I don’t think y’all understand how much I hate having to defend BARRY BONDS. I wish this Federal indictment were handed down to someone that I love in sports like say CHARLES BARKLEY, or KEN GRIFFEY Jr. I would have said DWIGHT GOODEN or DARRYL STRAWBERRY, but knowing those two fuck ups a Federal indictment might be the thing that keeps them from killing themselves.
BARRY BONDS is far from being one of my favorite baseball players of all time, but his singular journey against the Federal government, Major League Baseball and their media subordinates has turned him into the PAUL ROBESON of the new millenium. No offense to PAUL ROBESON. Times have certainly changed in that you have to find your voices of dissent that fight persecution in some odd places.
The latter half of 2007 hass been a banner year for negroes receiving Federal dockets. T.I. certainly deserved to get pinched for buying up Blackwater USA’s back order armaments, and MICHAEL VICK had the nerve to be messing around with one of the white Jesus’ favorite animals. Can you imagine what kind of shit he would have been in had he been sponsoring something like dolphin fights? In BARRY BONDS case you are seeing the result of over four years of investigation. WTF is going on here people?!
You mean to tell me that the Federal government has allocated four years to the staffing of an investigation into why BARRY BONDS now looks like a bobblehead doll? So while I am going broke over here paying for a war overseas, or some other corporate welfare, the Federal government has been pissing away money to tell us that BARRY BONDS lied under oath when questioned about whether or not he knowingly ingested steroids? I’m at a loss as to why I would even give a fuck, especially four years worth of giving a fuck.
Oh, right, baseball. The hallowed records. The sanctity of the sport. In the internets we have a saying… GTFOH! This is that getback shit that BARRY BONDS thought he was above. This is that shit that America reserves for people like MIKE TYSON and O.J. SIMPSON. I hate the fact that its BARRY BONDS going through the crime of unforgivable Blackness. I wish it were some other Black dude that I truly loved. And this is why BARRY doesn’t stand a chance.
I nearly used the same headline in my own defense of Bonds, see: http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2007/11/barry-bonds-perjury-indictment-is-pure.html
I disagree, though, that Barry doesn’t stand a chance. I bet he wins in court. He’ll have deep pockets and tremendous lawyers, and the charges are politicized BS. Perjury is hard to prove.
I hollered…especially at T.I. buying up “Blackwater USA’s back-ordered armaments”! Bwwwwwwwhaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaa!
As for Barry…fuck him and feed him fish. I could give a damn about him. And I love baseball, but as a person, eh. Could care less about him.
Shout out to Jim Caviezel, aka White Jesus.
They set Barry up so swueet that I doubt he’ll see less than 20 years. Looking back, you can see how it was all orchestrated. Bud Selig was turning his back when Bonds tied the record. Like, “Ok, I got that ass. Nolo.” Hank Aaron stayed as far away as he could.
It was basically the calm before the storm. It’s ill how they played him. Shout out to Marc Ecko for the extra sideline diss.
We outta here, baybe.
I don’t even like baseball but I can tell when a sport is trying to crucify someone who should be an icon. The same thing they did with Kobe, Sprewell (he might’ve deserved it), Tyson, and too many other black sports figures to name. It is unforgivable blackness… umm kmm thats that shit (c) Kanye
It’s shame Bonds is the posterboy for the steroid dilemma while roughly 50-75% of the league (maybe even more) has been juicing up as well (for a long ass time). It’s unfair to someone like Bonds who was probably just keeping up with the once acceptable trends in his sport. These public (media, administration and followers alike) just need to face the fact that not only has this epidemic of ‘roid use been prevalent for over two decades, it has completely tarnished and distorted baseball’s historical context. No matter how badly they crucify peope such as Bonds, nothing is going to change this fact of the matter. It’s the leagues fault for letting all this slip past unnoticed, yet in our current age of unaccountability, its only fitting that they not be the one’s to blame.
I guess Jose Canseco can say, “I told you so.”
Also, the feds are clearly trying to get a hand on that ‘roid money. I don’t know the exact scheme, but there’s a whole lot more than “saving the game” at stake here.
My question is…………
How you gonna tell me I KNOWINGLY TOOK STERIODS?
I would keep denying it no matter what they claimed.
And another thing, 30 years?!!!!!!!
You would have thought he killed a few people. Same thing with Vick.
Bonds alleged steriod use didn’t hurt anyone but him. I mean the damage was to his body and no one else was harmed.
I hate to say it, but this indictment is most certainly about race.
Suck my bat B***h!
he’s going down. {||]
Chris says…
“it has completely tarnished and distorted baseball’s historical context.”
What is baseball’s historical context? What records in baseball do you consider valid? Baseball has been a segregated sport for half of its history. Do the records established during segregation hold up in your opinion? Why?
Let them have the pitching & catching[ll] thing for now,it’s slowly dying,as far as bonds “cheating”,how do you call taking steroids cheating when people across all walks of life are cheating to look,act,play,appear & most important of all feel younger?
Living in a multi mass media world in which has so many kids gassed up to take the athletic chance in life & wind up becoming one of the 97% of high school b-ballers who don’t even end up playing in the ncaa…
Or better yet one of the 98.8% of ncca seniors who never make it to the NBA,it goes on & on but to sum it up we live in a world where the athletes are more popular & powerful than the scientists & doctors…
Sandinka,
More popular? Yeah.
More powerful? Hell no.
You don’t see the Feds going after the scientists or the doctors that developed these steroids and synthetic growth hormones.
First off the only people I’m willing to say probably didn’t take roids were constantly injured (Griffey Jr., etc).
