Barry Bonds Goes Above and Beyond in Assisting Stow Family

COMMENTARY | Barry Bonds has pledged college tuition to the children of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow. Stow was the man attacked at a Dodger Stadium parking lot back on Opening Day, and who has been trying to recover from the injuries he sustained in that assault. Many people have stepped up to try to help Stow and his family, but the revelation has just been made that Bonds really went above and beyond what everyone else has been doing.

According to ESPN, Bonds spent time with Stow back on April 22 at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. While he was there, he told the Stow family that he would pay for the college education of Stow's sons (12-year-old Tyler and 8-year-old Tabitha). The gesture remained out of the press until now, showing just how much Bonds cared about giving back in the moment.

Bonds has always received a mixed reaction from the press, and there are still going to be reporters who look down on him for his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs. He was a beloved player for the San Francisco Giants for many years, but an action like this really raises the level of respect for people who live outside the Bay Area. Bonds took it upon himself to get involved in a situation where he didn't have to, and he deserves a lot of admiration for really stepping up to help out a fan.

It's hard to predict where the case surrounding Stow is going to go, and whether the lawsuit that has been filed will find the justice the Stows are looking for. Bryan suffered a traumatic brain injury after getting attacked by two supposed Dodgers fans at the stadium, and it has led to a national debate about the safety of the ballpark. Stow's family filed a civil suit against the Dodgers Tuesday seeking unspecified damages to cover his future medical care as well as other compensation for economic and emotional stresses.

One suspect has already been arrested in the beating of Stow, and hopefully the police are able to find the two other people assumed to be involved (a second attacker and a getaway driver). Outside of that, though, has been the amazing support that the entire community has shown for one of their own. So many people have stepped up to try to help out the Stow family, most of whom had never even met the man. They all deserve a lot of credit for trying to give something back, especially Bonds.