I've missed the last breathe of fresh air that use to smell like baseball over the years. Thanks to the San Francisco Giants' controversial slugger, baseball now smells like a really bad diaper.
It sickens me to see this arrogant guy - who will eventually break Hank Aaron's all-time home-run record - knowingly in the back of that swollen, egotistical head of his that he was using performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds will tarnish what is good about Aaron's record. He will take the legacy of Hammerin' Hank's years of struggle to break Babe Ruth's record, and flush it all down the toilet with Bonds' selfishness and disregard for baseball.
Barry knew all along that he was taking steroids for a better part of his baseball career - all he cares about is the record. He will do whatever it takes to gain immorality. It's really sad for someone like Bonds to behave in such a manner, and it makes me wonder if there is there is really anything good about baseball.
But Bonds should not bear the steroid crucifixion by himself. Many others in baseball - such as former ballplayers Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Ken Caminiti and Mark McGwire - and current player Jason Giambi need to share in carrying this load, as well.
I can't even be happy for Texas Rangers slugger, Sammy Sosa, who hit his 600th home run of his career Thursday against his old team, the Chicago Cubs. But even Slammin' Sammy couldn't escape the doubt that fans, sportswriters and broadcasters have regarding his questionable past.
Baseball and other sports at every level are too late in trying to regulate the steroid monster. The motto for today's athlete is "win at any cost, even if it means your life."
Steroid abuse in sports has been around for decades. Sports in America has not been as wholesome as everyone wants to believe. So many teams that have been crowned champions in their respected sport have had (and still do) have athletes who take performance enhancing drugs to achieve a false sense of perfection.
We cry for some sort of reform on steroid use in sports, yet in all four seasons of our lives we celebrate the gift of competition by living our fantasies through the spirit of these men and women. We continue to cry out to today's athlete for perfection, but I don't call that reform on steroid use in sports - I call that hypocrisy.
Today, sports are among a huge business. Teams must win in order to bring revenue to the organization and to the city. Sports personalities must win to get the biggest endorsements, more materialist wealth and so on.
And somewhere down the road, I believe Barry Bonds got disillusioned on what was important about the game of baseball. As a result, he has become public enemy No. 1 to all those he has alienated for many years. When he does break the record set by Aaron, Bonds will not receive the admiration or the respect from those who know and love the game of baseball.
Yet, Barry can live with that.
But Barry Bonds will not make it to Cooperstown. He made the decision to use steroids in baseball, and therefore should not enter the Hall of Fame.
I know that Cooperstown by no means has angels or saints among its hallways. Yet, I am sure that baseball does not need someone as dishonest and as disrespectful to the game as Barry Bonds to enter the Hall of Fame.
And that is the price for being an anti-American Hero.
Send e-mail to ericmcdonald@journalist.com
It sickens me to see this arrogant guy - who will eventually break Hank Aaron's all-time home-run record - knowingly in the back of that swollen, egotistical head of his that he was using performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds will tarnish what is good about Aaron's record. He will take the legacy of Hammerin' Hank's years of struggle to break Babe Ruth's record, and flush it all down the toilet with Bonds' selfishness and disregard for baseball.
Barry knew all along that he was taking steroids for a better part of his baseball career - all he cares about is the record. He will do whatever it takes to gain immorality. It's really sad for someone like Bonds to behave in such a manner, and it makes me wonder if there is there is really anything good about baseball.
But Bonds should not bear the steroid crucifixion by himself. Many others in baseball - such as former ballplayers Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Ken Caminiti and Mark McGwire - and current player Jason Giambi need to share in carrying this load, as well.
I can't even be happy for Texas Rangers slugger, Sammy Sosa, who hit his 600th home run of his career Thursday against his old team, the Chicago Cubs. But even Slammin' Sammy couldn't escape the doubt that fans, sportswriters and broadcasters have regarding his questionable past.
Baseball and other sports at every level are too late in trying to regulate the steroid monster. The motto for today's athlete is "win at any cost, even if it means your life."
Steroid abuse in sports has been around for decades. Sports in America has not been as wholesome as everyone wants to believe. So many teams that have been crowned champions in their respected sport have had (and still do) have athletes who take performance enhancing drugs to achieve a false sense of perfection.
We cry for some sort of reform on steroid use in sports, yet in all four seasons of our lives we celebrate the gift of competition by living our fantasies through the spirit of these men and women. We continue to cry out to today's athlete for perfection, but I don't call that reform on steroid use in sports - I call that hypocrisy.
Today, sports are among a huge business. Teams must win in order to bring revenue to the organization and to the city. Sports personalities must win to get the biggest endorsements, more materialist wealth and so on.
And somewhere down the road, I believe Barry Bonds got disillusioned on what was important about the game of baseball. As a result, he has become public enemy No. 1 to all those he has alienated for many years. When he does break the record set by Aaron, Bonds will not receive the admiration or the respect from those who know and love the game of baseball.
Yet, Barry can live with that.
But Barry Bonds will not make it to Cooperstown. He made the decision to use steroids in baseball, and therefore should not enter the Hall of Fame.
I know that Cooperstown by no means has angels or saints among its hallways. Yet, I am sure that baseball does not need someone as dishonest and as disrespectful to the game as Barry Bonds to enter the Hall of Fame.
And that is the price for being an anti-American Hero.
Send e-mail to ericmcdonald@journalist.com
