Everyone who is against Barry Bonds (all of a sudden) please do full research on steroids. Steroids will not turn a nerd into a Tiger Woods or a Kobe Bryant. If you have no skills, steroids will not give them to you. 15 extra pounds of muscle does not give you the skill set to time and hit the ball at the right time, which is most important. You people kill me with your judgement.

At forty-three years old and with every steroid-detecting dog in the country assigned to his beat, Barry Bonds continues to hit baseballs like a man who never got the news that this is one of the most difficult things to do in all of sports. And with equally impressive conviction, every continues to offer their opinion on his undeserving, overrated, un-Henry Aaron like a**.
Getting someone to attest to Bond’s status as a colossal jerk is about as difficult as finding a parent with reservations about letting their kid attend a Michael Jackson sleep-over. His alleged personality
flaws are as legendary as his splash-landing home runs in the San Francisco Bay. What’s much more curious are the legions of “baseball fans” willing to put their keen insight on the line for an opportunity to make the case that he isn’t only undeserving of the home run crown, he’s not even near the hitter that his statistics would suggest. Prominent among this field of detractors are the baseball “purists” who relish the chance to point out that, because of his steroid use over several seasons, all of Bond’s accomplishments are going in the record book “with an asterisk.” The last time I checked, baseball (and its history) was far from pure. From the 1919 Black Sox Scandal to Mike Scott’s emery board to Sammy Sosa’s corked bat, our national pastime has reflected this great country of ours in its participant’s never-ending quest to gain an unfair advantage over the other guy. The only thing that separates the steroids scandal is its overwhelming prevalence among large numbers playing the game. And the only thing separating Bonds from this pack is his ability. You don’t see too many people calling for the head of Marvin Benard, do you?
The only fair gauge for any athlete’s ability is how he stacks up against the players of his own era. It would be undeniably naive to assume that any advantage available to one is not there for all. There was a time before the Michael Jordan era when they hadn’t even invented the jump-shot. Hank Aaron hit the majority of his home runs in a shoe box. Babe Ruth never played against black ballplayers. To call oneself a baseball fan and at the same time deny Barry Bond’s talent is completely incongruous. I don’t claim to know much about anything, but
I’ve been following the game for roughly thirty-five years and I’ve never seen a hitter like Bonds. His pitch discipline and on-base percentage are every bit as impressive as the number of homers he hits. His swing is so good that he makes it look easy; what he does with his hands alone is phenomenal. His mere presence at the plate not only
influences every game he plays, it makes any game, regardless of the standings, worth watching. Ultimately, he’s made this home run record thing infinitely more fascinating, if only for the hoards claiming that they won’t be paying attention. If they really don’t care, why do the boos follow him from the on deck circle to his post in left field?
Why is every baseball discussion board filled with arguments proclaiming his approaching record a non-event? It’s because a villain is always infinitely more fascinating than a hero, and particularly a supremely talented,unapologetic one. I for one am going to be following Barry, not because I’m a Giants fan or even a baseball fan, but because it’s fun. And I’m going to enjoy every dinger he hits from here on, as much as I will every fat, middle-aged white guy standing in the bleachers in St. Louis, holding a “cheater” sign just above his prodigious boiler. It’s the American way ..

What’s that saying: “If you can’t say something good . . . ” Maybe you are jealous of Mr. Bonds, dunno, just try and keep the negative comments to yourself next time, will ya? Geez!

I’m from the San Francisco bay area, so of course, like the rest of the Giants’ fans, am just waiting for when Barry Bonds breaks the record. I really don’t care if he did or didn’t take steroids, as many others have done and will continue to do; I think he is a great athelete. I’m ashamed & embarrassed for those who boo & hold up negative signs when he enters someone else’s field. I’m sure if they caught the ball that passes Hank Aaron’s record will be returned & “they” will not try to make money off it. Yea, right. Was watching last night’s game & the electricity when he came up to bat was clearly evident. When he does not play, the game is just a game. It’s really up to Barry if he wants to play after he breaks the record; personally, I hope Mr. McGowan is smart enough to re-sign him up again. If he goes to another team, you’d better believe will hurt the bottom line of Giants’ games.

