Tim McG

OK. And how often does this happen? Once, twice maybe three times in a player's life? You're pleading the case of the defense here, Matthew: Steriods do not increase the likelihood of a player hitting a HR. Vision and timing do. Period. There can be no question on this one. So I fail to see the issue here. Bonds using steriods now becomes a White man's justification that Ruth was second only to a "lucky" Black man in Hank Aaron. Can't you see why the media is so concerned about this? Even George "failed Iraq policy" Bush is on this one with getting the Feds involved. Any person with half a brain should ask why steroids in baseball are subject to a Federal investgation. It's a freakin' GAME, fer crissakes, not the answer to terroism. This is not at all about steriods [for the which they have no proof] it is all about another Black man beating Babe Ruth's record and, most importantly, the media jackals of the sporting press' effort to discredit Bonds in a shameless get-back for telling them to take a flying leap. It is total bullshit. There seems to be a couple of different issues here, let me comment on some: 1. Are you saying that a player only hits a fly ball to the warning track two or three times in his life? Jeesh, Adrian Beltre goes to the warning track two or three times a week, and I know that because Mariner fans have to watch that week after week. So, I disagree if that's what you're saying, I'm sure some stat geek out there is keeping track of "almost home runs." 2. We'll just have to agree to disagree on whether steroids creates home runs or not. You don't think so, I do, and I don't think either one of us will change our minds on that one. 3. Bonds and his treatment during his run up at Aaron's record is complex and crazy at the same time. Now I remember clearly Aaron's treatment during his chase of Ruth's record, and he garnered great respect from most people over the way he handled himself. Of course, it's well documented that he did suffer from racist taunts and letters, but he was respected in and out of baseball. Bonds is different, and it's true that most of the media treats him with disdain. There is an element of racism to it all, but there is also the feeling that Bonds is a jerk, and a lot of people don't care for him in the least. Of course, whether he's a jerk or not, I have no idea at all, so I can't comment on that at all. It's interesting to see how the media handles Bonds, I've lived in the Bay Area for a while, and go there on my vacation all the time, and the picture in the SF/Oakland papers of Bonds is different, and much more positive than anywhere else in the country, like L.A for example. Maybe the dislike for Bonds is partially to explain why, all of a sudden, there is a lot of talk of ARod beating his record later on in his career. The baseball establishment would certainly prefer ARod as the all-time home run king than Bonds, more cuddly than Bonds, that's for sure. It all causes me to wonder about the real reason why Aaron won't be there when Bonds breaks the record, and how that achievement will be celebrate in the stadium when it happens. One thing about Bonds: He's never dull. OK...here we go [ready?]: #1 I'm saying that ten feet or a hundred feet, steroids do not make you a HR hitter. There are far more athletic factors involved. #2 Disagree all you want to, but steroids do not increase vision nor do they make you a better hitter. SHOW me [please?] the proof to the contrary. #3 your point...? This is so typical of the person who believes, and only upon face value, that the media is telling the truth about Bonds. And tabloids are telling the truth, too...eh? The "reporters" who cover baseball are charlatans. They care more for their damaged egos when Bonds tells them to f**k off when they want an interview, than they care about telling the truth. The sporting media is full of selfish jackals hell bent for some get-back on Bonds. Tell me it isn't so...go ahead, tell me.

Dan...we are done here. As much as you may piss and moan, I am not responding to emotional bullshit. I stand for facts, not hearsay. Your agenda dictates otherwise. Peace to you.

OK. And how often does this happen? Once, twice maybe three times in a player's life? You're pleading the case of the defense here, Matthew: Steriods do not increase the likelihood of a player hitting a HR. Vision and timing do. Period. There can be no question on this one. So I fail to see the issue here. Bonds using steriods now becomes a White man's justification that Ruth was second only to a "lucky" Black man in Hank Aaron. Can't you see why the media is so concerned about this? Even George "failed Iraq policy" Bush is on this one with getting the Feds involved. Any person with half a brain should ask why steroids in baseball are subject to a Federal investgation. It's a freakin' GAME, fer crissakes, not the answer to terroism. This is not at all about steriods [for the which they have no proof] it is all about another Black man beating Babe Ruth's record and, most importantly, the media jackals of the sporting press' effort to discredit Bonds in a shameless get-back for telling them to take a flying leap. It is total bullshit.

So! An historian, eh? Very cool, Weizen

You'd better hope for a miracle. Guy Been a Lakers fan since I was a kid. I've seen better and I've seen worse....there is always a chance. Remember the 2006 playoffs....?

Hm. A ball ten feet farther foul or in the dirt or deeper in the outfield isn't a HR. Again, how do you explain Jose CanStrikeOut if this is the case? Vision, timing and a gift for seeing the ball makes you a HR hitter. Nothing else.

Go Lakers!!!

Oh...and I've seen Miles Davis perform "live", twice. Does that count?

I have met and spoken to Joe Sample on several occasions....once, if you can believe it, in grocery store in Mammoth Lakes, CA [where he lives and my family vacations]. An extremely personable man with a lot to say, musically, about Jazz. Last time I saw him, he put on an absolute clinic regarding the history of Jazz through his piano. Even called me by name. I've met a few other Jazz folks....but this is the most notable experience.

