Barry Bonds Is No Hero

Bob Schieffer Says The Soon-To-Be Home Run King Would Need To Do A Lot More To Be A Hero

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

---

Americans love our sports, and we love our sports stars. And we love to keep score: who got the most hits; who ran the fastest mile; who ate the most hot dogs, for that matter.

Yet, when Barry Bonds breaks the most famous record of all in the next week or so – Hank Aaron's home run record that has stood for more than three decades – many Americans won't cheer at all. They'll wish he hadn't been the one who did it.

Bonds is booed every place he plays except his home park in San Francisco. First because he is widely believed to be a cheat who used illegal drugs to increase his strength. Second because he is a self-centered, all-around jerk who sees no responsibility to the fans who pay his enormous salary.

It's too bad, really. We want our heroes to be good guys, but maybe we need jerks like Bonds from time to time to remind us what real heroes are – and they are not just people who have mastered a difficult physical feat.

For sure, hitting home runs is hard to do. But, so is standing on your thumb which hardly qualifies thumb standers to be heroes.

We admired Hank Aaron for hitting the home runs, but what made him an inspiration to others was the way he overcame adversity in order to set that record. The homers were just part of his greatness.

Real heroes are not just athletes. In fact, most of them are not: the firemen who gave their lives to save the innocent on 9/11; the soldiers who go into the streets of Baghdad day after day; parents who adopt handicapped children.

Heroes are those who set the examples we teach our kids to follow.

Barry Bonds is no hero. He is just a guy who hits home runs. Who would want a kid to be like him?

---

E-mail Face the Nation.

[amshar-2009]

While I am not a person to dis flattery, I found the statement that parents who adopt handicapped children are heros a bit overboard. I saw "Face the Nation" while sitting in a hospital room with my adopted son who has Down syndrome, and is currently sick from complications of Hirschprung's Disease, which he was diagnosed with this year.

My son is a beautiful addition to our family, and he truly lights up our lives. We are followers of Christ, and we are simply expanding our family in a way that we believe God has led us.

I appreciate the compliment, but find it really rather excessive. Lee

[jenn_in_iowa]

Bob Schieffer - your commentary on this topic was perfectly expressed and appreciated. I lost my father in 1999 - he was 87 years old and a baseball fanatic as well as my one and only personal hero. I miss him terribly to this day.
Thank you for speaking with the voice that reflects the feelings of so many of us who are appalled by the controversy of the situation with the home run record. I have always admired you with the greatest respect. Indeed real heros are not just athletes. Sometimes they are TV news program anchors.

[stl-mo-usa]

Mr. Schieffer,

I agree, Barry Bonds might be a good baseball player but he certainly is no hero!

You don't deserve that title unless you have earned it --cheating, lack of morals, lack of humanity, lack of ethics, & even if you reach your goal-you certainly have not earned it.

Look around us at alot of our everyday people--- folks that do great deeds, extraordinary things, that are fair & honest, good, decent people that work hard,individuals that volunteer & help their community & its people, that save lives, & mostly our troops----they are our real heros !!!!

[chickcole]

Mr. Schieffer:

I was so happy to see you comment today on the Bonds issue! How can the public take Bonds breaking the upcoming Major league record seriously? In my mind this record will remain and belong to Hank Aaron!

The ethics and morals have been tossed aside for great wealth and how a competitor can live with themselves living out a lie is beyond many of us!

Chuck
Stillwater Montana

[premo68]

Bob Schieffer your comments are totally wrong. First I never heard Barry Say he wanted to be a role model for anyone. If he chooses not to speak to the media that is his right. Secondly everone is saying Hank Aaron is a Hero. Well he has always been one in the black community. The white community after putting this man and his family through unecessary hardship and pain when he was just trying to play the game that he loves. Now 30 years later want to heap a bunch of phony praise upon Mr Aaron. Of how much they love him. The white community did not love him they tollorated him.There is a difference. Now that a black who is proud and not apologizing for being good is about to make history. You want to scorn him for that. I wonder were was all this concern about steroids when Mark Mcguire was knocking them out the park. He was caught with andronoline in his locker and also has gained substantial weight from his days with the oakland A's to the Saint louis Cardinals. The white community and the media said nothing..Let look at some of the other role models Babe Ruth was a alcholic and a womenizer. And said he has played plenty of times while he was drunk. I would not want my kids following that path of drinking and using women.