YOU KNOW,ITS A SHAME THIS STEROID STUFF IS STILL BEING TALKED ABOUT,HE HE IS NOT ON STEROIDS THIS YEAR AND HE IS STILL HITTING THE BALL,LOOK HOW MANY TIMES THEY HAVE WALKED HIM,HE WOULD HAD OVER 800 TO 900 HOME RUNS.HE WOULD BE AND STILL WILL BE MENTIONED WITH JOSH GIBSON AND JAPAN S.OH. ALOT OF PEOPLE THINK HANK AARON IS BEHIND THIS WITCH HUNT,AND I’M STARTING TO BELIEVE IT.I LOVE HANK AARON,BUT FOR HIM TO SCARE OF THE BUD S.AND NOT TO SHOW UP(BEING AN AFRO AMERICA),SHOWS ME -NO CLASS.I BELIEVE IN THIS:EYE AND HAND COORDINATION,I DONT CARE,IF YOUR ON BEER,STEROIDS,REEFER OR WHAT?,IF YOU DONT HAVE EYE AND HAND COORDINATION,YOU CANNOT HIT THE LONG BALL.BARRY HAS BEEN HITTING THE LONG BALL FOR YEARS,AND NOW ALL OF SUDDEN,HE DID THIS;HE DID THAT.ITS ALL A WITCH HUNT FROM THE MEDIA,BUT WHO DO YOU REALLY THINK IS BEHIND IT?YOU FIGURE IT OUT,I ALREADY GIVE YOU A CLUE,DONT GET ON THE BANDWAGON WITH NEGATIVE STUFF ON BONDS,HE SIMPLY CAN HIT A BALL,AS FAR AS HIS HEAD GETTING BIG,MY HEAD GOT BIGGER AS I GOT OLDER AND I’M NOT ON STEROIDS,REMEMBER:EYE AND HAND COORDINATION.

Barry Bonds is nothing to me. It will never matter to me if he breaks Hank Aaron’s record or not. As far as I am concerned, it will still be Hank Aaron’s record. Eye – hand coordination; give me a break. I am glad people don’t keep their opinions to themselves. It is about time people speak up about the underhandedness of some of our sports figures today who break every rule to get what they want. They ruin the sport for everyone. Baseball has lost lots of fans because of people like Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire. I have no respect for the man (?) or his record. Hank Aaron is a man and Bonds is a cheat. He is a poor example for the youth of our country and, as I read other people’s comments; they are also willing to settle for less today. How sad.

Forgiveness is not something that you earn, it is what God gives, whether you deserve it or not. Everything that God gives us is free. Man says you have to earn it. It’s not a job people! God ask David one day would you rather be judged by me or by man. David quickly replied by you.Because in the hands of man he knew he would get man’s justice and not God’s justice based on God’s forgiveness. Barry said he did not knowingly do anything wrong. Who are we to call him a liar. Leave Barry alone! After all, baseball isn’t so pure, given its racist history.

Bonds’ achievement of the most home runs is meaningless in comparsion to those players who have gone before him and achieved greatness without drugs or artifical enhancement. It is not a matter of him being forgiven of anything, but a matter of being the real deal. He is not the real deal. With Bonds, it is not about the love of the game, but about the love of self (like most in todays sports). Bonds doesn’t stack up against the great players who have played the game, i.e. Aaron, Ruth, Maris, Mantle, Cobb, Mays, Williams, Gehrig, Koufax, Robinson, Musial, Wagner, Johnson, Cochrane, Spahn, Berra, Clemente to name a few. He can hit home runs because of artifical enhancement, but He was never a great outfielder or anything else. Bonds is a great to do over nothing. He is a fraud.

