From ESPN:
Baseball superstar Barry Bonds was charged Thursday with perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying when he said he did not use performance-enhancing drugs.
The indictment, unsealed Thursday by federal prosecutors in San Francisco, is the culmination of a four-year federal probe into whether he lied under oath to a grand jury investigating steroid use by elite athletes.
The indictment comes three months after the 43-year-old Bonds, one of the biggest names in professional sports, passed Hank Aaron to become baseball’s career home run leader, his sport’s most hallowed record. Bonds, who parted ways with the San Francisco Giants at the end of last season and has yet to sign with another team, also holds the game’s single-season home run record of 73.
While Bonds was chasing Aaron amid the adulation of San Franciscans and the scorn of baseball fans almost everywhere else, due to his notoriously prickly personality and nagging steroid allegations, a grand jury quietly worked behind closed doors to put the finishing touches on the long-rumored indictment.
“I’m surprised,” said John Burris, one of Bonds’ attorneys, “but there’s been an effort to get Barry for a long time. “I’m curious what evidence they have now they didn’t have before.”
Burris did not know of the indictment before being alerted by The Associated Press. He said he would immediate call Bonds to notify him.
The indictment charges Bonds with lying when he said that he didn’t knowingly take steroids given to him by his personal trainer Greg Anderson. He also denied taking steroids at anytime in 2001 when he was pursuing the single season home-run record.
“During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances for Bonds and other athletes,” the indictment reads.
He is also charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids.
“Greg wouldn’t do that,” Bonds testified in December 2003 when asked if Anderson ever gave him any drugs that needed to be injected. “He knows I’m against that stuff.”
A couple of quick observations: first, just about anybody who’s followed Bonds’ career knew he’d done something to his body, as evidenced by the drastically increased size of his melon. Sammy Sosa, too, suffered from this thickening of the skull — and so I think there’s no doubt that the record books have been rewritten by those on some kind of performance enhancing drug. This cheapens the records, and does a disservice to those who held the records prior to the steroid era.
Having said that — and admitting that steroid use is illegal — I don’t like the federal government getting so involved in these kinds of steroid “probes.” In fact, the White House has already issued a statement expressing “disappointment.” So let the pretend shock begin!
Arguably, other performance enhancing drugs (was it fair that Florida football players had access to Gatorade — a substance that replenished electrolytes and other vital bodily fluids — and their opponents did not?) have had a material effect on sporting events. Why is HGH or steroids a special case?
After all, we are no longer talking about the kind of horse pills given to East German athletes in the 70s. Instead, we are looking at designer drugs specifically produced to aid in healing and muscle development (HGH and steroids are both commonly used to treat injury).
Second, I am a bit surprised that, after 4 years, an indictment has finally been handed down. Is there new evidence? Or did the government wait until after the record was set to finalize the indictment? A quick perusal of the indictment doesn’t show anything new, so the only thing I can conjecture is that perhaps this indictment is being offered as a precursor to the Mitchell Report, or that one of the previously silent parties flipped.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Please note: Bonds has not been found guilty of anything just yet. And I don’t know that he ever will be, quite honestly. But what I don’t doubt is that Bonds took performance enhancing drugs — and he’s certainly not the only one — and that it’s time to have a real discussion on the ills (or pros) of performance enhancing drugs in sport.
Unfortunately, I suspect we’ll have a lot of discussions about race and racism, instead.
I’m pro- these sorts of drugs. Also, “the records” … that’s just… um. Very too bad so sad. It’s creepy how static and unevolving sports are. In my little world there really aren’t any records – movies – advertising – music – tv – publishing – all of the “records” are increasingly incomparable if you go back even five years in some cases. We just pretend. Maybe throw in an asterisk here or there. In sports anyway the only real record worth shooting for is who gets the most endorsement money. In euros.
It ain’t fair, but a lot of this is coming back on him because he’s an asshole. So, you know, no big whup.
“In my little world there really aren’t any records – movies – advertising – music – tv – publishing – all of the “records†are increasingly incomparable if you go back even five years in some cases.”
I dunno happyfeet. Do you think they’ll ever make a movie that is worse than Godfather III?
I’m happy with the results. I’m against juicing like this. Barry Bonds was a great player before he did this, but always has been a jerk.
As for new evidence, perhaps Marion Jones told investigators something.
Never count George Lucas out, al.
If I were to chance the role of prognosticator, I’d have to say it would be “Walker: Texas Ranger: The Movie”.