Exactly. I'll bet you dollars to donut holes that 2/3's of the league and a fair number of current Hall of Fame inductees were on the Juice in one form or another. Why do they all get a free pass? The stuff has been around since the early 60s. Besides, I would like someone here [besides Dan] to give me real and qualifiable proof that steroids increase vision and timing; both essential in hitting homeruns. Steroids make you big, not an HR hitter. Because if this were the case, Jose CanStrikeOut would own the HR record. Guess what...he doesn't. What a shocker.

That's a joke, right? Doping schedules with the initials of all of his other clients, PLUS "BB" is "hearsay"? GRAND JURY TESTIMONY is "hearsay"? And how dare you use the so-called "illegally obtained" Grand Jury testimony. IT IS LEGITIMATE GRAND JURY TESTIMONY. How it was obtained has nothing to do with its accuracy. HELL, the chief co-conspirator is the one who gave it to them! but the simple fact is that the book isn't close to "slipshod reporting" - it is recognized by everyone else as so solidly sourced as to utterly destroy the credibility of Bonds and his rapidly decreasing corp of defenders. The fact that you remain one is staggering. Really? Seriously? Then how come overwhelming evidence that has led dozens of national sportswriters and millions of baseball fans to conclude that he used steroids, and you aren't admitting it? How come? Its painfully obvious you choose not to see that which you do not wish to. I'd tell you I admire you for standing by your man but since it defies all standards of intelligence ... Doping schedules....as witnessed by whom, Dan? His ex-girlfriend? Somebody who talked to a guy who was told somebody saw these schedules? Where are these so-called doping schedules now, Dan? Hearsay tesimony is not fact, no matter how much you want it to be. And thank God, too. My ex-wife would rat my ass off in a heartbeat just to jack me up. Does this mean what she says is to be taken as literal fact just because she says so or some repor might say so? Geez, Dan....and you're the first in line to bitch about the so-called Liberal media this and the Liberal media that. But you'll listen to them when it serves your own personal take on an issue, now, won't you. And let's examine the reporters' credibility for just a minute, shall we? They are both employed by the Hearst Newspaper Corp.....the biggest purveyor of yellow journalism this side of Ruppert Murdoch. What does that tell you, Dan? And you're going to hang your own sagging credibility on that? Really? I never said GJ testimony is hearsay. But, as is so very sadly typical of the close minded conservative hell bent for dirt, you conveniently overlooked that, didn't you. What did say is those reporters were nearly arrested and thrown in jail for publishing seal GJ testimony that they had obtained through nefarious means and their souce got it illegally. That's no better than causing a auto accident then claiming it wasn't your fault because your vehicle wasn't hit. Total bullshit, Dan. You see? This is why I don't like debating with you because the whole deal is all about you and your continuous back peddling to cover for pseudo evidence and a biasedly narrow mindset involving pure speculation and conjecture. "What are we to believe" is a total bullshit argument, too, Dan. But I guess folks like you who must resort to name calling and bullying to fluff up their sadly lacking credibility on pretty much any issue...it is to be expected. I think we're done here. Again, Peace to you.

I used to practice my trumpet in a small confined space...later it was loud music; both through a stereo speaker system at my house or in my car and attending loud concerts. Seems worse when it's silent. Although, I have lost my ability to hear high pitched sound like birds, whispering and whistles.

My shoe size has increased fom 10 1/2 to 12 and in my adult years....everybody's foot grows in adulthood. Stops at age 35 or so. My hat size has increased over the last 15-20 years from 7 1/2 to 7 5/8, too. I weigh more than I did 20 years ago, as well. Maybe it's the Flonaise I use [it has a mild steroid]...allergies, you see. BTW....I'm 52.

Tinnitus? I've got it, too. But at least it's tuned to concert Bb

Meanwhile, it was sure fun to watch the Giants demolish the [hated] dodgers this past week Sweep!!!

Whoa big fella. Your opinion does not equal incontrovertable fact, Dan, any more than mine does. Besides, I have always maintained that if Bonds did use steroids, I'd be the first to admit it. But it's going to take a lot more than comparing muscle mass to a skinny rookie in a Pirates uniform. You want to disagree, that's fine...but because you see limited and hearsay evidence as fact is a clear indication we need to define terms. Hearsay is not evidence. Guilt by association is not evidence. A new hat size is not evidence. It is supposition. That and 50 cents gets you the morning paper. If you were a lawyer and brought this "evidence" to a judge for prosecution, he'd probably ask for your credentials and recommend a refresher course on Facts in Evidence. There isn't even enough here to convict him of post nasal drip. As to Clinton, well...you have previously shown to me that your biased veiws on that point are narrow, narrower, narrowest so I think we leave that one alone. Until there is incontrovertable evidence, IMHO, there is no case here. Game of Shadows is a shameless kiss-and-tell book without a shread of hard evidence. Ex-girlfriends and "he said she said" isn't evidence either, Dan. BTW, have you forgotten the legal trouble those guys encountered for printing Grand Jury testimony, hm...? Slipshod reporting shored up with illegally obtained GJ tesimony is not something which inspires trust, my misguided friend. Peace to you.