I am so sick of all of the talk and crap about Barry Bonds attempt at passing Hank Aarons record. My opinion is that bat speed of course is a factor in home runs, but coordination and skill ,pay just as much of a part. Is Barry Bonds personable, no not really, but the other week when he said that he was embarrassed to wear the uniform because of his recent play, showed me that he cares more about baseball and his team that I ever thought he did. We do not know what baseball players in the past did to acheive their success, because there was no testing, so all of the fans that are disrespecting Bonds by holding up an asterik sign, need to realize that all your heros of yesteryear could’ve been doing the same thing that you are accusong Bonds of, now think about that!!!!!Barry Bonds deserves the record. When you look at Babe Ruth, he was a reported drug abuser, known alcoholic, and known womenizer, now that is a hero huh? Please don’t think I am saying that Babe Ruth was not great, because he was, but lay off of Bonds, he is a player in the age of steroids and still has never tested positive for steroids, let him get the record and celebrate the true spirit of baseball and let Barry Bonds experience the roar of the crowd no matter where he is and stop disrepecting a player that YOU THINK has Cheated. You have no proof, only gossip , opportunists, and inuendo, and that is not enough to CONVICT ANYBODY. Rha Rha.

I admit that I don’t know much about baseball and will not pretend to, but I do know about “God.” I know that we have all “Sinned and fell short of the glory of God. So in the end no matter what I or anyone else says about Barry Bonds or anyone else celebrity or not the ulimate forgiveness has and always will come from a higher power than us, God. The scripture says “This joy I have the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.” So I think that Mr. Bonds should be proud his accomplishments and thank God for two reasons: God’s forgiveness because without it he cannot and will not enter heavan, and he still have a reasonable portion of his health and he accomplish that, that would have never been accomplished without God. So in conclusion I say what does it really matter people talking? They talked about Jesus and he was and is the most perfect person in this world. So I submit if they talked about Jesus (and still are — some postive and some negative) what makes any of us think that we will not be talked about. Congratulations Mr. Bonds may God continue to bless and keep you

PEOPLE GO TO SEE HOMERUNS HIT.YOU CAN SAY ALL YOU WANT ABOUT BARRY BONDS AND SOME OF THE OTHER PLAYERS WHO TOOK DRUGS TO HIT HOMERUNS BUT I BLAME THE FANS BECAUSE THEY GO TO SEE HOMERUNS HIT THE EXCITEMENT OF SEEING THE BALL HIT OUT OF THE PARK. MARK MCGUIRE AND SAMMY SOSA BROUGHT BASEBALL BACK WHEN THEY HAD THE HOMERUN CHASE.

The fact is, Barry Bonds has now tied Hank Aaron’s record, and will most certainly surpass Hank’s number. Then what? Do we recognize him solely for that accomplishment, or do we also recognize him for the way he got there? Do we put an asterisk next to his name with the footnote: “accomplished while under the influence of illeagle drugs”? And then, where does it stop……Do we put an astrisk next to the medical doctor’s name if it’s learned he cheated on his/her exams in medical school? Or the degreed college graduate…..same thing? We should choose our heros in life by thier character. One of my favorite heros is Audie Murphey. He is the most decorated soldier of WW2. Why not just call Barry Bonds what her really is: A cheater who skewed the history and demeaned the dignity of those history making players in the baseball history books, all for personal gain. Wow….isn’t he just great?

Barry Bonds is not and will never be the Homerun leader in my eyes “EVER”. He will never compare equally to Hank Aaron who was a man of class under the most stressful (racist) chase of a record in sports. Hank Aaron’s pursuit of Babe Ruth’s record taught millions of baseball fans what a great man he truly was, apart from being a homerun hitter, something Mr. Barry will never be. I respected Barry Bonds before the steroid use. He was a great player. Regrettably he went from God Giving talents to Satan induce steroid use glory. How sad.

I believe the use of the phrase, TAINTED HERO, itself judges the moment, the history and the man. I refuse to condemn him.

Barry Bonds the baseball player is of absolutely no interest to me and I do not admire his accomplishments even if he didn’t use steroids.
I don’t find baseball to be particularly inspiring as a sport, especially not the major league attitudes and those occasional bench clearing brawls.
Barry Bonds the man is a different matter – even if he were a vile man, he is still worth some pity at least. If he has prostituted himself, via steroids, for the sake of glory then he is altogether pitiful. To strive after a record when it will either eventually be surpassed or possibly forgotten rather than trying to be the best and most honorable of persons is a shame.
Oh well, it is Bonds’ choice what he does with his life…

“Why not just call Barry Bonds what her really is: A cheater who skewed the history and demeaned the dignity of those history making players in the baseball history books, all for personal gain. Wow….isn’t he just great?” Thumbpickerbob
Just add an asterisk and that’ll about do it.

