BONDS BOMB

[hugedude24]

First off, steroids when taken properly do not harm the body even as much as alcohol does. People choose to give young children Ritalin and other amphetamines that alter their [i:9d0c061df8]brain chemistry[/i:9d0c061df8]! to have their minds perform better, why not allow for top athletes to use controlled substances in a supervised manner to have them perform what they do at the top level? Ritalin, steroids, same thing...when used properly they do what they are intended to, when abused they have negative affects.

[goredsox33]

WOW ,is this an INTERESTING issue!!!!
theres so many diff angles on this............

[JohnnyBlazers]

The issue here isn't if reporters are trying to bring down a "hero" (that's the American Media-build them up, cut'em down! and the players know the rules), or that back in the day players poppie "greenies" like Certs, or that steroids were not outlawed by MLB, though illegal to posess and distribute by our laws. The real issue is that Bonds is closing in on Aaron and Ruth and if he didn;t start his steroid cycles in 2000-2001, he wouldn't be approaching the record. As the story states, his Hr's per AB's DOUBLED once he started juicing and at the age of 35 at that. Most guys are winding down their careers at 35, yet Bonds doubled his HR output into his 40's. If there is one thing magical about baseball is our knowledge of records- Joe D's 56, Gehrigs 2130, Williams .406 in '41, Lou Brock 118, Clemente 3000-these numbers all represent the history of the game, something to quantify a players accomplishments. You can't quantify Bonds, McGwire or Sosa-they represent the "Triple Crown" of the "Steroid Era". Coupled with the fact that they are stone cold liars (Sosa suddenly forgets English and McGwire shriveled up like a sissy before Congress-Are these supposed to be the faces of American heroes? I don't think so) If there is one thing we as Americans do not tolerate is COWARDICE. COWARDS are what McGwire Sosa and Bonds really are. And we don't like being lied to-if these guys would have come up and said "Yeah we did it, we didn;t think of it as bad, other guys do it" people could have accepted that better than having them slither and slime around like snakes. It's like Nixon in Watergate-if he would have gone straight forward with the truth his resignation would not have been necessary

[goredsox33]

Johnny GREAT post...............i do disagree with a cpl of parts...


nixon still would have to resign!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

secondly..i dont know that the public would be so forgivng to thse false -record breakers...

its one thing to "forgive" a 1 season wonder like Giambi......

but , as naive as i was in 1998.....i now look back at 1998 and all ANY of the things Bonds,mcgwire,sosa,giambi,palmeiro have done as FRAUDULENT

[goredsox33]

[quote:f76cc6ece0="the splinter"]Allow me to sightly alter the direction of this thread....

All legalities aside....


Steroids physically allow the body to perform beyond normal capabilities right?

Brian Roberts wears contacts that filter out certain light and allow him to pick up the ball in flight faster and clearer...this allows his body to perform beyond normal capabilities. He does not need them to correct vision problems they are strictly to improve his ability to see a baseball. He enjoyed a career season this past year. Is this cheating?

There has been talk of Josh Beckett having extra skin grafted on to his finger tips to prevent the blistering that has palgued his career. This is physically altering his body to perform beyond normal capabilities. He does not need this procedure to live a normal life it would be only to enhance his ability to throw a baseball. Would this be cheating?[/quote:f76cc6ece0]



Splinter...you cant look at this as all "legalities aside"
unless you want to look at Pete Rose BETTING on BASEBALL as "legality aside"....................

[hugedude24]

Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio were all cowards for not playing against African-Americans. What you say? Everybody in the majors was refusing to play versus them? So what. Lets forget their numbers.

By the way Johnnyblazers brings up the democrats point about George W: "we don't like being lied to-if these guys would have come up and said "Yeah we did it, we didn;t think of it as bad"... people could have accepted that better than having them slither and slime around like snakes."

