Barry Bonds, Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte.
Is that a tag line for greatness or what? Look at those guys. The all-time home runs and walks leader (among other records), the greatest pro-basketball player ever, the pitcher with the most Cy Youngs, the savior of baseball after the 94-95 strike, the highest paid player in the MLB and youngest member of the 600 HR club, world series winning pitcher. Just look at them.
Now, look at them and pick out which one you despise the most. Is it Barry? Is it because all his records "should have an asterisk?" Is it A-Rod for signing the most lucrative salary of any MLB player, ever? Is it MJ because he got all those calls, all those whistles, but you really know he got them because of who he is rather than there ever being a foul?
Did you know that it took nearly half a decade for Michael Jordan to fall out of the most popular athlete spot according to ESPN? Why is that? Is it because he was the greatest basketball player that ever lived? What about Bonds? He is the greatest home run hitter in a game obsessed with the long ball. Just look at those two for a minute. Think about their interviews while they were still playing. Michael and his well-spokenness. His graciousness in dealing with the media during and after his career (all three times). Do you remember any of his scandals? Do you remember his gambling problems in the early 90s? How about the woman who extorted him claiming that she was his mistress? What about his demand to keep Isaiah Thomas off of the original Dream Team and that Scottie Pippen instead be named?
What about the other hated guy? Alex Rodriguez was reviled by most of the fan world because of his defection from Seattle for a huge payday. He was reviled when he later signed with the most reviled team in sports, the New York Yankees. He was chewed up, spit out, picked up and thrown back down by the New York media. And then he came out of his post season slump and got his World Series ring. All was forgiven in New York, the Yankees had #27. He did steroids? He has an illegal poker night? Who really cares?
Now, what about Bonds? This is a guy who blew off the media. This is a guy who walked past autograph seekers, his adoring public. This is a guy who angered his teammates, coaches, general managers, and team owners. This is also the man who was on the verge of tears as he thanked baseball, the fans, even the other team, and especially his deceased father when he broke Hank Aaron's record. This is the man who scooped up his young son at home plate when Barry broke Mark McGwire's single season record and gave him a hug and a kiss on national television. This is also the man who never had a positive steroid test.
Consider this: Bonds broke Mark McGwire's home run record. McGwire has since come out as saying he took steroids as early as his years with the Oakland A's. That's okay, Mark. You're honest. Thanks for coming clean. By the way, no one brought up the asterisk for his accomplishments. Roger Clemens was just tried and mis-tried for perjury stemming from the steroids scandal. He still wasn't raked over the coals that Bonds has been pulled through. Same with Alex Rodriguez. Same with Andy Pettitte.
Now, note the list of players. The last four players named; Clemens, McGwire, Rodriguez, and Pettitte. They're all white or close enough to it (light enough skinned). We gave them passes in the court of public opinion. None of them faced sanctions from baseball. None of them were fined for steroid use. Clemens is the only one who hasn't admitted to steroid use.
But look at the other two, the first two on the list. They're both black. But it's okay, right? We adore Jordan; we're not racist! Bonds is a punk and a cheater. Once again, Bonds never tested positive for steroids. But Bonds is defiant. He isn't the type of black man white people love to like. Michael Jordan, with his endorsements, articulate speech, style, and success, is the type of black man we want to see. We love to like him.
How dare Bonds disrespect the game like he did. Here's a problem. MLB was the problem. MLB didn't test or even ban steroid use until 2003. 2003! Italics, underline, asterisk, bold--2003. Even if Bonds was on steroids when he broke the single season record in 2001, he didn't break any rules. But, but, but, Scott...he sorta kinda maybe might've taken an illegal substance! That should give him the asterisk. If taking an illegal substance give you an asterisk, then we should probably be putting asterisks by a lot more names than that of Bonds. Last time I checked, marijuana and cocaine are illegal substances...Well, fuck, there goes almost every record of any player who ever played any game between 1970 and now. The other issue is Bonds' constitutional right to be innocent until proven guilty. There is no proof. There are no positive tests. There is no clear proof that BALCO injected Bonds with anything illegal.
Bonds is the defiant, talented, cocky black man. We white people can't abide that. If he were white (Clemens fits just about that to a tee, defiant-check, talented-check, cocky-check, suspected of steroids-check) there wouldn't be talk of an asterisk at all. Clemens doesn't have an asterisk next to the 7 Cy Youngs. Clemens doesn't have an asterisk next to the World Series wins.
Michael Jordan is talented, cocky, and black. But he is gracious. He keeps his image clean. The worst things we could say about him was he was kind of an asshole during his first-ballot-entry-to-the-hall-of-fame induction speech where he reminded us, "oh, yeah, I'm better than any of you ever will be." But MJ is not defiant. MJ didn't piss off, or on, the press. MJ pissed off teammates, but he was good enough that he also made those teammates better, or they weren't on his team much longer. MJ. is. the. type. of. black. man. we. love. to. like. Bonds is not nor will he ever be.
And that's a dirty shame because he's the greatest home run hitter that ever lived.
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