Bonds Gets No. 700

Gargamel wrote:

But plain old baseball fans don't want to see Bonds break Hank Aaron's record, and the last time I checked, Aaron was black. And he didn't use roids. People are rooting for old-school baseball as much as they are decrying the steroid era.

I have yet to see valid support for the race argument. Calling Sosa an "Unlce Tom Dominican" borders on racism--why don't you explain what it means to act black.

Sosa was carefree submissive just like Tom. White people see black people in 2 different ways. As black, and as niggers, just as there are white people and white trash they say. Bonds would be categorized as a nigger because he is horribly brash and doesn't hold his tongue. Aaron was seen as black because like Sosa he was submissive and soft spoken. White people don't fear black people until they show the short of independence and strength that Bonds does. It's ugly, but it is most definitely true.

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That's right. I FEAR BLACK PEOPLE!!!!

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Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:

That's right. I FEAR BLACK PEOPLE!!!!

Another sarcastic response...Endless I'm sure. But how bout you tell me why i'm wrong.

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Child of the Light wrote:

Bonds would be categorized as a nigger because he is horribly brash and doesn't hold his tongue. Aaron was seen as black because like Sosa he was submissive and soft spoken. White people don't fear black people until they show the short of independence and strength that Bonds does. It's ugly, but it is most definitely true.

You bet he's brash and doesn't hold his tongue. And he is definitely independent and strong. But do you have any insight as to why? Calling him a "nigger" for those reasons seems really uncalled for.

I'm a huge Bonds fan and an even bigger Giants fan. I used to watch his dad play at Candlestick and have followed Barry's career since he was in high school at Sierra High in my neighborhood. The issue of steroid use is really moot to me. I've watched an exceptionally devoted player since he was a teen to now in his 40's. I know he spends anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a day in the gym when he isn't playing. 30 years of training is bound to change the shape of ANY man, roids or not. I mean do any of us really look exactly the same as we did when we were 18 or 20 or 22?

Maybe the real argument should be is/was the stuff he was/is using legal or not? I don't think he would risk his entire career and the goals he appears to have set for himself on illegal stuff. He's too close to going out on top and retiring with a ton of records. Unlike a lot of players, this is not just a game to him. It has been a way of life since he was born.

I dunno...maybe I AM too naive and too fond of the guy personally that my views are tainted.

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Lady J wrote:

But do you have any insight as to why? Calling him a "nigger" for those reasons seems really uncalled for.

I'm not calling him a nigger, this is just the way that casually prejudice America thinks. They will never admit to rooting for that white superstar more than that black one, but you better believe they do. Steve Kerr is one of the most popular baskeball players of all time! The reason is because he was an all american type white kid. He embodied all that they loved: smart, clean cut, polite etc. But Bonds is none of that and I don't think he'd get nearly the amount of criticism if he were white. People claim they criticize him because he's rude and conceited, but I can't buy into that when white superstars with the same tendencies are celebrated(your Jeremy Shockeys, Jake Plummers and The Nasty Boys from early 90 Cincinnati). I personally can't ignore that in order to feel that racism is dead, maybe you can, but I can't.

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I agree that racist people make such distinctions about black folks. But you're wrong on many levels. Aaron recieved death threats just about everyday as he closed in on Babe Ruth's record. By now though, with blacks and latinos making up a significant portion of MLB, I think most fans are over it. This is a black man going for another black man's record.

Also, Bonds is just a dick. Instead of making a distinction between an Unlce Tom and someone who "acts black," wouldn't dick v. nice guy be more accurate? Sosa was a nice guy, a moron, but nice. Bonds is a dick, so of course the media dogs him. The media dogs T.O. and Randy Moss for the same reason.

Do you honestly believe race is a bigger issue here than steroid use?

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Ummmmm... I follow sports and sports magazines, articles, etc... and Barry Bonds gets called "probably the greatest player ever" more so than "the guy who used steroids". Much more so. He gets praised much more than he gets ridiculed. And if you can't face that then you've got your fuckin head in the sand. And plus of course he is going to get critisized mroe than Shockey or PLummer, etc because he is 10 times as famous. He is THE most famous name in baseball now. Shockey isn't that famous.

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Steve Kerr is one of the most popular baskeball players of all time!

Bull. Fuckin. ****. He is not. Don't pull that bullshit. You know damn well he isn't. He was some guy who people knew his name kind of like Steve Nash. For one thing I barely know anything about him and I've followed basketball since the mid 90's. He's not Jordan, Shaq, Bryant, Abdul-Jabar, Rodman, or McGrady. If you wanted a famous white basketball playerr you could have said Larry Bird. Not Steve Kerr... And go down the list of famous white players since 1980's and see how many of those names Joe Sixpack knows. Maybe 4 or 5. Maybe. Call me the next time you see someone wearing a Kerr jersey because I know you probably won't see too many.

