It was never about steroids -- it was about lying -- and that's a joke.
Did Bonds and/or Clemens take steroids and/or other performance enhancing drugs? I don't know, and unless you were in the room to see it and knew EXACTLY what might be in a pill, cream, or needle -- you don't know either. Even if they did, there was nothing illegal about it at the time anyway. No, it's not about that.
It's about politicians being outraged that somebody might dare lied to them in their own House, or Senate. If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is. Some of those people will go on national TV, look straight into the camera, and lie to millions of viewers. They'll lie about the opposite party. Come primary time, they'll lie about people within their OWN party. They'll lie to their constituents back home. They'll lie about slush funds, bribes, and other corruption. They'll even lie to their wives and kids for years about a mistress or girlfriend, until they get exposed (ignore the pun). Not ao amazingly -- they don't get prosecuted.
In a nutshell, a pack of liars is trying to hold others accountable for possibly lying to them. While doing so, they'll routinely sic another pack of cops, investigators and prosecutors on the defendant(s). All of this runs into millions of taxpayer dollars. They have an unlimited budget and don't care. In an ironic sort of way, besides paying exorbitant sums to legal eagles to defend them, defendants are also subsidizing a small part of their own prosecution through their taxpayer dollars. One would think that in a perfect world, the IRS would offer some sort of deduction for that, but alas, they seem to suffer from the same affliction that ailed the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, and my ex-wife. Ahem.
The point is -- people are getting pissed at the hypocrisy of it all. Besides getting dragged into jury duty they don't want, and possibly being sequestered for days, weeks, or months, they may only ever hear "selected"evidence while both the prosecution and defense are lying away. In the meantime, prejudcied talking heads will yap away on TV and social networks. Yep, it's become a joke.
Yet maybe there's a positive sign coming out of all this nonsense. Despite expending thousands of man hours and millions of dollars, the feds crashed and burned at the Barry Bonds trial. Could they have learned from that?
Maybe. Consider the Clemens' trial was for basically the same reason. Allegedly lying. Throw in questionable evidence, shady prosecutorial witnesses that would be blown up on cross-examination, and a few subpoonaed athletes that really didn't want to be there, and what happened?
A mistrial, just as it got started. The prosecution threw something out to the jury that the judge said was highly prejudicial and would undermine a fair trial. The judge went on to say even a first year law student would have known better than that. So after all the time, energy, and money that they devoted to it -- why would the feds do something so seemingly boneheaded?
Maybe because, given current public sentiment about any and all things having to do with the feds, they suspected they couldn't win and didn't want to suffer the embarrassment of another Bonds outcome being trumpeted world-wide.
In the meantime, the tainted evvidence the jury wasn't supposed to hear has gone viral. The judge has scheduled a hearing for September to decide whether to hold a new trial. Don't count on it. Where will they possibly find an unbiased jury? If there's one thing the politicians understand, it's publicopinion as an election year draws close. They wouldn't dare. It's over.
As for me? I hope Roger and Barry did what they were accused of. Looking a bunch of liars in the eyes, lying right back to them, and getting away with it.
The stodgy old sports traditionalists will look down their nose, throw out the usual snide comments, and attach asterisks to their stats.
For what they've already done, in more ways than one, they're in my Hall of Fame.
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