Barry Bonds and Hypocrisy Redux

Barry Bonds, Steroids, and Hypocrisy is far and away the most trafficed post on Hello, Typepad. Since the San Francisco Chronicle and Sports Illustrated published excerpts of an upcoming book that alleges an absurdly high amount of Steroid use on the part of Bonds and other athletes associated with Balco (including Hello, Typepad favorite Marion Jones), interest in this topic has peaked (see my measure map graph for this post, to the left) so I thought I'd just reiterate my opinion, because I'm stubborn like that.

If indeed Bonds is guilty of everything the Chronicle reporters say that he is, and more, he is at least behaving consistently. There's blood in the water around Bonds, but there's money too, and don't think for a second that reporters wouldn't be covering this story if there wasn't. We know this because it's been going on for twenty years and no one started talking about it until Jose Canseco came out with his book. What's more, Baseball didn't even have a real Steroids policy until three years ago.

The fans and press are exactly as hypocritical as Bonds himself in this case. As sad as it makes me that he clearly cheated, his behavior is a symptom, not a disease.

Comments

[Beerzie Boy]

The press is coming afetr Bonds because he has been such a jerk all these years; unfair, yes, but a well-deserved come-uppance.

I am a long-time Giants fan who has never liked Bonds, but this reeks of hypocracy. The calls for banning him and his records is ridiculous. What about the other players who did steroids -- both bums and stars? Do we ban them? Do we banish McGwire? Canseco? Where does it begin and end?

And how many championships have steroids won? Hmm. let's cout them up. None of the chief abusers -- Giambi, McGwire, Palmiero, or Bonds -- have many rings on their fingers. Baseball is a team sport, and the mania for personal records is media hype to give sportswriters something to fill their columns and a way for owers to put asses in the seats.

[gary]

What's more, Baseball didn't even have a real Steroids policy until three years ago.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/format/memos20051109?memo=1991&num=1

[David Jacobs]

Yeah Gary, people *love* that link. But it's not a real steroids policy. What's more, most of the steroids and supplements that sluggers were taking in the 90s weren't illegal.

Beerzie, I love that you mentioned Giambi. Why aren't people beating him up as much as they are Bonds? His home run in 2003 cost the Red Sox a trip to the World Series - which arguably impacts the game more than any inidividual record.

[David Jacobs]

"I can see how some people might be shocked about Bonds' doping, but this has been an open secret for years among the people in my industry," said air-conditioner repairman Mike Damus. "I'm sure it's an even more widely known fact in baseball."

As usual, the fake news is better than the real news. Thanks, nedlog! Gary, you should have been quoted in the linked Onion article. :)

[tn]

I think there should just be two leagues - one for these mutated steroid monsters which would also include anything that has happened in American baseball until now (my guess is half the league is doped-up anyway) This one could also be an interesting experimental playground for tech-enhanced players and all sorts of non-sportsmanship dirty tricks.

And then have a clean league with real athletes that compete on level terms.

[David Jacobs]

Great idea "tn!" Steven Berlin Johnson wrote a great essay about this.

In your league, are weights allowed? Contact lenses? Nike shoes? Maple bats? Tommy John surgery?