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The media dogs T.O. and Randy Moss for the same reason.

You want a guy who gets his ass handed to him by the media, take Terrell Owens. Not Bonds. There's no racism there.

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I could care less if Bonds was black, white, whatever. He's an unreal player, and I hope I have the opportunity to watch him play one day. But he is a dick...that's why the media rips him apart. He's not the most elequent guy.

LadyJ, nobody spends 6-8 hours in the gym in a day. That's called "overtraining." You know how much time a pro bodybuilder spends in the gym? 1 hour, 2 hours tops for the most part.

And last time I checked, HGH(human growth hormone) is illegal. Luckily they don't test for it. But I could care less if these guys juice. If I was a pro ball player, I'd be sticking a needle in my ass too.

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Jerry Rice trains for 6-8 hours a day, I've seen entire NFL films specials on it. But he's soft spoken so it's ok.

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Eh, I'm probably reading into it wrong. When I think "in the gym," I'm thinking weight and cardio training. Kind of forgot these guys do a ton of drills and what not.

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Gargamel wrote:

Aaron recieved death threats just about everyday as he closed in on Babe Ruth's record.

At that time being black was reason enough to be hated, but luckily times have changed. Now all people need is for you to be black and outspoken.

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I think he is really only outspoken to the media. He has no love for them at all. and I don't blame him a bit for that. He has had the very unique opportunity of growing up in the Giants organization. Even as a very small child he was in the dugout with his dad and Godfather Willy Mays.
He saw first hand during the later 60's and early 70's the racial bashing that his dad and Willy and Willy Mac took from the all white sports press of the time. Sure racial civil unrest was trying to wind down, but it still wasn't speaking anything close to equality yet. (Is it even now?)

Bonds pretty much ignores the press when he can until the get right in his face and then he becomes outspoken. If humbly approached, he reacts in humble return. The press can never deny that he is indeed the greatest baseball player of all time. What the press can't get though, is that he won't buy into their hype of behaving how they think a superstar should.

Bonds quest to beat Ruth and Aaron is not just for himself. He's doing it for his Dad and his Godfather too. That is the legacy he wants to leave. More of an honour to family than an honour to the game. Personally, I think the pinnacle to all of that would be to have him win a World Series as a Giant the year he breaks Aaron's record. How cool would that be?

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Wouldn't be cool at all, but that's just my opinion. As Gargamel points out, Henry Aaron dealt with thousands of death threats when he was closing in on the record. And Aaron, lest we forget, started his career in the Negro League. I fail to see how Bonds' breaking Aaron's record has any racial connotations.

Aaron was a gentleman from start to finish. If Bonds is doing this for his dad and godfather, fine. But that hardly makes him any more admirable.

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I think most people are saying the racial relevance of Bonds hitting home runs now is him passing Ruth.

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True, CotL, though I hope the day is past when anyone cares that a black man is surpassing a white man's record. Which isn't even a record anymore...

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Its white people holding on to a national pastime that's been taken over by latinos. Sports is one of the most culturally significant things, and it's kinda sad what it tells you about our culture.

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What it tells me is that baseball is inclusive--if you play well, you can be in the majors, regardless of your race. It wasn't always thay way, of course.

The sad thing is so few African Americans now play. It's Whites, Latinos and some Asian players. But at least everyone has a chance to play...

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Child of the Light wrote:

Its white people holding on to a national pastime that's been taken over by latinos. Sports is one of the most culturally significant things, and it's kinda sad what it tells you about our culture.

The sport hasn't been "taken over" by anyone, and it's not a white sport.

Why is it I haven't heard one person bitch about Bonds breaking the HR record because he's black? Only people I can see doing that are the extremely racist.

I don't even know why race is brought into this. Most people could care less.

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I may have an entirely different point of view than all of you. I've heard numerous times Barry Bonds being described as a "typical nigger". Now I am from The South so that could have some dealings with it...ya know lots of Braves fans here, not too many Giants fans.

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Child of the Light wrote:

I may have an entirely different point of view than all of you. I've heard numerous times Barry Bonds being described as a "typical nigger". Now I am from The South so that could have some dealings with it...ya know lots of Braves fans here, not too many Giants fans.

Yes,
Let us not forget the great John Rocker...

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Bonds Gets No. 700

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