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Tuesday was Barry Bonds' 43rd birthday.
But what do you get the guy who's about to break Hank Aaron's home run record?
A New Kids on the Block greatest hits album?
Some Clear, er, Icy Hot for those sore legs?
The sky really is the limit here, but the folks at HBO's Costas Now decided to crap on Barry Bonds for his special day.
Happy Birthday, kiddo.
According to Bugs and Cranks, last night's TV program was practically "an all-out assault on Bonds."
My main issue with this "If Bonds Holds the Home Run Record, It's Tarnished" line of thinking is, well, who the hell was there when Babe Ruth was hitting balls out the park? I'm not suggesting the Sultan of Swat was on something, but I'm also not saying I was there sniffing in his locker to prove he had an unfair advantage or not.
Oh, wait, maybe we do know of one clear advantage the Babe had back in the day. For that we turn to Chris Rock's insightful (and funny) commentary from last night's Costas Now:
Bob Costas: Is race irrelevant?
Chris Rock: Ty Cobb's numbers are bullshit and Babe Ruth's numbers are bullshit.
Bob Costas: Because of segregation –
Chris Rock: Because they didn't play against black players. It's like saying I won the New York City Marathon but no Kenyans ran that year. Babe Ruth has 714 Affirmative Action home runs.
Chris, thanks for keeping it real. Thanks for keeping it real.
Comments: (46)
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By: troy on 8/06/2007 8:30AM
Hank is still The man, but Barry you do your thing too! Baseball didn't have a thing to say while they were making money and steroids were being covered up by BASEBALL. Now Robert, The Comiss, want to act like a saint. ( Just like white people )
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By: KELVIN JOHNSON on 8/05/2007 2:53PM
GREAT JOB MR. BOND'S
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By: KELVIN on 8/05/2007 3:01PM
GREAT JOB MR. BONDS, KEEP SWINGING THAT BAT AND KNOCKING THEM OUT THE PARK!!!
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By: JFox on 8/05/2007 3:39PM
It seems the biggest job the media has is to try to dig up dirt, whether true or false, about others. I am tired of the media, negatively influencing the public to believe the worst about people. Mr. Bonds has not been found guilty of any illegal act. If he had, I doubt he would still be playing baseball. Regardless of what anyone says, his homeruns cannot be denied and are legitimate. They can not be discounted. To do so, one would have to subtract all the runs he contributed to each team for which he was a member. That would change the result of many games played. Of course that cannot be done. Whether you want to accept it or not, Barry Bonds is the Homerun King of all baseball. That alone should qualify him for The "Baseball Hall of Fame".
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By: Russ on 8/05/2007 5:55PM
Actually, Rock's comments were not necessarily relevant. Has anyone looked up to see how many homeruns Bonds has hit against black pitchers? I don't know how many, but my guess is that it's very low and therefore the idea that black pitchers would have had a significant impact to the negative on Ruth's numbers is not supported. I really don't know the answer to my question because it's hard to research but I do know that in a combined 13 at-bats against black pitchers Vida Blue, Dontrell Willis, Luther Hackman, an LaTroy Hawkins he has exactly zero homeruns. I'm sure he has faced other black pitchers and probably has homeruns, I just don't know where to find it.
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By: Donald Williams on 8/05/2007 7:27PM
As a long time baseball fan, I'm very pleased and happy that Barry Bonds has tied, and is prepared to eclipse Mr. Henry (Hank) Aaron's Major League Baseball homerun record of 755. I remember as a sixteen year old youth watching the game as Hank Aaron passed the record of 714, then as you know was held by Babe Ruth. Despite what critics and opinion makers have to say, these records in all future occurrences will now and forever be disputed. This era of circumspect play on the field have forever tarnished the good and integrity of all sports. I believe just a few days ago, there was an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns (NFL)who tested positive for performance enhancement drug usage. His justification was that he missed most of last season with a severe injury, and was afraid he wouldn't make the team. So, regardless of the field of event, the shame squanders the beauty and hollowedness of competitiveness sports. Sports have always been about using your God given talent in a competitive manner against another competitor. It was always then, as it should always be, "may the best person or team win." This oak of competitiveness doesn't mean cheat either...it means win fairly and with honor. Barry Bonds has proclaimed that he was not aware whether these creams used were steroids. Only the supplier and Barry Bonds really know the truth. It's so unfortunate that the issue almost always seem to surface as an issue of race when it involves an African American. What I know and hope that we as a people remember, is that prior to our authorized integration into the ranks of professional fields of sports, all records were held by Caucasian Americans. The surpassing of those records by someone other than one who is caucasian, is a very hard transition for many of them to accept. This is one reason why there has been repressive and continued negative reporting by the media the pass few years surrounding whether Barry Bonds was using steroids, and whether he lied to a grand jury about his knowledge of its use. This too however, does send a large signal to our youth who are participating on a regular basis in many athletic events. It merely states how it's important to maintain a sense of integrity in all your endeavors regardless whether its sport, school study, basketweaving, or whatever your interest in life may be. Further, regardless of what Chris Rock may state in answering a question, (good or bad intended) you will always first be judged by the color of your skin, rather than by the content of your character. So, let your character be impeccable and your integrity unquestioned. Let your character and honor precede you whether you are from California or New York, or from all points in between. Only then, will the rest of the world know that "Black is oh so Beautiful".
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