BARRY BONDS: It's Not About Steroids, It's About Steroids and RACE [View All]

[McCamy Taylor]

Like a lot of people at DU, my interest in professional sports is zip. So, when the Barry Bonds steroids controversy came up, I had no idea what going on. However, I know some past history. I know about “The Great White Hope” and Ali, and I know how much our society hates strong, in your face African-American athletes, especially the kind that openly challenge the racist status quo in this country. So, when I saw that TWO books had been released simultaneously about one players supposed steroid use, and I witnessed an endless stream of white people demanding that Bonds come clean/ quit baseball/get kicked out, and I recalled that when Mark McGwire broke down in tears before Congress it was CONGRESS that incurred the wrath of America’s NASCAR dads, I got to thinking....

Of course, everyone involved denies that race is a motivating factor. Right. It is all about justice. And keeping baseball wholesome and natural. As if knee surgery and eye surgery are natural. As if sending kids to peewee baseball camp and holding them back from middle school graduation so they will be older when they get to high school is wholesome.

Anyway, no one will fess up to racism, but I decided to do a little internet search, and here is what I found.

Document 1. "Barry Bonds, Racist" by Nicholas Stix 15 June 2005
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article4402.html

“White people were never concerned about Barry Bonds overtaking Babe Ruth; that was Bonds’ own obsession! Because Ruth was white, Bonds fancies that overtaking him would somehow drive white folks crazy. Bonds wishes to present himself as a victim/hero, and race-baiting whites inflates his already outsized ego. As I said, the man is seeking to steal Hank Aaron’s life.”

The next document sort of blows the argument that no one cares about Bonds breaking Ruth’s record to hell.

Document 2. "Barry's head has swollen" Submitted by: By Adrian Wojnarowski 07-17-2003

http://www.baberuth.com/flash/about/viewheadline.php?id=1669

"As he creeps closer to Babe Ruth's home run record, Barry Bonds will wish he could take his words back. Let him think about it, let it linger and San Francisco's slugger will wish he had never dismissed Ruth with a snarl and a sniff. Before long, the comparisons will be relentless. But this is the way Bonds wanted it, the debate dwindling down to the two most feared hitters in history: Barry and the Babe.

"Bonds swears it is neither his godfather, Willie Mays, 17 home runs away at 660, nor Henry Aaron at 755, who is on his mind.

"Bonds wants 714.

"Bonds wants the Babe.

"Willie's number is always the one that I've strived for," Bonds said before the All-Star Game on Tuesday. "And if it does happen, the only number I care about is Babe Ruth's. Because as a left-handed hitter, I wiped him out. That's it. And in the baseball world, Babe Ruth's everything, right? I got his slugging percentage and I'll take his home runs and that's it. Don't talk about him no more."



Why is Bonds being called a “racist” by conservatives? We all know that is a buzzword for a member of a minority who points out racism.

Document 3. Barry Bonds vs. Boston "A Flea Market of Racism"By DAVE ZIRIN
http://www.counterpunch.org/zirin06232004.html

“In an interview with the Boston Globe, Bonds was asked a cream puff question about whether he would consider finishing his career in Beantown. Bonds shook his head and said, "Boston is too racist for me. I couldn't play there. That's been going on ever since my dad (Bobby) was playing baseball. I can't play like that. That's not for me, brother." When the reporter countered that the racial climate has changed in Boston, Bonds responded, "It ain't changing. It ain't changing nowhere."’

Back to Documemt 1 for this priceless quote:

"Instead of focusing on hating barry bonds because of his racist behavior, I prefer to hate him because he is a steroid abusing asshole"




Conclusion: A lot of people are uncomfortable with Bonds for pointing out the racism in sports and in America. But most of them know that it is politically incorrect to hate a Black man for being racist (that is one of the signs that you are a racist). So they are very, very, very glad that they can now symbolically lynch him for using steroids. Plus, he is about to break Babe's Ruth record as a left handed batter, so there is a Great White Hope aspect to this, too.

Now, I realize that Rove and the RNC would like nothing better than for the Bonds controversy to turn into a racial controversy so that the Republicans can hold it up to their conservative base and say "See where the Dems stand? See where we stand?" However, Barry Bonds is a human being, and my conscience does not allow me to stand aside and watch as a human being is treated more harshly than his peers because of his race.

My suggestion on how to deal with this mess? Rather than simply saying "THis is all about race" (it isnt), bring up Mark McGwire. Every single time someone talks abot Barry Bonds and steroids ask what penalty Mark McGwire has suffered. Has he been investigated? Stripped of his titles? Records? If the sports world is going to come down hard on steroid use they need to come down hard on white and black equally.

I dont think they have the balls to do to Mark McGwire what they are doing to Barry Bonds. The fans wont stand for it.