[premo68]

Also another one of America great hero's Ty Cobb and Cap Anson. These were two of the most Vile Racist in the game, Not to Mention George Weiss and Carl Comisky who has a ball park named in his honor in Chicago. So before you criticize our role models or hero's. Your time would be best servered to look at your own first.

[norcalguy101]

As Senator Jack Danforth stated in defense of Clarence Thomas, Barry Bonds is facing a first class lynching by a white, upper-socioeconomically placed political news commentator. And Mr. Schieffer's basis? "First BECAUSE HE IS WIDELY BELIEVED to be a cheat who used illegal drugs..." CBS should be ashamed at sticking your finger into the wind. Barry Bonds is a jerk? The godson of Willie Mays raised by a father who taught him to respect the game? The problem is we need more political commentators who at least made it to AA ball. Mr. Schieffer I suspect got cut in Little League. The facts of the matter are that Barry Bonds has never tested positive for steriods, and at the time he was suspected of using steroids they were neither illegal nor banned from baseball. Perhaps Mr. Schieffer needs to be reminded the Constitution protects each and everyone of us from post de facto laws. Enough said.

[cbs_oliver]

You know, Bob, considering what some of the folks you treat well have done it would be better if you didn't share your criteria for character judgement widely.

[thgdriver]

It's unfortunate but oh so true that the black folks have two sets of standards. When one reads about a black person committing some heinous act they remind us that Africa is a continent filled with different dialects, beliefs, history's, well, the list goes on and on how different they all are.

When someone like Bonds comes along it's the black "community" that triumphs. Now before you all get a rope for my neck all I ask is that they read their own newspapers, black columnists and listen to black radio/tv newscasts.

I honestly believe most black folks see color as much or more then any white person does.

[nightfly999]

Bob,

With all do respect no one needs you to be judge, jury, and executioner with Barry. You have no real clue about any of the facts and should not let your gums flap with ignorance.

Maybe you yearn for the good ol days...when Ruth and Cobb were the real heroes. Ruth...the drunk who pounded alcohol during prohibition. Kind of like a player snorting cocaine all day long today. Would you give him a free pass like so many give Ruth? An illegal substance is an illegal substance.

In addition, please let us know how you were able to obtain Barry's testing results and why the ones you have differ from the ones everyone else has...you know the ones that show he has never tested positive for any banned substance.

Face it Bob. You are just a grumpy old man that is part of an establishment of hypocritical writers who give a pass to those they like and hound those they don't.

[premo68]

thgdriver ..........We see color because we look at the way Mark Mcguire and Lance Armstrong was treated both who are white (Treated to a hero welcome)and both took steroids And then Barry who has never tested positive for steroids being vilified just like Hank Aaron was....Period

[frb01]

I can think of many white athletes who I would consider at jerk, it has nothing to do with the color of one's skin. Barry's road to being a jerk started in his time in Pittburgh, over fifteen years ago. For me the steriod issue is a non-issue at this point, he has had a long track record of being arrogant. Much like Pete Rose. A little humility would go a long way for Mr. Bonds.

We have a long way to go in this country to resolve black white issues. We cannot make more progress if the race card gets pulled at every opportunity.

If we are looking for a hero, we need to look to Hank Aaron. At least he has the class and the sense to try to downplay the circus and stay out of it.

We may see the same thing in a couple years, when the gifted A-rod, often misunderstood and often arrgant takes his run at the crown.

