Like many Americans, and particularly white Americans, I was absolutely convinced that the media portrayal of Barry Bonds as the ultimate evil in sports had little to do with race. After all, we were championing the right of another black athlete (hammering Hank) as the true owner of the immortal home run record, and one would expect that a legend of Barry's stature would fall harder than most.
I also felt that his arrogant and condescending attitude toward the media was only fueling the pyre that was consuming his legacy. This didn't have anything to do with race. Only disgrace.
Enter another legendary, sufficiently arrogant player known as "the rocket."
When the Mitchell report broke, I happened to be in San Francisco (oddly enough), and had to pry my way into a sports bar so I could stand in the back and watch the drama ensue. Clemens appeared to be on the same ruinous path that Bonds had walked (and still walks), and I thought that his treatment might somehow put to bed the talk about how the "white" media was unfairly piling on Bonds.
And so I waited.
Though the stories detailing Clemens use of steroids were plentiful initially, there were equally as many stories attacking the credibility of his accuser, Brian McNamee. This could be considered responsible journalism, but I certainly can't remember Bonds getting this kind of benefit of the doubt.
More disgraceful were the white senators on capital hill rushing up to Clemens to ask for autographs (which is illegal) before his hearings, and the eventual partisan squabble that the hearing degenerated into, with Democrats asking tough questions and Republicans lobbing softballs such as, "what motivates your success."
Before the hearing even took place, Clemens was allowed to have private meetings with committee members (something McNamee was denied), while Congressman Burton was eschewing him as a "titan of baseball" and was openly lamenting that his reputation was being unfairly questioned. No one championed Barry's integrity.
White republican committee members actually hugged Clemens after the hearing (I'm not kidding), and GOP representative Tom Davis had this to say when asked if he thought Clemens lied to Congress. “Did Roger Clemens lie to us?” Davis asked. “Some of the evidence seems to say he did; other information suggests he told the truth. It’s a far more complicated picture than some may want to believe. Memories fade and recollections differ. That’s human nature, not criminal conduct.” Wow.
This after Clemens pretty much threw everybody close to him under the bus.
And so it becomes relevant to ask whether or not there is some truth to Barry's statements regarding race, the media, and America in General.
A quick google search of Barry Bonds and Clemens shows more Barry Bonds articles in press TO THIS DAY than Clemens, even though we've known about Barry for years. What's more telling however, are the smattering of articles in support of Clemens, even though the evidence against him, is more or less similar to that condemning Bonds.
And then there's this bewildering GOP support for Clemens. Funny, I can't remember the GOP standing up for Bonds. Granted, Bonds isn't friends with the President of the United States like Clemens, but who other than a white, card-carrying, GOP member is?
I hate to admit it, but I think Bonds may have been on to something. What do you think?
comments (15) write a comment »
write a new comment
3 months ago
I don't know how the hell we elect such buffoonish Congressmen and Senators. Anyone that honestly believes that Clemens went up there and told nothing but the truth has to be kidding themselves.
That being said, I think that that one thing driving the media coverage of the two cases more than anything else is simply that Bonds came first. If it were Clemens involved with BALCO instead of Barry, he'd probably be the "poster boy" for the Steroids Era...or at least the co-poster boy. As it is, the Clemens saga is simply Barry Bonds v2.0 - we've heard it all before, and frankly, we're tired of hearing about it.
3 months ago
I don't know how the hell we elect such buffoonish Congressmen and Senators. Anyone that honestly believes that Clemens went up there and told nothing but the truth has to be kidding themselves.
That being said, I think that that one thing driving the media coverage of the two cases more than anything else is simply that Bonds came first. If it were Clemens involved with BALCO instead of Barry, he'd probably be the "poster boy" for the Steroids Era...or at least the co-poster boy. As it is, the Clemens saga is simply Barry Bonds v2.0 - we've heard it all before, and frankly, we're tired of hearing about it.
from 3 months ago
Good point Jeff. I do agree that the 2.0 version (if I can borrow your metaphor) is always less interesting, but I do think something larger is at play too. There were plenty of polls showing a disproportionate split between blacks and whites over Barry Bonds (whites in general had a much dimmer view of him). I was wondering if anyone has found a similar poll done on Roger Clemens. Please post it if you find it! Thanks.
3 months ago
sorry for the double post.
3 months ago
As a 50-year-old white, 28-year automotive journalist, and a fan of MLB in general, I am disgusted at the double standard afforded Roger Clemens. Granted, Bonds is not a fan (or media) favorite as is "the rocket," but on the baseball field they stand as peers and therefore should be treated as such on every front; the press, the judicial system and the court of public opinion. And they have not been -- period! While it is true that Bonds was the first "legend" to be snared in the illegal steroid "net," others that have -- and will -- follow are just as guilty on all fronts. While my mind is not made up yet as to the depth of Bonds' "crimes," it is certainly no deeper than many others, including that of Clemens. If Bonds attempted to protect himself the best way he knew how in front of the Grand Jury, then so be it, let's let the jury decide. But Clemens' obvious attempt to peddle out of the accusations against him in front of Congress while the entire world looked on should be viewed with as much disdain -- and criticism -- not as the political celebrity event it turned into.
No, Bonds has not been afforded the benefit of the doubt as has Clemens, McGuire, et al, and yes he has been crucified by the mostly white mainstream public (and Congress) because he is black, and that is wrong. I agree to a point that the home run king has been treated unfairly, regardless of his personality. And that is wrong in all arenas.
