I think Bond's personality, his race, and the fact that the record he broke is considered by many to be one of the the most important milestones in all of sports, not just baseball, combined in a perfect storm to make him the fall guy. I mean, there are lots of regular folk who don't follow baseball at all and know little about it. My wife isn't a fan and couldn't tell you to save her life who holds records for RBI's, saves, etc. If he weren't back in the news, she'd not be able to recall McGwire's specific accomplishment either. But she can easily rattle off the names of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron when it comes to all time homeruns. So, with all the other factors against him, Bonds breaking such a prized record was highly visible. he's also someone people love to hate, so a lot of people got off on piling on him.
As you and Rave both say, though, it's beyond unfair that he's become the poster child for this. Hell, Bonds isn't running the labs making this stuff, isn't distributing it, is he? ----- Original Message ----- From: "B Smith" <daikaij...@yahoo.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 11:07:23 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: McGwire Publicly Admits to Steroid Use I guess the media owes Canseco an apology. It always amazed me that Bonds was the villain of the steroid era when McGuire, Clemens, Palmero, Sosa, Rodriquez, etc. were all dirty. Bonds was a hard guy to like but some of these other fools lied to Congress, grand juries, etc. and got none of the venom. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@...> wrote: > > > > Yeah, I place the blame squarely on the soldiers of the men running MLB. I > mean, they haven't aggressively instituted drug testing, let a lot of > questionable products sit in players' lockers as they dragged their feet on > geting the products banned. I hate everything about athletes taking > performance enhancing substances: it's a bad example for kids, it makes it > hard for other players who want to do it right to resist the temptation. But > the leaders of these leagues and organizations need to act like men and stop > this. > > > > You know, there's always those comments about whether Hall of Famers should > get asterisks placed next to their names in the books due to stuff like this. > And, I think there's a lot to be said for all the years when white men played > without having to face the great Negro League players of the day. How many > homeruns would the Babe have hit had he faced some of those brothers, hmm? > > > > It's to the point where it almost appears that only the thin sliver of time > between integration of the Majors and the Steroid Era can be seen as > relatively fair (guess I have to ignore those who were doing cocaine or > uppers or stuff in that time). Either way, the likes of Hank Aaron--for my > mind, still the home run king of all time in the Majors--are looking better > and better. > > > > And just think: twenty years from now, when players are getting bounced for > having been genetically modified, we'll look back on the days of simply > taking pills or injections as quaint... > >  > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kelwyn" <ravena...@...> > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 9:27:31 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: McGwire Publicly Admits to Steroid Use > >  > > > > > I think Major League Baseball owes Barry Bonds an apology. They vilified that > black man and made him a pariah when baseball's powers-that-be not only knew > players were juicing, they condoned and encouraged it - to keep the sport > predominantly white. This is the cruel irony of the way Bonds was lambasted > and became the poster child for steroid use. The majority of the offenders > were of the Caucasian persuasion. People forget Barry Bonds won 3 MVP awards > before steroids. It had to chafe Bond's hide to see an average player like > Mark McGwire being lauded as the greatest of all time when Bonds (and > everybody else in baseball) KNEW McGwire was juicing. Talk about your > conundrums. Bonds could have taken the high road and let lesser players > continue to outshine him or he could join them (MLB was condoning this after > all) and reclaim his rightful, prideful place as the best player in baseball. > > ~(no)rave! > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <KeithBJohnson@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Shocking, unfathomable, earth-shattering, completely unexpected, surprising > > beyond belief! > > > > > > > > And, in related news: > > > > > > > > Rush Limbaugh tearfully admits to being an ignorant, backwater racist... > > > > Whitney Houston slurs confession that she hasn't *quite* kicked the > > habit... > > > > George Bush II laughs that he never did care about no weapons of mass > > destruction... > > > > Michael Steele proclaims, "I wish more white people thought of *me* as a > > "good, safe 'Negro'!" > > > > Simon Cowell overheard saying, "no one with any real talent ever came out > > of 'American Idol'"... > > > > Tiger Woods states in interview "I think I have some issues with my skin > > color".. > > > > Dick Cheney relates that he hates--everyone... > > > > > > > > ******************************************************** > > > > http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4816607 > > > > > > > > NEW YORK -- Mark McGwire finally came clean, admitting he used steroids > > when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998. > > > > McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he > > used steroids on and off for nearly a decade. During a 20-minute telephone > > interview shortly afterward, his voice repeatedly cracked. > > > >    "It's very emotional, it's telling family members, friends and > > coaches, you know, it's former teammates to try to get a hold of, you know, > > that I'm coming clean and being honest," he said. "It's the first time > > they've ever heard me, you know, talk about this. I hid it from everybody." > > > > McGwire said he called commissioner Bud Selig and Cardinals manager Tony La > > Russa earlier in the day to personally apologize. > > > > In an interview with ESPN's "Baseball Tonight", La Russa said he didn't > > know McGwire had used steroids until the slugger had admitted using > > performance-enhancing drugs in the phone call to the manager earlier > > Monday. > > > > "I'm really encouraged that he would step forward," La Russa told ESPN. "As > > we go along his explanations will be well received." > > > > Selig, in a statement released by Major League Baseball on Monday, said he > > was pleased with McGwire's admission. > > > > "I am pleased that Mark McGwire has confronted his use of > > performance-enhancing substances as a player. Being truthful is always the > > correct course of action, which is why I had commissioned Senator George > > Mitchell to conduct his investigation. This statement of contrition, I > > believe, will make Mark's re-entry into the game much smoother and easier," > > Selig said. > > > > McGwire said he also used human growth hormone, and he didn't know if his > > use of performance-enhancing drugs contributed to some of the injuries that > > led to his retirement, at age 38, in 2001. > > > > "That's a good question," he said. > > > > He repeatedly expressed regret for his decision to use steroids, which he > > said was "foolish" and caused by his desire to overcome injuries, get back > > on the field and prove he was worth his multimillion salary. > > > > "You don't know that you'll ever have to talk about the skeleton in your > > closet on a national level," he said. "I did this for health purposes. > > There's no way I did this for any type of strength use." > > > > McGwire hit a then-record 70 homers in 1998 during a compelling race with > > Sammy Sosa , who finished with 66. More than anything else, the home-run > > spree revitalized baseball following the crippling strike that wiped out > > the 1994 World Series. > > > > Now that McGwire has come clean, increased glare might fall on Sosa, who > > has denied using performing-enhancing drugs. > > > > > > > > "I wish I had never played during the steroid era," McGwire said. > > > > McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to > > become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals , his final big league > > team. Tony La Russa, McGwire's manager in Oakland and St. Louis, has been > > among McGwire's biggest supporters and thinks returning to the field can > > restore the former slugger's reputation. > > > > La Russa told ESPN that his feelings haven't changed about McGwire's > > joining the team as hitting coach. > > > > "I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come," McGwire said. > > "It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have > > suspected." > > > > McGwire, who is eighth on the all-time home run list with 583 homers, once > > again was not elected into the Hall of Fame. In voting on Jan. 6, he > > received 128 votes (23.7 percent) in the balloting, 10 more than last year > > and matching the total from his first two times on the ballot. > > > > He became the second major baseball star in less than a year to admit using > > illegal steroids, following the New York Yankees ' Alex Rodriguez last > > February. > > > > Others have been tainted but have denied knowingly using illegal drugs, > > including Barry Bonds , Roger Clemens and David Ortiz . > > > > Bonds has been indicted on charges he made false statements to a federal > > grand jury and obstructed justice. Clemens is under investigation by a > > federal grand jury trying to determine whether he lied to a congressional > > committee. > > > > "I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I > > never taken steroids," McGwire said. "I had good years when I didn't take > > any, and I had bad years when I didn't take any. I had good years when I > > took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter > > what, I shouldn't have done it and for that I'm truly sorry." > > > > Big Mac's reputation has been in tatters since March 17, 2005, when he > > refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing. Instead, he > > repeatedly said "I'm not here to talk about the past" when asked whether he > > took illegal steroids when he hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998 or at > > any other time. > > > > "After all this time, I want to come clean," he said. "I was not in a > > position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I > > feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I'll > > do that, and then I just want to help my team." > > > > McGwire said he wanted to tell the truth then but evaded questions at that > > hearing on the advice of his lawyers. > > > > "That was the worst 48 hours of my life," McGwire said. > > > > In the interview with ESPN, La Russa said of McGwire's testimony: "The one > > thing he did not do is lie. And I don't think he ever would." > > > > La Russa immediately praised McGwire's decision to go public. > > > > "His willingness to admit mistakes, express his regret, and explain the > > circumstances that led him to use steroids add to my respect for him," the > > manager said. > > > > McGwire disappeared from the public eye following his retirement as a > > player following the 2001 season. When the Cardinals hired the 47-year-old > > as coach on Oct. 26, they said he would address questions before spring > > training, and Monday's statement broke his silence. > > > > "I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 offseason and > > then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again," McGwire said in > > his statement. "I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including > > during the 1998 season." > > > > McGwire said he took steroids to get back on the field, sounding much like > > the Yankees' Andy Pettitte two years ago when he admitted using HGH. > > > > "During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games > > over five years," McGwire said. "I experienced a lot of injuries, including > > a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left > > heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of > > years, and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I > > thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too." > > > > Since the congressional hearing, baseball owners and players toughened > > their drug program twice, increasing the penalty for a first steroids > > offense from 10 days to 50 games in November 2005 and strengthening the > > power of the independent administrator in April 2008, following the > > publication of the Mitchell report. > > > > "Baseball is really different now -- it's been cleaned up," McGwire said. > > "The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they > > cracked down, and I'm glad they did." > > > > Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. > > >
