Friday, January 19, 2007
It's Barry Bonds ... And No One Cares
This is cute. Barry Bonds thinks that Mark McGwire and Pete Rose belong in the Hall of Fame. That's like Michael Jackson saying Mark Foley deserves to lead a Boy Scout Troop. Why even bother making a statement like that? Because, honestly, people are really going to have to contemplate if Bonds himself should be in the Hall. Which is a completely ridiculous notion considering his career. But if steroids are proven, he could go the way of Pete Rose. It just boggles my mind to think of how far Bonds' stock has tumbled over the past few years. This is the guy who hit 73 HR's. Won MVP after MVP. And now what? I mean, don't get me wrong, he has always been regarded as a gargantuan asshole (whether valid or not). But he was always the asshole who was the greatest baseball player of our generation. Now, he is everyone's poster child for what's wrong in professional sports. Well, everyone but ESPN. In fact, I would be willing to bet there is no more polarizing player in professional sports than Bonds. You either love him (which means you live in San Francisco) or hate him. I feel like there's no in between, at least now. In the case of most superstars, you might not like them, but you can respect their skill and ability. With Bonds, I'm not sure the respect is even there anymore. You're either the guy in the theater rooting for Darth Vader or you're rooting against him. That's it. Although I'd be willing to bet that if Barry Bonds started wearing Vader costume, his fan base would instantly increase by at least 17%. Granted 8% of those people would think he's great at "dunking touchdowns", but it's better than nothing at this point.
And it's not just Bonds. McGwire ... Sosa ... I mean, these guys are credited with SAVING baseball after the strike. While it's a bit of a hyperbole, it's almost incredible to believe that they don't get the love anymore. McGwire is holed up in a bunker somewhere. And Sammy? He probably works at Target now. And no one cares. Collectively, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa & others ... they are The Steroid Crew (allegedly) and they have become the heels of MLB. Without realizing it, they have morphed into the Million Dollar Man, the Iron Sheik and Mr. Sexy. And there's nothing they can do about it. It's crazy to think about. People hating McGwire and Sosa. That's like people turning on puppies and snowflakes. Palmiero you can kind of understand people turning on him ... you know, because of the mustache. But those other guys? Unbelievable.
So anyway, when Barry Bonds comes out and gives his opinion on the Hall of Fame, people smile politely and say, "Oh yeah? That's nice." It's too bad. Because he's the guy you want to tell your grandchildren stories about. But at this point, none of us really know what that story is going to be.
