BARRY BONDS

[Mdog]

jeeezus this asshat is claiming RACISM blaming everybody for him using steriods, cheating on his wife for 9 years and his recent knee injury that will keep him out this year. he compaires his strugles to MARTIN LUTHER KING

DUDE YOU MAKE 18 MILLION A YEAR YOU IGNORANT PIECE OF SHIVIT!!!!!

GOD!! I hat this guy.

Bonds whiffs at swing to play the race card

BY JEMELE HILL

The Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. - (KRT) - So this is the 2005 definition of racism: A black man earning an $18 million salary as a baseball player - while nipping at the game's cherished home run record - feeling as though it's everyone's fault he !llegally used steroids and cheated on his wife for nine years.

Past civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey would surely be thrilled at Barry Bonds' redefinition of a sickness that has plagued our country for centuries.

Bonds has said some idiotic and ridiculous things the past couple of weeks, but No. 1 with a bullet was his assertion he's being unfairly lambasted because he is African-American.

In the first of his two laughable tirades during spring training, Bonds said: "Babe Ruth is one of the greatest baseball players ever, and Babe Ruth ain't black, either. I'm black. Blacks, we go through a little bit more. That's the truth. Unfortunately, I said it. I'm not a racist. But I live in the real world."

Only if that real world were on Neptune.

Last week, Bonds again took residence on Martyr Avenue, blaming the media for the ailing knee that may keep him out this season entirely, his mental health and the downfall of his family.

"You guys wanted to hurt me bad enough, you finally got me," said Bonds, who is 52 home runs shy of the all-time mark held by Hank Aaron.

Bonds' insistence he is a victim of racism is why I hope he never touches a bat again.

His comments were an insult to the African-Americans who died trying to exercise the right to vote, who couldn't eat at the same restaurants, or drink at the same water fountains as whites, and who in this time have been wrongly targeted by the police and paid for it.

When the wrong people play the race card, it does more harm than good and perpetuates the stereotype that blacks use racism as a tool to avoid accepting responsibility.

Compare Bonds' "struggle" to someone like Dr. William Monroe Wells and it makes Bonds' assertion even more foolish. Wells was one of Orlando's first black physicians and he constructed the Wells' Built Hotel on South Street_one of the few establishments that housed African-Americans.

During segregation, Wells treated black patients because they were denied care by whites. Most of his patients were poor and suffered from serious illnesses, having been denied proper care for years. Imagine the racism Wells faced trying to uplift a disenfranchised group. How popular do you think the idea of being a black doctor was during that time?

Now, let's look at Bonds, one of the best players of our time.

He reportedly told a grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream in 2003 that may have contained steroids. That revelation came as part of a federal investigation to break open a steroid-distribution ring. While Bonds said he didn't know if the substances he got from his trainer contained steroids, his mistress of nine years testified last week he knew what he was taking and had done it for years. She also said Bonds gave her $80,000 to buy a house, showing that while being held down by The Man, Bonds was at least looking out for the other woman.

No matter if Bonds takes a single at-bat this year, he will make his exorbitant salary. If that's Bonds' idea of racism, someone please destroy the Emancipation Proclamation.

Some black people are upset that Bonds has conveniently used his color as a scapegoat. I asked Bernard Thompson, the operations manager for the Wells' hotel, now a museum, if he felt Bonds was a victim of racism.

"Huh?" Thompson said.

I went around the corner and asked Trevor Myers, 59, owner of Carib Craft, a reggae-themed record shop on Church Street, if Bonds was being victimized. Myers migrated from Kingston, Jamaica, to the United States in 1968, which as we all remember was a warm and fuzzy racial period in America.

Shaking his head, Myers said: "These guys have it so easy."

[Guest tintgod]

FUK HIM!!..THAT LITTLE FOCKING PUNK...HE CAN KISS MY WHITE AZZ..I will never watch anothe game that that peice of crap is in...

[Guest VOLTRON]

yea that dood is a no talent a55clown, I think he should have his records removed not be allowed in the hall of fame and not play ball again for that matter. All of the people that have been using it should not be allowed to play. What tha hell does it mean when u have to cheat to win or to get ahead and now thats acceptable? fukin amatures all the old greats make all these records only to be broken by guys that all they do is work out and play baseball all day. when these other guys, some of them had jobs when they were playin and made a very small fraction of the money thats been thrown around these days. They are ruining one of the greatest sports ever made.

[TINT]

[oldtinter]

He's a fkn moron.

[Guest pmuzik]

don't care if he ever plays again myself never have liked the prima donna type of ballplayer and he is one of the original prima's

[oldtinter]

[TintDude]

P.O.S.

He is the racist.

[Mdog]

TD is right on tha one

[solareclipseauto]

the guys a loser... I lost all respect for the guy when he started using excuses for everything. he tries to turn all the stories around to make himself look better but it makes him look stupider!!! he tainted the game...kick him out forever