Entries tagged with “Barry Bonds” from Global Sports Buzz

Before the times of steroids and dog-fighting, athletes had a very personal relationship with the media. Reporters would regularly hang out with players and even share a drink or two at the local pub. Nothing ever came out that happened behind the scenes. Now, times have changed. This is mainly due to a change in personality regarding reporters; nowadays, reporters are more inclined to blow up a story for personal gain, while in the days of yore, athletes' imperfections were kept in the closet. When Mickey Mantle was busy winning the Triple Crown, was there stories of his drunken nights and bar room fights in the paper? When Babe Ruth was hitting home runs for sick children, did anyone mention how he much he loved the sauce? A star athlete can't walk down the street nowadays without it being recorded.

                Players such as Derek Jeter, David Wright and Tom Glavine have kept the tradition of good relations with the media. Is this due to their lack of controversy? It is more due to their smiling faces while being interviewed, and the "clichés" they throw at every reporter left and right. Guys like Gary Sheffield are trashed by the media, but that is mainly due to his lack of class and his outspokenness. Then there's guys like Alex Rodriguez, who by all accords is going to end up the best player in the history of baseball, who get thrown under the bus for a headline. A-Rod's career has been outlined by controversy despite being the youngest player to hit 500 home runs, changing positions, being an annual All-Star and winning countless awards. The media fret over A-Rod's inability to hit as well in the postseason as he does in the regular season. If this was say, 1920, Rodriguez would be admired by all, cherished by most, and the folklore would be endless. Stories would run about how good of a guy he is off the field, as well as how focused and determined he is on the field. You would hear how a good of a teammate he is, and how his power doesn't translate into a shortstop. Reporters would follow him into the bars after games and buy him a drink. But this isn't 1920, and in this day of selfish accolades, stories like that don't make a reporter. Anybody can write about how good of a hitter Alex Rodriguez is. But who broke the story about him cheating on his wife? That's the kind of news that propel a sportswriter into fame.

                An example of this is Paul Lo Duca, the ex-Mets catcher. Lo Duca's divorce was all over the newspaper, with pictures of the little sk--excuse me, the woman that he had an affair with. Does the public really need to know about Paul Lo Duca's relationship status? If Joe Cooper had an affair on his wife, would it be all over the newspaper? No, because the general public doesn't care. I don't know if the media change has more to do with the media needing controversy to sell papers, or to the fan's lack of intelligence and desire for scum stories and in-depth looks at athlete's personal lives. I mean, the media is only doing its job: providing the consumer with the news that they WANT to read.

                It really is a shame how the media has changed towards athletes over time. Yes, it has since come out that Mantle was a drinker, but don't you think it was better for all the little boys who grew up admiring Mantle to not know that he was an alcoholic? How do you think that little eight year old boy in San Francisco with a Barry Bonds number 25 jersey feels when he hears people chanting "BARROID" and sits with his dad on the couch watching "Around the Horn" listening to Jay Mariotti talk about how Bonds has put a black eye on the game of baseball? Maybe he doesn't understand. Or maybe he does, and it kills his dream, and his love for the game.

NY Times is reporting on the aftermath of a steam pipe explosion in Manhattan last month.  It seems that a law office underneath the pipe that exploded was left in ruins.  As the firm began to clean up and temporarily move offices some of their office equipment and various sports memorabilia were stolen.  They took autographed baseballs including a Mickey Mantle and a Joe DiMaggio. The punchline?  The left the Bonds ball.