General Discussions

**Learning Newbie** · 08-13-2007, 12:45 PM

I've been waiting a while to post this, because it's an emotional issue. But I want to know what people think about this. Some of us are excited to see such a long-standing record broken, and the art of baseball advanced to new levels. Others ( including Hank Aaron who wound up appearing by remote even after saying he wouldn't ) say the record is tainted.

What are your thoughts on the controversy? Also, personally, I don't care if sports players use steroids. I'm not saying Barry did, but if all of them do, they're back to a level playing field, and the game is more exciting for the rest of us to watch.

**highanddry** · 08-13-2007, 01:34 PM

Steroid users are anything but "level," Both physically and emotionally. Man I just don't see this as an emotional issue. I love to see records broken and I love championships, but given the 1000 regular season games and slow pace...It is boring to me.

I thought it was already confessed that Bonds was on steroids.

**SeanB** · 08-13-2007, 01:42 PM

I guess cheaters do win.

**dansgalaxy** · 08-13-2007, 05:30 PM

never heard of this, but i do think that player shouldnt use steroids, they are bad for their health and make it unfair to the players and sportsmen/women who respect their health.

however i do think that its starting to get out of hand a little with the drugs testing, where i have seen i think it was beckham was pulled up and it turned out that all he did was using a forien vicks nose pray thingy. which had a chemical which was banned but the UK version of exactly the same spray didnt have this chemical

so it was a stupid thing which caused a whoelload of problems.

Dan.. - not a sports fan :P

**vangogh** · 08-13-2007, 11:33 PM

John I'm a very big baseball fan. The kind that considers the records sacred numbers. I don't believe steroids lead to a level playing field because not everyone will be taking them or having the same results with them. And if we accept steroids we sent a precedent for a lot more.

As for Barry. I do think he took steroids much like many players in his generation. I think Bonds was the best player of his generation before he allegedly took steroids and I think he deserves to be included in the hall of fame because of it.

The record though is tainted to me. I don't think he breaks the record without the steroids. I don't think he or Mark McGuire or Sammy Sosa gets past the 61 in a season without steroids and so that record is tainted for me too.

My hope is that some one without suspicion of having taken steroids eventually breaks the record.

I do think Barry is being made the poster child for something that shouldn't rest completely on his shoulders. It was just him (assuming it's proven he took the stuff) It's an entire generation of players.

When Barry hit 755 and 756 my attitude was "whatever" It was hard for me to care about something that should have been seen as historic. Ideally I would have preferred he didn't get there, but at some point last season I could see it's inevitability.