Barry Bonds hit Home Run 756!!

[Josh]

Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth didn't need roids to get the records, so why does this guy need them to surpass the records? Steroids has tainted the game of baseball, and it will never be the same.

[Rup_Muk]

Agree completely with the majority of opinions expressed here.

However, OP is from the Bay Area - and s/he feels differently... So,I pass on my felicitations to OP (not Bonds, mind you).

Rup.

[babyBlu]

I am not a Barry Bonds fan but I don't hold the same disdain that many others do. Anyone thinking that he was the only one that "juiced up" is naive. You can't just point a finger at one player, that whole "era" is a black spot for baseball. Besides, everything is "alleged". I'm not saying that I think he didn't do anything wrong, that would be naive also, but nothing has been proven yet. He hasn't even tested positive for steroids, and people hate this guy more than Palmeiro or the many others who have in fact tested positive and been suspended for doing so. His main problem is that he comes off as a jerk. I don't have a problem with that. He doesn't have to please everyone. I'm sure if I had to go through the media scrutiny like him, I'd be a jerk too.

Look at his stats, Barry Bonds was a hall of famer before he allegedly started doing steroids in the '99 season. He is still a hell of a player now, has a big body, and hits homruns...is he still using steroids? I have no problem with him going into the hall of fame for the simple reason that he has never tested positive for steroids. CONGRATULATIONS Barry and it looks like I am one of the few here who actually applauded your accomplishment.

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by babyBlu

I am not a Barry Bonds fan but I don't hold the same disdain that many others do. Anyone thinking that he was the only one that "juiced up" is naive. You can't just point a finger at one player, that whole "era" is a black spot for baseball.

Indeed, and I don't think anyone is pointing the finger at one player, but Bonds is getting the focus here because he just broke one of the most prestigous baseball records around. There is all sorts of examples of how roids has tainted the game,...you have of course, Canseco...he can't play any more since he came off the juice. Giambi...ditto. Sosa, had to retire with an abysmal 232 AVG and 13 HR for my O's when the roids crackdown began, but now he is back after a two year hiatus...can anyone say HGH? Brett Boone is another fine example of how roids helped him to become famous, this is a second baseman for the Mariners who was MVP caliber hitting in the upper 30's of homers, with a great average. Then, he was cited in Canseco's book, baseball's roid crackdown began, and all of a sudden, Brett Boone can't hit a lick anymore. In fact, he gets dropped from the Mariners, tries to go to the Twins, and can't even land a spot there. The next year, he can't even make a major league baseball team.

So in general, I don't think anyone is blaming one player here, but we're talking about Bonds, because this is what this thread is about...Bonds and how he cheated to get the homerun record. Did any of the player's aforementioned (besides Sosa) break any important baseball records while juiced? Not to my knowledge. Bonds is more significant because of the historical records at stake.

Besides, everything is "alleged". I'm not saying that I think he didn't do anything wrong, that would be naive also, but nothing has been proven yet. He hasn't even tested positive for steroids, and people hate this guy more than Palmeiro or the many others who have in fact tested positive and been suspended for doing so.

Oh please. Alleged? The man had leaked testimony of himself stating that he didn't "knowingly" take the steroids from Balco Labs...he thought it was "flax-seed oil" and "cream for his arthritis." You expect the public to buy that? He is a professional athlete, and you expect us to believe that he doesn't know what he is ingesting into his body on a DAILY basis. The man had calendars showing regular visits to Balco Labs for his special flax-seed oil and arthritis cream. So alleged, I don't think so. It is pretty much a fact he took roids, but it is "alleged" whether actually knew he was taking roids or not. Bonds is simply playing the poor me, stupid card in an attempt to remain in the record books. My opinion, playing stupid still doesn't take away the fact that he took steroids, it just means that he is either stupid or not.

His main problem is that he comes off as a jerk. I don't have a problem with that. He doesn't have to please everyone. I'm sure if I had to go through the media scrutiny like him, I'd be a jerk too.

Look at his stats, Barry Bonds was a hall of famer before he allegedly started doing steroids in the '99 season. He is still a hell of a player now, has a big body, and hits homruns...is he still using steroids? I have no problem with him going into the hall of fame for the simple reason that he has never tested positive for steroids. CONGRATULATIONS Barry and it looks like I am one of the few here who actually applauded your accomplishment.

No, I think his main problem is that he cheated and took steroids. Yes, we all know Barry Bonds is a talented player, but I think everyone and their mother is smart enough to realize that you don't double your homerun output when you are 40. You actually decrease in your homerun output, like every other player, because you're getting old. As I've stated before, Bonds was good before, as he regularly hit HRs in the 30s every year, but 60s and 70s good at an age where you ought to be declining in the number of HRs you hit? C'mon, it's easy to see that Bonds is a cheater, pure and simple.