Regarding hand/eye coordination: You need good hand/eye coordination to HIT a major league fast ball – no question. But in order to “knock it out of the park”, particularly at the depth that Bonds does, requires STRENGTH – more strength than Mr. Bonds displayed in the first half (or more) of his career. I don’t understand how any one can claim that at a time when the body is becoming less coordinated and the fine edge of physical prowess is beginning to fade, Barry Bonds was just coming into his prime. I firmly believe that he used performance enhancing drugs and that not being tested positive is a credit to his intellengence, not his honesty.

Bonds is a joke and MLB is a joke. If Bonds were not on performance enhancing drugs then why wouldn’t he want to take a drug test to prove it?

The most astounding sound will be the silence of the American public when Bonds cracks the next homerun. His chase for Aarons’s record is one of the most frustrating sports news items this year. The fact that he has been able to get this far is news worthy. What makes us all turn our backs and stand mute as he does it is becasue…
…Bonds is a jerk. I’ve actally met Bonds, quite by accident in a theme park. The park employee trying to help him had no idea who he was, and so he was quite rude to her. It seems that his self esteem is so tied up in his record that he is willing to achieve it at any cost, including the regard of other people. I have met many othr sports celebrities and none of them has been so arrogant and inappropriate.
In a culture where we use (in every sense of the word) sports celebrities to teach morality, perseverance, and even faith, Bonds is the exception. The only sliver of light is that he is the “perfect” exception that can prove a point. Too much bad attitude discounts any effort, too much arrogance costs the very thing celebrities like this want, admiration. Bonds will not be admired, even when he finally gets his space at the Hall of Fame. Instead he will sit on the end of the bench with Pete Rose and the Black Sox.

You people degrade the man,judge him without proof, I didn’t see an MD after any of your names. He owes you nothing, he paid the price to get where he is, when white athletes use steroids and acheive because of it you all keep silent, why is it that when a black athlete is involved they are guilty with out proof. I would be nasty to all of you too if you spoke about me like that. You are just as guilty of the same behavior that you are judging him by. Don’t email me with your crap, keep it for your selves, let’s not talk about Michael Vick and the media.

Barry Bonds is probably the most feared hitter in baseball today. He has more intentional walks in a season than most teams. He has won 7 MVP awards. No one else has won more than 3.
All things being equal, teams prefer to have players who are popular with their fans and other players. But more important than popularity is production. And Barry Bonds produces.
His father was liked. His godfather, Willie Mays, was highly regarded. They both had great careers. But neither was playing at his age, and neither was considered one of the top in the game after 40.
He bulked up. So did a number of other home run hitters. And so did some of the pitchers.
How many seasons did Hank Aaron lead his league in home runs? How many years did he play in bandboxes like Crosley Field?, or Wrigley Field? or the L.A. Coliseum?
How many MVP awards did Aaron win?
Aaron was a very good player. Was he the best of his era? Better than Mays? No. Better than Clemente? No. Better than Musial? No.
But who has been better than Barry Bonds? How many players today are better hitters than Barry Bonds? How many hitters are more feared at the plate than Barry Bonds?
There have been a number of really nice guys to make the majors. They are religious, honorable, kind to the kids, their wives, their teammates, and their dogs. They are even nice to the media. But if they can’t hit a curve ball, or a slider, or a changeup, they find themselves in another profession.
Barry Bonds isn’t being paid by the Giants to be a replacement for Mother Theresa. He is being paid to hit a baseball. Few have done it better, over a longer period of time.
He didn’t go to war, like Feller or Ted Williams. But he did see that being nice to the media didn’t help his father or his godfather, or the other players he knew growing up the son of a great baseball player, on the field. What mattered was, and is, production and showing up. He has done both. He has come back from very serious knee and leg problems at an age where few, if any others, have. That isn’t because of steriods.
His 755 isn’t legit? How many of them are? 600? 650? 700?. Maybe he just needs to keep playing and hitting 814 or 850? If he did that, would that record then be legit?
Hitting a round ball, with a round bat, squarely. Ted Williams said it was the toughest thing is sports. And Barry Bonds certainly does it well. Is he a nicer guy than Hank Aaron. I doubt if even he or his family would ever say so. But has he accomplished more at the plate, beyond the home run record?
When should a player retire? This is a big question. I think it is when he no longer cares about the game, cares about his performance, and, when his team, when any team, feels he is not worth paying a salary for what they get on the field. As long as a team feels he is worth paying, there is no reason for him to quit, if he still wants to play.
Mike Hargrove just quit managing, saying he lost his desire to do the job. Those who can, and want to, should be allowed to keep showing they are worth the money.
If you don’t want to see 756, don’t watch. Don’t pay your money. Don’t read about it. If everyone does that, maybe no team will pay Barry Bonds any more. But everyone will not do that.
I don’t care if Barry Bonds is a jerk. I don’t care if he hits 756. But I do hope he hits 800 or 850 and shows all those doubters that with or without steroids, he is still a great player, still worthy of high honors, of being an Allstar, of being in the Hall of Fame.

