Bonds retires and other thoughts thoughts thoughts
An era is over... Bonds will not be a Giant next year
One thing I haven't understood in my time in SF is the seemingly unconditional love that Giants fans give Barry Bonds. Having been to a fair number of Giants games in that time it is pretty often that you see Barry not running full out for a ball and standing with his arms crossed in the outfield. I do think he is unfairly pilloried for the steroid thing and maybe he isn't actually an Asshole, but for he definitely comes off as one. Oh well.
Speaking of cheating in pro sports and steroids, I have two reactions. 1) Sports writers/journalists are idiots. Watch any episode of PTI or Around the Horn on ESPN or read any how-could-they-do-this sports column and it is amazing how stupid these people sound. Why do athletes cheat? Why are they held up as icons of virtue? Why does this even matter? Sports writers only sound reasonably intelligent when they talk about what they now and that is sports performance. Talk about strategy or winning or in game action, do not talk to me about morals and right/wrong or american values or what's good for the country/kids/whoever.
2) Ho-Hum. Why is it surprising that sports figures cheat at all? or CEO's? or Cops? or Politicians? or Teachers? Bill Belecheck is filming the Jets offensive signs? Why isn't every team doing that? Football/baseball players are taking undetectable performance enhancing drugs? Why aren't all athletes doing it? Maybe I'm just jaded by my experience in High School baseball where we had plays in our playbooks that involved some form of cheating and almost everyone on the team was trying out creatine to add body/muscle mass. I don't think we ever actually cheated, but we did push the limit. And we won. We were the best team that North High had ever produced. If any athlete is not pushing the limit to get any and every advantage over their opponent their not trying hard enough. And you had the millions of dollars that hang in the balance - who wouldn't cheat?
More than anything though is that even if baseball players are taking PED's it has very little effect on my enjoyment of the game. I still enjoy watching the game and following the results. Maybe that's not a particularly nuanced view of sports, but it works for me.
One thing I haven't understood in my time in SF is the seemingly unconditional love that Giants fans give Barry Bonds. Having been to a fair number of Giants games in that time it is pretty often that you see Barry not running full out for a ball and standing with his arms crossed in the outfield. I do think he is unfairly pilloried for the steroid thing and maybe he isn't actually an Asshole, but for he definitely comes off as one. Oh well.
Speaking of cheating in pro sports and steroids, I have two reactions. 1) Sports writers/journalists are idiots. Watch any episode of PTI or Around the Horn on ESPN or read any how-could-they-do-this sports column and it is amazing how stupid these people sound. Why do athletes cheat? Why are they held up as icons of virtue? Why does this even matter? Sports writers only sound reasonably intelligent when they talk about what they now and that is sports performance. Talk about strategy or winning or in game action, do not talk to me about morals and right/wrong or american values or what's good for the country/kids/whoever.
2) Ho-Hum. Why is it surprising that sports figures cheat at all? or CEO's? or Cops? or Politicians? or Teachers? Bill Belecheck is filming the Jets offensive signs? Why isn't every team doing that? Football/baseball players are taking undetectable performance enhancing drugs? Why aren't all athletes doing it? Maybe I'm just jaded by my experience in High School baseball where we had plays in our playbooks that involved some form of cheating and almost everyone on the team was trying out creatine to add body/muscle mass. I don't think we ever actually cheated, but we did push the limit. And we won. We were the best team that North High had ever produced. If any athlete is not pushing the limit to get any and every advantage over their opponent their not trying hard enough. And you had the millions of dollars that hang in the balance - who wouldn't cheat?
More than anything though is that even if baseball players are taking PED's it has very little effect on my enjoyment of the game. I still enjoy watching the game and following the results. Maybe that's not a particularly nuanced view of sports, but it works for me.
posted by furtanic at 4:13 PM
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