“Barry Bonds testified to a grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream given to him by a trainer who was indicted in a steroid-distribution ring, but said he didn’t know they were steroids, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.”
I don’t buy it. I just don’t believe that he didn’t know it. I need some time to consider this topic and determine how I really feel about steroids in sports.
In regard to Bonds and sterorids in baseball there are multiple issues to consider. First, his concentration and focus upon hitting is not related to steroids. These are skills that are not gained by taking any drugs.
Off the top of my head the argument you could make is that the steroids helped his aging body hold up longer than it might have. He may have eztended his career. And you could potentially argue that due to his strength he hit more homeruns.
But, he hit the balls hard enough and far enough that even without steroids it likely wouldn’t matter.
In some respects the issue could be as simple as saying that either all athletes have access to the drugs or no one does and then there would not be a question of unfair advantage.
You have to wonder about the side effects and health issues. Is it really worth it, look at Jason Giambi.
Interesting:http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1939208&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
There are a few things missing… He’s admitted this happened in 2003, but not that it happened any other years. He had pretty good years in 2001 and 2002 and started bulking up a long time before 2003. Why would he admit to 2003, if he was doing things in years prior?
Also, Greg Anderson is somebody who Bonds has known for years. I’ve seen numerous articles indicating that Anderson is a “childhood friend” of Bonds.
Finally, in his testimony, he indicated that he used the “cream” and the “clear” in the locker room in front of other players, and in front of reporters. If he really knew what these things were why would he be doing them in front of reporters?
I haven’t really decided whether I believe him or not. I have always been amazed at how much he has grown in the past five years or so. I’ve often said he has more muscles on his head than I have on my entire body. But, there are some internal consistencies to his story that suggest he may be telling the truth.