It is too bad that Barry Bonds got his record home run hits under a cloud of suspicion. That’s what’s wrong with people today, “By any means necessary”. Has Baonds tested positive for steroids? That ? should answer all ?’s!

MLB made a horrible mistake. Bonds should have been banned from baseball last year. Now he is going to make a joke of the sport. He will scream discrimination as many african athletes do when they are caught in scandals or lies. MLB just wants the attention all this is getting. Hank Aaron was a very classy man and hit all his homers without steroids. Bonds is not even close to being anything like Aaron. I say thank you Mr. Hank Aaron for the class you brought to a sport i once enjoyed. I say thank you to Barry Bonds for ruining the sport and helping me find better things to do than waste time watching a tainted athlete become something he is not. You are a disgrace to the sport and humanity Bonds. Scum of baseball.

First, every year a man ages, he looses a percentage of his testosterone output. So a 22 year old athlete has a greater output than a man of 38. As well, steroids and growth hormones do not increase hand eye coordination, nor directly build muscle, strength, or speed. They allow for faster cell recovery and growth AFTER working out and training. As well, anyone who lifts weights can testify that building mass requires work and increased nutritional intake, including protein. In effect, Bonds’ steroid use was compensating for what younger athletes have naturally: the ability to regenerate and grow. In effect, younger athletes have an advantage over older athletes.
Everything Bonds accomplished he did through his own work.
I have to admit I am stronger and bigger than when I played college football 15 years ago without steroid use, but through protein shakes etc.
So comparing myself with 15 years ago would make me out to be a freak too.
In reality, Bonds is an uberathlete comparable to Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, and that freakish Olympic swimmer (forgot his name).
Look at the Tour d France- competition is greater now than ever before. 100s of millions are at stake. The good ol’ days of Babe Ruth are gone.

Since I haven’t completely read all of this I hope my comments
are not out of place.
I have been an athlete for 24 years and am not 62 competing several
times in the sport I am in which is bodybuilding so it’s notorious
for using steriods.
The fact that Barry Bonds will pass Hank Aarons record holds no
interest to me as they are not on a level playing field when
one person did it naturally and the other did it with steroids.
I am flabbergasted he is still allowed to play yet others are
punished or reprimmanded for their use and not allowed to
perform, take the Tour de France that just ended recently.
I don’t race is the issue here and making it such is just putting
a smokescreen up to avoid the real issue which is that when
a person uses steroids to enhance their performance and competes
against those who don’t it gives them un “edge” which shouldn’t
be allowed. Period! In simple words, it’s cheating.
The public seems to want to seem him perform so nothing was done.
I won’t even watch or listen to his accolades.

