There’s a lot not to like about Barry Bonds and his enhanced performances since 1999. But Bonds has not lacked for enablers. Major League Baseball and the Players’ Association were never credible in denial. And the media played along.
Much of it still does. None more so than ESPN.
There have been ESPN cut-ins for live coverage of every Bonds’ at-bat. As in when will he tie or pass Babe Ruth’s 714 home run total? Since when did passing the player in second place warrant that kind of coverage? Much less doing so under a steroid cloud.
Hank Aaron (755), whose dark cloud was the vestiges of racism, wasn’t accorded the Second Coming treatment when he passed Willie Mays (660) before surpassing Ruth.
Nothing, however, is as journalistically repugnant as ESPN’s weekly reality show, “Bonds on Bonds.” It’s as “real” as Bonds wants to make it. It’s his forum.
It gives show biz a bad name.
Give ESPN an * too.