The sports world is beginning to understand why San Francisco Giant fans have stood behind their man for so long. They are realizing why Barry Bonds is revered and loved, despite extreme scrutiny of his milestones. You may ask, why are sports fans empathizing now? I'll tell you. It's because they are seeing their own teams/players/idols in the same boat as Bonds, and they don't think it's a big deal.
Case in point, Rick Ankiel. Rick came up to the big leagues, reinvented as a power hitter. How'd he do? Awesome. It seemed like he was hitting a home run every other at-bat. It was a great story. Then it came out that he used HGH. Ouch. This story didn't have a happy ending. However, in St Louis, he is still cheered and revered. Cardinal fans now can empathize with San Francisco Giants fans.
Case in point, the New England Patriots. Super Bowl champs thrice. Dominant team nearly every year. Golden boy quarterback. Best coach in the NFL. Classy organization. And now...cheaters. These weren't just allegations of cheating, as we've seen with Roger Clemens. This was a situation where the organization has admitted to wrongdoing and accepted their punishment for the offense. And yet, Belichick is praised and loved after the fact. After seeing proof that their team cheated in order to gain a competitive advantage, excuses abound in the northeast:
"Everbody does it, why is it a big deal?"
"Come on, how much does it really help them anyway?"
"They are a great team without it!"
Sound familiar? It's the Bonds defense. Pats fans, you now empathize.
Case in point, Lance Armstrong. Evidence concerning his drug use is readily available to anyone willing to google it. Not just speculation here and there, but lots of evidence. But the American public chooses to put their fingers in their ears, close their eyes, and chant "La-la-la-la-la". This guy was/is an All-American hero. If a video was released on youtube showing Armstrong shooting up 10 years ago, people would not care. They would see past it and love the guy regardless, as they do now. America, you can now empathize with San Francisco Giants fans.
Case in point, Shawne Merriman. Star linebacker for the San Diego Chargers. Famous for his "lights-out" celebration and busted for using the juice. Lost 4 games last year to suspension. Came back after the suspension and was still a fan favorite. He even got elected to the pro-bowl after being caught cheating. Charger fans, you empathize, don't you?
These were just a few examples of how America is learning to condone, ignore, or disregard cheating. There are many more, and will be many more in the future. The point I'm trying to make is that people will preach about ethics and morality until it is their player...or their team...or their idol that is guilty of cheating or accused of cheating. And at that time, everything will change and they will begin to rationalize why there is nothing wrong with it, or why it is not a big deal.
So true. It's always bad until one of your guys does it. I've never been an anti-Bonds guy, but it's interesting to see how different the treatment he got is from some of these other athletes.
Excellent Points. The biggest difference between the Bonds story and the others is that the Media did not get behind the other stories with the same intensity. My favorite media excuse in regards to Ankiel and Glaus is, "after the Bond's saga, the public is tired of hearing about HGH and Steriods".
This blogger is a New Yorker, born and raised. I'm a huge sports fan, following pretty much every major sport out there. Sadly, this does not include hockey, NASCAR, or boxing. Hockey lost my affection during the lockout, NASCAR is not a sport, and boxing has become incredibly boring since the dawn of MMA. If you want to talk football, baseball, basketball, or MMA, then I'm your man. I could also debate NASCAR with anyone, but we would probably end up just going around in circles...
