"...when one great scorer goes to write against your name, he asks not if you won or lost, but how you played the game." ~ unknown I have always remembered this old proverb which my best frined's Dad used to have hangin on a wall in the kitchen hallway. And I always wondered about its origin; it must be fairly old, because I know it hung on that wall from the late 60's, anyway. The reason I mention it however, is because of Barry Bonds closing in on the Bambino's mark of 714 dingers. If we go by the proverb, then Bond's record, when he surpasses Ruth, won't mean squat. The Babe inspired people to follow baseball; he inspired people to want to play baseball; he inspired a whole country to root, root, root for the home team. All Barry Bonds has done is cast a dark pall over baseball and veil all recent accomplishments like a funeral shroud. I think it is fitting that the Babe's extended family and the commisioner of baseball have both decided not to attend any of the Bonds hoopla when he hits number 715. Indeed there are some sports writers out there who will advocate Bonds achievements and tout modern-day baseball as different from the purist's sport. They will point to the useage of the designated hitter and the difference in pitching rotation and specialization between yesteryear and today. But, come on...how can you support cheating? There is a reason why the IOC tests for banned substances and has for years. There is a reason that some athletes have been stripped of medals in the past for using unauthorized and banned substances. It's called 'cheating'. The athlete has used a substance to physically enhance their physique and/ or performance to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. An analogy would be some miracle substance to put into the tank of a race car to make it go a few miles per hour faster and go longer between stops for more fuel. NASCAR would probably ban the whole team for a year for that violation. Any enhancement , by unnatural means, that gives a player an unfair advatange over the competition is cheating, period. So, to all you sportswritiers who want to debate the whole situation, I can only say this, "has it been good for baseball?" "Has it been good for the players, the teams, the owners, the fans?" "Has it been something that kids can look to as an achievement and a reason to want to try to be like Barry Bonds?" If the answer is "no", then there is no debate. Either strike Bond's new mark from the record books, or mark them with an asterisk like they did to Roger Marris, and all he did was take too long to hit 61 home runs. I know that when I was growing up and Hank Aaaron broke Babe Ruth's record, I still looked to him as a hero figure. I don't see my kids, nor any of their friends looking at Barry Bonds the same way. I think Barry should stop at every kids house, from San Francisco to Cooperstown, and beg forgiveness for sullying the game of baseball. And then, when he gets to Cooperstown, let his induction be left to a live vote for or against him, televised nationally, so Americans can see his dejection in all its glory. Of course, this will never happen, though, because we all know that Barry it way too narcissistic to ever apologize for anything.