Is he still taking steroids? I don't think so, as he has come back down to earth in regards to his AVG and HR output. Is he on HGH? Probably, as it is undetectable. So yes, congratulations Barry for cheating your way into history. I hope you get what you deserve by not ever being inducted to the Hall of Fame. I think you deserved to be there before, but now, considering what you've done, I say no, not to induction and no to any applause for a cheating baseball player.

[Blu-Light]

What a scum bag. He represents everything that is bad about baseball in this day and age. He also represents what is bad about some professional atheletes.

[BTBuck1]

IMO Bonds is an immature jerk. Everytime he's interviewed he can't help but say something stupid or cocky. I am not happy for him as I feel his road to 756 was unethical. He's slinked his way around the system and thats cool, but IMO if he's allowed in the HOF, then so should Pete Rose.

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

IMO Bonds is an immature jerk. Everytime he's interviewed he can't help but say something stupid or cocky. I am not happy for him as I feel his road to 756 was unethical. He's slinked his way around the system and thats cool, but IMO if he's allowed in the HOF, then so should Pete Rose.

I agree. Bonds tries to talk about any excuse on why he has hit so many homers in his late career. I don't buy the lame "juiced ball" excuse he's giving, otherwise, we would have had A-Rod or some other players breaking the home run record quite regularly. The only thing juiced was himself.

[babyBlu]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

IMO if he's allowed in the HOF, then so should Pete Rose.

I agree but the one difference I see between Rose and Bonds is that Rose broke a rule that is clearly in MLB rulebook, no betting on baseball. Bonds "unknowingly" used steroids during a time where there was no mandatory testing of such. I do think that using steroids is worse than betting on baseball, but I can see how Bonds can get in and Rose can't...on a technicallity and some good lawyers. So yes, if Bonds gets in, let Rose in too.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Josh

Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth didn't need roids to get the records, so why does this guy need them to surpass the records? Steroids has tainted the game of baseball, and it will never be the same.

This should have been a moment of triumph for baseball. Instead it is a moment of shame.

Allowing this record to stand RUINS the game, and sends the wrong message to the youth: Sure it's "wrong", but if you want the records and fame then you have to do it.

Major League Baseball has been morally bankrupt and collusional in the whole matter for a decade. I used to be a huge fan, I don't watch baseball any more.

[babyBlu]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Major League Baseball has been morally bankrupt and collusional in the whole matter for a decade. I used to be a huge fan, I don't watch baseball any more.

You must not watch sports at all anymore because baseball is the least morally bankupt of the 3 major sports. The NFL has had much larger problems like Tank Johnson or Pac Man Jones. The NBA is attempting to remake their whole image as a league. Ron Artest and Steven Jackson are complete a-holes, in a league filled with a-holes. Steroids is cheating but in the grand scheme of things, Barry Bonds is not that bad of a guy. Or at least not as bad as most make him out to be. There are much worse things going on...everyone needs to stop making Barry the scapegoat for all problems, and look at the league as a whole.

[Josh]

Originally Posted by babyBlu

You must not watch sports at all anymore because baseball is the least morally bankupt of the 3 major sports. The NFL has had much larger problems like Tank Johnson or Pac Man Jones. The NBA is attempting to remake their whole image as a league.

I don't agree with that statement. The NFL at least suspends players who are screw-ups. So does the NBA, to a lesser extent. But its difficult to make a comparison from sports which take their players straight out of college (NFL and NBA) and a sport which requires its players to be filtered through a minor league system. By the time an MLB player reaches the majors, how long have they been playing baseball professionally? It took Pac Man one year to show that he was a bad egg; wouldn't a similar MLB player be removed from the sport before reaching the majors?

I'm not saying the NFL and NBA are perfect. The NBA has a major problem with being lenient with their stars in order to keep ratings up, and the NFL still needs to work harder on tracking down steroid users (when guys are naturally 300 lbs, its difficult to spot the juicers). But the MLB has been catering to its stars to improve lackluster ratings, all the while turning a blind eye to cheating.

[babyBlu]

Originally Posted by Josh

I don't agree with that statement. The NFL at least suspends players who are screw-ups. So does the NBA, to a lesser extent.

When I was saying the NFL and NBA are more morally bankrupt, I was talking more about the players, not how the league handles the players. Those two leagues definitely hand down some steep penalties ala Pac Man Jones and Ron Artest, so let me make that clarification. I agree that those "leagues" are more moral, but I don't think that the players are, which is who I pay to see. I hear about more off the field run in's with police from NBA and NFL players...drugs this, weapons that. And some of that may have to do with the bad seeds getting weeded out in the minor leagues.