[thgdriver]

When Roger Maris set a new home run record for a single baseball season all the record books for over 20 years had an asterisk on that record to note that it took him more games (a longer baseball season to beat the Babe). The black "community" would have cried that asterisk was raciest if Maris had been black. That's a fact!!

That aside, all I ask is, if it is proved Bonds took strength enhancers (cheated) I say instead of an asterisk, a hypodermic syringe be placed in the record books on his new record.

[premo68]

thgdriver.........If there is a race card. The white community dealt the deck. We will treat this one this way , But villify this one. The problem is that the ones that are villified are always black. Also I think Babe Ruth should have a asterisk. He played at a time when Blacks and Black Latino's were ban from playing. How is that fair to Jopsh Gibson who finished his career with 962 homerun's. He will never be recognize as the homerun king and he had over 200 more homerun's then Babe Ruth.

[lcmike2525]

I am aghast at Shieffer's comments today regarding Barry Bonds. Who the heck do you think you are? Especially given the lies the govenrnment/Fed is laying on the people regarding inflation, money supply, debt, jobs, Iraq, etc. and the inability of the press to expose these inaccuracies.. to spend valuable press coverage spouting off his personal opinions about private citizens is indefensible.

Is Bond's a model citizen? No! But, neither was Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Billy Martin, Mickey Mantle, and many other stars of baseball lore. So he is a jerk, he still is the best of the best in our age--though tainted it might be.

I can tell you that I have lost all respect for Sheiffer and CBS News. I will clearly never watch another Sheiffer newscast.. and am strongly considering eliminating CBS from view forever.

Sheiffer's comments will NEVER be forgotten.

LCMike

[thgdriver]

By the way premo68 it has never been proven that Mark or Lance took steroids. But if it ever is Proved, they should and will be stripped of their records.

On the other hand though, they won't have the "race" card to play.

[premo68]

thgdriver......There is the double standard I was talking about. Thank you for making my point It also has never been proven Barry Bonds took steroids. But you will give the White athelete the benefit of the doubt but not Barry.....There is the race card......Thank you for proving my point

[thgdriver]

premo68 Jackie Robinson moved into the majors in 1947, thats over sixty years ago (FCOL). Don't you think it's about time the Black "community" hung that set of crutches up that, by your posts, you still want to lean on?!.

[bsimerly]

If Barry Bonds is a bad role model for young ball players then Bob Schieffer is an even worse model for up and coming journalists. To call Bonds a "self-centered, all-around jerk" is irresponsible and unprofessional. I have never met Bonds and don't ever expect to, so I don't care about his personality. But man, I love to watch him play ball. He fulfills his obligations to his fans every time he comes to the plate. Likewise, I don't think I'd like Schieffer if I were to meet him but I watch his show for the content. I don't think I'll be listening to his commentaries anymore though.

[thgdriver]

You seem intelligent but you obviously cant read or is it comprehend?

I stated "If" it is ever "proved" Bonds took strength enhancers!!! (cheated). Go back and read it a few more times maybe you'll get it.

[premo68]

thgdriver.........What crutch are you refering to? we need know crutch your right he broke into the majors in 1947 and we control a lot of records in baseball, We have far surpassed our conter parts. These people just needed to be given a oppurtunity and people will run with it. I think your people neededed a crutch, That's why steriods were invinted to give white atheletes an advantage. And there are far more white atheletes taking steroids then blacks.

[premo68]

thgdriver........Yes I read what you said " If it is proven " (If) Which implies not knowing. meaning I am waiting to see if the accusations are proven to be true or false. With Bonds you did not say (If) you have already found him guilty. So your not comprehending

[thgdriver]

premo68 Read my comment after I mentioned Roger Maris at "04:16" PM : Jul 22, 2007. Then get back to me. You obviously did not read my whole comment or you are a fool.

[ronaldstark]

It's amazing how the commisioner of baseball won't allow Pete Rose in the hall of fame but will allow baseball to be disgraced by the likes of Barry Bonds.

