The Irony of Barry Bonds on "90210"

Ok, so this isn't a Mets specific post but it's something I had to write.

In this month's edition of ESPN the Mag, Bill Simmons writes a fantastic piece on why no one misses Barry Bonds and how an episode of "Beverly Hills 90210" was a self-fulfilling prophecy for the slugger.

Bill Simmons, in my mind, is one of the best sports satire writers I have ever read and his column alone makes it worth the subscription to ESPN the Mag.

I'd comment on it, but you should really just read it yourself and I think you'll find it both entertaining and eerily creepy. By the way, I must confess I do remember watching that episode, but not on reruns.

For a sneak peek of the episode, watch this:

Mets Fan Matt Murphy To Auction Bond's Record Home Run Ball

Mets' fan, Matt Murphy, has announced he will auction off Bonds record breaking home run ball that he caught in San Francisco earlier this month.

Murphy made all Mets Lifers proud as he was wearing his authentic Mets away jersey while at that Giants' game. According to Yahoo, Murphy says he will auction off the ball using Sotheby's as the auction house. Experts expect the ball to earn Murphy at least $500,000.

Good for you Matt. I hope you use some of that cash to get season tickets at Citi Field.

To bid on the ball, go to www.scpauctions.com on August 28th when the bidding opens. Good luck on that by the way.

While I was on Vacation...Bonds Broke* the Record

This accomplishment* is no more legitimate than the Iron Sheik beating Bob Backland for the WWF title in '83 (ticked me off). My reaction to this unfortunate event was quite different than Dave’s in that when I saw his son at home plate, I immediately wondered how he’ll feel when he’s old enough to realize that his dad cheated. He’ll most likely stand by him but I wonder how long he’ll be able to deny the cold hard facts. It’s all quite sad in a way given that Bonds was such a wonderful player before he decided to undermine the sport and its fans. His statistics alone would have guaranteed him a spot in the Hall of Fame and would have been in the discussions of the all-time greats, Mays, Dimaggio, and Williams. Instead, he’ll be discussed primarily for being the most notorious cheater in the history of the game. And judging by his indifference to it all, I’d say he doesn’t mind that at all.

Bonds & 756

Barry Bonds is the most pompous, arrogant and reprehensible athlete in sports today. But last night at about 12:15 a.m. EST I found myself cheering for him. As Bonds crushed his 756th home run I finally saw Barry Bonds through the eyes of his son. As Bonds rounded third his son, the Giants bat boy, was waiting for him at home plate holding up his finger to signify that his dad was now the #1 home run hitter of all time.

Barry Bonds is somebody's father. I never really thought of it that way, and how amazing is it to have your dad not only play major league baseball, but break one of the greatest records of all time in any sport. The pride was beaming from his son's face as he hugged his father.

Then when Bonds addressed the crowd and talked about his father, I felt myself getting choked up as well.

Here's a man who I know to be pretty much an awful person and there I sit in front of my TV feeling happy for him. I am confident he used steroids in his career, but I still have to tip my hat to a man who lasted long enough to crush more home runs than any human being ever has. On top of that he's the major league leader in walks, so this is no Dave Kingman we're talking about.

McGwire, Conseco, Palmeiro & Sosa are all claimed to have used steroids and none of them have even come close to 700.

Maybe Bonds will turn out to be a nice person after his career is over, but I doubt it. But at least for this Mets Lifer for one night (or early morning) on August 8th, I actually cheered for Barry Bonds.

He's still a jerk though.

P.S. How sweet was it that a Mets fan caught the home run. Loved him being carted out of the stadium in his Mets away jersey. Priceless

Baseball & Bonds in San Francisco

I'm in San Francisco for a technology conference and feel disconnected from the everyday happening of the Mets. But I was excited to be in the city by the bay, especially with Bonds chasing the home run record. I figured what better place to be than San Fran when Bonds ties or breaks Hank Aaron's home run record.

The buzz on streets is phenomenal. You can feel the excitement in every sports fan you meet. Wait a second, that's a total lie.

It's amazing how uninterested the average San Francisco resident is. I have yet to see a Bonds jersey, a Giants hat, or even a t-shirt as I've walked up and down the hilly streets of San Fran.

You can't walk a block in New York without seeing a Reyes or Jeter jersey, even at 10 am in the morning. Where are all the Giants fans? Where is the buzz? Sports restuarants and pubs on the streets aren't even promoting events to watch upcoming Giants games.

Has San Francisco joined the rest of the baseball world in just wanting Bonds to fade quietly into the woodwork. Maybe. I'm sure AT&T Park will still sellout the next time the Giants are home, and every other fan will have a Bonds jersey, but those people must be in hiding for now.

Maybe they're nervous that Bonds' slump will continue and he won't hit another home run for the rest of the season.

We can only hope.