Public Divided Over Barry Bonds

(CBS)  As the 2007 Major League Baseball season begins, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds is within striking distance of one of the most famous records in sports, the all-time career home run record: Bonds has 734 blasts; the mark, held by Hank Aaron, is 755.

The public is divided on whether they are rooting for Bonds to break the record.

While 35 percent say they are pulling for Bonds, 30 percent would rather see him fall short. Nineteen percent volunteer that they do not care either way.

Are you rooting for Bonds to break the home run record?

All
Yes
35 percent
No
30 percent
Don't care
19 percent
Don't know/no answer
16 percent

Age 18-44
Yes
43 percent
No
30 percent
Don't care
13 percent
Don't know/no answer
14 percent

Age 45 and older
Yes
27 percent
No
30 percent
Don't care
25 percent
Don't know/no answer
18 percent

There are large differences on this between younger and older Americans. Those 18 to 44 years old are rooting for Bonds. Those over age 45 are slightly against him, and also more likely not to care. Whites are marginally opposed to seeing Bonds succeed but blacks are rooting for him. Younger men under 45 - traditionally a group that includes many sports fans - are also evenly divided. Overall, men and women are rooting for Bonds about equally - about one-third of each are - though women are more likely to not have a preference. Americans in each region of the country are divided, though those in the West, where Bonds plays, are slightly more likely to back his chase. Democrats are somewhat more likely to be rooting for Bonds than are Republicans.

In the last few years, many baseball players - including Bonds - have been dogged by allegations of steroid use. That may make the possibility of this new record less popular than the last attempt. In March 1974 - when Hank Aaron was on the verge of eclipsing then-record holder Babe Ruth's career mark - a Harris survey found that 77 percent of self-described sports fans were rooting for Aaron to succeed.

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For detailed information on how CBS News conducts public opinion surveys, click here.

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1362 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone March 7-11, 2007. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

[cdegolier]

He will probably break the record, although he would have never been close to it if it wasn't for steroids, just like mcguire. These so called athletes should never ever be in the hall of fame or have any "record" they break on the books. Just another druggie.

[tucson23]

Bats and balls? I wonder what the Babe would have done if he had been shooting up with steriods all the time. Or, better yet, what Bonds would be capable of without them. He's a cheater, and those who root for him are idiots.

[agog2]

I really get a kick out of people today. How quick they forget about the past. By this I wonder how many of these new hotshot ball players would be hitting the homers they are if they had to use the same old equipment (hard balls & Bats) that the real ball players from years ago did? The same goes for golf take Tigerwoods; I wonder how he would do playing a round of golf with the old clubs the pros used years ago. Think of what Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron could have done if they were using the same bats and hard ball these guy use today, how many run would they have hit????

[cajetano]

What's the big deal?

This is not sports anymore - it's ENTERTAINMENT

MLB got exactly what it deserved. They wanted Home Runs - they got it. If the players don't juice up - they turn around and juice up the baseballs.

[integrityis-2009]

It would be a dishonest record for hitting the most runs etc.

All other non-users did it with out inhanced chemical stimulant, so it would be a unreal normal human result, totaly unfair to be recorded a record.
What happened to integrity in sports??

Integrityis

[silver9991]

Who's Barry Bonds? Oh, a ball player. Shouldn't this be under Entertainment, not Top News?

[shedhouserob-2009]

This blown up ego head has the audacity to make a statement that when he passes Babe Ruth that will shut the fans up. He's an ***. Hank Aaron was a gentleman. Mark Mcgwire was a gentleman. He was about a 10 to 1 homerun hitter and they ought to take his steroid years and redo them. He was a hall of famer before he started taking steroids. Now he don't belong in the Hall of fame. Just because of the person he is, I hope he never gets in. And that goes for Mcgwire too. They are both cheaters. Barry never hit over 40 home runs until he hit 73. And then never hit over 40 again. This man is no hero. He's a ego maniac!

[comfortmd1]

if bonds is allowed to "break the record" it will be an official endorsement of steroid abuse my major league baseball

[nishaboston]

This is so stupid!!!! Who the hell cares there is more important news out there.

[whatithink-2009]

I find it laughable that Republicans would be more against Bonds than Bush. Come on. How many people died because of a lie coming out of Bond's mouth? Our country is failing because people fail to set priorities properly (i.e., this recent obsession with Anna Nicole on the news). If the news had spend that much time analyzing why we were going into Iraq, we wouldn't be there now.