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.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

McGwire broke Maris' record. Everyone knew McGwire was on andro but nobody dared to accuse him. Everyone knew McGwire ballooned from a big guy to a mutant of a big guy.

The difference between McGwire and Sosa's HR chase, and Bonds' HR chase is that the media hated Bonds but loved McGwire/Sosa.

McGwire wasn't on "Andro". That was a complete lie. He was using steroids.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Mav

Sorry bro. Babe Ruth was a dominant pitcher, and hitter. Regardless of who he played against, that's unheard of.

Ruth didn't play against the best baseball players in the world, period.

It doesn't take away from his accomplishments in MLB but it's certainly likely that he wouldn't have accomplished as much.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Cochise

No offense to you but I always thought that was the dumbest argument, ever.

A 260 pound fat guy that partied every night while banging chicks in the late 1990's, early 2000's while putting up historic numbers is absolutely ludicrous.

[Demonpenz]

Bonds was a COLLEGE LEGEND

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

McGwire wasn't on "Andro". That was a complete lie. He was using steroids.

The point was that everybody knew both Bonds and McGwire were on something. There wasn't any proof during their HR chases that they tested positive for anything.

Yet Bonds was a dickheaded juicer chasing a record. While McGwire and Sosa were heroes.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Lulz

Yup. Not to knock Griffey, but there isn't a damn person in the world that would dare put Griffey in the same league as Mays and the Babe. Everyone in the world knows Barry legit belongs in that group... just a question of if steroids taints that.

[Mav]

Unfortunately Griffey falls in that what if category.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Bonds was easily the best player of his playing era. They all cheated and he outplayed them all. Big ****ing deal. Put him where he belongs.....the HOF

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Mav

Unfortunately Griffey falls in that what if category.

Somewhat. It would have been nice to have an unjuiced guy break the HR record and Griffey really could have. But he still would have been overrated.

Even if we're comparing non-steroid guys to non-steroid guys. Mike Trout is a better pure hitter, base runner, fielder than Griffey and he walks more. The only thing you can say about Griffey is that if he stayed healthy, he could have broken the HR record. At this rate, other than HRs, in Trout's first 10 years he's going to annihilate Griffey's first 10.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

No guarantee he was clean. Every one in that era is suspect.

[Passepartout]

Really I never thought the guy was clean in the first place!

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Somewhat. It would have been nice to have an unjuiced guy break the HR record and Griffey really could have. But he still would have been overrated.

Even if we're comparing non-steroid guys to non-steroid guys. Mike Trout is a better pure hitter, base runner, fielder than Griffey and he walks more. The only thing you can say about Griffey is that if he stayed healthy, he could have broken the HR record. At this rate, other than HRs, in Trout's first 10 years he's going to annihilate Griffey's first 10.

Let's see Trout GET to 10 years first before proclaiming him to be something he's not yet.



IF Griffey had succumbed to steroids or HGH, his career numbers would be absolutely untouchable. The fact that he did it without performance enhancers while missing a metric shit ton of games is unbelievable.

His name will be amongst the greats, as it should be.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Let's see Trout GET to 10 years first before proclaiming him to be something he's not yet.



IF Griffey had succumbed to steroids or HGH, his career numbers would be absolutely untouchable. The fact that he did it without performance enhancers while missing a metric shit ton of games is unbelievable.

His name will be amongst the greats, as it should be.

If you want a fairer example, there's no way in hell Griffey belongs in the same conversation as Willie Mays. Griffey is one of the greats but even if he stayed healthy should never be considered G.O.A.T.

I bring trout up because he is better today than Griffey ever was. If trout keeps this up for 10 more years, he could be in the same conversation as Mays.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

If you want a fairer example, there's no way in hell Griffey belongs in the same conversation as Willie Mays. Griffey is one of the greats but even if he stayed healthy should never be considered G.O.A.T.

I bring trout up because he is better today than Griffey ever was. If trout keeps this up for 10 more years, he could be in the same conversation as Mays.

And if the Chiefs draft a Hall of Fame QB in the 2016 draft, they'll win 5 Super Bowls.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

And if the Chiefs draft a Hall of Fame QB in the 2016 draft, they'll win 5 Super Bowls.

I don't understand what point you're trying to make. There aien't a damn person who knows baseball that would put Griffey in even close to the same league as Mays or the Babe, let alone Bonds. I get BOnds because he was juicing. But even though Griffey is great, he's really overrated.