Yawn, 756*

Barry Bonds’ homer 756 hit on the 7th has been met by a load national yawn. People in San Francisco may have followed the progress and celebrated but the nation by enlarge merely yawned.

Though some sports commentators have tried to hype the progress and achieve, the nation responded with a yawn. Other outlets and commentators gave the coverage that they did because they knew if they did not give it some attention on in a prominent place in their sports coverage that they could end up as part of the story. Some commentators have all but admitted that their coverage was driven more by political reasons rather than readership demands.

One commentator went as far as to say that Bonds should have done the class act to redeem what is left of his reputation and for baseball as a whole by graciously retiring at 755. That act may well have been respected by the nation.

The nation yawns at 756* as Bonds because it cannot cheer a cheater. Plain and simple, the nation has heard and judged the mounting evidence and found the explanations to be paltry, and has determined that Bonds’ is a cheater and the nation does not reward cheaters with a standing ovation. Bonds is not a roll model or a good example of an athlete that they wish their sons and daughters to emulate. For all his posturing, Bonds is an emperor without cloths.

I commend Hank Aaron and President Bush on how they handled themselves on this matter. The President is expected to make a congratulatory call. He made that call, not at the end of the game or with media coverage but quietly in the middle of afternoon. Aaron did not fly west and follow Bonds once he hit 754 so that he could be present for 755 and 756*. Instead, he sent a short video message on congratulations without fanfare. Both men fulfilled their responsibilities graciously but in a manner that is consistent with the “*” that will be attached in people’s minds to the record.

As he dances before the public, the emperor has no cloths.