Sad time for pro sports

[richpick]

Between crooked referees, dogfighting, roids, and all the other black eyes on sports right now do you think in the future we will look back at this time as the darkest time for pro sports........I know that I should not say this but how much worse could it get?

[aeneas01]

sad times, black eyes and pro sports have always seemed to go hand in hand and, i suspect, will always continue to do so.

for whatever reason looking back on the "golden years" of pro sports seems to be a favorite passtime of our generation, almost a fetish really. retro ballparks with retro signage, retro baseball uniforms, throwback day at the gridiron, retro fan apparel and souvenirs, etc., etc., etc. - but, imo, this nostalgic trip down memory isn't entirely honest given the true history of pro sports.

the black sox, paul hornung, alex karras, kermit washington, pete rose, norm cash, amos otis, gaylord perry, joe niekro, segregation, racism, boozing, drugs - cheating, scandals and shame, in one shape or another, has always existed in the game.

i wonder how many sports heores' names would have appeared in the public arrest records had drinking and driving laws been the same and enforced in the same manner in the '50s-'70s as they are today. or what famous names from the bygone era might be synonymous with assualt, battery and disorderly conduct had the media been as prolific, and as tabloid-driven, then as they are today.

i caught the end of a recent hbo segment with bob costas, a segment which ended with costas solemnly stating that barry's record will be a blemish on the most hallowed statistics in all of sports, those of baseball. i almost blew my soda through my nose in disbelief. baseball, like most other sports, is product and reflection of what owner's felt the fans wanted - and their constant meddling has made the record books a joke, with or without bonds. i remember watching an interview with bob gibson when the host asked him if barry's home run record should carry an asterisk. gibson looked at the host as if the host had rocks in his head and flatly replied that all records after 1969 should carry an astersik - 1969, of course, was the year mlb lowered the mound by five inches; some say it was because of gibson's dominance.

it's easy to focus on the bad given that it's thrown in our face 24/7, given the media's "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality. but for every vick, bonds and donaghy out there, for every name in the news that casts a less than favorable light on pro sports, there are hundreds of others that dress up every game to play clean, hard ball. guys that have defied astronomical odds to make it to the big show and who understand and respect what it means to be there. and these guys are not the exceptions, they are the rule.

but, as i mentioned earlier, there will always be a few bad apples - golden boy paul hornung disgraced.

http://i.cnn.net/si/si_online/covers/images/1963/0520_large.jpg

[reed1216]

aeneas01- That was very well said. I couldn't agree more!

[Yankwood]

aeneas01- That was very well said. I couldn't agree more!I agree. It was very well put. However, the fact is, Costas is right. No matter what is said or done from the moment he hits that record breaking home run, Bonds will have to accept the fact that a huge pct. of fans will be shaking their collective heads every time the record is brought up.It's happening now every time his name comes up. Talking with people and especially sports fans every day as I do. it's undeniable. He is not liked, he is even less respected and his record always will be tarnished. This is a fact whether we like it or not.

[JimCaravello]

Yesterday's sports page was just awful - Michael Vick, The Tour De France scandals, Barry's Balco buddy speaking out, the NBA official scandal - what could be next? It took a few minutes to reach the baseball boxscores in the paper! It may not be the worst time, but there sure is a lot of negative stuff going on right now.

Regarding Bonds, I think Peter Gammons summed it up best. He broke HR hitting in baseball down into three periods: ( 1 ) 20s, 30s, 40s; ( 2 ) 50s, 60s, 70s; ( 3 ) 80s, 90s, 00s. Babe Ruth was the best home run hitter in the first period. Hank Aaron was the best in the second period and Barry Bonds was the best in the third period. It's hard to compare all three periods equally as so much has changed in the game during this time.

Personally, if I could vote for the asterik in front of Barry's name, I would be the first in line...............the Commissioner ( Frick ) sure was the first in line to give Maris an asterik in 1961.............