Aaron is right to avoid Bonds circus

[Dion]

Bonds is a 11 hr's away from breaking Aaron's record. The news of the day is Aaron is going to byppass the supposed historic event for a game of golf. Atta boy Hank!

“Uh-uh. No, no. I’m not going to be around,” Aaron told Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Terence Moore last week. “I’d probably fly to West Palm Beach to play golf. Again, it has nothing to do with anybody, other than I had enough of it. I don’t want to be around that sort of thing anymore. I just want to be at peace with myself. I don’t want to answer questions.

Bonds is bent out of shape cause Aaron won't be there when he breaks his homerun record. Tough noggies Bonds!

It is Bonds who needs the credibility Aaron’s company would bestow on the otherwise strained proceedings. Bonds has even sent out private feelers to Aaron in hopes he might attend, and is said to be hurt that Aaron wants nothing to do with what will no doubt be a muted celebration anywhere outside the Giants’ home park.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/ap...circus/?sports

Baseball writers are suggesting that Comish Bud Selig not attend.

If Selig shows up and celebrates a crowning of one of the least popular, most-suspected-of-enhancing-his-performance players of all-time, he could end up looking like a fraud and phony down the road.

That would happen if the Mitchell Commission, hired and paid for by baseball — a.k.a. Selig — to investigate the use of performance-enhancing drugs in his sport, had Barry Bonds' name in its report. It is correct that nothing has ever been proved about Bonds and drugs. There is also a saying that where there is smoke, there is fire.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...ck=1&cset=true

So what do you all think.

Should Aaron attend?

And what about Selig? Would he be a hypocrite if he attended?

[Resolute 14]

Logically, Bonds is more juiced up than an a fruit punch stand. However, he hasn't been convicted of anything, so if he does break the record, Selig has an obligation as commissioner to attend, and to perform the dog and pony show.

With luck, Bonds will be forced to retire before it gets to that.

As far as Aaron goes, glad he wont bother attending. No matter what happens, he will always have the legitimate home run record.

[troutman]

Bonds will be lucky if his own teammates congratulate him. This will be Bond's legacy:

*

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Snakeeye

he hasn't been convicted of anything,

Not yet. I think he perjured himself in a grand jury investigation.

[Sylvanfan]

It will be interesting to see what the reaction is if this event occurs outside of San Francisco. Should he do it at home he'll get the big ovation etc, as those people still sort of like him. If it happens elsewhere, it could be something to see, fans booing and littering the field with displeasure type of thing.

[flames_1987]

I always hate to judge pro atheletes on what we perceive them to be like in real life. It's so easy for the media and a few comments here and there to turn a person into a monster in the publics eyes ex Roger Maris. That being said, Bonds has done nothing but be a complete ass to everyone around him, teamates, media and the sporting world at large. For this I think nothing of the guy and am glad Aaron has taken this stance.

The one thing in Bond's defense, almost the entire major's seems to be juiced up and yet we give a ton of players the free pass, while we pile on Barry

[habernac]

who else gets a free pass? There are many who think poorly of guys like Sheffield, McGwire, Sosa, Pudge Rodriguez, Clemens (listen for the "HGH" chants next time he pitches at Fenway) etc.

Good on Hank for not going along with the sentiment that this is "good for baseball".

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by habernac

who else gets a free pass? There are many who think poorly of guys like Sheffield, McGwire, Sosa, Pudge Rodriguez, Clemens (listen for the "HGH" chants next time he pitches at Fenway) etc.

Good on Hank for not going along with the sentiment that this is "good for baseball".

Giambi.
Although he became ill and seemed to show contrition (without ever admitting anything publically). He does appear to be a popular Yankee. How that translates in other stadiums, I don't know.

[CaptainCrunch]

I almost find the situation to be sad in a lot of ways.

I mean as a pro athlete whats he really going to have to look back on, a record that everyone questions, a line a mile long of team mates who outright hate him, and a utter slap in the face by the man who held his record before him.

The only thing that he's going to have is millions of dollars, and to me that seems outright hollow.

When you look at players like Yzerman and Gretzky and Kirk McLean (old joke I know), they're recognized as the greatest players in the game, and they left a stunning reputation that fans will remember for a long time.

