"Barry's going to play in 2007. I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league
[ NOT PRISON ] uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
************************
I AM NOT WRITING THIS AS A CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER, A MEDICAL DOCTOR, A CHEMIST, A PSYCHIATRIST, A CONTRACT ATTORNEY, OR A THEOLOGIAN .
I FREELY ADMIT THAT I NEVER MET MISTER BONDS IN PERSON -- I NEVER LOOKED INTO HIS EYES - I DON'T KNOW HIS SOUL -- I NEVER READ HIS MANY BIOGRAPHES -- I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO HIS HOUSE -- I NEVER DATED HIS SISTER, IF HE HAS ONE - WE NEVER TOOK LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH AND DISCUSSED THE FLAWS IN HEGELI.AN PHILOSOPHY.
I KNOW THERE IS A CERTAIN ELEMENT ON THIS BLOG THAT WOULD LIMIT OPINIONS IF THE ABOVE GUIDELINES ARE NOT MET -- AND I AM THANKFUL THAT I AM NOT WRITING ABOUT LINCOLN, EINSTEIN OR MANDELA--- SINCE I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MEET THE STANDARD REQUIRED TO HAVE AN OPINION OF THESE MEN.
I AM JUST STATING MY SINGULAR, SOLITARY OPINION CONCERNING A BASEBALL MATTER..
IT IS MY HOPE THAT THESE DISCLAIMERS WILL INSULATE ME FROM SOME OF THE PASSION OF THOSE WHO FEEL MISTER BONDS IS OFTEN MALTREATED AND IT IS THEIR HIGH CALLING AND SOLEMN DUTY TO RIGHT ANY INJUSTICE DONE HIM, REAL OR IMAGINED.
AS TIMIDLY AND MEEKLY AS POSSIBLE AND HOPING I HAVE THE RIGHT AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE CRIMINAL JUST ICE SYSTEM; I POSE THIS OPINION / QUESTION, CONCERNING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MISTER BONDS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE --->>
I COULD LEAD A HAPPY LIFE WITHOUT ESPN REPORTING ON WHAT THIS GUY HAD FOR BREAKFAST, BUT HIS POSSE WILL SOON ARRIVE TO DEFEND HIS RIGHT TO HAVE HIS EATING HABITS BROADCAST TO THE WORLD AND SUPPLY A CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF HIS PORRIDGE AND A SUMMARY OF HIS LEGAL RIGHT TO CONSUME THAT PORRIDGE, SINCE MLB HAS NO RULES AGAINST PORRIDGE.
LIKE A CONDEMNED MAN, I AWAIT THEIR CHAMPIONING OF THE OLD GENTLEMAN, ON THE PORRIDGE ISSUE.
GAFF - and with those words at the end of the post, "Who gives a ####" the world should agree. Unfortunately, sports media will bombard us from every angle they can with Bonds' intentions and, relaxing comfortably around the idea of "freedom of the press", will continue to insult our senses and make his pursuit of the all time homerun record an ongoing travesty. As I mentioned before, if we are going to hold Bonds accountable then we have to hold others accountable. And this includes "his" posse and any other form that wishes to cram his everyday life down our throats. He is a baseball player and a human being. As simple as that. To me, those who bash him and those who go to fantastic lengths to protect him should let it go and realize that in the grand scheme of things, he really doesn't matter. And in that vein, I agree. Enough already!
Well, we (FOX bloggers) represent only a small minority of sports fans, as we are very up-to-date on what's happening in the sports world. The average sports fan will be interested in the goings-on in Owens' or Bonds' lives.
It's basically the same as the people who enjoy reading tabloid magazines about movie and music stars. They want to know what movies or albums of theirs are coming out, and who they're dating.
As for us, the not-so-casual sports fans, we know what will happen with Bonds next year. In all likelihood, he'll be a Giant and pass Aaron's mark. T.O. will probably play this Sunday despite the rumors that he tried to kill himself. We don't need to hear anything past that.
Bonds and Owens get ESPN ratings from the casual sports fan crowds and they're going to keep pandering to that demographic, much to our dismay.
THE CASUAL FAN IS THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC - A SIMPLE, OBVIOUS CONCEPT, BUT I WAS MISSING IT - JUST LIKE
TYSON FIGHTS WOULD DRAW PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO REAL INTEREST IN BOXING OR THE KENTUCKY DERBY, THOSE WHO DON'T FOLLOW RACING.
