Batter Out
Even though you knew that this was coming, it is still just a big kick in the pants to America's pastime. From the upcoming Sports Illustrated article and book Game of Shadows:NEW YORK (SI.com) -- Beginning in 1998 with injections in his buttocks of Winstrol, a powerful steroid, Barry Bonds took a wide array of performance-enhancing drugs over at least five seasons in a massive doping regimen that grew more sophisticated as the years went on, according to Game of Shadows, a book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters at the forefront of reporting on the BALCO steroid distribution scandal.Read the story, it is incredibly well-sourced and documented. In light of these allegations, asterisks don't even come into play, his records have to be stripped.
The authors, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, describe in sometimes day-to-day, drug-by-drug detail how often and how deeply Bonds engaged in the persistent doping. For instance, the authors write that by 2001, when Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season home-run record (70) by belting 73, Bonds was using two designer steroids referred to as the Cream and the Clear, as well as insulin, human growth hormone, testosterone decanoate (a fast-acting steroid known as Mexican beans) and trenbolone, a steroid created to improve the muscle quality of cattle.
posted by Rep. John Fritchey @ 3/07/2006
6 comments
6 Comments:
Say it ain't so. But like you said, we all saw this one coming right over the plate. Good story on CNN though, might actually have to go out and buy SI for the first time in a long time.
Well, here's a problem.
I'm not sure where the violation is here. Some things just don't seem to be on an even playing field. I don't condone Bonds or anybody else taking drugs (or supplements) if they are in fact banned. However, when did professional sports ban any of this stupid stuff. Now here's a thought that will blow your mind.
You're obviously aware of the big controversy over steroids and sports. I'm not going to argue the pros and cons of steroid use. I can tell you, from personal experience, that they can have devastating side effects but that's not where I'm going with this post.
An ad that has been running lately, mostly during sports broadcasts, shows a distance runner stumbling and staggering across the finish line only to collapse in the arms of assistants. Then the ad puts this runner on a regimen of a certain sports drink and, lo and behold, in a subsequent race he is speeding across the finish line with energy to spare.
Now the argument about steroids is, other than the possible side effects, that they artificially enhance the performance of the athlete. Why, then, are not sports drinks that contain electrolytes and various other substances not considered artificial performance enhancements. Seems to me, if you can believe the various ads for these products, that they provide for performance over and above what an athlete could normally attain without their use. Is this not another violation of artificial enhancement.
Just a thought.
There is just no way that they can let this guylay claim to any records. Selig better have some backbone on this one.
Yet another reason why S.F. is going down.
waah waah waah
Belated comment: only strip Bonds if you strip McGuire. McGuire to me is worse because he brought the Maris family into it and made a whole production of how he was "honoring" Maris (remember the pointing to the sky, the hugs with the family) while he was stealing his legacy.
If you take Bonds' records but don't take McGuire's, couldn't that fairly be described as racist? And how about Gaylord Perry -- he admitted to cheating his way to 300 victories and nobody stripped or asterixed his record, they put him in the hall of fame!
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