does it all without steroids. I'd call it admirable but it shouldn't be admirable, it should be the norm. His talent is sure something to be admired, but he shouldn't be admired just for the fact that he doesn't use steroids, but it is almost to the point where so many of these guys are using the juice that you admire a guy who doesn't. It shouldn't be that way.

Jose Conseco even called Arod a "freak" because he can do what he does without the juice. I guess that's what he basically is...a freak. If he stays healthy he'll for sure break Bonds' record and bring some integrity back to the record. That's how I feel anyway.

The baseball he hit lost a LOT of its value...Guess that says it all.

Word.

[The King]

Since I'm not really into baseball...and never pay attention to celebrity news, I really don't know what the facts are against him... like is there actual evidence, or is it just allegations?

But if he did use I for sure think he should get erased from the record

[manntis]

So now he's back in the news over it, has anyone changed their opinions?

[Christama]

My 2 cents.

Bonds obviously did something. A workout program alone doesn't cause your head to grow 2 had sizes and your feet to grow a size and a half. The problem with the MLB was they never had concrete rules and consequences for the use of illegal steroids. When the ban finally went into affect, we started seeing more and more players failing tests, because something was finally done about it. Thats where the problem lies. Bonds used the drugs while they weren't banned, so technically, what he did was morally wrong, but not against the rules.

Bonds should have just been honest. Look at Giambi. He went to the grand jury, told the truth, and is back playing. Bonds lied to a federal grand jury, and is now facing a lot of jail time and will probably never play the game again.

Lesson? Don't lie to the feds.