If you guys think this is terrible journalism, you ought to look at the sports page these daze. There was an article about Curt Schilling's bloody sock. They have some third hand information from a MLB manager who said it was paint. Everything seems to be fair game...true or not, as long as the papers can make a buck off of it. Tabloid media at best.

I think back in Barry's non-steroid days he was exciting to watch....now he bats a few times a game a few days a week, provides very little excitement on the base paths or in field....not really that exciting (to me). m~ Non-steroids day...? I wasn't aware there was any proof to that effect. Do you really need me to go over the proof? Fact 1: Barry was a client of Balco, a criminal organization which provided illegal "designer" steroids to its clients. Fact 2: Balco offered its clients two steroid products: "the cream" and "the clear" Fact 3: Bonds testified that he received and used two Balco products, one was a clear ointment and the other was a cream. You may want to debate whether Bonds committed perjury, but no one with a brain can deny that Bonds received and used steroids. He's an embarassment and a fraud. Hm. Let's examine these "facts": Fact 1: Guilt by association. There is not now nor has there ever been any hard evidence linking Bonds to any steroids allegedly given out to ballplayer by that firm. Ex-girlfriends with a jilted ax to grind do not suffice. Fact 2: Because something is offered does not in any way, shape or form equal their use by anyone. If it were, then people convicted of drunk driving could sue liquor stores for making the booze available. Fact 3: The "clear" and the "cream" were both legal at the time of their use and he has already said as much. Neither are injectable steroids which is the allegation against him. Perjury? How can Bonds lie about something nobody has ever proven he used? On that basis, we can use the "evidence" to convict passersby who drove or walked past the BALCO offices or jail the janitor and office secretary. Thank God our court system asks for more than this to convict someone. Yike!

I think back in Barry's non-steroid days he was exciting to watch....now he bats a few times a game a few days a week, provides very little excitement on the base paths or in field....not really that exciting (to me). m~ Non-steroids day...? I wasn't aware there was any proof to that effect. Besides, he's 42 years old and with bad knees. Anybody would slow done at that point. For the record, Bonds was MVP seven times before being accused. My point is that he is (currently) not exciting to watch, not that he is 42 with bad knees....a blind man can see that...(no offense to any of you that are blind). I would agree he was exciting to watch at one time....that time is no longer (to me). There are too many good, young (and old) players playing today to get excitied watching Barry. You will have as many people (or more) dissapointed when he breaks the record than will give a sh*t. m~ I disagree. The sports media jackals are only in search of some dirt on Bonds in order to sell newsprint and as a get back for the fact he snubs their asses. Sure he's old, but so was Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. If you don't care when he beats Hank Aaron's record, then you have bought into the big media lie. The media has an ax to grind here. Besides, how many times have we heard that some athlete who makes a record has to be juiced or on some sort of performance enhancing drug? Once, twice....a thousand times? If you're good, your'e on drugs. If you quit becuase of the jackals in the media harassed you, you're on drugs. If you deny it, you're on drugs. If somebody you know used drugs, you're on drugs, too. If your ex-girlfriend rats on you, you're on drugs. This is is total media bullshit. SHOW me the proof. I want to see hard evidence that what the media jackals are saying is fact. HGH's or steroids or "the clear" or whatever the hell he is accused of taking will not make you SEE a baseball any better. You have to have the Gift. I'm telling you Barry Bonds is that good.

Non-steroids day...? I wasn't aware there was any proof to that effect. Besides, he's 42 years old and with bad knees. Anybody would slow done at that point. And their foot size would go from 10 1/2 to 13, and hat size increase despite the loss of hair. Rather than just 'roids, HGH is the factor here. Yes I agree, pre-pharmacology Bonds was a more exciting player due to a deadly power & speed blend. I've lost hair....gained weight, too. And my hat size has gone from 7 1/2 to 7 3/4. My ex-wife would rat my ass out for any reason. Does this mean I'm on HGH's or steroids?

I think back in Barry's non-steroid days he was exciting to watch....now he bats a few times a game a few days a week, provides very little excitement on the base paths or in field....not really that exciting (to me). m~ Non-steroids day...? I wasn't aware there was any proof to that effect. Besides, he's 42 years old and with bad knees. Anybody would slow done at that point. For the record, Bonds was MVP seven times before being accused.

OK. I know it's only April. Why do I get the sinking feeling it is going to be yet another lost season in SF?

I just finished reading Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. It's a kind of "coming of age" novel for middle aged men, er...like me.

Exactly. The money spent on sports either through salaries or ticket prices has reached full-stage idiocy, melt-down alert status, IMHO. Colleges, coaches, players [pro and college alike] and the owners of professional teams included....not to mention the fans who think nothing of plunking down serious wads of cash to watch them play. Sports are out of control already and it has skewed our sense of what is important in this country. But then those same fans will whine about paying taxes. Go figure.

Should college athletes be paid? I think a full-ride scholarship is payment enough, thank you.