Bonds was not convicted, not even arrested or charged with anything. The MLB did not suspend him or even punish him. Instead, Bonds was one of perhaps 100s of pro baseball players who used performance enhancing drugs. Bonds said he did so unknowingly, that his trainer issued them to him in supplements.
Bonds was one of an era wherein athletes took these drugs. So if anyone is going to attack Bonds, they have to attack the entire MLB AND the minor leagues and the MLB Players union and the league for the entire era of such use or abuse.
In contrast, McGwire is still beloved and few speak ill of him eventhough he admitted to drug use knowingly. This leads to my suspicions of bigotry of many people towards Bonds. Folks should note that Hank Aaron faced racism and death threats regularly leading up to and for some time after he passed Babe Ruth’s record. Many folks contested Aaron’s record solely on the ground he was black and claims that Aaron was awarded some kind of privilege.
In reality, having tested negative for years now, he still hits home runs at an extraordinary rate. Once again, folks should listen to fellow pro MLB and retired players and what they have to say about Barry Bonds. White and black, active and retired, teammate and opponent, they laud him as the best of the best.

It doesn’t matter if he did use them or not. People think he did so he must have used them. Except for one sentence, the article assumes he did.
I’m no fan of Barry Bonds in the least…I’m a fan of that AL East team who is 6 games ahead of the Yankees.

Well – I am not a baseball fan of any sort, but spiritually speaking, if there is one thing that will bring you down it is sin……if Barry Bonds is lying about his taking steroids knowingly….he is only hurting himself because the truth will come out, even when he is 70 or 80 or whatever and it will deplete everything about him. If he wants to take that chance now for an opportunity of prestige that will last for a season, he will surely fall if it’s not genuine.
But if the truth never surfaces, maybe then we will know that his words were the truth all along but even then, I’m afraid that society will not accept it, but only him and GOD knows for sure and ultimately, that’s only who he is accountable to.
Instead, let’s just wait and see if the truth comes out about OJ. That is a sin if there ever was any.

Unfortunately, we sometimes pass judgement all too quickly, especially when we don’t have all the facts and only heresay at that.
you
Simply physics dictates that strength does not allow to hit a baseball farther (this is a fallacy). The two factors in how far an object will travel after it is hit are Velocity² X Mass. In the real world of baseball, that translates to Bat Speed² times Weight. Of course wind speed and direction also play a factor.
Question. Which ball will travel farther after being hit. A. A ball is hit by a 4000 lbs hot rod car which in 2nd gear, the car is pushing 600HP and is going 60MPH at time of impact, or B. A ball is hit by a street legal vehicle of the same make and weight, but that vehicle is only pushing 100HP and is going 60MPH at time of impact?
Answer: They will both travel the same distance after being hit. As you can see the power or strength of the vehicle had nothing to do with how far the ball will travel.
Mark McGuire had a reported bat speed of 100MPH. McGuire was 6’5″ tall. That means the end of his bat was traveling 147 feet per second and it would take approx 1/4 second to make one complete revolution of his swing. A 5’7″ man swinging the same bat making one complete revolution in 1/4 second would only have the end of his bat traveling at 141 feet per second. If both men weighed the same, McGuires ball would travel 8% farther.

Correction. In my above scenario the 2nd man would have been 6’0″ tall, not 5’7′ tall. McGuire would have out hit the 5’7″ man by 17%. Now, when you add that there is usually a difference in weight ( taller men usually heavier thatn shorter man, the differnce the ball will travel is even greater. That means a 320 ft warning track ball by the 6’0″ man would be a 344ft homer for mcGuire.

Also the Controlled Substance Act does not make it illegal to use drugs, including steroids. It makes it illegal to manufacture, possess, distribute or sell them. The courts have upheld every time that POSSESSION is not the same as USE. The lawmakers who wrote the law were very clever to leave the word ‘USER’ out of the statute. They would have to have their own family members arrested or themselves impeached if they were caught using illegal drugs. This also is one way that they can pat themselves on the back for helping drug users try to get better. Now they can spend our hard earned tax dollars to help the drug users, because it is not illegal to use drugs. They would not be able to do this if drugs were illegal to use.
Bonds did not break any laws. Why is it that Babe Ruth is revered when he not only broke the law off the land by drinking alcohol during prohibition, but flaunted it. 20,000 people a year die in this country by drunk drivers who have ingested a legal substance. How many people have died from using steroids? How many non steroid users have died because somebody else used steroids? I do not condone the use of steroids, but it is far less harmful to society than the legal substance of alcohol which ruins hundreds of thousands of lives a year in this country.
Steroids don’t help you hit the ball farther, they were not illegal to use by law and they were not against baseball rules at the time of Bonds’ suspected use. He has never tested positive for steroids.
Sounds like he is being condemned for no reason at all. Why. because the masses believe the rhetoric of a few others without taking a step back and thinking for themselves? Shame on us.