The use of steroids does not bother me in the least. Frankly, though I dislike Barry because he comes across as a petulent jerk, I think he has gotten the raw deal out of all of this. I believe he used steroids, but could not care less. Of the people caught to date, a large majority have been pitchers. So, a juiced batter hits a juiced fastball out of the park. Even steven in my book. We like sports because they entertain, they compete, but also importantly, they do things that the common man could never do. Would I prefer that they did not use steroids? Doesn’t really matter to me. In sports, and especially baseball, trying to get an advantage is a pastime. Guys like Gaylord Focker, I mean Perry, won hundreds of games with spit flying off the ball the whole way. Tacks. Emery boards. Glue. Pine tar. Corked bats. Sharpened spikes. It is part of the culture of baseball, and one of the reasons it has survived the Cubs not winning a World Series in 99 1/2 years.
That’s cool JD. But let me bring it a little closer to home. What if the PGA starts juicing and then 4 pars are 600 yards? Par 71 courses at 12000 yards? Not cool.
I don’t think he should lose his freedom and have to sit for years and years in a room with a door that only opens from the other side. That’s really brutal, and wasteful. It’s cause he’s a big scary black man. There. I said it.
Bubba Watson may be on the juice.
I hear Bonds can eyebrow-squat 225 lbs.
It’s cause he’s a big scary black man. There. I said it.
I can’t tell if you’re joking or not. So…
alpuccino – Mess with the Sport of Kings, and then we have a problem. The courses are already getting too damn long as it is, and I hit the ball a mile. There is a local course, http://www.purgatorygolf.com, that is about 7900 from the tips, with a 735 yard par 5 that you have to carry 275 just to reach the fairway.
But, as it relates to Bonds, I still could not care less. He may be able to eyebrow lift 225 lbs, but he has back zits, a huge cranium, and perpetual shrinkage as well. Not a fair trade.
I think sports should challenge the human body. If nobody juices, nobody needs to juice.
Who else lied under oath? My anglo-saxon ass (hat tip: Kid Rock) smells the shit-tinged scent of victimhood, justified.
Where’s that pizza-faced Mic (hey, I’m 50% Irish-American) hiding at? Didn’t he lie too? Or someone, anyone else, whom could be indicted also?
Hell, in ten years Bonds could hire some jerk to change a couple of nouns from Clarence Thomas’ autobiography and claim it as his own (instead of a “high-tech lynching” a “near-the-point-of-singularity-lynching”).
I want more indictments, and I want them now damnit
Is there any downhill in that 735 yds?
I come from the school of auto racing, I think they should just have different classes, like Stock, Modified, Open and Top Fuel. As long as everyone is open about it and on equal footing.
Al – Nope.
MayBee – I agree with the sentiment. Problem is, someone will always juice. I say, in this instance, let ’em juice. I want to watch people do things that I could only dream of doing.
So do scouts start encouraging the prospects to juice? Do you start in the minors when you’re 18? When does a football player start, Senior year in college?
Problem is, someone will always ______.
Ok, what can’t that be said about?
JD – Holy shit
MayBee – I played ball with a guy in college who left one summer at 185 and he came back for two-a-days at 235 and he got his 40 time down to 4.6.
He then committed suicide some years later in a Minneapolis hotel room right before a big WWE show. Bad news.
Totally political, and stupid whichever way it comes out. Probably makes the DA look pretty good, though. Grand Juries, remember, are prosecutorial creatures, i.e: They only see what the DA wants to show them.
It’s just like what happened with Harrison Bergeron, just different.
I stand with Harrison. No question.
Maybee – I agree, the “someone will always ____” construction is not the best. But we are talking about sports, leisure time entertainment, not murder, rape, etc …
Al – It is a bitch. I think when we have a get together this summer, I will arrange for some tee times. Great course.
I better be careful using the “b-word”. Dirty Sanchez over at CNN might make someone apologize on my behalf.
I don’t care that he took it (like many have). I just care that he wasn’t smart enough to say “so what, it wasn’t illegal at the time, and I won’t do anything illegal”.
The difference between steroids and Gatorade is that Gatorade doesn’t give you ‘roid rage and other harmful side effects.
I mean, it’s one thing to use steroids to heal from an injury, but to bulk up just for the sake of it? Dumb idea.
As for what congress ought to do about it?