[premo68]

RonaldStark.......Well baseball as always been a disgrace. Wheather It was the the racist who played the game Ty Cobbs , Cap Anson and many others or the players being (drunk )

[premo68]

thgdriver. That is incorrect there was never a asterick place next to Roger Maris's name. If your going to make statements. Please deal with facts.

[thgdriver]

RonaldStark I agree, It seems in America it's ok to die because of a drug over dose and then be placed in the hall of fame and even have your picture put on a federal United States postage stamp not once but twice! Of course I am talking about Elvis Prestly whom I don't have a grudge with, but why the double standard??

[premo68]

thgdriver......That is correct and Elvis is a role model (supposely ).....Good point thgdriver and that's all I am saying there need to be one set of rules for everyone. We don't need selective villification.

[thgdriver]

premo68 When you know what you are talking about get back to me. If you refer to record books over 15 years ago you will see the asterisk. You could not comprehend what I posted at 4:16 today, how could you be expected to comprehend what went on years ago?

[premo68]

thgdriver well if they gave Roger Maris a asterisk next to his name then that was wrong. But I still stand by my point, that people like Aaron and Jack Johnson, Jackie Robinson and yes even Bonds by some segment of this population are villified because they are black.

[thgdriver]

Well, personally, I feel Mark Maguire and Barry Bonds, among a lot of others took or are now taking enhancers, that said, In this country you are innocent till proven guilty. So we'll see what transpires in the future.

On the other hand Bob Schieffer is entitled to his opinion and so am I, and so are you!!

I gotta go.

[rushlimpdrug]

Bob Schieffer,
If you can't get the Paris Hilton interview maybe you can interview barry buns.
bob, your writing is so lame and trivially bland.
So you proved you can't write about entertainment, make pointless commentary about sports, could you tackle cooking next?
Here are some words you can use in your next commentary:
blah, blah, ha, ha, ha, blah, blah, icky, icky, yack, yackety, yack, and ain't I so smart for saying nothing in a whole commentary.

[zeezedzee]

I don't remember all this mess when Hank Aaron took the record, so why Bonds? It's no doubt the good old USA will vilify blacks, when have they not. The man has earned this, it's a shame people try to dirty what he's earned. It seems all the photo's I see of him he just looks disgusted in general. I hope he gets over that and takes the record just to spite everyone. I'm white and it makes me sick to see the way white people act when blacks take white records. This world would be tons better off if we were just all color blind.

[cyberus-2009]

**I don't remember all this mess when Hank Aaron took the record, so why Bonds? It's no doubt the good old USA will vilify blacks, when have they not. The man has earned this, it's a shame people try to dirty what he's earned. It seems all the photo's I see of him he just looks disgusted in general. I hope he gets over that and takes the record just to spite everyone. I'm white and it makes me sick to see the way white people act when blacks take white records. This world would be tons better off if we were just all color blind.
Posted by ZeeZedZee at 09:13 PM : Jul 22, 2007**

The wasn't all this mess when Hank did it ... because Hank did it the hard way, time, sweat and skill ... not the easy way with a needle full of insta-muscle

[dovestar]

Hank Aaron never aspired to break Babe Ruth's all time home run record. He said he just kept on playing and hitting and he looked up one day and there it was.
Real heroes don't aspire to be heroes. They stick to their principles and wish people wouldn't make such a fuss over them.
Barry Bonds is a zero--not a hero. The reason he is under such a cloud is the existence of very compelling evidence that he took steroids to enhance his performance. That's cheating in anyone's book. He may have hit that many home runs, but how many grimy faced kids has he signed autographs for? There is a story about the coach of the San Antonio Spurs who signed autographs one afternoon at a local bookstore. A young fan raced to the spot only to find he was too late. The coach had gotten into his car and saw the boy. The coach got out of his car and met the boy on the street, spent time with him, and bought him a Coke and signed his basketball. You can havbe all the Barry Bonds autographs you want. I'll take this guy's.

