"I agree, but he left out one major group: The fans. We share in blame in this, too. We love the long ball."

There is NO way I'm taking responsibility for someone else's stupidity. What's next? Movie-goers sharing the blame in Lindsay Lohan's cocaine addiction?

Tom,

Love it! :-)

But, to paraphrase Jose Canseco, players like him who the long ball, put butts in the seats.

None of us turned away or refused to buy tickets to watch Sosa and McGwire's 1998 assault on Maris' HR record. Or Bonds' race. Nope, we went in droves to go see them. I go to see the Pujols of the baseball world, not the Luke Scotts. We all do.

So, IMO, we're not guilt-free in this. Fans played a role, how significant a role is something I plan on addressing.

Back to the good-paying, great-benefits job of mine. ;-)

Thanks for the Lohan crack! Very funny!

is this the same peter f. who months ago was stridently defending barry bonds? hope you're not including me in your list of those who share the blame. as i wrote before in reply to you on a previous story about bond's drug use:

i've lost interest in big time sports because of just this kind of stuff and the ghetto-rap-ganster-ism that prevails today

"None of us turned away or refused to buy tickets to watch Sosa and McGwire's 1998 assault on Maris' HR record. Or Bonds' race. Nope, we went in droves to go see them. I go to see the Pujols of the baseball world, not the Luke Scotts. We all do."

I beg to differ, my good friend. The only time I truly watch baseball is if the Reds are actually winning, or the playoffs or World Series is somewhat interesting. I haven't bought Reds gear or went to a game in over 10 years.

While I knew what was happening during the Sosa and McGwire HR derby, I was saying then, as I do now about Bonds, that there should be a giant asterisk beside those records.

I wrote a paper last spring about Barry Bonds in my Sports Law class. My recommendation is to put an asterisk beside all his records and to put a syringe just below his likeness in the Hall of Fame--with the inscription explaining why it's there.

I don't watch the Neanderthal Basketbrawl Association, and I'm becoming more disgusted with the NFL every day--and I truly love football. You just won't catch me spending money to support their habits.

Come over to the "asterisk camp", and your guilt will melt away! Otherwise, you and the rest of the "no asterisk" folks can bear all the guilt you want. I won't have any of it--just like I won't feel guilty for Lohan or the Olsen twins' as of yet unspecified eating disorder.

Yeah, I gotta get back to the old "grind" myself--stay-at-home Dad and part-time Sports Managment/Exercise Science student!! ;-) Glad you liked the Lohan "crack"--was that pun intended? (:-D)

I thought the most ridiculous Reds player named, and perhaps of all the players, was Hal Morris. Hal freaking Morris. What did he think he was going to do with performance-enhancing drugs? Hit a few warning tracks?

I wrote a paper last spring about Barry Bonds in my Sports Law class. My recommendation is to put an asterisk beside all his records....

Interesting. So what grade did you get? How did you go about assigning the asterisks? What information did you go? Did you base it on a certain time period? What were your conclusions?

I honestly find the whole issue of assigning asterisks incredibly arbitrary. So I'm curious what conclusions you drew.

I don't watch the Neanderthal Basketbrawl Association, and I'm becoming more disgusted with the NFL every day--and I truly love football. You just won't catch me spending money to support their habits.

Oh, you're far kinder than I am to the NBA. I call it the Nothing But Assholes league.

I'm just guessing here, but I get the feeling you live in the Cinncy area, so I'm going to guess that maybe your disdain for the NFL comes from watching the Bengals the last, oh, 15-20 years or so, and their recent off-field escapades. And there's those uniforms. Yuck! Yeah, I wouldn't want to wear their stuff around town, either. ;-)

I thought the most ridiculous Reds player named, and perhaps of all the players, was Hal Morris. Hal freaking Morris. What did he think he was going to do with performance-enhancing drugs? Hit a few warning tracks?

More proof that steroids aren't the Fountain of Baseball Immortality drug that some folks perceive them to be. ;-)

Yeah, Hal Morris was a weird one.

(Man, Morris' name reminded me of Eric Davis and his swing. Man, that guy was fun to watch! He makes Sheffield look like he swings softer than 6 year old T-baller.)

"Interesting. So what grade did you get? How did you go about assigning the asterisks? What information did you go? Did you base it on a certain time period? What were your conclusions?"

A little context is in order here. I should've been more descriptive of the assignment. I didn't write a "legal manifesto". This assignment was limited to 500 words; and was in response to a Bonds quote at the time, which was "I'm not worried about the Hall. I take care of me." The paper was a response of my opinion to the directive, "Read this article, and tell me what you think Bonds should donate to the Hall." My specific answer was a syringe. The assignment came at a time when we were covering Drug Testing among Olympic athletes and the due process given, and the differences between due process procedures in that arena and the due process used with illegal street drugs. I still used excerpts from the Game of Shadows as a point of reference, as well as some items from the grand jury testimony perjury investigation. As we found out last month, Bonds was found guilty of committing perjury in that case.

My thought process is simple with the asterisks. If a player is found to have been taking performance-enhancing drugs, there should be an asterisk beside his name in the record books. It's tainted. If it were up to me, Barry Bonds would end up like Marion Jones. Baseball records would be filled with asterisks with the players outlined in the Mitchell report.

Professional sports need to implement standardized drug testing with improved due process procedures from those used with the Olympic games.

"I'm just guessing here, but I get the feeling you live in the Cinncy area, so I'm going to guess that maybe your disdain for the NFL comes from watching the Bengals the last, oh, 15-20 years or so, and their recent off-field escapades."

I live in the Columbus area, but grew up in an area about 40 miles north of Dayton. My disdain comes from the supposition that if performance-enhancing drugs are in wide use in baseball, then they have to be in football and other sports without drug testing. Bill Romanowski and Lyle Alzado can't be just "exceptions to the rule".

"Man, Morris' name reminded me of Eric Davis and his swing."

Can you imagine what he could've been like without injuries? He makes Griffey's current injury issues seem minor in comparison.