Re: [Marxism] Bonds Hits No. 756 to Break Hank Aaron's Record,

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Marvin Gandall wrote:
> 
> As in so  many
> things, I think the use of performing-enhancing drugs or equipment (Sammy
> Sosa's corked bat) has upset fans because they have collectively robbed the
> game of its it's mythical "innocence" and charm, and Americans are a
> notoriously sentimental and myth-loving people.

Sports fans read more than most americans -- and sports writers have
more influence on sports opinions than editorialists have on political
opinion. I don't follow sports most, but as Mike Downey, in the Tribune
article I cited, points out, the stories (and hence the popular opinion)
are all about steroids, home runs, and bad manners. As to the third,
there have been innumerable jerks among sports heroes (Dimaggio for
example), but most of them got a pass from the journalists. And the home
runs are the _only_ part of Bonds's many many accomplishments that have
much to do with steroids -- and muscle or no muscle (from whatever
source) you have to first hit a ball before you can power it anyplace.

Aaron was a villain when pursuing Ruth's record. But now Aarons is the
"good Negro" that makes Bonds look bad, or that's how it comes off in
the sports pages. It's really amazing how that army of pricks (my view
of sports writers in general) suddenly got such high morals.

Carrol


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