Originally Posted by Josh

But the MLB has been catering to its stars to improve lackluster ratings, all the while turning a blind eye to cheating.

I definitely agree that the MLB has been catering to it's stars, not so much now though. Players, big or small in fame, are getting suspended for steroids all the time, like Palmeiro, a hall of famer before he tested positive. MLB's biggest problem was the blind eye they turned years ago, which they are still paying for now. We obviously wouldn't be having this discussion if there were more strict drug testing policies during the 90's. (Never thought we'd be discussing sports in a blu-ray forum...kinda nice )

[Amon37]

Great News for steriods!!

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Amon37

Great News for steriods!!

Clever

[dobyblue]

I got no problem with Bonds, congrats.

That record is going to be broken by A-Rod anyway. He hit #500 over 4 years earlier in age than Bonds did.

[Galley]

I'm glad I was at home to watch it happen, live!

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by babyBlu

You must not watch sports at all anymore because baseball is the least morally bankupt of the 3 major sports. The NFL has had much larger problems like Tank Johnson or Pac Man Jones.

Show me a record from the NFL or NBA that was obtained through roids.

I agree the use of drugs is a problem across sports. But, in baseball it has the unique position of creating superstars because of them (MacGuire, Sosa, and Bonds).

Michael Jordan scoring records because of roids?
Patton Manning thowing records because of roids?
Wayne Gretsky scoring records because of roids?

Home run records?

[babyBlu]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Show me a record from the NFL or NBA that was obtained through roids.

I agree the use of drugs is a problem across sports. But, in baseball it has the unique position of creating superstars because of them (MacGuire, Sosa, and Bonds).

Michael Jordan scoring records because of roids?
Patton Manning thowing records because of roids?
Wayne Gretsky scoring records because of roids?

Home run records?

I'm not disagreeing with records obtained through roids, that does put a shadow over the game, but right now we can't prove everyone who did it during that era, which MLB only has theirselves to blame. The recent steroids suspensions over the past couple of years have shown that the majority of players using steroids haven't been the superstars, but average pitchers and smaller hitters. During the "juiced ball era", who knows how many players were using steroids. For every Barry Bonds there could have been 5 or 6 Ryan Franklin's or Alex Sanchez's. If Bonds did do steroids, he was stupid for doing so because he was a great player before he "bulked up". I don't really care about records, I watch the game for the teamwork and competition and it takes more than steroids to become a great player. I'm not going to stop being a fan because a few people cheated.

To quote myself

Originally Posted by babyBlu

You must not watch sports at all anymore because baseball is the least morally bankupt of the 3 major sports.

All my point was is that I have less of a problem watching someone who allegedly used steroids, than someone who is convicted of drugs, or domestic abuse, having a concealed weapon, or any other run in with the police, which seems to be more rampant in the NFL and NBA. Using steroids ranks low on that list IMO. That is why I think MLB players are less morally bankrupt. I will agree that the MLB, i.e. Bud Selig, is more morally bankrupt than David Stern or Roger Goodell, he is the only one to blame for all of this. Barry Bonds is very low on my all time list of players to hate when there were/are guys out there like Shawn Kemp, Michael Vick, almost anyone who has been a Dallas Cowboy in the mid 90's(i.e. Michael Irvin), and Tank Johnson.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by babyBlu

All my point was is that I have less of a problem watching someone who allegedly used steroids, than someone who is convicted of drugs, or domestic abuse, having a concealed weapon, or any other run in with the police, which seems to be more rampant in the NFL and NBA.

I hear ya. The problems with the NFL/NBA off the field overshadow the issue.

But, imagine if some QB that everyone knew was on roids was approaching a god-level record (and that's what the Ruth -> Aaron record is).

I guess my problem with baseball is the moral lesson it is teaching as much as the problem itself. If people want to ruin their bodies and lives then that is their business, but when it becomes a fame/fortune incentive to others to do the same, then I have a major problem.

I trust nobody thinks Ben Johnson should get back his gold medal?

Gary

[Papi4baby]

Originally Posted by Josh

Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth didn't need roids to get the records, so why does this guy need them to surpass the records? Steroids has tainted the game of baseball, and it will never be the same.

All im going to say is PROVE IT lol. I mean really was there a microscope on baseball back them like there is now? Was there as much knowledge about steroids back them as now??? I dont think so, so anything is possible. It rumored that BB has not been taking roids for a while, but he has been taking stuff to recouperate alot faster.