Friday, July 27, 2007

Barry Bonds Is Lucky Not to Be in the Tour De France

Steve commented on Wednesday about Bud Selig doing the right thing and following Barry Bonds to San Francisco in his pursuit of Hank Aaron's mark.  I think Selig was in no-man's land -- damned if he did, damned if doesn't.  Like Steve, I have and will boo Bonds.  For instance, Medford Bob and I were at the Giants-Mets game at Shea where Lastings Milledge hit his first MLB home run last season.
 
Imagine a different scenario if Bud Selig went to San Francisco and kicked Bonds off Giants.  He could not break Hank Aaron's record.  That's not going to happen in MLB because the players union is too strong but it just happened in cycling.  For instance, Mark Rasmussen was in the lead after Wednesday's stage when his sponsor, Rabobank, kicked him off their team and the Tour de France. 
 
As Steve noted, Bonds has NOT been indicted or even convicted, much less formally charged.  Therefore, he has a right to play on.  Reading between the lines and reviewing various media outlets, Bonds is winning the game of chicken.  Bonds knows he took steroids but knows MLB is even dirtier.  If MLB presses him, Bonds will take MLB down with him.  If there is an explicit gentlemen's agreement between thieves, MLB will let Bonds break the record in return for Bonds stepping aside after the season is over.  I don't have confirmation from Bonds and/or MLB offices because this is something they would never admit to.
 
If Bonds doesn't step aside at the end of the season, don't be surprised if the feds step in and try to bring up the fact that Bonds may have perjured himself.  With the 2008 Presidential Election upon us, you don't want politicians of all stripes tampering with baseball, especially MLB's anti-trust monopoly exemption.  Senator John McCain (R-AZ) needs an issue to energize his lagging presidential campaign and don't be surprised if he redoubles his past commendable efforts in cleaning up steroids, the perfect non-partisan issue that doesn't go against special interests like campaign finance reform does.  
 
As Steve blogged a couple of months ago, cycling has been plagued by doping performance enhancing scandals but is trying to clean it up.  Both sports need to be cleaned up and cycling is taking the right steps in cleaning up its image.  If Selig, MLB owners, and the players union are smart, they'll do the same because they don't want to play chicken with Senator McCain, a man who spent seven years in a North Vietnamese prison. 
 
Posted by the Tank in NY.




Friday, July 27, 2007 8:34:47 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Tom, I have to agree with you, there was no place for Commissoner Selig to be that would be right.

You are right, professional sports is horrible. Read Malcolm Gladwell's piece on this issue. Contemplating this issue, there is no way professional sports will ever be free of this issue. However, I do not think sport should include these drugs, but how do we solve this issue? Unknown.

http://www.malcolmgladwell.com/2001/2001_08_10_a_drug.htm

Bill N. in Vermont
Bill N in VT | billn_6AT NOSPAMyahoo dot com
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