Why i don’t hate barry bonds

Website design By BotEap.comHave you ever heard of John Dowd? I found out who he is last weekend when my son brought home a new baseball video game. Usually I thought my son and I could spend a few summer hours bonding, talking about baseball and the reasons my Angels are better than their Diamondbacks. This particular day featured a video screen game between my son’s Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants. The Giants’ lineup featured a cleanup hitter named John Dowd. He was a burly figure who hit and threw lefties and played left field. I shook my head and laughed when I first saw this image. I then proceeded to explain to my son that Barry Bonds does not allow his image to be used in video games like this. The reason escapes me. Maybe Mr. Bonds doesn’t get paid, or maybe he feels this particular game is below him, but in any case I had to explain to a 14-year-old that John Dowd is, in fact, Barry Bonds. My son’s knee-jerk reaction was, “How stupid!” It’s unfortunate that in a simple video game like this, fans are once again reminded of the greatest monster in baseball. Does it look like Karma should kick Mr. Bonds in the pants?

Website design By BotEap.comSo, I started thinking about this situation. Mr. Bonds must be a miserable human being. How else would you explain John Dowd? Every kid in the country who plays baseball would love to have their name on a video game as a tribute to their talent. It’s easy to see that Mr. Bonds has a serious image problem. However, it’s not just about John Dowd. As some people watch in awe as he approaches one of baseball’s holiest records, I wonder how many people will miss the broadcast thinking that day is free to “rest.” Good grievance. Can you imagine Cal Ripken taking a day off to “rest”? Any of the old school baseball players we remember from our youth must laugh at this idea. I won’t even mention the legal issues, the fights with the previous managers, or the stories of his treatment of people in his own locker room. But, as for how I feel about Mr. Bonds breaking the great home run record, all I can say is that Cal Ripken and his record were better. Nolan Ryan and his seventh no-hitter were better. Watching the Angels win the World Series was better. Even Craig Biggio and his 3,000th hit were better.

Website design By BotEap.comDo you have the feeling that Mr. Bonds would love to retire with 754 home runs only to crush the baseball fans who have waited so long to see the record finally broken?

Website design By BotEap.comI don’t hate Mr. Bonds because that would imply that I care about him. I feel sorry for him above all else. I feel sorry for him because this should be the happiest time of his life. You are about to overshadow a great record, but you will always have an asterisk. He’s ready to retire and ride into the proverbial sunset, but he may soon have to answer federal charges. He has no reason to smile. As a child of wealth, you can’t even give back to your community. When all is said and done, Barry Bonds isn’t likely to have any fond memories to remember, either. He will have no championships, a tainted record, and the hatred of the vast majority of baseball fans. I’m sorry for him. It’s gotten to the point where you hang on like an aging hipster who doesn’t know when to ditch the bell bottoms for good.

Website design By BotEap.comWhy do people hate Mr. Bonds so much? The simple answer is that you owe us. We did great. Without us fans, Barry Bonds would be just another limp office worker cleaning up for his church league softball team. He doesn’t deserve to be the one to break the record. There is something puzzling about this whole scene for us baseball fans. It feels like Karma has gone bad somewhere in a big way. Other than meeting Hitler in heaven, there is little else that we mortals can experience that come close to seeing this home run event. As a result, I protest against Barry Bonds in the only way I know how. When it appears on my TV, I change the channel. Period. No questions asked. His track record doesn’t make sense to me, and the reason is that my devotion as a fan seems insignificant to him. When the big home run is about to be hit, I look forward to seeing John Dowd strike out in a video game. When Barry Bonds refuses to give a press conference after the big bang, I promise not to comment on why. Barry Bonds will never be more than a footnote in my baseball history book. Yes, you will have records, but it is only a matter of time until they are broken. Yes, he will be the home run king, but it can’t affect me and it won’t affect me.

Website design By BotEap.comWe fans should measure athletes by their ability to give us what we cannot achieve, such as that elusive dream of sporting glory. We should measure them as an ideal of how we would play if we had the opportunity. We must measure greatness by intangibles, as the only player who has that X factor that can heroically bring our team a championship. Hmm. Championship. You know that Barry Bonds doesn’t have any. And you know, I don’t think many kids dream of having the glory of a day off when their team needs a win. And I made my dream come true when the Angels finally won the series in 2002, beating the Giants. Hmm. Maybe Karma knows what he’s doing.