| iv id="body"> | | | | the life of Barry Bonds, and this guy has the audacity |
| As the steroid talk swirls around baseball like the juice | | | | to pull the race card? Every African American and |
| surging into Jason Giambi's veins, America's favorite | | | | baseball fan should join me in hating this racist crybaby. |
| pastime continues to be bruised, right when spring | | | | "But I'm not a racist," Bonds says. I wish I had a dollar |
| training is getting started. First, it was Giambi's | | | | for every person who ever made a comment like this |
| admission of taking the muscle-enhancing drug. Then, | | | | one and then followed it up with "But I'm not a racist." |
| Jose Canseco shocked the sports world with his tell-all | | | | I'd probably have as much money as Barry. |
| book about his use of steroids, swinging a syringe with | | | | Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player |
| better accuracy than he ever swung a bat. Now, it's | | | | ever, hounded every waking moment by the media, |
| baseball's homerun king, Barry Bonds, making us | | | | never made such a ridiculous statement about black |
| despise the sport's most talented player, with his | | | | people in sports having it tougher. Jerry Rice, the |
| strange ramblings at a preseason press conference, | | | | greatest wide receiver in NFL history, hands down, |
| laced with perfunctory glances at interviewers, lame | | | | never whined about discrimination making his life more |
| defenses of his own lousy image, along with distracting | | | | difficult than his white predecessors. It's because these |
| accusations aimed at various targets. | | | | guys didn't use steroids, and these guys were true, |
| Man, is this guy easy to hate. "I don't know what | | | | hard-working, non-cheating professionals. Not to |
| cheating is," he says about the potential help steroid | | | | mention the fact that they were gentlemen. |
| use gives to baseball players. How can adding dozens | | | | This is not to say that racism doesn't still exist in |
| of pounds of muscles increase ones production, Barry | | | | America. It obviously does. In fact, it may even exist in |
| wonders? This coming from a guy who entered the | | | | some sports. But it does not exist to the extent that |
| league weighing roughly 180 pounds before adding 46 | | | | Barry suggests. Does Barry deal with death threats, |
| pounds to his frame in a little over three seasons. | | | | like Hank Aaron did the entire season he approached |
| Furthermore, in his first seven years in the league | | | | Babe Ruth's mark? Of course not. In fact, for some |
| Bonds never hit 35 home runs. He was a 19 to 25 HR | | | | bizarre, inexplicable reason, there is a large contingent |
| guy, except for two seasons of 33 and 34. Now, the | | | | of Bonds fans actually rooting for this jerk to break |
| ballooned up Barry, the one who doesn't believe | | | | Aaron's record. It's hard to figure. Aaron never |
| steroids can help hitters, bashes 45 or more homers | | | | complained about racism, and he entered the batters |
| each season, as if he were hitting super balls. But he's | | | | box nightly, fearing for his very life. And now, 30 years |
| not cheating, he claims. | | | | later, he is one of the most revered leaders the game |
| In addition to the pitiful, "I don't know what cheating is" | | | | has. Aaron, like Jordan and Rice and Ruth and a |
| statement, Bonds managed to blame all of his woes | | | | myriad of other great athletes, has a legacy. What |
| on the probing media and, of course, on racism. "Babe | | | | legacy does the cheating racist, Barry Bonds, have? I |
| Ruth was a great player," Bonds says, "but he wasn't | | | | think the answer lies within the question. He'll be |
| black. I'm black, and it's tougher for blacks." Only some | | | | remembered as a baseball player, who could have |
| tears would make his act more incredible. Again, I say, | | | | been one of the greatest ever, if he hadn't been a |
| this guy is easier to hate than cancer. First of all, what | | | | cheater and a liar and a racist. |
| problems does he have? Millions and millions of dollars | | | | Meanwhile, the more Bonds and others like him talk, the |
| in his pocket? Playing a game for a living? Incredible | | | | bigger baseball's black eye gets. |
| popularity? A few questions from interviewers? This is | | | | |