Deadline #16, Argument Essay

Bonds’ Blunder
If convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice, Barry Bonds’ title of home run champion should be revoked. Barry Bonds is one of the world’s most famous baseball players, and regarded by many as the best baseball player in history – but perhaps regarded by more as the biggest cheater in baseball history. One thing is for certain, however – Barry Bonds has definitely been the most controversial baseball player since 2003. An investigation into the company BALCO, designed “to expose threats to your health and the environment,” led to the unveiling of more than several prominent athletes who had used performance enhancing drugs. This also led to the suspicion that Bonds was knowingly using similar drugs after Victor Conte, founder of BALCO, revealed that Bonds was on his list of famous athletes he frequently worked with.
Bonds’ knowledge of taking performance enhancing drugs while employed by the San Francisco Giants should be more than enough to discredit his remarkable accomplishments over the past several years. From his climb up the all-time home run leader board, to his becoming the all-time home run leader and the single season home run leader with a crushing 763 and 73 home runs, respectively, his accomplishments should all be reviewed by, and voided by baseball’s commissioner, Bud Selig. To have a player, held in such high regard with all of his recent accomplishments, knowingly break well-known rules against using performance enhancing drugs, and lying under oath about being ignorant to the fact could be a very painful blow to Major League Baseball. Breaking the rule is bad enough, but lying about it under oath in court makes the case even more serious. Should a liar and a cheater be the source of inspiration and a role model for youngsters pursuing their goals of making it to the big leagues one day? Should a liar and a cheater be given the privilege of calling himself Major League Baseball’s all-time and single season home run champion?
Other athletes have had to cut their careers short and have even been revoked of their medals won at National and Worldwide competitions because of use of performance enhancing drugs, so why shouldn’t the same be said for Bonds? Why shouldn’t Bonds’ unofficial title of home run king be expunged? In fact, why shouldn’t Bonds be removed completely from Major League Baseball’s record books? Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones has plead guilty for her use of a drug called THG while still competing and, as a result, lost millions of dollars in endorsements. Jose Canseco’s career was cut short because of his use of steroids while playing baseball. Track star Eric Thomas had his “championship in the 400-meter hurdles” taken away from him in the World Championships for use of the drug modafinil. Bonds has become a huge disgrace to the sport that is as patriotic as apple pie and Chevrolet. People might ask, “Why would Barry Bonds, that same skinny Barry Bonds who won the Most Valuable Player award in 1990 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and who, at that time, already looked Hall of Fame worthy, want or possibly need to take steroids to try to improve his game?” Good question....
Barry Bonds, just like other athletes in whose footsteps he has followed, should face harsh punishment. To have the newly crowned home run king stripped of his crown, a clear message would be sent out to all athletes and aspiring athletes alike, that using performance enhancing drugs to get ahead will result in accusations; court appearances; revocation of medals, titles and awards; and possibly some jail time. Barry Bonds should not be able to have the luxury of being able to call himself Major League Baseball’s home run champion. However, he still has to be found guilty before we can go snatching up titles and awards.