Feds finally end prosecution of Barry Bonds

[Lex Luthor]

The U.S. Department of Justice formally dropped its criminal prosecution of Barry Bonds today, nearly eight years after he was first indicted on obstruction of justice and perjury charges. He was convicted on a single count of obstruction in 2011 but had his conviction overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals in April of this year. He was acquitted on all perjury counts at his original trial.

As we have argued in painstaking detail, Bonds likely lied under oath during grand jury testimony back in 2003 when he was asked if he ever used performance enhancing drugs. The prosecution was unable to pin him down in a lie, however, because there were no other witnesses willing to testify to contradict him. The obstruction of justice count, based on Bonds’ rambling response to a question which Bonds eventually answered, was about as weak a count as they come. In almost any other case the government would decline to push forward with the prosecution based on a lack of evidence. In this case prosecutors, no doubt motivated by a high profile defendant in a high profile case pushed on.

In the end it cost taxpayers millions lasted nearly twelve years since his grand jury testimony and nearly eight years after his indictment. In the end, like so many times before, Barry Bonds walks.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...f-barry-bonds/

Ending this was the right thing to do. Bonds lied and everybody knows it, but I don't see what purpose would be served by prosecuting him and sending him to prison. I'd rather use the prison space on guys who beat the shit out of their wives/girlfriends.

[TLO]

Don't care.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Amazing ball player

[stonedstooge]

Getting ready to put him in the HOF?

[Mav]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

Getting ready to put him in the HOF?

They never will. He's a top 3 player of all time. That's why the mlb hof is a joke.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Mav

They never will. He's a top 3 player of all time. That's why the mlb hof is a joke.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

Getting ready to put him in the HOF?

Yeah the same day as Pete Rose.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by Cochise

Duh number one. I'm a giants fan. So of course it's subjective.

Duh number two. When encompassing the entire history of baseball it's illogical, to logically judge players against each other from different era's. Since I watched a majority of his career, and have an autographed jersey from him, of course I think he's a top 3 player.

Just take way the steroid talk. He was the only member of the 600/600 club.

He was a 3 time NL mvp before there ever was talk of steroids. He was a gold glove defender. He also has the best eye, and greatest understanding of the strike zone and opposing pitchers tendencies that I have ever seen.

My top 3.

The babe
Willie Mays
Barry Bonds.

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by Mav

Duh number one. I'm a giants fan. So of course it's subjective.

Duh number two. When encompassing the entire history of baseball it's illogical, to logically judge players against each other from different era's. Since I watched a majority of his career, and have an autographed jersey from him, of course I think he's a top 3 player.

Just take way the steroid talk. He was the only member of the 600/600 club.

He was a 3 time NL mvp before there ever was talk of steroids. He was a gold glove defender. He also has the best eye, and greatest understanding of the strike zone and opposing pitchers tendencies that I have ever seen.

My top 3.

The babe
Willie Mays
Barry Bonds.

The only way he's not in the top 5 convo is if steroids are an automatic DQ.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

The only way he's not in the top 5 convo is if steroids are an automatic DQ.

Agreed completely. But I've always felt that baseball has always had some form of cheating, and it's just the era. The steroid era. Just like the dead ball era. It's the foundation that baseball has always been built upon.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Mav

Duh number one. I'm a giants fan. So of course it's subjective.

Duh number two. When encompassing the entire history of baseball it's illogical, to logically judge players against each other from different era's. Since I watched a majority of his career, and have an autographed jersey from him, of course I think he's a top 3 player.

Just take way the steroid talk. He was the only member of the 600/600 club.

He was a 3 time NL mvp before there ever was talk of steroids. He was a gold glove defender. He also has the best eye, and greatest understanding of the strike zone and opposing pitchers tendencies that I have ever seen.

My top 3.

The babe
Willie Mays
Barry Bonds.

I suppose that's because fanboys count the roid years to his credit. The rest of the world does not. The honest achievements in his career ended in 98 or 99.

[chiefzilla1501]

I'm going to say this and i know i'll get destroyed for this. **** it. I don't give a shit.

Barry Bonds cheated. But the only reason he's hated this much is because of the media. Nobody gives a shit about McGwire or Sosa. People still consider Papi a hero. Nelson Cruz an all star. People are actually starting to feel sorry for Tom Brady. And the worst part, fans defend the living shit out of this group of cheaters.

Bonds was a cheater. But so were a ton of people during and before the steroid era. The only reason people hate him so much is because the media has shoved it down your throat that you should hate him.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by Cochise

I suppose that's because fanboys count the roid years to his credit. The rest of the world does not. The honest achievements in his career ended in 98 or 99.

Uh. He had hall of fame credentials before 98. He was a 3 time league mvp and multiple Gold glove winner before that . So, yeah, fanboy and all your still missing the point.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Cochise

I suppose that's because fanboys count the roid years to his credit. The rest of the world does not. The honest achievements in his career ended in 98 or 99.

I think the worst part about ARod and Bonds is that these guys would be in the conversation for GOAT even if they never touched PEDs. Assuming they stayed healthy.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I'm going to say this and i know i'll get destroyed for this. **** it. I don't give a shit.

Barry Bonds cheated. But the only reason he's hated this much is because of the media. Nobody gives a shit about McGwire or Sosa. People still consider Papi a hero. Nelson Cruz an all star. People are actually starting to feel sorry for Tom Brady. And the worst part, fans defend the living shit out of this group of cheaters.

Bonds was a cheater. But so were a ton of people during and before the steroid era. The only reason people hate him so much is because the media has shoved it down your throat that you should hate him.

I agree. He was also an asshole to the media. He grew up watching how they treated his dad. He hated them for that.