Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

[mouseinphilly]

BREAKING NEWS

Barry Bonds, baseball's all-time home run leader*, has been indited by a Federal jury for obstruction of justice and perjury (lying under oath) in the BALCO case.

* - With Juice.

[Radiobarry]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

Here's more on the news from foxsports.com and the AP...

Barry Bonds was indicted Thursday for perjury and obstruction of justice, charged with lying when he told a federal grand jury that he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.

The indictment unsealed Thursday against baseball's home-run king culminated a four-year investigation into steroid use by elite athletes.

"During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances for Bonds and other athletes," the indictment read.
In August, the 43-year-old Bonds passed Hank Aaron to become baseball's career home run leader. Late in the season, the San Francisco Giants told the seven-time National League MVP they didn't want him back next year. He is currently a free agent. While Bonds was chasing Aaron, the grand jury was working behind closed doors to complete the long-rumored indictment.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7452044?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10637

Remember, folks...innocent until proven guilty in this great land of ours...no matter how obnoxious the person is.

With the Mitchell report due to come out soon...baseball's winter of fun is about to begin.

[painted windows]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

This is gonna get very interesting. Its about time

[MollyTrolly]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

This is gonna get very interesting. Its about time

I agree, this took far too long to come together, it shodl have happened before the record was broken...sigh...

innocent until proven guilty yes...but should have been on unpaid leave during the investigation.

[aashee]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

I hate to say I could care less. What makes me happy about this is now the 3% chance of the Angels signing him is now closer to 0%.

[royaldisneyfan]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

This is gonna get very interesting. Its about time

I know. It took them long enough.

762*

[Jazzman]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

If convicted I hope this is enough to strip him of his record. If Pete Rose can be banned for placing a harmless bet, Bonds should be erased from the books for actually cheating.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

Innocent until proven guilty ... correct.

But in order to get a Grand Jury to actually indict you, the evidence must be pretty convincing.

[Disneyfan4]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21823966/

[DisneyDan24]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds

Perfect timing. I just got done reading, "Game Of Shadows".

[mouseinphilly]

Re: Barry Bonds is Indicted

*edited out after threads were merged*

[aimster]

Re: Barry Bonds is Indicted

This just made my night.

[steamboatpete]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

Just call him Barry "Bail" Bonds.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

Some interesting poll results on EPSN. http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sports...?event_id=3253

My answers are bolded

1) Does Barry Bonds' indictment on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice change your opinion of him as a player?

68.0%No
32.0%Yes

2) Will the indictment affect Bonds' chances of playing for a major league team in 2008?

90.5%Yes
9.5%No

3) Do you believe Bonds took performance-enhancing drugs?

88.9%Yes
8.5%Not enough information to make a judgment
2.6%No

4) Would you want your favorite team to sign Bonds?

83.2%No
16.8%Yes

5) What should happen to Bonds' career records if he is found guilty?

43.0%They should be stricken from the record books
30.9%Nothing
26.1%There should be an asterisk next to them in the record books

6) What do you think of the steroid issue in baseball?

61.2%It's the biggest problem affecting the game today
26.2%It's a problem, but there are larger issues affecting the game
7.0%I have never had a problem with players using steroids or performance-enhancing drugs
5.6%It used to be a problem, but not anymore

7) If Bonds is found guilty, is he still a Hall of Famer?

63.9%No
36.1%Yes

Total Votes: 24,114

I can't fathom that 30% of people still think nothing should happen to Bonds records, and that 36% still think he should be in the hall.

[Radiobarry]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

I can't fathom that 30% of people still think nothing should happen to Bonds records, and that 36% still think he should be in the hall.

You're dealing with a slippery slope when you start talking about the records thing, because as we already know and will be finding out alot more soon, Bonds is far from the only guy to be on the juice. So then what do you do about McGwire, Sosa, et al. Believe me, I think Bonds is rude, surly, arrogant, and hard to root for to say the least.

His Dad played with the Angels at one point. I'd just as soon not see Barry in an Angel uniform.

But he is still the best player of his generation, steroids or no steroids. He most definitely should be in the Hall of Fame.

OFF TOPIC:
Someone earlier raised the Pete Rose issue. He was banned from baseball, but they did not strip him of his records. And if it weren't for Pete's attitude, the ban would be lifted and he'd be in the Hall where he belongs.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

^ But ... If you look at the reason WHY Rose was banned, it didn't relate to his playing career, but his coaching career.

IMO, this is apples to oranges.

And if it is proved that Sosa and McGuire took steroids, then theirs should be erased to. Give the record back to Maris for all I care.

I LOVE the history of baseball, and for me having these players ruining the game of baseball is beyond belief for me. Baseball needs to take a stand if they are going to save the game for most fans.

[steamboatpete]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

Innocent until proven guilty ... correct.

But in order to get a Grand Jury to actually indict you, the evidence must be pretty convincing.

Not really. A common joke among prosecutors is that the U.S. attorney could get an indictment against a ham sandwich if he wanted.

Some interesting poll results on EPSN. http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sports...?event_id=3253
...
I can't fathom that 30% of people still think nothing should happen to Bonds records, and that 36% still think he should be in the hall.

I can fathom it, even though I wouldn't vote him into the Hall. The indictment is not because of what he did on the field. It's not because he used steroids. It's because he lied under oath. Why should records be stricken because someone later lied under oath to the feds?

^ But ... If you look at the reason WHY Rose was banned, it didn't relate to his playing career, but his coaching career.

Rose voluntarily agreed to the ban. That was his undoing.

[painted windows]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

I hate Barry Bonds. We all know he cheated and he's not a good person but I see this as a witch hunt. Palmero once under oath pointed and said he did not do steroids only to test positive later. Nothing was done about that. The government needs to follow up on these kind of things. Bonds did deserve the indictment though.

Its really a shame that he did steroids. Although he would have never of broke the home run records he would of been one of the best ball players ever. He was a very good ball player who got jealous then cheated to become a super human ball player, and now he will pay the consequences for that.

[Radiobarry]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

On "Around the Horn" today on ESPN, Jay Mariotti of the Sun-Times in Chicago made a good point in saying that while Bonds is far from the only one involved in this, the indictment will at least lead to "cutting off the head of the monster" since his is the face that we associate with this whole mess.

Maybe today is a day that baseball can turn a corner on this whole sordid affair. At least until the Mitchell report comes out, and all hell breaks loose again.

In the summer of 1998, baseball embraced the home run chase as the thing that saved the sport after the last strike. Out of a clear blue sky, it seemed, balls started jumping - McGwire, Sosa, 60-plus homers a year.

And baseball knew what was going on. So did the players union. Probably even many members of the media.

They all turned the other cheek. And now they're having to face the music.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Bonds Indited By Feds (Merged)

I can fathom it, even though I wouldn't vote him into the Hall. The indictment is not because of what he did on the field. It's not because he used steroids. It's because he lied under oath. Why should records be stricken because someone later lied under oath to the feds?

Lied under oath about taking steroids.

At this point, I think baseball needs to ban EVERYBODY who has ever tested positive for steroids. If that means we get a few years of mediocre baseball since they will have to bring up minor-leaguers, so be it.