The Barry Bonds witch hunt took center stage on ESPN Wednesday evening during a SportsCenter Special: 'Beyond 756 -- An ESPN Town Meeting.'Among those on the panel were: former Giants manager and ESPN analyst Dusty Baker, former Bonds teammates Ellis Burks and Kirk Rueter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell, ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney, National Public Radio senior correspondent Juan Williams and Lance Williams, the San Francisco Chronicle staff writer who co-authored the book "Game of Shadows"
The closer Bonds gets to breaking Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, the more the media has stepped up the accusations surrounding the 43-year-old Giants slugger.
At the end of the day, despite what the media and blogger say, we don't know for sure if Bonds used steroids knowingly.
By no means am I a Barry Bonds fan.
Growing up as a Los Angeles Dodgers fans, you are raised to hate the San Francisco Giants.
But when I look at Barry Bonds, I see a strong, talented African-American who is unfairly being attacked because he is on the cusp of cementing his place in the upper-echelon of baseball's elite.And as an African-American male, that worries me.
In a ESPN poll, 46 percent of Blacks feel that Bonds is being treated unfairly compared to 25 percent of Whites.
Not a surprise by any means.
If this was Mark McGwire two home runs shy of breaking Aaron's record, and he had the same cloud of suspicion that Bonds is facing right now, would there be a Town Meeting on my television screen or would I be watching that awful 'Who's Now' segment instead?
And a note to Lance Williams of the San Francisco Chronicle....
I don't think white folks use the term 'honky' to describe themselves.
You would think as a print journalist that he would be up on the modern day phrases to describe his race such as "cracker."
Comments: (16)
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By: Dee on 7/25/2007 9:29PM
Barry Bonds has been tested by MLB and no steriods were found. This is not a federal case. MLB is using Bonds to divert your attention from widespread steriod use by white players in baseball.
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By: Cheesecake on 7/25/2007 10:25PM
Allow Barry to make his owm history.We should be focusing on something else. Because every record is made to be broken. We should be rally behind Mr. Bond he's making history again. Go Barry We're pulling for you. You go Barry!
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By: I Press on 7/25/2007 11:31PM
I have never been a fan of Bonds, he is an arrogant SOB and I do believe he used steroids knowingly and willingly. Maybe he should man up and admit he did the "performance enhancing drugs". I also believe that he should not even be mentioned in the same breath as Hank Aaron.
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By: keydra on 7/26/2007 1:10AM
Go Barry go Barry it is a known fact when black americans achieve highest in their talent knowingly what they are up against it unbelievable. The awards white americans receive they nearly don't work as hard as black americans nor deal with the amounbt b.s. black americans face.
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By: Cecil Jones on 7/26/2007 1:27AM
Barry Bonds could put his baseball bat down tomorrow and it's only a matter of time before enough people recognize him as a Hall of Famer. Barry Bonds has not tested positive for the use of steroids and his record will be broken someday. The baseball is different. The parks favor left handed power. He may have done steroids. For that matter, OJ could have killed his wife. It doesn't matter how you feel. He's a Black man and he didn't get caught. Barry is the only one that must live with that for the rest of his life. All these people are trying to kick the man or get paid. Barry hit your homeruns and retire. Walk away and tell the world how it feels to be hated and Black. Smile for the camera, because this will be what the people remember. Did you make history with dignity and respect. Hank Aaron set a high example. Give him and our race it's due respect. Every homer came from the players efforts before you.
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By: Jim on 7/26/2007 5:15AM
It's all a white conspiracy, right Marcus? Give me a break. The guy is a doper just like the rest of the MLB (white, black, latino...skin color doesn't matter). No records after 1990 should count because the doping became outrageous around then.
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By: Mike Hope on 7/26/2007 4:52AM
As a Black Man who grew up in the 1970's I think Young people don't know what Hank Aaron went through to break Babe Ruth's record. When Barry Bonds breaks Aaron's record , if anything is revealed that he cheated. We are disrespecting H
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By: Mike Hope on 7/26/2007 4:53AM
As a Black Man who grew up in the 1970's I think Young people don't know what Hank Aaron went through to break Babe Ruth's record. When Barry Bonds breaks Aaron's record , if anything is revealed that he cheated. We are doing Hank Aaron a di
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By: Jake The Snake on 7/26/2007 12:10PM
Most people suspect that Mr. Bonds was a user, but nothing has ever been proven. This is all about to change when his ex lover tells all in the up-coming October Playboy Magazine. People need to know that if you treat a lover like crap and than dump her/him - pay back is a bitch! So we shall see what she says. In the meantime, who really cares? I mean so many of those guys were using that it isn't even funny. Why pick on just Barry? Further, for a very long time it was NOT against the law to be using that stuff. In some cases it might be racial, but more than that, it was because Barry always had a "shitty attitude" towards everyone, and that is not cool. All I know is that I doubt if he is using now and he is still hitting homers. A-Rod will be the home run king when it is all said and done. One thing in Barry's favor, and that is most respected players say that Barry is the greatest that ever played the game; and that should count for something. Peace out!
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By: Silveray on 7/26/2007 12:39PM
No it's not fair, but it ain't never been fair. So let's deal with it. Slow down low down, soon they,ll want a ban on the "C" word Ah, Cracker. Barry never embraced the Media, and he don't bit his tongue like Hammering Hank did. So Case closed next.
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