Every seven seconds on the ESPN ticker we see the Chasing Ruth Barry Bonds update and frankly who gives a rat's ass. Last time I checked Ruth holds SECOND place on the all time list and it's a slap in the face to Hank Aaron's record so quit talking about it. As I read somewhere else (and I can't remember where, but I'd guess it was at baseballprospectus.com) unless the record Bonds is chasing is "the home run record for fat left handed white guys that played before World War II" I don't think this needs to be followed almost at all.
First, Bonds represents everything that is wrong with sports (as does Kobe, but we'll get into that in a later blog) and now ESPN has decided to get on his bandwagon more than anyone else has since that writer guy was on Oprah and we all saw how well that one worked out. First, ESPN agrees to do the show 'Bonds on Bonds' which is a little like doing 'Tom Cruise on Tom Cruise' only subtract the whole Scientology thing. If any two people were more in love with themselves, this world would cease to exist for the rest of us. Sorry, it's there planet and we're all just paying rent.
Next, we're all subjected to the repetitious ticker tracking Barry's every at-bat. Over the past two years the only two people who have defended Barry have been Barry Bonds and Matthew McConaghy (if that's how you spell his name) and neither of them hold much water in the whole baseball steriod controversy. ESPN is so in love with Barry, at the same time when almost everyone despises the guy, that they cut into everything just to show his at bats. And who said an intentional walk isn't a fun thing to watch? Really, do I need to see Barry in a 9-2 game in the 8th facing some reliever from Nebraska? If he hits one, show the damn highlight fifty million times (like you will anyways) nd let's be done with it.
And then, if ESPN hadn't covered Barry enough, I was subjected to fifteen straight minutes of Barry returning next season and the comments the Giants owner and his agent stated in the press that particular morning on ESPNNews. If you don't see another blog entry, you'll have a guess as to why. Check my bathroom first.
But, back to the whole Chasing Ruth thing. Look, Henry Aaron is the all time home run king. It's 755, baby. Bonds can chase and beat the hell out of the Babe and I really don't care. When he tries to approach Aaron, though, some things are going to need to get done so that people know that his record is a sham. Look if you think Barry didn't take steriods, you probably thought OJ was innocent and we really don't need to discuss anything because we're probably not going to see eye to eye on just about any topic. If, though, the record is challenged by a cheat, then we need to rethink what we're doing with sports. Aaron represented all that is good with sports and what sports could mean to a nation both entertainment-wise and culturally and Bonds is just spitting all over that. Without a better analogy, I'll put it this way- who wants to see Luke get trampled by Vader?
