"Barry Bonds just doesn't get it" - Article

[Grounds_Crew]

Some of you may have ran across this today on ESPN's website. It's an article about Bonds planning to wear #42 to honor Jackie Robinson. Apparenlty, the writer feels that Bonds is a downfall to the cause.

Off the subject a bit, but Bonds hit 2 HR's here in Pittsburgh last night and, obviously, was booed like crazy. Rightfully, the first HR that was hit got thrown back by the fan who caught it. That on the other hand received quite the ovation.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/07411&sportCat=mlb&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos2


Barry Bonds planned to wear No. 42 on Sunday to join in the honoring of Jackie Robinson, further proof that this man just doesn't get it.



RedsZone, discuss....

[Degenerate39]

Did you get to see his two homers last night?

And for the record I'm against him wearing the number.

[Grounds_Crew]

Yeah, I saw both of them. Every at bat, every time he took the field...he got booed. If you've seen him play in Cincy, then you've witnessed this. It's quite amazing at the negative response he gets, and it's a very large and loud response.

[RedsManRick]

Barry Bonds deserves the right to honor Jackie like everybody else. The Bonds as ultimate evil villain is getting old. I don't like the guy any more than the next guy, but he shouldn't be losing "rights" here. Yes, Jackie was a class act and Barry isn't. But Barry isn't the story here. Move on.

[Always Red]

"Barry Bonds just doesn't get it"

That's because Barry think he IS "it":ughmamoru

[jojo]

IMHO, just another piece of sportswriter tripe..... sportswriters must be the laziest people in any profession.....

[mroby85]

barry bonds is one of the greatest players to ever grab a bat, and we should enjoy the show, instead of trying to find a way to rip him all the time. I imagine 50 years from now, they'll be talking about how he was persecuted when chasing the record, just like they do now with roger maris.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

barry bonds is one of the greatest players to ever grab a bat, and we should enjoy the show, instead of trying to find a way to rip him all the time. I imagine 50 years from now, they'll be talking about how he was persecuted when chasing the record, just like they do now with roger maris.

Way before my time, but from what I've heard(mainly from the movie '61') Maris caught a lot of flak just because no one wanted this guy to break Ruth's record because it was Ruth's record. Anybody who knows more on this, I'd be glad to hear about it.

Bonds on the other hand, is persecuted because of the way he got himself there, more or less.

[remdog]

Fifty years from now I'll be dead. :p: But 50 years ago (or, more accurately 46 years ago) I was around and witnessed Roger Maris' run for the record.

Yes, Maris was reviled by some that didn't like the idea of him breaking Ruth's record; some didn't like him surpassing the real star, Mantle. And some didn't like him because he was doing it in an 'extra' eight games. But no one despised him because he 'cheated' and no one hated him because he was a despicable human being, qualities that Bonds possesses in bountiful quantities.

Rem

[registerthis]

barry bonds is one of the greatest players to ever grab a bat.

Prior to 1998, he sure was.

[DTCromer]

Bonds deserves to wear that jersey as much as anyone. All of those black players have received some type of racial discrimination in their life. . . . .even a person like Bonds probably has. Although not to the extent of Jackie, but all black players deserve to wear this.

For the record, I'm in the corner that Bonds is being unfairly treated ONLY because no one else has been receiving much flak. Mark McGwire? Nope. Sure he was heavily criticized after his committee hearing, but not to the extent of hate towards Bonds. Sosa? We all know Sosa did and he also was caught with a corked bat and no one is saying much. Part of it is because Bonds is still playing and close to the record, but there are many, many other players who receive the crap Bonds does (even if he deserves it or not). The guy still has the uncanny ability to just block all of this out and still perform at his age.

Hell, even a guy like Luis Gonzalez hit 57 HR in a year. . . which is 26 MORE than he's hit in any other year!

[osuceltic]

IMHO, just another piece of sportswriter tripe..... sportswriters must be the laziest people in any profession.....

Yep. Long hours, always working nights, weekends and holidays, facing absolute deadlines every single night, traveling away from their families sometimes for weeks at a time, and doing it all for lousy pay. They're a bunch of lazy SOBs.

[Grounds_Crew]

Yep. Long hours, always working nights, weekends and holidays, facing absolute deadlines every single night, traveling away from their families sometimes for weeks at a time, and doing it all for lousy pay. They're a bunch of lazy SOBs.



Great post. I love how some people can bash another profession without knowing what goes into it. What you said may not be true for ALL sports writers, but it is true for many of them.

[registerthis]

Part of it is because Bonds is still playing and close to the record

That's most of it, I would say.

If he'd pulled a McGwire or Palmeiro and just quietly retired, I don't think you'd be hearing nearly as much about him.

[jojo]

Yep. Long hours, always working nights, weekends and holidays, facing absolute deadlines every single night, traveling away from their families sometimes for weeks at a time, and doing it all for lousy pay. They're a bunch of lazy SOBs.

Alright, then i'll rephrase....

Sportswriters on average must be the most empty-headed, incapable of original thought collective group of people in any profession or they must be the laziest….

C’mon…what a bunch of tripe…. Bonds has ruined the sanctity of baseball (never mind that baseball has never particularly been a pious or righteous game), he hates puppies and children, is the primary cause of global warming, and now…. we learn Bonds also has set the civil rights movement back decades….

