Since I am, unfortunately, a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates I can honestly say that I have followed the soap operaish career of Barry Bonds since the very beginning.  Even when I lived out of state in the late 80's and early 90's I would have friends buy playoff tickets and I would travel home faithfully to watch the post season games in person to see the "pre-steroid" Barry Bonds and his teammates underperform.  Basically, Pittsburgh hasn't had a winning record since Barry left town.  However, I am a realist and I am objective and I don't hold that against Mr. Bonds.  In fact, since that time I have turned my focus to following several very good Cup winning Penguins teams and some very good Steelers's teams including the recent Superbowl winners and a perennial top 20 Panther's basketball squad.  On balance, Pittsburgh sports will be just fine.  So, please do me a favor and don't insult my intelligence by trying to say that I have the opinions I do of Barry Bonds because I still hold a grudge agaianst him for abandoning my beloved Pirates.  This is more like score one for all the little people out there who quietly go about their business always trying to treat people fairly and do the right thing EVERY DAY, who are just sick and tired of seeing people with money and priviledge get away with their multiple transgressions and infractions.  I have observed and digested both first hand accounts and media stories of how Mr.  Bonds has consistently treated, or should I say mistreated his teammates, fans and members of the media.  He is often times rude, selfish, ignorant, disrespectful, indifferent, arrogant and angry when it comes to dealing with the public.  His affair(s) are well documented.  His lies are now finally being well documented and exposed.  I have great respect and admiration for the accomplishments of players like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson and Willie McCovey but I have nothing but contempt for guys like Barry that #### all over America's National Pastime, a game that has allowed him to lead and live a charmed life.  I hope he is convicted on EVERY count,  I wish Major League Baseball had the stones to set a good example and strip this guy and the others (Mark, Sammy, Roger, Rafael etc.) of their records.  Players like this have cheapened the game for us all and diminished the accomplishments of all those who preceeded them.  What performance enhancing substances did Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron utilize in their illustrious careers?  Barry Bonds consistent disregard for the game and the players who came before him in the form of his high tech cheating which we all know took place for a period of several years SHOULD be enough to keep him out of the Hall of Fame forever!  He has tarnished not only his name and reputation but the game as a whole.  Sadly though, I fear that his actions will NOT be enough to keep him from being enshrined and this should trouble us all deeply.   At this point, Barry richly deserves whatever bad things happen to him and probably more.  After all, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

P.S.  -  Roger Clemens says "Thank You" for getting him off the front page of the sports section!