Lay Off of Barry Bonds!

After spending about thirteen years of my life inciting fans daily on Sports Talk Radio, and about twenty-three years obsessed with the subject matter, I have become rather disinterested in all things sports. Maybe I just got burnt out or it could be that I found better things to do, but the fact is I have not watched a football game so far this decade, I sporadically will stop the TV channel at baseball and basketball, and hockey remains the only sport I can say I truly love. Sports has taken the backburner in my life these days, but there are times when I miss the forum that Sports Radio offers. And a prime example of this is the present low-brow dialogue surrounding the Barry Bonds steroid situation.

In a nutshell, controversy swirls about whether or not Bonds used steroids and whether or not he lied about doing so. Subsequently, many believe that Bonds' statistics, let alone any home run milestones he reaches, are tainted due to both his supposed unfair advantage and apparent smearing of the game. These are all somewhat legitimate issues, I guess. I have no problem with debate on them, even though I choose not to take part. But living in San Francisco, I have seen every possible angle on this story, much of it centering around fan reaction to Bonds. And in a word, it is appalling.

Here in The City, I tend to think that most people could care less about the Giants or Bonds. Having lived in places like Pittsburgh and Dallas where football, for example, is close to a religion I can confidently state that San Francisco is not much of a sports town. People here seem to be preoccupied with other things, cultural and social, the abundance of which is superior to most other American places. For the segment of San Franciscans with a care, it seems to me that most people support Bonds or are indifferent to his situation despite their love for the team. I categorize the entire Bay Area the same way. Of course, this observation is merely anecdote, but I think it is relatively sound. Outside of Northern California, though, Bonds is being trashed and herein lays my beef.

Bonds is booed every time he is up at bat, every time he steps out of the dugout, and fans have even gone so far as to throw syringes at him in the outfield. I am certain that I am missing many other specific instances of poor treatment directed his way. He has broken down and cried on national TV more than once regarding his predicament. Some say he is phony and looking for sympathy, I don't agree. I must say that I have never been a big Bonds fan. He has always seemed like a bit of a jerk. I remember standing next to him for a time when I attended the MLB All-Star game in Arlington, Texas one year. His nose was, no doubt, quite high in the air. In my estimation, though, none of this matters for two primary reasons. First, I think Bonds has grown up and learned from his past negative behavior. In short, I think he is a better guy than he was five, ten, fifteen years ago. And more than that, even if he has not grown, he is a human being. Human beings make mistakes and should never be subjected to such hideous treatment, especially over things that are really none of the public's business.

We have all made mistakes in life - some big, some small. Some of us screw up more frequently than others, but the point is an old adage, nobody is perfect. I wonder about the psychological makeup of people, "sports fans," who decide to vent an overwhelming amount of rage towards a person they know very little about, other than the manufactured garbage they here in the media. Gathering your information about Barry Bonds from Jim Rome or SportsCenter simply does not cut it. And the inane line of thought that the purchase of a ticket or a pair of boxer shorts somehow entitles one to do and say whatever one wants to do or say in regards to a ballplayer is well, inane. Next time you're ready to dump that beer on Bonds or anyone else for that matter, ask yourself how you would feel on the receiving end?