PUHLEEEEEEEEZZZZZEEEEEEE…………

[coachw513]

Pearlman wrote a book on Bonds and clearly isn't enamored with the man he discovered...that being said, Bonds is as entitled as any player to wish to honor the legacy of Jackie Robinson by wearing his #...the article is biased, totally subjective and without merit...and for the record, I think Bonds is a pompous donkey who cheated the heck out of the game to break its records...

[MaineRed]

I thought it was odd that Bonds and the Giants were scheduled in Pittsburgh so early in the season. With Bonds and the HR thing you think baseball would have schedule the Giants into Pittsburgh in July or August when at the least he'd be closer to the record. I guess they'll have to come back to make up the rainout but otherwise they are done in Pitt for 2007.

Why not roll the dice that maybe Bonds would be in Pittsburgh when he hits 755 or 756? Sure beats him being in Miami or Washington. No way I would have scheduled the Giants visiting the Pirates this early.

[jojo]

Great post. I love how some people can bash another profession without knowing what goes into it. What you said may not be true for ALL sports writers, but it is true for many of them.

I'm not sure why you'd assume I have no idea what goes into being a sportwriter, but before you completely discount my opinion by suggesting I dont have a clue, consider this:

Do you need to understand microbiology to understand that milk stinks when it turns? No, you just have to have a nose....

[George Anderson]

Why not roll the dice that maybe Bonds would be in Pittsburgh when he hits 755 or 756?


Either the Giants will sit Bonds or Bonds will do whatever it takes to make sure he breaks the record in SF. The Giants and especially Bonds do not want the record broken on the road, because it will be incredibly embarrasing to see it fall with a stadium full of people booing.

[Grounds_Crew]

I thought it was odd that Bonds and the Giants were scheduled in Pittsburgh so early in the season. With Bonds and the HR thing you think baseball would have schedule the Giants into Pittsburgh in July or August when at the least he'd be closer to the record. I guess they'll have to come back to make up the rainout but otherwise they are done in Pitt for 2007.

Why not roll the dice that maybe Bonds would be in Pittsburgh when he hits 755 or 756? Sure beats him being in Miami or Washington. No way I would have scheduled the Giants visiting the Pirates this early.



The rainouts are MOST LIKELY going to be played here at PNC park the day after the All Star break when the Pirates have a day off. That day is...ummm...let me look...Thursday July, 12 - Doubleheader. It's not set in stone, but that is what was discussed here on Sunday.

[mroby85]

I'm not sure why you'd assume I have no idea what goes into being a sportwriter, but before you completely discount my opinion by suggesting I dont have a clue, consider this:

Do you need to understand microbiology to understand that milk stinks when it turns? No, you just have to have a nose....


im with you jojo, and i personally think stuff gets analyzed way too much around here.

[5DOLLAR-BLEACHERBUM]

Bonds deserves to wear that jersey as much as anyone. All of those black players have received some type of racial discrimination in their life. . . . .even a person like Bonds probably has. Although not to the extent of Jackie, but all black players deserve to wear this.

For the record, I'm in the corner that Bonds is being unfairly treated ONLY because no one else has been receiving much flak. Mark McGwire? Nope. Sure he was heavily criticized after his committee hearing, but not to the extent of hate towards Bonds. Sosa? We all know Sosa did and he also was caught with a corked bat and no one is saying much. Part of it is because Bonds is still playing and close to the record, but there are many, many other players who receive the crap Bonds does (even if he deserves it or not). The guy still has the uncanny ability to just block all of this out and still perform at his age.

Hell, even a guy like Luis Gonzalez hit 57 HR in a year. . . which is 26 MORE than he's hit in any other year!
I can see where your coming from here but the fact remains that Big Mac is no longer in the game, and Sosa and Gonzalez are not going to rewrite the record books. The truth is Bonds will be the alltime hr king and to do it the way he did is going to be a huge black eye to MLB. If Bonds never touched a performance enhancing drug, this record would be unreachable for him. So the question to be asked is what do you do if you are MLB. You can't embrace him for his achievement, but the fact remains that the media will cover every last swing until it's broken and the only way to save face for MLB is to put as much of a we don't care type of spin on it as possible. The only record Bonds will hold in the public eye will be one written on paper, the present record will stand pat in the mind and soul of all non Giant fans until someone breaks it naturally which I don't see happening in this day and age.

[Goten]

Prior to 1998, he sure was.

99 actually.

[Goten]

I can see where your coming from here but the fact remains that Big Mac is no longer in the game, and Sosa and Gonzalez are not going to rewrite the record books. The truth is Bonds will be the alltime hr king and to do it the way he did is going to be a huge black eye to MLB. If Bonds never touched a performance enhancing drug, this record would be unreachable for him. So the question to be asked is what do you do if you are MLB. You can't embrace him for his achievement, but the fact remains that the media will cover every last swing until it's broken and the only way to save face for MLB is to put as much of a we don't care type of spin on it as possible. The only record Bonds will hold in the public eye will be one written on paper, the present record will stand pat in the mind and soul of all non Giant fans until someone breaks it naturally which I don't see happening in this day and age.

Just don't recognize it. There's no black eye, nothing. It's just a record. This whole " black eye " crap is bogus - You don't have to recognize anything if you don't want too. I know many who don't recognize pre-intergration records, or the records of negro league players. And I know many who consider Ruth the true homerun king because Aaron had a zillion more atbats. You can and cannot recognize whatever you want - Nobody is telling you other-wise.

[jojo]

im with you jojo, and i personally think stuff gets analyzed way too much around here.

That really wasn't my point....