Great job Philly fans.

[nuggets]

somehow I can already see that a few minutes of research will show how the media told the story to sound worse against Bonds...should I do it?

Please do. I would appreciate the full story.

New book portrays Bonds as antihero, tells of ASU incident

Nick Piecoro
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 19, 2006 12:00 AM

As sales remained strong for Game of Shadows, another stinging Barry Bonds book hit the shelves Tuesday with the release of Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero.

Ahh, the good ol' American way. If you can't think up the idea, steal it!

Former Sports Illustrated reporter Jeff Pearlman reaches the same conclusions as Game of Shadows authors Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams regarding the San Francisco Giants star's alleged steroids use.

Another media cronie supporting his colleague and piggy backing on our countries ignorance and need to direct hate toward something? Nooooooo!

But Pearlman's is more a portrait of how Bonds came to be who he is: a supremely talented yet controversial figure, someone who lived a privileged life but coped with an alcoholic father, a flawed, ego-driven superstar seemingly devoid of social skills.

You could make that case for many pro athletes. This doesn't belong in a public forum. Personal issues, family business and non of ours. It's just sad what people will write about/say to make $.

Pearlman spoke with more than 500 people, giving voice to supporters and critics, to those who know him well and those who encountered him briefly, to former teammates, coaches and trainers.

And I'm sure he approached them with the utmost objectivity and in absence of a scheme to portray Bonds in a dramatized fashion in order to get attention for his book. I can hear the publishers now, "Does it do anything but fuel the country's fire of hate on Bonds? Yes - no deal, No - DEAL, Howie!" 500 people? Wow, 500 people some guy talks to and then gives hearsay from can't be wrong, that's power.

It includes an interesting chapter on his Arizona State days, beginning with his arrival on campus with a new Trans Am.

According to the book, Bonds spent several hundred dollars with a university calling card then broke team curfew during a trip to the University of Hawaii.

That's pretty weak compared to what athletes of his stature do and get away with in college. Bonds may have spend several hundred dollars on ASU $, but they probably gave him more than that and blamed him for the use of the card to avoid NCAA sanctions.

ASU coach Jim Brock suspended Bonds and had the rest of the team vote to determine whether the star should be kicked off the team for good.

The team voted him out, but Brock ignored the outcome and reinstated Bonds, a decision that may have been influenced by a visit from Bobby Bonds, who, according to Pearlman, drove his Mercedes onto the field during a practice to confront Brock.

Sure an angry father might have an effect, but if Bonds wasn't so good he never would have be allowed to stay. Are a group of college baseball players more mature and knowledgeable than their coach? No, that's why there is an older coach.

Bottom line - we all know Bonds isn't the nicest guy, but that's not his job. He is very good at his job. Why do people need to go out of their way to make a understanably bitter person a symbol of evil? Oh, because they know they can take advantage of you Sheep, gladly walking to the bank while you just got a few bucks poorer and Bonds life just got a little harder.

[Tavish]

The media jumped on this philly fan thing awhile back, and simply has not let it go, even when other cities have horrible incidents, such as KC or Cleveland, it flies under the radar because Philly is the buzz word. And you all lap it up. Congrats.

What are the horrible incidents that happened in KC? I'm not calling the Bonds booing in Phillie a horrible incident, but I can't recall anything that has happened in KC that even approaches cheering Michael Irvin when he is injured, booing Mike Schmidt for playing below HoF level, booing the hometown Kobe Bryant at an All-Star Game, throwing batteries at any player, or needing a courthouse inside a stadium to handle all the problems that happen.

As far as the ineptitude of the teams being an excuse for the fans, there are plenty of other cities that have the same type of circumstances. I guess Phillie fans enjoy just writing the way fans in those cities react as them just not being as "passionate" for the game as they are. *shrug*

[Kingctb27]

[nuggets]

The media jumped on this philly fan thing awhile back, and simply has not let it go, even when other cities have horrible incidents, such as KC or Cleveland, it flies under the radar because Philly is the buzz word. And you all lap it up. Congrats.

What are the horrible incidents that happened in KC? I'm not calling the Bonds booing in Phillie a horrible incident, but I can't recall anything that has happened in KC that even approaches cheering Michael Irvin when he is injured, booing Mike Schmidt for playing below HoF level, booing the hometown Kobe Bryant at an All-Star Game, throwing batteries at any player, or needing a courthouse inside a stadium to handle all the problems that happen.

As far as the ineptitude of the teams being an excuse for the fans, there are plenty of other cities that have the same type of circumstances. I guess Phillie fans enjoy just writing the way fans in those cities react as them just not being as "passionate" for the game as they are. *shrug*

He's generalizing methheads in to being the entire body of KC fans.

Oh wait, that was in US Cell.

[BravesGuy]

THat sign is awesome!!!!!!! they should mount it on the left field wall

[cloverhurstdawg]

Bonds could silence all this talk about steroids if he just submitted to drug tests. He's not a member of the union, there's no one stopping him from doing it except himself.

[wrveres]

Bonds could silence all this talk about steroids if he just submitted to drug tests. He's not a member of the union, there's no one stopping him from doing it except himself.

[Zito is God]

Bonds could silence all this talk about steroids if he just submitted to drug tests. He's not a member of the union, there's no one stopping him from doing it except himself.

You do know that Bonds has taken and passed every drug test that was ever administered to him by MLB right?

[Matthias]

Bonds could silence all this talk about steroids if he just submitted to drug tests. He's not a member of the union, there's no one stopping him from doing it except himself.

Testing or no, it's beyond question that Bonds juiced with something. The only question, really, is how people feel about that.

[nakgxf]

Bonds is likely a cheater, but he does not deserve the flack he is getting from fans. No fan has a right to humiliate him like everyone does. Fans who dont like him should simply ignore him. Then maybe I wouldnt see him on ESPN every five seconds.