[misspp-2009]

I am so sick of all this Barry Bonds mess, and I am shocked that Bob Schieffer has added his name to the list of people who are villifying Bonds. I am not a Bonds fan, but I do ascribe to the "innocent until proven guilty" basis.

But my main concern is the hypocritical way folks are making Hank Aaron into this grand and glorious person whose record Bonds has no right to break. These same folks AND Hank Aaron are forgetting that Hank Aaron was treated worse than Barry Bonds is being treated.

Hank Aaron received hate mail and death threats from bigots who did not want a black man to break Babe Ruth's record. Now, he's acting immature and petulant about Bonds breaking his record. I have lost all respect for him.

[rational_1]

I am so sick of all this Barry Bonds mess, and I am shocked that Bob Schieffer has added his name to the list of people who are villifying Bonds. I am not a Bonds fan, but I do ascribe to the "innocent until proven guilty" basis.
Posted by Misspp at 09:48 PM : Jul 22, 2007

Just do a Google image search of Bonds and compare his picture from a decade or so ago with what he looks like today and you'll be a bit less sure of the "innocent until proven guilty" assertion. I don't know how he did it but somehow he managed to get the roids to grow his head as well as the rest of him. He could have gone down as one of the greatest hitters (but not the greatest!) in the game, but instead history will deservedly be far less kind to him.

[norcalguy101]

As Senator Jack Danforth stated in defense of Clarence Thomas, Barry Bonds is facing a first class lynching by a white, upper-socioeconomically placed political news commentator. And Mr. Schieffer's basis? "First BECAUSE HE IS WIDELY BELIEVED to be a cheat who used illegal drugs..." CBS should be ashamed at sticking your finger into the wind. Barry Bonds is a jerk? The godson of Willie Mays raised by a father who taught him to respect the game? The problem is we need more political commentators who at least made it to AA ball. Mr. Schieffer I suspect got cut in Little League. The facts of the matter are that Barry Bonds has never tested positive for steriods, and at the time he was suspected of using steroids they were neither illegal nor banned from baseball. Perhaps Mr. Schieffer needs to be reminded the Constitution protects each and everyone of us from post de facto laws. Enough said.

[bigdadpatrio]

You race-baiters are all alike. This has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with the FACT that Bonds is an a**hole and is no role model for anyone to look up to. It's irrelavent whether or not he used steroids to enhance his strength. All he's ever given a *** about was himself, and has had no regard to the fans who have helped pay his enormous salaries. He has no respect for them and he is owed none in return.

[brianbwb-2009]

We admired Hank Aaron for hitting the home runs, but what made him an inspiration to others was the way he overcame adversity in order to set that record. The homers were just part of his greatness.

And Bonds is seeing no race based adversity? Many of the same people booing bonds now also booed Aaron, but now they hide their racism behind the "steroid excuse".

Did their parents also boo an alcoholic named Ruth when he set the record?

[brianbwb-2009]

norcalguy101,

Look at Mr. Schieffer, looks like he predates Abner Doubleday, so it is questionable that there even was little league when he was a child...

[ubrew12]

Aaron was hated by those who followed him at the time, and so is Bonds today.

Nothing changes.

Though, Scheiffer is right in one respect: Bonds will forever be tarnished with his inability to 'come clean' about his performance-drug use.

Too bad for Bonds. In all likelihood: Aaron is the 'real deal', while Bonds 'could-a-been', but didn't come clean and so is under suspicion.

Still, in a wierd way, we should celebrate Bonds nevertheless. In an atmosphere where 'everyone' is using these drugs, he still became the 'king'.

Society needs to level the playing field through gov't oversight, and not just in baseball. But, try telling that to the 'free-marketeers' who run our country....

Until the country realizes what's going on, we'll continue to buy the 'Bonds' of this society, in commerce, investment, government, sports, entertainment, etc...

