Deep breaths… It’s been a busy day. No time to take from the real job to crank out some more numbers for you…. You?? You??? I’ve always said that I should keep a journal. This blog is essentially that right now since I am getting no traffic — and making no attempts. Whomever finds this baby can consider themselves “underground cool.”
Barry Bonds won’t be participating in Major League Baseball’s steroids investigation. There’s a shocker. What’s worse is that Bonds and his attorney Michael Rains don’t even make an attempt to come up with a bona fide legal excuse that would both provide an out as well as keep him looking semi-not guilty.
“I told them that I would like to have Barry give an interview to Mitchell and his people, but I am not going to do it, Mr. Ryan, unless you tell me you’re done with it. And if you won’t even tell me one way or the other, then you leave me no alternative,” Rains told ESPN.com.
The reason? The information he provides could put his client in further danger of being indicted. He said it. I’m not making it up.
That’s a brilliant move on the part of Bonds’ attorney. Refuse to participate in a steroids probe because — assuming Bonds tells the truth in this probe — it would reveal the fact that he indeed lied in his grand jury testimony about unknowingly taking steroids.
The arrogance is incredible. Bonds and his attorney aren’t even trying to cover this up and put on a good face anymore. Yes, he did it. Just don’t lock him up. Please, have mercy. No apologies from us, but we are going to do all that we can to avoid the law.
So done with it. Look, I don’t want to be a reactionary and say that I want Bonds’ head, that he should go to jail for taking stroids — or even for his testimony. There are bigger criminals to worry about. But I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t provide some joy — even a little — to see him pulled away in an orange jumpsuit prior to breaking 755.
Look, this doesn’t fix the ills of the steroids era. Not even close. But, it at least temporarily preserves a record from the past. It’s painful to look at the single season home run records and see Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, McGwire, Sosa, Sosa at the top ahead of Maris and Ruth, considering those numbers stood for 37 and 71 years respectively. I have no personal connection to those two players, but I have a connection to the game and its history. I am proud of the game, and the steroids era is an embarrassment.
