Will America treat Clemens like they treated Bonds?

Question

1. Both most likely used steroids.
2. Both were the best at their position and achieved many awards.
3. Both were not friendly to the media and not the most likeable people in general.
4. Both most likely lied about the use of steroids.
5. Difference - Clemens is white and Bonds is black.

Answer 1

No, America will not treat Clemens the same--we are seeing it already. Clemens has looked like a pretty obvious user for many years now, for the same reasons Bonds has. Both of them have had completely unprecedented success as 40+ baseball players, and both of them are much, much more muscular at 40 then they were at 27 or 28. For a person who is already an elite, well conditioned athlete to pack on 15 or 20 pounds of muscle during their 30's is really stunning. A lot of guys put on 15 to 20 pounds of gut and console themselves with saying that they have "filled out" but actually adding solid bulk in your late 30's, the way Clemens and Bonds did, especially if you had a powerful, athletic body to begin with, is nearly impossible. Any fitness buff will tell you, after 30 to 35, it's a fight just to keep muscle mass. Elite athletes like Bonds and Clemens obviously have much better genetics than your average gym rat, but elite athletes have still generally followed the normal trajectory for aging and physical decline.

All the people who have been rabid, furious critics of Bonds better be lining up to go after Clemens now--but we clearly don't see them, at least not most of them. I think that proves pretty conclusively that a good percentage of the furor around Bonds has been race-based. Not the general criticism--Bonds obviously is a cheater, and he is obviously a ********, too. But Clemens is obviously a cheater, too, and he certainly can be a ******** in his own right. But he's a big, corn-fed white boy from Texas, and it does seem like a lot of baseball fans are anxious to treat him differently than they treat Bonds.

Answer 2

I think we all ought to just and wait and see. I liked Clemens and still may, but I am smart enough to know something is awry with a 45 yr old throwing a 98 mile an hour fast ball. The difference that you failed to mention is Bonds shattered a record, the most cherished record in the sport, and Clemens is a likeable guy. The bottom line is this report is hear say, no evidence. A guy the Yankees fired ratted out five or six guys. not saying that it isn't true but we still don't know. This report was a waste of paper. It is now officially the Salem witch hunt of our generation. I am disappointed in Clemens and now question everything he has accomplished, but Bonds went after the record with total disregard for the love of the game. He played 21 years and hit more than half of his home runs in the last 8. Do the math dude. White or Black doesn't matter. I hate McGwire I hate Bonds and if they provide reasonable evidence of Clemens I will add him to the list. Giambi is not my favorite player but he atleast manned up. So I respect him, I give him props for that.

Answer 3

It's a shame that race most likely will play a factor in how people react to Clemens vs Bonds. That's definitely not the case for me. Anytime I've seen Bonds on tv for an interview or something he's usually a jerk-off. He's so high on himself that he doesn't think of anything else. I know Clemens isn't the nicest guy around either - but Bonds always seemed like more a douche to me for some reason.

I guess my point is that if Bonds hadn't been such an asshole about this entire situation, he might not be getting it so hard. It also doesn't help that he's broken pretty much every HR record there is - and now that's tainted. Maybe someone else can answer better, but I don't think Clemens holds any records.

My opinion - both should be kept out of the Hall of Fame. Like Pete Rose, they disgraced the game, but in a different way. If Rose doesn't make the Hall, they shouldn't either.

Answer 4

It's one thing to lie to the media and fans about using steroids, I probably wouldn't volunteer that info to the media either, but Bonds lied to a grand jury. End of story. With that said, I do think Clemens achievements should be wiped out or at least add an *, but Bonds should go to jail...and that has nothing to do with his skin color.

Someday, maybe in the near future, people are going to stop listening when someone mentions race...it gets mentioned way too much and 95% of the time for no reason. It's going to be like the boy who cried wolf. Enough with race already!!!

Answer 5

I think that their celebrity status puts them in a position to where they will be criticized no matter what they do. On the other hand who out there has not done something that they regret or they know that they should not have done. Personally I have no problem with the fact that these guys took substances that were not banned from the sport that they were playing, every athlete looks for an edge in some way, it may be a bad way to gain that edge but as you said, 100+ players thought that was a good way to get that edge. Also you hear that players of yesteryear did not do it...that is because they did not have them available not because they were better than that, they would taken them 7 days a week and twice on Sunday if they thought it would have helped. The media is reporting what will sell their papers/magazines, sometimes they have to sensationalize it to make the sale but that is the nature of the media, again not something new just something we should all be aware of. I think the players do get far too much grief for things that they did but they have millions of reasons to move on to their next vacation and enjoy themselves!

Answer 6

#1 & #4 are correct for both players.
#2 is true for Clemens during his early years only.
#3 is true for Bonds mostly.
#4 should say "both did lie about the use of steroids".
#5 is totally rediculous & people of all colors are tired of the race card being pulled from the deck everytime something like this comes up.

Answer 7

It takes someone who distinguishes race as a motive to even think about #5, congratulations, you get an 'ist' at the end of 'rac'.

When did you hear Clemens asked about steroids, when was he ordered to go into court, in front of a grand jury?
Never is the answer you are looking for.

The many times I have seen Clemens in front of the cameras and to the media, he has been fine.


It takes a small mind to turn this into a white/black issue. Yet, it takes a big mind to realize there is no black and no white, simply shades of brown.

Answer 8

I don't think either of them will be treated differently because of race. I love Barry Bonds, and am a little southern white girl. Love Clemmons too. They made stupid decisions and will both suffer the consequences. I mean is there not black media, of course there is most of sports center is black will they not give Clemmons a harder time because he's white? I think someone may be giving too little credit to the American people. We are all American whether we're black, white, green or yellow, leave the race card in the box. I do think the media really gave Bonds a hard time but not because of his color

Answer 9

From what I have heard it seems as if most people are just as mad at Clemens as at Bonds. Bonds just came first because of his link to Balco. Look at the papers in NY, they are tearing him apart. Give it some time, and I think that he will get what he deserves too.

Answer 10

To tell the truth, I prefer Bonds, and I am a white female, we need to be careful , because there seems to be a differance between "steroid" use and human growth hormons and the fact that Bonds perjurred himself is not helping him. I think the Goverment needs to get their nose outta this and leave it up to the baseball comm. I really hate the fact that most people assume a black person will be treated more harshly.......that is not always the case, yes it does sometimes happen, but sometimes one needs to look at extenuating facts to form an educated oppinion.