Nothing. Let the leagues set their own rules and accept whatever consequences come their way.
alppu- it’s horrible, isn’t it? The effects. What is the guy’s name…Michigan State Center, just a monster, so good Madden selected him for the All Madden Team when he was a graduating senior. He got into the pros, got busted, and was a very average player. I know the difference it can make in sports, and if it is legalized it will become mandatory.
JD- if people want to take steroids when they are playing leisure time sports, that’s up to them. I don’t want it to become part of sanctioned competition. :-)
MayBee – Tony Mandarich. I believe the Packers were the unfortunate team that got saddled with him.
Thanks, JD. I was drawing a blank.
Anyway, he’s a prime example of why I want steroids out of sports. Look at what a difference they made for his play. A guy not doing steroids just can’t compete– so once steroids are legal, they become mandatory.
Anyway, I don’t golf but I drive a mean golf cart. I’m invited to the get-together, right???
Absolutely you are. It is silly that you even had to ask.
The problem with the whole Bonds thing is that during the time he was “allegedly” using the steroids, it was legal in baseball. It was a failure on baseball’s part to police itself. This was caused, in part, by their desire to get asses back in the seats after the strike, and the Home Run Derby between McGwire and Sosa kept baseball looking the other way. What he was doing was likely against federal law, but perfectly acceptable in baseball. Actually, it is reasonable to assume that baseball was blissfully ignorant, plausible deniability.
Bonds would have been well served, as noted above, to say, I did it, and when I did it, it was withing the rules of baseball. Now it is not, and I have not done so, and my numbers prove it.
Race is nothing but a distraction in this.
And, just to be clear, I am not defending Bonds. I cannot stand him. This is baseball’s fault, in my view. Football does a good job policing itself, after some bad incidents. Basketball is more like a video game from the playgrounds – how many marijuana problems can Rashweed Wallace get into before the league actually does something? Baseball was just way behind the curve.
While I am rambling, the media, oh yes the media, is not without their share of culpability in this. Listening to sports radio over the last few months, one would think that Bonds and steroids was the pinnacle of what they could talk about. However, they all state that it is obvious that this was going on, that it was obvious that McGwire and Sosa were juicing, etc … They all say it was common knowledge, but none of them said anything. Now that it is an issue, they get all puffed up with their righteous indignation, and pontificate from on high, when they turned a blind eye to something going on right in front of their noses.
JD,
This has nothing to do with what was or wasn’t illegal when he was taking steroids. The fact is the man lied, to Congress, under oath. Not only that, but it was obvious to a two-year-old he was lying. I’m sure that’s not the first time Congress has been lied to, but, come on, let’s not have it get to be something we expect.
JD – Don’t forget the impact of the player’s union. The MLBPA is without question the most powerful private sector union in the US. They were vehemently opposed to any proactive measures to identify those who were using performance-enhancing chemicals. That doesn’t excuse the commissioner’s office or owners or anyone else involved in the game and doesn’t justify Congressional involvement but the union certainly must share a large part of the blame.
I do not recall Barry Bonds testifying to Congress, Eric. In fact, I recall him giving the finger to Congress’ dog and pony show. Rafael Palmero lied to Congress. McGwire did not say much of anything. Sosa forgot English.
Bonds likely lied in the Andersen trial, but not to Congress. I am not excusing his lying, as I pointed out about 6 times already. If he lied, then he should have been charged with perjury. If his trainer was sticking needles in his ass, and he claims he did not know what was going on, then he should be convicted rather quickly. The lying was not what I was talking about.
I think race is a really neat distraction in this. It’s a situation in which the ways you can better yourself are being carefully circumscribed, and when that happens the relatively disadvantaged are disproportionately affected, inevitably.
Don’t for a second think that there are thems that don’t want to proscribe these drugs more generally. Currently, outside of sports, people can pretty much take anything under the care of a private doctor. They fucking hate that, and you know who they are. Anyone who wants to run with the racial demagoguery here … well, we’ll see, but I think I’d be ok with that.
Don’t even get me started on the union. Fehr should hang his head in shame at the damage he has done to baseball. Unions in general seem to have really outlived their usefulness. MLBPA is just a glaring example of this.
FWIW – That Congress stepped in with their hearings was one of the low points of the Republicans running Congress. I can trace my growing disaffection with them directly back to that point, where they engaged in the type of political theatre and overt meddling that is the specialty of the Dems. At that point, it seemed to me that the letters behind their name, D or R, did not change the fact that politicians are camera loving attention craving bastards and bastardettes.
