Bonds indicted for perjury and obstruction

[iluvlamp]

And Stephen A. Smith just started playing the race card on ESPN instead of the right/wrong card. Heavens knows that everybody doesn't think that McGwire took steroids. I really hate the projection that goes on in all this. Just because a small amount of people MAY not like Barry because he is black, most think he's a fraud because he IS a fraud. The racists whites are the ignorant idiots not the majority of nonracist whites. I don't like racism being projected onto myself. If McGwire was caught lying to a grand jury the same situation would have occurred: he would have been indicted. We need to smoke out all cheaters whether they are black or white. IMO, it sucks that McGwire got off. I want them all out of baseball.

[billyhallfan]

Neifi has statistics?

 

Damn right he does, career .OPS of .672...

 

and 64 homershttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

 

 

Iluvlamp, i saw that too, I just shook my head. Smith said something to the effect of "anyone that doesn't think that racism isn't a huge part of this needs to kill themselves because they are ignorant and bad liars."

 

Smith is a loser, don't know how he has a job.

[Hammer]

Well put Iluvlamp. Steven A. really needs to stop flapping the gums about this as he is ruining what little rep and cred he had left. Like you said...he completely stayed away from the right/wrong aspect in favor of the immediate toss of the race card. ESPN needs to make sure they have an opinion on his comments...

[mothershipconnection]

I really hate the projection that goes on in all this. Just because a small amount of people MAY not like Barry because he is black, most think he's a fraud because he IS a fraud.

 

This crap is just stupid. People need to realize what morons they look like when they make such charges. I had a coworker accuse me of being racist the day after Bonds broke the HR record and I said he's a bum and a cheater. My only reply to her was "man, you're a simple creature". There will come a day when people will be racist and others will stop paying attention because of those who cry racism any time something bad happens to a minority. Nobody stood up to defend Bill Romanowski when he tested positive fot THG on the grounds that he was being unfairly persecuted - and that's because nobody wanted to defend an obvious steroid user.

 

Smith needs to realize that he's the boy who cried wolf, and he's in a position where he won't be able to help someone who actually has been discriminated against and could use the press in his favor.

[billyhallfan]

maybe this isn't a possibility, but I hope this doesn't happen.

 

What happens if Barry names names to save his ass? Then it gets really, really ugly.

[TooLiveBrew]

That'd be awesome, bhf. I can definitely see Bonds doing that - when has anything ever been his fault, according to Barry? Rat-time!

 

Neifi has statistics?

 

Neifi doesn't. NE!F! does. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Brian the Automator]

Iluvlamp, i saw that too, I just shook my head. Smith said something to the effect of "anyone that doesn't think that racism isn't a huge part of this needs to kill themselves because they are ignorant and bad liars."

Yeah, the world really had sympathy for Raffy Palmeiro and Jason Giambi.

[wisconsinfan47]

I cannot believe it's take almost a decade since Bonds' started using for him to finally be held accountable.

 

I don't know if Anderson spoke...he's seemed pretty loyal to Barry...I'm sure Kim Bell had a lot to do with it.

[MelGroceryStocker]

Anderson got out of jail ... He musta' said somethin.

[Tbadder]

I'm not locking my doors anymore, and I'm sleeping like a baby from now on. Now we can get serious about Osama.

[TheBwaz]

"Anderson got out of jail ... He musta' said somethin. "

Negative. He was being held in contempt for not testifying before the Grand Jury. As of the indictment there is no more Grand Jury and thus no more contempt. He spent 2 years in the slammer and didn't say a thing.

 

Legal Eagle

[JoeH33]

"Anderson got out of jail ... He musta' said somethin. "

Negative. He was being held in contempt for not testifying before the Grand Jury. As of the indictment there is no more Grand Jury and thus no more contempt. He spent 2 years in the slammer and didn't say a thing.

 

Legal Eagle

 

Whether you like the guy or not, you've got to respect that.

[brewizard]

This has now reached ridiculous stage, and I'm going to speak my mind.