I've never been for the "heroization" of sports players who for the most part do little that makes the world a better place. And although I'm a Bonds fan, I am a fan of him as a baseball player and have been since 1986, he's not my hero. A hero is somebody who sticks his neck out for other people, and in the game of baseball there have been few: Williams, Clemente, Robinson, Aaron and others who are not nearly as famous. Bonds, Mcwire, Ruth are not, period. I admit that.

What I don't like is the attitude that "if they just told us, we would forgive them, love them again, etc." Happened with Pete Rose huh? He's back in baseball and the hall for admitting what he did....oh no....seems like all the cries for absolving his baseball sins through confession were the ploys of men who would not stand by their word either. The ballplayers made some mistakes, admitting them will not make them right or clear their names. I'm unclear actually what it would accomplish. Perhaps somebody could tell me...world peace? and end to world hunger? Jessica Biel in bed next to me? Any of those three and I'll be banging on Barry's door for his confession!

[Jimbo1958]

I can't speak for Bonds and anyone else who may have used steriods, amphetamines or other performance enhancers, and I don't like to judge others when I know I am not perfect. However, I can judge my own actions, and I definitely would consider myself to be cheating if I used steriods to give me a competitive edge in sports, regardless of the pressures to excel.

I was at best a below average ballplayer, but some of my best memories are those rare but thrilling moments of greatness (in my own mind!) when I got a clutch hit or scored a winning run playing Little League. Or aced a tough exam in school. Or received recognition from others for completing a successful project at work. I certainly would not felt the same way had I cheated on the test, took credit for the work of others, or enhanced my play with drugs (regardless of whether MLB, the US government or anyone else deemed them to be legal).

I give a lot of credit to my recently deceased father, who loved baseball with a passion (diehard San Diego Padres fan), for teaching me the difference between right and wrong, and especially the importance of doing the right thing when nobody is looking. I apologize if all this makes me sound righteous, but it bothers me greatly that I now question whether my favorite ballplayers set MLB records based on their natural abilities or thanks to steriods.

That Bonds hit so many homers will always amaze me, but now I wonder whether he really did it without the help of steroids. If not, how will he justify the use of steriods? I will let Bonds judge himself because the so-called truth that unfolds over time will likely be skewed by the media, politicians and others.

If, in the end, Bonds believes he cheated baseball and got away with it, perhaps he will place a mental asterisk next to his list of achievements. Maybe not. But if he does, he may never experience the same joy I feel ever time I replay in my own mind those glorious highlight films of my Little League games.

[the splinter]

[quote:c38b72b157]Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio were all cowards for not playing against African-Americans.[/quote:c38b72b157]

Thats a bit strong.

I don't think players of that era had much choice over who they played against in MLB. Owners controlled everything. If you take a moment and reflect you will find that these players often barnstormed with the Negro Leagues when the owners couldn't control it. Yes, many players of the day harbored deep racial attitudes and would not face all competition. Many players sought out the opportunity to face these players. These teams featured an array of white talent. I quote a Negro League web site.... "all-stars that traditionally toured the country during the off-season periods in the 1930s and 1940s. Assembled by top players, even Babe Ruth (“Bustin’ Babes”) and Lou Gehrig (“Larrupin’ Lou’s”), the barnstorming teams played popular exhibitions including games against the best Negro League clubs. Perhaps the most noted examples of these barnstorming teams were Bob Feller's Traveling All-Stars and Satchel Paige's Traveling All-Stars. The two teams began matching up in the late 1930s and continued into the 1940s. At the time, barnstorming was an effective means for baseball players(white and black) to make additional money.

Cowards...I don't think so.

[visick]

Just wanted to add...

If Bonds isn't a Hall of Famer, Cooperstown is gonna have to get rid of a number of other "Famers" for cheating.

If I recall correctly, the spitball was once a legal pitch right? I believe there are a few pitchers who are in the H.O.F. that threw them BEFORE M.L.B. outlawed that pitch.

FWIW-As a licensed health care professional I need to add that drugs are drugs whether they are pushed OR prescribed. Let's not forget that. ALL drugs affect the body in some way AND change the chemistry of it.