JD: Those are very good points. And Bonds’ likeability or lack thereof is beside the point, too. Some other more media-genic baseball heroes are just as wrong for having juiced.
I mean, if Jesse has time for the Writers strike, c’mon, help a brotha out.
“That Congress stepped in with their hearings was one of the low points of the Republicans running Congress.”
I thought that too at the time. All the countries problems solved so now they can stick their noses into baseball.
I think “roid rage” is a bit over-hyped as a scare tactic. I don’t think the stuff these guys are taking have that kind of generic drawback — even though an episode of “Law & Order” told me it did.
These guys are wealthy enough to have designer drugs made to fit their own metabolisms. To me, that’s like having a nutritionist, in a way.
Which is why I want a real discussion about steriods and HGH, and see if we can scientifically (and disinterestedly) discuss just what they are, what they do, how they affect the body, etc.
You’re not thinking of getting into that, are you, Jeff?
I think there ought to be parallel leagues in sports such as cycling, weightlifting, track and field for users and non-users. Team sports are another matter.
The logical progression of the current system is that your bestest professional athlete will be less physically impressive and capable than the average frat boy of the class of 2025, which, that’s not very logical really.
I’ll tell you what, rhoid rage is real.
Unfortunately, I suspect we’ll have a lot of discussions about race and racism, instead.
So, Jeff, when will you and your neocon thuggees stop being such racists?
Hugz -n- Kizzez,
Gleen
I think they had to do that cause Bush called him over the summer to say congratulations. So it’s like he had to be all pro forma disappointed now. I wouldn’t read anything in to that is all. If Helen Thomas keeled over dead he would have to say nice things about her the next day. Same kinda deal really.
and also you totally stiffed us on the bunny.
I made a theme song for you and everything.
Obstruction of justice? Are you fucking kidding? OOJ is for government officials, not professional baseball players. Jesus what a joke, and what a colossal waste of the taxpayers’ money.
The indictment, unsealed Thursday by federal prosecutors in San Francisco, is the culmination of a four-year federal probe
Four freakin’ years? Whisky Tango Foxtrot, roger.
Hell yeah I’ll stand up for Michael Vick.
But fuck Barry Bonds.
thor – We already know that you “stand up” every time you think about Michael Vick. It creeps us out, so please stop reminding us of it.
I’m on Barry’s side. But he doesn’t get a theme song or anything.
This is one of those rare circumstances where almost everybody involved in the entire issue is a bad actor – Bonds, Andersen, MLB, MLBPA, the owners, the media, etal. Only the fans did not have a part in it, and it could be argued that their willingness to overlook McGwire and Sosa contributed as well. Good riddance to all of them.
The only good I see coming out of this is that we will likely never see Barry Bonds, one of the best baseball players of our generation, if not ever, on a baseball field again.
JD and MayBee,
Sorry for the late response. When I squeeze in the Dynaball, it makes me sleepy. It also takes me 20 minutes to put on my Ronco PeckerStretch 2000, so I’m just now reading about the Purgatory Golf Outing. If MayBee’s coming – I’m in. I’ll bring 3 drivers, 2 3 woods, a 3 iron and a putter (in case I need it).
“If MayBee’s coming – I’m in.”
…..and I’ll spike my own joke set, to prevent you bunch o’ degenerates from lowering the level of discourse.
Barry Bonds Indicted in Steroids Case
After years of investigation into alleged steroids use, baseball’s all-time home run leader Barry Bonds has been indicted. As often happens in these high profile cases, though, the charges relate to the investigation itself rather than the under…
Absolutely. But Preparation H can help.
Oh steroids. Never mind.
“I think “roid rage†is a bit over-hyped as a scare tactic. I don’t think the stuff these guys are taking have that kind of generic drawback  even though an episode of “Law & Order†told me it did.” – Jeff G
Amen. I think a big problem is most of the people taking this stuff don’t know what or how much they are taking. They aren’t under any real medical supervision, and they can hurt themselves pretty badly.
As far as baseball goes, ever since the strike the game has been all about the HR, and MLB loved it. I would bet you money, that if anyone ever really looked they’d find some kind of incriminating document in MLB’s possesion that knowledge of steroid use by players or maybe even approval of the tactic. These teams are big organizations, things get mislaid.
I personally think that HRT should be as availible to men as it is to women and that this country’s crazy “war on drugs” is causing not only pain, but also early-onset andropause and other issues that surround aging men to go untreated.