THIS WILL HELP ME LET IT GO - I FEEL LIKE A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC MIGHT FEEL - GOING THRU BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION -- LEARNING NOT TO RESPOND TO EVERY MENTION OF THE AGING GENTLEMAN FROM THE WEST COAST.
Last edited by GAFF on September 28th at 12:04 PM.
YOU ARE CORRECT - "LETTING IT GO" IS THE BEST PATH, BUT I AM SLOW TO LEARN, WHILE KNOWING I NEED TO LEARN THAT LESSON AND PRACTICE IT IN THE REAL WORLD. I AM TRYING AND MAKING A LITTLE PROGRESS -
I AM A REMEDIAL STUDENT ON THIS TOPIC.
I agree that the press blows some thigns out of proportion, but I also agree with UltraMega here -- to the average fan, this news is relavent, and they want to hear about it. To the sports-finatic, this might seem trivial.
Note: Please, turn of CAPS LOCK, it's to the left of the 'a' key on the keyboard. It makes you look like you're yelling.
I for one care. I want Barry to break the record. I think he is the greatest hitter the game has ever seen. I think too many people are hung up on his alleged steroid use and give Hank Aaron a free pass on amphetamines. Ruth did not play against the pitchers of today, the specialist who pitch at most 6-7 innings a game and then see set up men and closers. The pitchers of the Ruthian era pitched 300+ innings a season. Anyone who knows pitching knows those arms were tired. Bonds has accomplished a whole lot and if it were not for the steroids you would be on the bandwagon that it is a tremendous accomplishment. We need to enjoy it because it will go down in the history books.
Gaff, sure glad you put in all those disclaimers before you told us how you really feel; they made nice reading too. I feel the same as you about Bonds (and Owens), just a little stronger/ might make it thru the bleepometer.
Who is TO or Bonds? I am sorry I have gone veggie on the 2. Everytime I hear their names anymore I start to stare into oblivion and foam at the mouth. the mind can only take so much.
Honestly I don't think the casual fan pays that much attention to them. I think it is the kids in H.S. and below getting ESPN their ratings. Not to mention keeping these stories going. I have had enough of them to the point I just don't watch ESPN anymore or any sports shows. I come here to Foxsports and read what I want to, w/o the TOBB reports. In fact funny you posted this b/c I just made my own TO final topic about media coverage. Enough is enough.
Gaff The likes of ESPN , Foxsports and all the major sports talk shows as well as the print media feed into the frenzy of the day's top sporting topics. And we as the consumers tend not to shy away from it as we're always curious to see what's going to happen next.
If as such Owens had died from the alleged overdose, the topic would've made front page news. Likewise if Bonds decides that now is the time to give the press an interview to explain his alleged steroid use. Again that would be a major news story. The press feeds us and we snap at the pieces of meat and gristle that's offered up and say to hell with the consequences.
When you get right down to it. It's much like a lion tamer training a lion. In this case the lion tamer is the press and the lion is the public. We're always going to be needed to be fed no matter what time of day it is , or the type of meat that's on offer. As we've got this insatiable appetite.
LSUfan - Have you looked at the bowl matchups by Fox? Tigers and Sooners on New Years Day, I believe is what I saw. Officiated by 1/2 Big 10 and 1/2 PAC 10 crew. Actually, that part (officiating crew) is a joke.
Perhaps people who like to see if records are broken (remember how we were watching to see if Dimaggio's record would be in jeopardy earlier this year?). So, I guess that would be me...
Oh, and Giants fans, who want to know what their team will look like next year...guess that would be me, too...
Perhaps fans of another team, particularly an American League team with a chance to pick up a monster DH (the Mariners, for example)...guess I'm in again...
Besides, who would you have to bash on if Bonds retired?
Who gives a ____ (sorry, writing this at work)? Well, if it applied to your constant Bonds bashing in your blog entries....I guess you have a point.
Gaff, your opinion was well thought out and succintly worded. Keep your caps on, sports fans are alot like kids. We need to be yelled at to understand.
beautiful, yet simple. elegant, yet powerful. yeah, i like it. to answer your query - rhetorical? - i dont know anyone who does, ikn fact, give a ####.
GAFF...I'm glad you're tired of the soap opera.....me too...
There were 50 or so "real" media stories on both topics...then 'bout a hundred Blogs crying about the stories....then, about eleventy million comments on those,....maybe,....just maybe...we're part of the problem!!!!!
