Barry and 756 - What to make of it all...

So, what we've been hearing about for the last 4 years finally happened last night. Right when I was about to go to bed, Barry went yard and promptly had his 5 minutes of glory. It wasn't a shock that he hit it in front of his fans, in front of the only people that would actually fully appreciate what the moment should have meant to the rest of the country.

I mean, it's 756. 7-5-6. That's a big freakin' deal. Yet, as I watched it last night, the only reaction I could muster was a shrug of the shoulders. Maybe if Barry Bonds wasn't the sporting world's biggest Grade-A A-Hole. I think that's just as big an issue as the steroid thing. He was an A-Hole before he was juicing, and he was an even bigger, more defiant one during and after his steroid use. Bonds is the most unlikable superstar of my lifetime. This, to me, is what makes it harder to be happy for the achievement then the steroid abuse.

Bonds is the central figure of the Steroid Era. He's the central figure because he's the home run king. It would have been McGwire, had McGwire been a couple years younger and played a few more years while we (the naive fans) discovered the truth of what was going on.

One of my issues with the Steroid Era is that the media and many of the fans hate Bonds because of the cheating. You should hate Bonds because he's a dick, and he's treated the fans like crap for 20 years. You should hate Bud Selig for allowing the steroid abuse on his watch, and allowing it to happen, AND then hypocritically pointing fingers once congress got involved. Where was he when McGwire and Sosa were swatting homers all over the place? He didn't know they were on steroids? He seriously didn't know this? You and I both know that everyone in baseball knew what was going on.

My last thought on 756 is what typifies Barry Bonds's and pretty much his whole career. They lost the game. He's the hero, but once again, his team lost.

Now it's over. We can get past the steroid abuse, and now we can focus on what's actually happening in baseball. There are 6 legitimate pennant races going on right now. Now, That's something worth getting excited about.