The only supplements I’m taking now are mint chocolate chip and ibuprophen but I would kill for something that would help me get back into shape. I’ve got four boys to deal with and I have to be able to at least threaten to be able to kick their ass.
I’ve never taken any steroid except whatever it was that the doctor gave me for my back, a shot he insisted wasn’t “that” kind of steroid. Maybe “that” kind of steroid would help me re-build my core so I could, maybe like, pick up a pencil? I’ll stop ranting. But I did get some dirt from a relative:
“have an e-mail aquaintance who works for the DEA in some capacity and told me last week that there had been a raid on a supplement testing company, a third party that would test smaples of whatever you sent them to see if 1) it really contained what you paid for and 2) it was safe to use. He said wait for some big news.”
Word.
“I’ll tell you what, rhoid rage is real.”
Dan speaketh scripture.
I was hoping someone would notice that, Ernie.
Call me clueless, but why wouldn’t Congress get involved? The major sports leagues enjoy amazingly restrictive monopolies with the full consent of the government, and make no small amount of effort to leverage those monopolies into some rather absurd profiteering (see especially the NFL’s blackout rules and Sunday Ticket subscription services), and Congress’ consent here makes them in no small way responsible for the league’s activities.
There’s nothing like hitting the ole’ dog ring on a Saturday night with $150.00 burning a hole in your pocket.
alpuccino – Your tee time awaits. Have you been a good golfer? Oh, and thanks a bunch for scaring May Bee away.
Here is a statistical abstract on home run hitting and steroid use that show no real statistically backed effect from steroid use on the numbers put up by Bonds, McGuire, Sosa vs their un-juiced predecessors Ruth, Mantle, Williams and Maris. The short answer is that homerun hitters are a rare statistical anomoly.
http://www.arthurdevany.com/webstuff/images/HomeRunHitting.pdf
“Here is a statistical abstract on home run hitting and steroid use that show no real statistically backed effect from steroid use on the numbers put up by Bonds, McGuire, Sosa vs their un-juiced predecessors Ruth, Mantle, Williams and Maris. The short answer is that homerun hitters are a rare statistical anomoly”
I haven’t yet read the abstract, but I can tell you – statistics be damned – that hitters like Bonds and pitchers like Clemens just don’t have OTHERWORLDLY years, out of the blue, then regress *suddenly* once attention is paid to doping.
Aside from the number of home runs for Bonds- look at the number of years he added on to his career. Compare him to Bonilla when they were together with the Pirates, and Barry was still clean (or at least cleaner. Then compare career arcs.
May Bee – Bonilla also was hampered by injuries, a bad attitute, a horrible work ethic, a general surliness, and that he ate Twinkies like Oliver Willis.
JD- the injuries would have been easier to recover from had he juiced, and the other stuff would have been papered over had he produced like the juiced Bonds did (just as it was papered over for Bonds).
MayBee – Good points, except Bonilla could scarf down a huge meal quicker than Oliver Willis could bankrupt an all you can eat buffet.
The problem I have is this: When kids saw Florida Gators drinking Gatorade, they did the same. Why won’t many others seek out steroids for the same reason? I don’t know the medicine enough to know whether taking these things is ultimately unhealthy. My guess is that these drugs, especially taken without close medical supervision, are potentially very dangerous. Fancy cool-aide is one thing, but emulating steroid use is another. I’d rather the sports do away with it, at least until we know more about the long-term effects of steroids.
I can’t do what ten people tell me to do, so I guess I’ll remain the same
We know that they make your nutsack shrivel up like Robert Redford’s face … just ask alpuccino.
Barry could scarf down a buffet and then do the clear and run on the tread mill for ever and ever. It’s the fish acids that kept the weight off, you know.
“Drive for show, putt for dough” springs to mind. And BTW, horse racing is still “the sport of kings”. Check out what it costs to feed a horse, which eats like the proverbial.. well, you get what I mean. Damned expensive pets and the really fast ones live in houses nicer than yours or mine.
Well yeah, but that stuff’s not safe for work.
Ah, but it does not make it any less fun to watch ;-)
h/t Brianna Loves Jenna
Wise up,Amerikka1 The brutha is obviously guilty of DHGHWB… Doin’ human growth hormone while black…!
JD – I index at 7. But it’s a loser. I don’t think I can carry it 275. I’ll hit to the next fairway.
I do some weightlifting at least twice a week, weightlifting is a very good exercise and it keeps the shape of my chest and shoulder muscles in very good form.~