 

I thought I was against Barry Bonds, but after this, I'm 100 percent in his corner. Barry Bonds - like him or not - does NOT need to go to prison.

 

He is a sports entertainer. That's his job. He has done his job brilliantly!

 

Indicting him now is like indicting Robin Williams for his 70s-era comedy, MUCH funnier than his current schtick, but which was produced while he was coked to the ears. Let's erase the record sales of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album! They were high! They took harmony enhancing drugs! Forget Hemingway. He wasn't a great writer! He took phrase enhancing alcohol.

 

Ah... But TAKING DRUGS (the puritanical issue at the heart of this) is not what Barry's actually been indicted for, is it? No. He LIED. (Oh no.) Nobody else in the history of the world ever lied about anything else even halfway as important? Uh, can't think of anything...

 

Tell me exactly what he did that he deserves jail time? Did he lie about a murder, rape, violent crime, or even petty theft? Essentially, he just said "I didn't inhale."

 

I humbly submit to you all this impassioned plea to collectively rehabilitate Barry Bonds before it is really too late. At this rate, I pray he is not burned at the stake by a frothing mob.

[RU Rah Rah]

Ah... But TAKING DRUGS (the puritanical issue at the heart of this) is not what Barry's actually been indicted for, is it? No. He LIED. (Oh no.) Nobody else in the history of the world ever lied about anything else even halfway as important? Uh, can't think of anything...

 

Tell me exactly what he did that he deserves jail time? Did he lie about a murder, rape, violent crime, or even petty theft? Essentially, he just said "I didn't inhale."

There's a difference between garden-variety lying (which all of us do on a pretty much regular basis) and committing perjury.

 

[Nottso]

Bonds should be tried, and if convicted, punished accordingly; just as Pete Rose should never see the HOF. I loved Pete Rose. The guy was everything right about the way the game should be played. However, he broke the rules. "The rules don't apply if you're a good enough athlete" is wrong on every level. This is why we have college grads (athletes) that can't read or write.... or continually get into trouble.

 

As for the race card: Those of us that never wanted Bonds to brreak the record, or would like to see it wiped out, want Hammerin' Hank to still be recognized as the HR king. The last time I looked, Mr. Aaron was an African-American.... AND a heckuva classy guy.

[Tbadder]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...the deep satisfaction of righteousness. There's nothing like it. Sorta like the smell of napalm in the morning. Breathe deep and enjoy the drug of your choice. Seriously, isn't it enough that Barry Bonds won't be going to heaven?

[Patrick425]

Ah... But TAKING DRUGS (the puritanical issue at the heart of this) is not what Barry's actually been indicted for, is it? No. He LIED. (Oh no.) Nobody else in the history of the world ever lied about anything else even halfway as important? Uh, can't think of anything...

Are you serious? A good part of the legal process is based on people telling the truth under oath in court (grand jury, etc). Why would anyone in court ever tell the truth if they were not held accountable?

 

Regarding playing the race card and banning people from the game and clearing historical stats....Every case has to be looked at separately. I think anyone that took steroids now or in the past needs to be accounted for (and I know that many people don't agree with that). However, I also am aware that players are human just like the rest of us. If it's out there and available and you know that many other players are taking it and you feel that you need to take it to keep up with everyone else, I can somewhat understand the temptation. However, don't play the media, the fans, and everyone else involved in baseball for fools when you are caught. "I didn't know that what I was rubbing on my legs was a steroid"..C'mon.

 

I think people for the most part want to be forgiving, but they want to see the accused show some humility. An admittance, an apology. Look at Giambi. It's incredible how much he has ignored the spot light. Some will say it's because he's white. However, I think it's more because he owned up to his "crime". He was humble and contrite about what he had done. He showed shame, and I think the public, while they are not going to forget what he did, are more willing to forgive him for being human because of his admission of guilt. I really believe that Pete Rose's reputation would be much better off today, and he would possibly be a HOFer now, had he just admitted to and apologized for what he did as soon as it had been discovered that he gambled.