[AgentGGG]

Mr. Scheiffer should have respectfully refrained from writing this column. It is hateful and serves no purpose, other that to reflect poorly on Mr. Scheiffer. Barry Bonds has to live with his own deeds, we should just leave him in peace, at a minimum, because he has done no real harm to anyone.

[bobgee_1999]

Couldn't we just solve this by having a new sports league, called The Doped and Genetically Altered League or something? You could have the normal leagues for people who actually want to accomplish something athletically, but in the D&GA League there would be no-holds barred, any substance you want, muscle grafts, bionic parts, etc. That'd be interesting, wouldn't it?

[adian1-2009]

The guy is a cheater. But that's not all. He couldn't care less. Aaron was a human achievement. Bonds is an achievement of chemistry. That's a hell of a difference. Problem: all of these diminish the sport and the way we look a it. After having been a base-ball fan for many, many years, I find myself not paying attention to games or standings quite too frequently. I have been asking myself why. Probably Bonds and Sosa and McGuire and Giambi and the likes have something to do with my disaffection.

[j_flood]

No problem here - well said Mr. Schieffer!

And by the way, Barry was a jerk long before this home run derby limelight. He's never been one to sign autographs, or be a 'team' player. His team player status has converted in recent years and that's a good thing.

Did he use steroids? Don't care now myself, we're dealing with a fella that took on a persona long before we talked about steroids.

He'll be in the record book, but many of us will always say, "ya but..."

We don't say that with Robinson, Dimaggio, Aaron, or Ripkin do we?

[soundsofzahi]

Usually, I don't get hung up on opinions of people, especially one that involves pitting my race against another, but Schieffer is right on time about Barry Bonds. I love a hero, but I feel no heroism in this. I watched Hank Aaron's "Chasing the Dream" and feel so inspired. Barry......"just a guy who hits homeruns". Sorry, I can't feel for him and his achievement. It just doesn't feel good.

[jcsmooth44]

Schieffer is out of bounds with his opinion. I used to think of him as an honorable journalist, but now I see him as just another bigot. Aaron was hated when he broke Ruth's record, because he was black. Bonds is also hated because he is black. I am tired of white people saying this has nothing to do with race, that is a lie. Why are all of the most hated athletes in this country black men? The media has used ALLEGATIONS of use of performance enhancing drugs, when there is absolutely no proof to destroy Bond's reputation. The same racist that sent death threats to Aaron are now trying to intimidate Bonds by claiming that he is a cheater. Barry Bonds is a hero to millions of blacks throughout America no matter what Schieffer thinks. White people can't relate to racial profiling or discrimination because it never happens to them. By being able to perform at such a high level, and continue to pursue the home run record even with so much unfair negative publicity is a tribute to the inner strength of Barry Bonds. To face adversity each day and continue to achieve are the true characters of a hero. Schieffer has never been the best in the world at what he does like Barry Bonds is. I'm sure that the seven time MVP is a hero to allot of baseball players also.

[harp1963]

If anyone that has ever spent a lot of time lifting weights in a gym can honestly dispute the before and after pictures during the initial season Bonds was suspected of using steroids, then they are lying. The guy used steroids period. Just like McGwire and Sosa, Bonds is a cheater. Saying that has absolutely nothing to do with his race, creed, color, or religion, period. The guy juiced. Normal hard working guys who lift weights in their 30's don't put on 30 pounds of muscle in one summer unless they are taking steroids. I don't care if Arnold Schwarzenegger is their trainer.

Babe Ruth ate hotdogs, drank beer, and hit a whole bunch of homers. If this guy would have juiced he probably would have hit way more. Hank was just a nice guy, who had never heard of steroids. Niether one of them gained 30 pounds of muscle weight in their 30's. Ruth may have gained 30 pounds, but it was in his belly from beer and hotdogs.

[hypnotoad72]

Anyone who uses drugs is a cheater. This isn't limited to Bonds, but understandable he's getting flak because he had to do what others never needed to.

;-)