Bud Selig made every effort to be an ass when Bonds tied Hank Aaron's home run record:
"Congratulations to Barry Bonds as he ties Major League's Baseball's home run record. No matter what anyone thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr. Bonds' achievement is noteworthy and remarkable.
"As I said previously, out of respect for the tradition of the game, the magnitude of the record and the fact that all citizens in this country are innocent until proven guilty, either I or a representative of my office will attend the next few games and make every attempt to observe the breaking of the all-time home run record."
CBS News'
He is guilty, beyond reasonable doubt, of being the most overmatched, incompetent commissioner in American sports history. Consider this to be my official statement on the matter.
Read the rest of Doyel's views on Selig.
Here is my official opinion on the matter, not that anyone cares: Bonds is the greatest power hitter in the history of the game. I don't give a damn if he used steroids -- they didn't give him the hand-eye coordination to hit a 95 MPH fast ball. Maybe he gets an extra 30 feet on a home run, but when he's hitting the ball as far as he is, that might account for 50 home runs he might not have gotten. He's just have to play one more season to make up the difference.
I think the ban on steroids is ridiculous. Athletes are always going to find ways to get around the rules. The long-time and still current drug of choice in baseball seems to be amphetamines. How many records were set by athletes on "greenies"?
Further, I think steroids should be legalized for anyone who gets a doctor's prescription. If used wisely, in short cycles, under a doctor's supervision, steroids are a safe and effectives way to build muscle and lose fat. The only time they are harmful is when used constantly (body builders), or by kids, or when they are bought on the black market (which is how most guys get them, and which is why you never know what the hell you're actually injecting into your ass). Make them legal and eliminate the black market.
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I am engaged in daily email exchanges with my high-school buddies re Bonds, these days. Tracy and Terry are, respectively, huge Angels and Dodgers fans while I defend Bonds as a Giants fan.
ReplyDeleteI can't support steroid use in principle, since there will be no end to enhanced athleticism if we take that route. But I do defend Bonds's use of steroids at a time when owners and the press were looking the other way and sanctioning its use.
Bonds's record, when it comes, should stand. No asterisks in the almanacs!