Otherwise I love how the war is tip toed around and with baseball we get congressional hearings and former Senators investigating.
DP,
When I say historical context, I mean the 100 + years of people playing the game without using a substance that significantly increases their strength and coordination and in so doing, places them at an unfair competitive advantage. Furthermore, I am not referring to the “MLB” solely, I am speaking about the historical context of all leagues and all participants in those leagues since baseball has been founded ( I mistakenly equated “MLB” with “baseball” so thank you for pointing that out – I should have said, “MLB’s historical context”). Baseball isn’t solely confined to the lense of the MLB, nor should it be. Finally, let it be known that I am no Tim Kurkjian-esque stan of official records as all that is near and dear to the game, but I do believe statistics serve a purpose when one comparatively analyses players of various eras and leagues.
What records do I consider valid? Well, none really since it is unreasonable to confine identifying baseball’s greatest players to just one league, which the media and about 95% of baseball fans have mistakenly done. I consider records in the MLB from 1952 onward as partially valid since only the accomplishments of white players were allowed to carry over to the non-segregated league, e.g.. the 20 home runs that a white player hit prior to 1952 would carry over and be included in record keeping and this is unfair. In this light, I consider Josh Gibson’s 800 to be the Negro League record and Babe Ruth’s 715 or whatever it is to the pre-integration MLB record. As for who the better of the two home run hitters is, I consider Gibson to be better of the two because he played in a more competitve league(imo) and hit rougly an 1/8 more home runs in said better league(imo). In this light, there is truly no “all-time” leader since baseball has been distorted from the onset racially and in its recent days with the use of steroids (which I am assuming was the point of your question).
However, within the history of the MLB, is is undoubtable that steroids have distorted its historical context. The use of a performance enhancing substance has clearly altered the accomplishments of those within the league’s history. Furthermore, when comparisons transcend the history of MLB to other leagues of other eras, it has tarnished those players achievements as well. For example, Barry Bonds is nowhere near the home run hitting great that Hank Aaron was, not to mention guys like Josh Gibson or Babe Ruth, the best within their racially divided leagues. Imagine if those guys did the ‘roids. Basically, the ‘roids have created a Jimmy Carter-like level of inflation that is completely significant when comparing those stats of those within this era, to those outside of it.
As for records held during the period of segregation, I believe they hold up in their respective leagues, and that is all. It is up to us to be able to transcend racial boundaries to determine who the greatest of all-time was given an understanding of each league. If someone discusses Ty Cobb someone better discuss Oscar Charleston and if someone discusses Christy Mathewson, someone better discuss the bul Satchel Paige (who has the illest Mitchell and Ness 1952 Cleveland Browns throwback ever). It’s just a shame the greater baseball community has failed to (for racial purposes and/or sheer ignorance) educate its fans about these “untold truths” of these corresponding eras.
Ultimately, you’re right in saying all of baseball has been a shit-show in which no conclusive, all-time great may be discerned within its sport. And again, you bring up another great point about how these buls in the Negro League have been completely slept on in a completely unfair manner. I agree with all of these points. However, I feel as though ‘roids have altered the somewhat legitimate records of MLB from 1952 onward, and by inflating performance, has altered comparisons with players from other leagues and eras to a certain extent as well.
I basically wrote this comment because I just felt that all the player’s who had played the game before all these buls started using ‘roids we’re getting shitted on for their accomplishments. For instance, are you telling me that Mark McGwire’s 583 home runs are even comparable to Frank Robinson’s 586 homers and in following the inappropriate equation of home run = baseball greatness say he was of on par with Robinson? No way. That is shitting on Frank Robinson because other career batting and fielding statistics aside Mark McGwire can’t fuck with Frank Robinson. The same can be said of Sammy Sosa and Willie Mays, and even of that dude Brady Anderson who hit 50 home runs in a year all ‘roided out then fell into oblivion. Within the context of MLB, it’s not right. Those player wouldn’t have done nearly as much as they did without the ‘roids.
People also need to stop putting so much emphasis on these records as determinants of greatness. A-Rod is probably going to hit 900 home runs, possess numerous other statistical accomplishments and then be labeled by New York Yankee fans and the media as the greatest player who ever lived (‘roids and what not aside). Yet all these people will overlook the fact that this is quite possibly the worst postseason player the game has ever seen. Winning > statistics. The same can be said for Peyton Manning, Kobe and all the other statistical frauds. I know I have been espousing my own statiscaltheory in this extra extra extra long comment, but it needs to be put in the greater context that statistics don’t determine greatness. Buls need to wake up their ability to see who or what’s right or wrong and good or bad.
Sorry about the length of that comment. I blame ESPN and the sports media’s ignorance and stupidity, so take your beef up with them.
I think its a testament to how fucked up the world is that Barry Bonds is incited for lying about his steroid use but we can’t impeach Bush and Cheney for lying to us to get into a motherfucking war. I hate this planet.
Good post DP. You hit everything on point (pause) and I co fuckin sign.
I think its a testament to how fucked up the world is that Barry Bonds is incited for lying about his steroid use but we can’t impeach Bush and Cheney for lying to us to get into a motherfucking war. I hate this planet.-Doc Zeus
Which is the bigger crime raping, robbing, invading two countries, two sovereign Nations and killings tens of thousands of men women and children to advance an insane political agenda or adding ass muscles to help you hit a (II) fucking baseball? I cosign DocZeus and add fuck sports, fuck media and fuck the fans, the owners, the Nullus players the TV and the dumbing down and sports addiction that this dumb ass country has sunk into-Ernie Paniccioli