A New Bonds Watch

Barry Bonds, who surpassed Hank Aaron's home run record this past season under suspicion of being a steroid user, may be spending the next 30 years wearing a prison uniform instead of a baseball uniform.

Bonds, who has always denied using performance-enhancing drugs and has never been publicly tested positive, was indicted by a federal grand jury for perjury and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about his use.

He is the main figure in a probe concerning athletes who may or may not have gotten performance-enhancing supplements from BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative). Marion Jones, whose name was linked to the case, pleaded guilty to lying about her steroid use and has given back the track and field medals she won at the 2000 Olympic Games.

Other sports, most notably cycling, have been damaged by alleged steroid use. Floyd Landis was forced to give up his 2006 Tour de France title when he was tested positive. And there have always been questions about Lance Armstrong, who has denied for years that he used performance-enhancing drugs to dominate the Tour.

The media--for whom Bonds has seldom given the time of day--has been rushing to judgment in declaring him guilty as charged. Those people should remember that an indictment doesn't mean Bonds is guilty--any lawyer can tell you that--and that he will have a chance to explain himself in federal court.

Major League Baseball, which has aided and abetted this situation to get fans back into the ballpark after the 1994 strike killed the World Series, is nervously awaiting not only the Bonds verdict, but a report due out next month by former Senator George Mitchell that might link more players to alleged steroid use.

Bonds, whether he was using or not, has a career total of 762 home runs. The ball which he hit number 756 now belongs to a guy who wants to send it to the Baseball Hall of Fame with an asterisk printed on it. Bonds was dropped at the end of the 2007 season by the San Francisco Giants, and his chances of appearing in another uniform at age 43 were iffy even before his indictment.

Yes, records are made to be broken, and we don't have to like the person who does this. Barry Bonds, whether or not he is found guilty, represents the conundrum we face: Should we cheer someone who will do anything to win by any means necessary, whether it's legal or not? And how much stock should we put in our records, anyway?