Let baseball be just a game! (about Barry Bonds)

Should Barry Bonds record stand? (Steroids & Sports)

Being a Major League Baseball player is one of regular boys’ dreams. In recent months, every boy’s dream has been tainted by the suspicion of illegal substance use by some of the baseball superstar players and it raises a question about many players’ baseball records and cheating.
Barry Bonds has not been charged and he has denied knowingly using any illegal performance enhancing drugs. Despite investigation and dark clouds over Barry Bonds career and his home run records, San Francisco baseball fans seemed not disturbed by steroid news and anxious to see him play throughout the season for their beloved baseball team.
Whether he has been charged or not, there were overwhelming testimonies of observers of Bonds that his home-run records of recent years got a significant boost from a various performance enhancing drugs, including steroids and human growth hormone. There is no doubt that steroid scandal corrupted the view of the highest levels of professional athletic competition particularly Major League Baseball. The question is that Barry Bonds’ extraordinary records were achieved by his talent, or by cheating. Should Barry Bond’s record stand?
Without knowing much about baseball and baseball players, my personal opinion however, it is not about Barry Bonds. It is about the integrity of athletic competition at its highest levels. Everyone seems to have a different opinion about baseball players who have been suspected of taking steroids or tested positive; others want to see Major League Baseball teams to clean up while die-hard fans want to ignore whole investigation of steroid use.
Since Roman times, one thing we all cherish and tend to honor the sportsmanship, character, and integrity in any sport competitions, the recent steroid scandal has not only compromised these elements of players but also raised suspicion of other players’ merits in all sports.
No doubt that steroid use is a serious problem. We have seen increase in steroid use in high school and college athletes across all sports. The tolerance for performance-enhancing drugs in the professional baseball league will inevitably catch on to the colleges and high school sports programs.
By stripping away Barry Bonds’ record wouldn’t solve the problem. I am not even sure that this will get rid of performance enhancing drugs completely in the Major League Baseball. He might have been the greatest baseball player ever as he insisted that his accomplishments were purely a result of hard work and talent. It is sad to think that Barry Bonds’ single-season home run record and his legacy would be tarnished because of it.
However, it will teach other players a lesson about the virtue of fair play and cheating should not be tolerated in any sports including Barry Bonds’ extraordinary records. Let this be a lesson to all boys who have taught by baseball moms and dads that cheating is okay and winning is everything. Let baseball be just a game.