3 months ago
While this article was very well written and interesting to read, I completely disagree with your assessment. First of all, the evidence piled up against Bonds is much stronger than that against Clemens. Bonds has his unusal growth, his tendon that mysteriously snapped, BALCO, his trainer who refused to talk, so on. Clemen's issue is still growing, and it is much more difficult for us to say at this point whether or not he's guilty. In addition, you must realize that any extra beatings that Bonds has taken are largely due to his negative personality, which would be a hinderance even if the steroids scandal had never existed. The fact is that Clemens is simply a much more like-able person, and for that reason may recieve a slightly better benefit of the doubt. Not to mention, if race truly is the issue, why do so many people love Hank Aaron? How bout Dontrelle Willis, who has a huge fan-base despite some recent sub- par seasons. Finally, have you noticed how not a single team out there is willing to touch Bonds this year? They KNOW he's guilty, and therefore are unwilling to place themselves into a certainly messy situation. Once again, you did a really good job on the article, but I think the aforementioned information pretty much invalidates some of the argument.
from 3 months ago
Jeremy,
Nice rebuttal. I wouldn't say that the case against Bonds is much stronger though. Bonds really hasn't been conclusively proven of steroid use This is why they're trying to railroad him for lying to a grand jury, instead of illicit drug use (same as Clemens). I would agree that Bonds never really had the fan base of a Dontrelle Willis or Curtis Granderson (added him because I'm a shameless tigers fan) and that undoubtedly hurt him. We WANTED him to be guilty because we disliked him, whereas I'd be pulling for Grandy if (God forbid) he ever found himself in this kind of mess. As for why nobody wants to touch Bonds I would offer the following other reasons 1) He's literally looking at jail time this season if his case goes afoul, whereas Clemens has a couple of years of legal maneuvering before that eventuality, 2) the media circus around him is still greater than around Clemens (again, back to my point), and 3) He is a legendary locker-room cancer which makes him not worth whatever meager production he could put together this season. Thanks for your insight Jeremy, it's good to get opposing views on this type of discussion.
from 3 months ago
I think I kinda disagree to an extent. I think the evidence against Bonds is exponentially stronger than that against Clemens. On the other hand, I think both are guilty as sin so it's almost like splitting hairs. But the Game of Shadows book is pretty freaking thorough. I don't think either man would get convicted in a court of law for illicit drug use, but I'm not sure Clemens would even make it to trial given the suspect evidence against him.
I think the thing that turns people off about Bonds the most is simply his utter arrogance. Say what you will about Clemens, but at least he's TRYING to look innocent. As unbelievable as his story may be to us rational-thinkers, a lot of people believe him.
Signing Bonds would be an absolute PR nightmare for anyone who chose to do so. Simply put, he's no longer worth the headache.
3 months ago
Wow Daniel this is a great article man...great read I enjoyed it...I thought I knew about the whole Clemens situation, but I didn't know all of those things occurred..it's so sad that race issues have to penetrate sports sometimes, the very thing used to unite people and leave those issues behind. "The Steroid Era" will always be remembered by all of us who watched it unfold, and Clemens is just as guilty as Bonds. Both those guys are guilty and should merit the same media coverage.
from 3 months ago
Thanks Samuel. Nice point about the unifying power of sport. Even with all this garbage, sport has done more to bring us together than damn near anything else. This incident can't do anything to take away from that.
3 months ago
"I think I kinda disagree to an extent." You may have a future in politics Jeff! LOL. I agree that Bonds caustic attitude does not help him and that a lot of people seem to believe Clemens. I guess we need to know absolutely WHY people believe him. His story is utterly preposterous. That's why I thought it would be interesting to find a poll that breaks down his believability by race. Again, if anyone finds one, please post it! Thanks.
3 months ago
Really well done article, I've been battling with this question myself. I think that the issue with Bonds is not just the fact that he is black, but the kind of personality he has as a black man, if that makes sense. When you look at the celebrated black athletes, the majority of them are guys we always equate as being "class acts"-- Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, etc. etc. These guys have a way of transcending beyond race due to their personality and overall aura as we perceived them. Bonds on the other hand, is just as polarizing as many of the beleaguered NBA and NFL stars that have been the center of media attention for their off-field behavior.
While Bonds didn't have those same criminal off-field issues, he carries that mentality-- at least as far as the media is concerned. Bonds is brash, arrogant, and never shied away from controversy even before all this steroids mess. These are the kinds of people the media love to hate, because more often than not they shoot themselves in the foot. If you look at the way the NBA (and even to a certain extent in the NFL) has gained a sense of "street culture," the stereotypes associated along with that are the guys covered in tattoos displaying that similarly brash, cocky behavior. That's why we're so quick to point out the image problems with both of those leagues, and why many people will never warm up to Kobe Bryant.
So it's as much a race issue as it is an image issue, at least that's one way of looking at it.
from 3 months ago
Yeah, probably Bonds is a victim of "jerk-ism," my own new word for prejudice against jerks (if you hadn't guessed). Again, I think that is undeniably true, and would second that we're probably looking at some blend of two different "isms."
3 months ago
Who really cares they are both going to end up in prison for perjury let them argue it out while they share a jail cell for lying to the world.
from 3 months ago
Hopefully, that's true. There's been talk of a Bush pardon for Clemens if his charges come up before GW's out of office. If that were to happen, well, I think this article would move from speculative to factual.
write a new comment