[X]PRESSONLINE

Story by Mark Howell

I was watching ESPN today and on the bottom of the screen they were showing news from around the sports world. And across the screen there is news about Barry Bonds and the steroid issue again. Is it just me, or is this getting old.

Major League Baseball(MLB) and the media has been on Barry Bonds'case about the whole steroid issue. They still bother the guy even when he said he did not take steroids. The problem with this is that they have no evidence of Barry Bonds taking steroids, except for that BALCO case. But that case did not prove anything and they still bother him. There are plenty guys in the MLB that already tested positive for steroids and the media never bothers them. All you hear is about Barry Bonds and the steroid issue which is giving me a headache.

The media can't leave it alone and they always have some source saying that they seen Barry Bonds taking steroids. I think the latest news is some guy has some book saying Barry Bonds admited to taking steroids. They even had Bonds' ex-girlfriend say he took steroids. People will say anything to make a buck these days and using steroids and Barry Bonds in the same sentence can definetly buy you that new car you always wanted. For example, Jose Canseco, the former Bash Brother, had to run his mouth off and come out with his book "Juiced", which not only said he took steroids, but also other MLB players. And of course he mentioned Barry Bonds's name so his book can actually get some readers. I guess Canseco needed some camera time so he used Bonds' name to get people to remember him again.

Barry Bonds is the greatest baseball player period and I guess the MLB believes he had to use a drug enhancement to get to achieve that status. Can't a guy have good work ethics and be good without suspecting him of using steroids? I mean the guy is the grandson of the "Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays. He might have been getting a few pointers on how to hit the ball from him. Jerry Rice was the greatest football player ever, and the media never bothered him about taking steroids. The media even pushed Bonds to the edge and almost forced him into retirment because he was so tired of hearing all the BS the media was asking him. They always asked the same question, "Did you take steroids," even though they were going to get the same answer.

I guess bringing up old news on a great athelete is the only way sports reporters can get published. And I guess if the MLB really believes that Bonds took steroids, then why dont they keep testing him. I know why; it is because Bonds brings in the money. Thousands of fans pack AT&T Park to see Barry Bonds hit one into MCovey Cove. Without Barry Bonds in the MLB, those thousands of fans will be gone and the MLB will lose out a pretty good amount of money coming out the San Francisco Giants organization.

I think I and the rest of the world can agree that we are never going to stop hearing about Barry Bonds and the whole steroid issue even after he retires. I am going to feel sorry for Bonds when he breaks the homerun record because everybody is going to think that he used performance enhancers to achieve that goal. And the media is going to be right there with same steroid question. Even though, the issue can be about something different, the media is going to be repeating the same thing over and over again; just remember, they are doing it just to make a name for themselves.