I could almost feel sorry for the Barry Bonds of 20 years down the road, he's going to be in the same basket as Pete Rose, a caricature trying to recapture his glory through publicity stunts and tell all denial interviews.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I could almost feel sorry for the Barry Bonds of 20 years down the road, he's going to be in the same basket as Pete Rose, a caricature trying to recapture his glory through publicity stunts and tell all denial interviews.

LOL, I bet Bonds will get in the Hall of fame. Bonds has not been convicted of anything until he does I personally do not see the comparison between Bonds and Rose.

Bonds is a guy who hates the media/public (in my opinion) I can not see him sitting in a Mall signing BaseBall Cards for money.

[Clever_Iggy]

My problem with Selig not attending the record breaking game is that he soaked up every ounce of publicity in 1998 when Sosa and McGwire were tracking Maris' record. That race went a long way to reviving baseball and Selig loved it. I remember reading articles that would have Selig flying from Chicago afternoon games to St. Louis night games to watch both.

It is impossible for me to believe that Selig wasnt either informed or had personal suspicions regarding Sosa and McGwire. McGwire was caught with Androstene in his locker. Although 'androstene' wasnt banned in MLB at the time, it's presence should have raised question marks. Those question marks were quickly brushed under the rug in favor of the homerun race.

3 players have hit more than 61 homeruns - Bonds, McGwire and Sosa. All three have been implicated and all three should have *'s by their names. But Selig went to bed with McGwire and Sosa in 1998 and is trying to save face by crucifying Bonds...with as much evidence as he has against the other two.

Shame on Selig.

[droopydrew19]

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

3 players have hit more than 61 homeruns - Bonds, McGwire and Sosa. All three have been implicated and all three should have *'s by their names. But Selig went to bed with McGwire and Sosa in 1998 and is trying to save face by crucifying Bonds...with as much evidence as he has against the other two.

Shame on Selig.

McGwire is paying by likely never making the hall of fame. And Sosa didn't even play last season because teams didn't want to have the spotlight on them. I think all are being painted with the same brush now.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I could almost feel sorry for the Barry Bonds of 20 years down the road, he's going to be in the same basket as Pete Rose, a caricature trying to recapture his glory through publicity stunts and tell all denial interviews.

Barry will be lucky to be alive 10 years from now, after what he put in his body (allegedly).

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by troutman

Barry will be lucky to be alive 10 years from now, after what he put in his body (allegedly).

[CrusaderPi]

Originally Posted by droopydrew19

McGwire is paying by likely never making the hall of fame. And Sosa didn't even play last season because teams didn't want to have the spotlight on them. I think all are being painted with the same brush now.

Sosa didn't play last year because he couldn't hit in a decent slo pitch league. Think piss poor mechanics rather then steroids.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Baseball always seems to have the "class acts" as superstars to go along with their true greats.

Take a look at a guy like Ty Cobb. One of the best ever? Hell his life-time batting average is higher than our superstars (even on steriods) can hit in a season.

Would I want my kids to have Cobb as a role model?

HELL NO

Another board I post on has a poster doing the "Ty Cobb Moment of the Day" recounting a story of Cobb and his insanity. Atleast Bonds isn't going into the stands beating the hell out of fans that heckle him. Cobb actually replied to "stop kicking him he has no arms" with "I don't care if he has no feet!"

I agree with Troutman, Bonds' will be remembered for:

*

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Giambi.
Although he became ill and seemed to show contrition (without ever admitting anything publically). He does appear to be a popular Yankee. How that translates in other stadiums, I don't know.

They would be under just as much scrutiny as Bonds if they were about to break one of baseball's greatest records.

[Bobblehead]

And speaking of Giambi...

an AP story posted today

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi told the newspaper Wednesday before the Yankees played the Chicago White Sox. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said: 'We made a mistake.'

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward... . Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

And from lower down:

He told USA Today this week he's thankful for MLB's testing program for steroids and amphetamines that was revised before last season. MLB does not test for HGH, but Giambi said he does not use the drug.

So they still won't catch the drugs the whole BALCO fiasco revealed.

[troutman]

Why should MLB apologize? It was illegal to take steroids, so it does not matter to me what rules MLB had against it. This is on the players - they knew it was illegal, cheating, and unhealthy.

[united]