Letters to the Editor
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Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistcs
So, 73% of blacks think that Bonds has been treated fairly, but 99% of white think that Bonds has been treated fairly.
That means, white are 0.35 times more likely than blacks to think he's getting a fair shake.
Whatever.
Honestly, I hope he doesn't break the record. Not because I don't like Bonds-the-ballplayer (who abso-freaking-lutely is a 1st ballot HOFer), but I was pulling for Griffey, Jr. for 10 years.
Not that it matters, because A-Rod will decimate this category. What 850, maybe?
One last thing: the only thing Bonds cheated is some mis-guided idea of chivalry. Baseball had no rule against steriods during the Balco days. So, what he is accused of is doing absolutely everything possible within the rules to be the best ballplayer possible.
Let me know if they find cork in his bat. Or if Gaylord Perry gets kicked out of the hall. Then we can talk about "cheating."
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coverage isn't racist
Maybe it used to be. But it certainly isn't as much as before.
If you want to talk about race and steroids you have to talk about Mark McGwire. Maybe people don't really remember 1998 all that well but there was such epic silliness in the media and the fans. You literally had Joe Sixpack guy in the stands giving Mark McGwire one of the home run balls worth tens of thousands of dollars. They made McGwire into a HERO. AND ALL THE WHILE THEY KNEW HE WAS TAKING STEROIDS. I don't have the foggiest idea why people made some type of distinction between andro and "steroids" - andro is 100% absolutely a steroid and performance enhancer and no one complained! It was sitting right there in his locker!
I'm not justifying what Bonds did but you can understand the psychology of it. I haven't read Game of Shadows but he must have thought the media circus was BS and figured he would personally level the playing field. It is in no way admirable but the way the media portrayed McGwire as not just a great home run hitter but as a GOOD man and a savior of baseball must have been infuriating to Bonds who is obviously the superior talent.
Fast forward to now and I think we can agree that McGwire has gotten his media comeuppance. It was long overdue and took testifying under oath to do it. I think the media's harsh treatment of Bonds is what it should be and should have been for all the others. After all this is over Bonds will probably look just as great as his stats look just because everyone else was doping too.
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So
You think for all we know Bush's approval rating could be 60 percent?
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terribly misleading
This poll asks people to single out the "main" reason that Bonds has been treated unfairly. Plenty of white folks, like myself, list Steroids as reason number one that Bonds has been treated "unfairly" (although how maligning a player who has basically been proven a cheat is "unfair" is beyond me). But many of us white guys would also acknowledge that race is an issue in the media's handling of Barry. Does that make me racist? Or deaf to the complaints of racism? Hardly.
You can't argue with the fact that the very record Bonds is pursuing is already racially charged. When Aaron was in pursuit of the Babe's career numbers, a ton of racist stuff was thrown at him. Ruth had already been robbed by Maris, and now a black man was taking away his last big number. Some people couldn't stand this.
The fact is that Hank Aaron took away the asterisk from the Career Home Run record, for compiling a record in a segregated sport. Now, thanks to Barry, we'll have to put one back on.
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bonds
make that poll among baseball fans only and i think you get vastly different results. me personally, i don't hate bonds for something so impersonal as a percieved racial difference, i have taken the time to get to know who he is an hate his on a personal level
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Help me out here
Hank Aaron is black.
Barry Bonds is black.
I am white.
I don't want Barry Bonds to break Hank Aaron's record.
What role does race play in this?
I was a kid when Aaron broke Ruth's record. I was rooting for him like crazy. I was very naive about race in 1974 when I was 11. I was shocked when a classmate said in speech class that he hoped Aaron didn't break the record because he was black. (Yes, the school was all white. I told you I was naive.)
I believe that the reason behind my hope that Bonds doesn't break Aaron's record is based on cheating. That and the fact that my perceived observation was that during 2001, his 73 home run year, he got an unintentional assist from the umpires in the form of an extremely small strike zone. (King, you may not remember, but we have exchanged emails on this subject before, and you disagree.)
I cannot say how much the fact that Bonds is black affects my feelings on this subject. I want it to be none. But how can I be sure?
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Of course it's racial but that's not all it is
I have no doubt that Barry has been treated unfairly. Anyone in his position, black or white, who is the subject of such intense scrutiny, is treated unfairly. It's natural that those who identify with him at a deeper, broader level, such as race, would be more aware of the unfairness than someone like me who just sees him as a cheater who disrespects the fans, his teammates and the game.
I won't argue that on some level race may be a factor in my feelings about Barry. But I would be no happier if it was Barry who had retired and Mark McGwire was the one putting himself ahead of his team and his sport in pursuit of glory. McGwire didn't retire becuase he was white and wanted to prserve the dignity of the game -- he retired because his skills had diminished.
And then there's Roger Clemens, who may or may not be a cheater, but in any case puts himself ahead of the game, let alone any concept of team. In the end, this is more about greed, ego and integrity than about race.
My heroes growing up were men like Bob Gibson, Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron, all of whom endured racism much more profound than what Barry Bonds, who has played by his own rules for virtually his entire life, has had to deal with. He pouts over his treatment by the press,and probably hears some catcalls from the bleachers. The real issue here is his character, but in the abscence of any mechanism to deal meaningully with that, it looks like we'll just talk about how we talk abou it.