The Leader

Dear Barry Bonds haters,

Have you really thought this through, or are you just adhering to the reputation Bonds gets through the media? I ask because most of you don't seem to know what the hell you're talking about. When I ask you why you hate Bonds so much, the most frequent response I get is, "because he's a jerk." In defense of this, you usually say he's arrogant, selfish and a bad teammate.

I agree with the claim of arrogance; however, Jordan and Ali were arrogant and they are adored in most parts of the world. And, like them, Bonds can certainly walk the walk to back-up his flapping mouth.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by selfish, but I believe it's related to the assertion that Bonds is a bad teammate. Despite positive testimonials from an overwhelming majority of athletes who played with him, you still insist Bonds is a crappy teammate.

In defense of this, some of you point out that Bonds' locker is isolated in the corner of the clubhouse with a huge recliner and big screen TV. I would accept this argument if you went on to say every player who has this setup is a bad teammate but you don't. Ken Griffey Jr. has this same arrangement, and the majority of you don't go off on a tirade every time you hear his name mentioned like you do with Bonds.

More recently, many of you have defended your hatred for Bonds by calling him a cheater because you think that all his numbers have been the product of steroid abuse. Even though he's never tested positive, you all insist he's on the 'roids. What this has to do with Bonds' inhuman patience at the plate--which is the key to his dominance--is beyond me. Like former Mets coach Bobby Valentine said in so many words, -if he's using steroids, he must be injecting them into his eye.

The only steroids Bonds ever admitted to taking was a cream that he rubbed on his old knees to dull the pain, thereby improving his recovery speed when he had a day game after a night game. He said he only tried this briefly because it didn't really help him. These substances were not illegal in Major League Baseball at the time.

That situation reminds me of a certain quarterback with a "G" on his helmet, who became addicted to pain killers. They were not illegal in the NFL, but they served the same purpose of helping this guy, with a green jersey and gold pants, recover more quickly for games. If you people are going to argue that there should be asterisks next to all of Bonds' records and accomplishments because of his so-called "steroid abuse," then you also better be willing to argue for asterisks next to all of Brett Favre's numbers.

Bonds has never had any run-ins with the law, and he doesn't beat his wife, or do drugs or drink and drive. The worst you can say about the guy is that he's honest about his feelings (sometimes to a fault) and he doesn't suck the media's collective dick so they will create a glorious impression of him to the public.

When you look at all the athletes out there, I think you can find some that are more deserving of your silly tirades than Barry Bonds. Just shut up, and appreciate the fact that you were born in an era that allowed you to witness the career of one of the five greatest players in the history of baseball.

Willie Mays and Giants fan for life (but the Brewers rule too!),

Max Neibaur

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