[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by ELA

In certain respects this is a frivolous debate. As of now, Bonds innocence or guilt is not a legal issue or a question before a court of law. The infrastructure does not exist to bring this issue to any substantial or real conclusion. This is very unfortunate in my eyes. MLB is guilty of a complete lack of governance, self-governance, or whatever you want to call it, and negligence as well in setting any assemblence of standards.

To me, this takes away from the what is at the core or the essense of the sport. I remember when Mark McGuire was going for the season HR record. Primetime TV, every major station broke away from their regular programming to show McGuire's next at bat. I remember when he hit that record breaking HR. I was single at the time, sitting at home doing some work. I remember how I felt when I watched it. I remember feeling like I was part of history -- watching it live, seeing it, experiencing it. Call it corny, but I remember standing up, alone, in my home, and clapping. I also remember, even though I was single, feeling that one day I would be able to tell my son that I saw it live. But I also remember how I felt when the talk of steriod, enhancement, etc. use came about. It took something away from it.

Unfortunately, this is not an issue of guilt or innocence. His freedom is not on the line or anything of the like. This more may be a case of a court of morality, and everyone having a different sense of values and judgements.

Anyway, great points and discussion.

Eric

Good points! And yes, it is a shame that baseball has lost some innocense. Sports are a mere reflection of society at large and this is certainly an example of that...the lines become blurred and pretty soon guilt is viewed as a matter of degree. My only issue is our seemingly unending desire to think the worst of people we dislike coupled with a willingness to be judge, jury and executioner...we "know" this guy is guilty and that's that...history tells us this is not the path of justice, reason and equality...