I WOULD NEVER THINK OF DELETING YOUR POST IN SUPPPORT OF THE OLD GUY OUT WEST -- WHY SHOULD I TAKE IT UPON MYSELF TO STOP YOU FROM ADVERTISING YOUR ERROR IN JUDGMENT?
IF YOU DON'T MIND MAKING THE MISTAKE OF SUPPORTING THE GUY, I DON'T MIND SPREADING THE NEWS.
I HAVE RUN ACROSS TWO GUYS WHO SEEM HAVE AN ANAL RETENTIVE CONCERN ABOUT UPPER AND LOWER CASE.
IF A TAX REFUND CHECK CAME TO THEM, WRITTEN IN CAPS, WOULD THEY NEGLECT TO CASH THE INSTRUMENT, DUE TO THEIR DISMAY OVER HOW IT WAS WRITTEN?
I HAVE TO SAY, I AM JEALOUS OF THE TWO GENTLEMEN WHO ARE SO UPSET ABOUT CAPS -- HOW GREAT IS YOUR LIFE, WHEN THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CONCERN YOURSELF ABOUT; WHILE OTHERS ARE READING THE MESSAGES ABOUT DRUG ABUSE, CRIMINAL MISBEHAVIOR, FRAUD AND BREACHES OF SPORTSMANSHIP - THESE TWO GUYS ARE UPSET THAT I SPLIT AN INFINITIVE.
THEY SEEM TO HAVE A CERTAIN PASSIONATE CONCERN ABOUT LETTERS ON A PAGE MAKING SOUNDS. DO WRTTEN LETTERS ON A PAGE IN CYBERSPACE, ACTUALLY MAKE AUDIBLE SOUNDS?
YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT -- I AM PART OF THE PROBLEM AND I WILL TRY TO STOP BEING SO.
I AM A LOT LIKE THE GUY WHO GOES TO THE THEATRE AND YELLS OUT IN THE DARK, THAT NO ONE SHOULD MENTION "FIRE," IT MIGHT START A PANIC.
I AM DOING A DISSERVE TO RYAN, REYES, WRIGHT,
GARY JUNIOR, AND MANY OTHERS, WHO DESERVE PRAISE, WHILE I BEAT THIS OLD HORSE AND ALLOW ESPN TO
PUSH MY BUTTONS ON A DAILY BASIS.
AGAIN, YOU ARE RIGHT AND I HOPE TO DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
YOU HAVE THE PERFECT RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION I RAISED ABOUT OUR AGING "FRIEND," IN ONE OF THE WEST COAST STATES.
SOMETHING IN THAT SOUTH CAROLINA AIR, JUST MAKES PEOPLE SMARTER AND MORE INSIGHTFUL THAN THEIR
COUNTRYMEN -
UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOES NOT MAKE US MORE MODEST, BUT WHY BE MODEST, GIVEN OUR MANY TALENTS AND SUPERIOR INTELUKE, INTELECK, INTELLACT, INTERLECT ---------- BRAINS, HERE IN THE PALMETTO STATE.
I AM A RETIRED TEACHER. - BORN IN BROOKLYN, LIVING IN SOUTH CAROLINA. * I AM A PURE FRONT RUNNER, I SEE HOW THE SEASON IS GOING AND GET ATTRACTED TO A TEAM. *MY LACK OF LOYALTY IS RELATED TO HAVING THE GREATEST SPORTS TEAM OF ALL TIME - THE BROOKLYN DODGERS, LEAVE TOWN - *NO BROOKLYN FAN CAN EVER RECOVER FROM THAT TRAUMA - AND WHEN MY GENERATION DIES OUT, NO ONE WILL REMAIN WHO CAN APPRECIATE WHAT A HORRIBLE
FEELING THAT WAS - ALMOST A DEATH IN THE FAMILY - AND YOU COULD DROP THE WORD "ALMOST." *THE GREATEST -- OSCAR ROBERTSON -- JIM BROWN - JOE LOUIS - JOE NAMATH - SANDY KOUFAX - WILLIE MAYS - MUHAMMAD ALI - #42 - BABE RUTH - BILL RUSSELL - ROBERTO CLEMENTE
**THE SCUM OF THE SPORTS WORLD - >>> BARRY BONDS - A SNAKE WITHOUT HONOR.
*READ ME AT WWW.BIGGAFF.N ET