[brewizard]

I'm certainly not perfect. And we all know Barry Bonds isn't perfect. And baseball itself is gloriously imperfect.

 

But sending Barry Bonds to PRISON!?

 

This is terrible for baseball. Simply terrible. I can't believe how pleased some of you are.

[billyhallfan]

This is terrible for baseball. Simply terrible. I can't believe how pleased some of you are

 

i'm not, if he gives out names?

 

then what, there could be another strike, this could get ugly.

[don1481]

This is terrible for baseball. Simply terrible. I can't believe how pleased some of you are.

Oh, I'm most definitely pleased about this. Baroid's attitude the whole time is that he is above the law; his overinflated head convinced him that he would never get caught in this mess. It's time for Baroid to face the music.

 

Entertainer or otherwise, he should have come clean while under oath. Giambi came clean and his career recovered nicely. Palmeiro pointed fingers and angrily gestured while under oath and flunked a drug test of his own. McGwire refused to talk about his past and may be kept out of the HOF by the voters for awhile.

 

Maybe Barry's punishment should be to have a gigantic * tattooed on his forehead, just like Home Run 756.

[Patrick425]

But sending Barry Bonds to PRISON!?

I don't think you are getting it. They wouldn't be sending him to jail because he took steroids. They would be sending him to jail for perjury and obstruction. Those are major offenses. It wouldn't matter if they had asked him what he ate for breakfast that day. If they can prove he lied in front of a grand jury he goes to jail, just like anyone would. It's not a small matter.

[craigharmann]

After a bit of thought, and reading everyone's thoughts here, my opinions are this:

1. IF Barry lied under oath, he deserves punishment. When it is proven that you perjure yourself, no matter who you are, there are consequences.

 

2. I think playing the race card is insane in this case. It's not because of any other reason (to me at least) than it seems that he cheated. I could care less if he was green, blue or purple, cheating is cheating.

 

3. As to the explanation of "everyone else was doing it"...that still doesn't make it right. I don't care if half the pitchers throwing to him were juiced, it's still wrong.

 

4. As to if his records should be removed, I've gone back and forth. Pete Rose had the most hits of any player ever, yet he gambled on the game after he played. His records still stand. Barry is alleged to have cheated to give him an advantage in the game. If it is proven that he did cheat, his statistics should be removed.

 

I'm not happy about this by any stretch. I'm saddened by the fact that the game I love has not been played cleanly by a few, by some, or by many over the last 20 years. These were the heroes of my childhood, many of the reasons why I fell in love with the game of baseball. In a sense, I want to know who all was cheating and when, and in another sense, I really don't. I don't, because it will taint the memories of the players I wanted to be when I grew up.

[olliegjw]

According to the indictment, they have drug tests from Bonds from 2003 that test positive for anabolic steroids. That is some MAJOR evidence against him. I don't think there is any doubt that Bonds will be found guilty (fed has over 95% conviction rate).

The question is, what does MLB do about this? I think they have to come down hard on him. Clear his stats from the record books. Ban him from the HOF. If he had won any world series, I would strip those rings from him as well. The only way that MLB can control PHD's is to make the punishment so severe that it scares the players.

[Fatter than Joey]

The question is, what does MLB do about this?

 

Well -- I don't think MLB needs to do anything about the perjury and obstruction necessarily.

 

I don't think that there is a lot they can do to fix the old things. I think they just need to let that lie.

 

The writers can keep Bonds out of the HOF, MLB doesn't need to ban him from it -- even if they could.

[jlau20]

If he did lie to the court, which is pretty obvious at this point, he deserves to be punished. At the same time, it's not really fair because so many players were using steroids/PED's yet they weren't called to testify in a court of law, and who knows how many more would not have told the truth. I don't think his records/statistics should be scratched from the book when/if found guilty. This goes back to the fact that so many other players were using PED's, but either never got caught or weren't good enough to draw alot of attention to being caught (ex. Alex Sanchez). I don't think that just because Bonds was the best of the 'cheaters' that he should have any worse punishment from a baseball standpoint than any other player caught for using PED's.