Let me just start by saying that this is an "opinion" column. By no means do I imply that what I say here is an absolute fact.
Barry Bonds is a jerk.
Barry Bonds lied under oath, challenged federal prosecutors to take him down, and has been an absolute poison in the Giants' clubhouse during every baseball season of recent memory.
You're telling me that a guy like this is only disliked by society because he's black? Does anyone think that a white guy with these characteristics would just be ignored or something?
That's a joke!
I'm aware that racism is a problem in this country. Despite being equal under the law, blacks are often treated unfairly in the United States.
But, Barry Bonds has been treated exactly the way he deserves according to his actions. Home-run records aside, the difference between Bonds and another certain steroid user, Mark McGwire, is that Bonds faces his opposition with challenges and stubborn arguments, while the latter simply remains quiet.
Now, think beyond McGwire to the man who is taking the brunt of the federal heat right now, Roger Clemens.
Is Roger Clemens black? No. Is he being treated with as much, if not more, scrutiny than Barry Bonds? Absolutely.
This mess is not a race issue—it is an issue of a man dishonestly gaining an edge in professional baseball while shunning the media and teammates. Personally, I never thought of this as a race issue until the complaints started to appear on television, with alarming and idiotic frequency.
To give closing thoughts on the matter, there is absolutely no evidence of Barry Bonds being treated unjustifiably different, both in the U.S. Judicial System and in the eyes of the general baseball population.
Whoever decided to make a race issue out of a clearly guilty black man getting what he deserves is simply ignorant.
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4 months ago
I agree. Bonds brought it upon himself with the abrasive personality and diva-like needs and privileges. Its also because his record is a harder one to reach, one that requires a long and consistently productive career. Its nothing to do with him being black. By mentioning race, its just another situation where someone throws out the race card just to stir the pot.
4 months ago
Agreed. Bonds is a jerk. So is Clemens. They're getting the treatment they deserve for not only being cheaters, but for being jerks.
4 months ago
Right - Spoken like a brain-dead manipulated idiot who has no clue about what he is talking about. Stick to needle point - OK. Maybe they will let you out to pet the rabbits soon.
4 months ago
Great article, and I agree. They should not, and are not, receive special treatment because they are 'stars'. Bonds broke the law, and should receive his due punishment.
4 months ago
Name ten horrible things that Barry Bonds has done.
Name ten things that he has done that most other MLBers haven't done.
I can't do either, and I've followed baseball closely for decades. Bonds has some strong opinions on hot-button topics and is a surly introvert---but are those crimes?
No, but for some reason he is supposed to be a pariah and the worst guy ever.
He doesn't drink and drive, like 1/2 of the Cardinals roster, his only notable fight with a teammate of dubious reputation (Jeff Kent) and came when he was over 35 defending a younger player. Oh, his manager yelled at him when he was 26.
Are you kidding me? That's the evil, Ty Cobb-like figure that baseball writers have consistently trashed? Bonds was ripped by writers long before he allegedly (still no real proof) did steroids.
I think that race plays some part in why so many people are willing to jump on a party line of tearing a guy apart, especially since Roger Clemens was considered a great human being by the same MLB scribes when his list of personal transgressions seemed a lot longer.
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