I mean no disrespect, but can we please leave the race card out of this? If it had been Ken Griffey, Jr. hitting the record long ball, I don’t think anyone would be complaining. I also don’t think the race card is an issue, because I think there are also many African Americans who are raising a suspicious eye-brow. If bonds had not been mixed up in the whole illegal substance controversy to begin with, no one would have raised an eyebrow, regardless of ethnicity.
Additionally, we need to be honest about one other thing. Bonds is just a guy that everybody loves to hate! His perpetual air of arrogance just turns people off. It has even turned his own team mates off from time to time. His very arrogant lawyer doesn’t help things, either. The gloating about outmaneuvering MLB and the government courts stinks to high heaven (per a recent issue of Sports Illustrated). Did he use steroids? The jury is still out. Is there a great deal of suspicion that he did? Certainly. Does it de-legitimize his record? Not at the moment. But, even if he is never proven guilty, the air of suspicion will always remain. And that has nothing to do with ethnicity. It has everything to do with integrity.
One final note. The dark cloud probably won’t last long; the wicked will not always prosper. There are two players who are currently capable of eclipsing Bonds, and, barring severe injuries, one of them probably will. Come on A-Rod and Pujols!

Bo – you are a blessing and a true example of one who has a “Christian” spirit. It always amazes me how we love to proclaim our religious beliefs patting ourselves on the back that we are “different” to the one we are eLet’s look in the mirror.
Remember the same men who were stoning Mary Magdelene were the consumers of her services. And some of the women who also stoned her were probably wives, mothers and sisters of those men, but because of the time and place it was acceptable for men to behave this way. Women just had to “bear it.” Most of us are not in the public eye – but I wonder what crutches we lean on in our private lives? What pretense are we living?
Many in the media have written articles on this subject and have said that Hank Aaron’s congratulatory speech has helped to legitimize Bonds record somewhat. What they always conveniently to point out that in his speech Aaron said that it required “SKILL, perseverance,” etc..They always leave out the “skill” part. Years after his record we have rightly annointed Aaron as the homerun king. We have conveniently forgotten the name calling, the death threats as he approached the breaking of Ruth’s record. Ah memory.
We need to look in the mirror. Bonds, if he did take steroids (he stillhas not been proven guilty) was swept up not so much in his quest to prolong his glory as Mr Kress suggests, but in society’s perennial need to look for greatness, beauty, and love outside of ourselves. We are all guilty of collective narcissim. Just look at the ads – even on this website – for products to make us feel good, look good, etc. Do we have the same reaction to the thousands of men and women who have undergone cosmetic surgery or even surgery to help them loose weight? Is there not a falseness, a deception going on here? After all the person did not loose weight with their own skill and discipline!
Until the collective society can turn away from ALL FORMS of artifice and the need to have heroes OUT THERE, we will always probably need to put asterisks everywhere.

There are a lot of mixed emotions about Mr. Bonds success. The great players of baseball history that worked hard to improve their talent and were gifted and did not take what they had for granted are still held in high esteem. If he used steroids in the past and part of what Mr. Bonds achieved was tainted by this that is all to sad. He is they only one who knows the truth and he is the one who has to live with himself

I am not really sure of how you can be sure of someone else’s dealings with God, when that is so personal it is between them and God. So how do you determine wether or not Barry has atoned for his steroid use, something only god can be consulted for. Another point is that after the baseball strike, baseball attendance and television rates plummeted, wether for a good reason or not I will let you judge. Steroids added some more fuel to a dying fire that needed stoking severely. To those who state that maybe an asterick should be placed next to Barry’s name in the Hall of Fame I have one question. What difference does it make that Barry Bonds used steroids when it is apparent that the whoje of baesball has been flooded with steroids!