The Bonds indictment can only really be considered a surprise in terms of the timing. Most people thought he was in trouble after his mind-boggling grand jury testimony was leaked lo those many, many months ago. But then nothing, and more nothing, and you started to think the feds didn't actually have a case, other than the word of a spurned woman with serious credibility issues of her own. And now? We'll see. Either way, it's a sad day for baseball and the San Francisco Giants and Willie Mays and the entire Bonds family.Sad, and as Mike Celizic points out, entirely avoidable. You'll want to read the whole article, but I do think this one quote is worth repeating to anyone who gets a holier-than-thou tone in their voice when speaking of Barry Bonds: "Nothing he did was against the rules of the game when he was putting up his single-season home-run record and ruling the game like no one had ever done before. Baseball allowed him to do what he did, celebrated it, encouraged it and cashed the checks." And if he'd just had the courage and character to stand up and admit it, we wouldn't be here today.
5 comments:
Whether baseball encouraged and celebrated Bonds record breaking feat is trivial - what Bonds did by taking steroids was in violation of the law...not baseball's law but the laws of the country.
Anonymous, that's an interesting point. The fact is, though, it's really more of a semantic one than anything substantive. Steroid abuse is roughly as morally objectionable as marijuana use in most people's eyes; i.e. it's a victimless crime. And if the moral police are going to condemn Barry Bonds for his actions, why aren't the other 500 baseball players (not to mention athletes in other sports who've used steroids) under federal investigation? Why are Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro running around free after giving false testimony to a congressional committee? Some insiders have suggested former Sentor George Mitchell's forthcoming report will allege that up to 40% of major league baseball players in recent years used either steroids or some other illegal performance enhacing substance. Where is your level playing field now?
There is no moral high horse to climb up on to look down upon Barry Bonds. He is a symptom, not the problem. And the outcome is nothing more than sad.
I totally disagree with your assertion about steroid use being nothing more than morally objectionable. Look at all the wrestlers that go in to 'roid rage and harm those around them. There was that guy last year that killed his family before himself....and people don't smoke marijuana to enhance professional performance...they take steroids to gain an advantage. That all said, I played high school baseball in the 80's and half my team was juicing so I'd say 75-80% of all major leaguers are up to something, not the 40% you suggest.
McGwire is out of the game - to go after him first would be to take one's eye off the ball. Palmeiro was tested and suspended and ultimately outed from getting a new job. And then you have Bonds that is flaunting his use through denial as he remains an active player. With his dour attitude, I really think he is more of the problem than a symptom. Don't get me wrong....I remember when Eric Gagne came up with the Dodgers and couldn't top 90mph as a fifth starter. A year later he has a goatee (to presumably hide the zits) and turns into a 100mph closer. And then he throws out his arm....
Ultimately, I blame Bud Selig more than anyone for turning his head to the whole issue more than anyone but since the league is in a position to correct the problem today, it makes sense to go after the most productive and surly target out there - and now we're back to Bonds.
Anonymous, anecdotes do not equal an argument; steroids just happen to be the current media focus so you see more stories about their ill effects. What's accurate to say is that some people who abuse drugs sometimes do things that cause others harm.
Your use of words like "flaunting, "dour" and "surly" suggests the core of the issue -- people don't like Barry Bonds. Why would they? The man is a jerk. However, that doesn't justify making him the poster boy for a problem that was much, much bigger than him (pun intended).
You point to the real culprit at the end of your message -- the people in authority who stood by and did nothing while steroids took over the game.
Go Dad!
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