On Nov. 15, I was graced with news that preserved one of the few pure things left in this world: baseball.
Barry Bonds was indicted on four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice. These counts were made based on Bonds' December 2003 testimony where he said he didn't knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs obtained from his trainer, Greg Anderson, who just happened to be released from prison the same day as Bonds' indictment.
According to ESPN.com, the indictment "cites 19 occasions in which Bonds allegedly lied under oath." Based on these counts of perjury and several tests, it can be deduced that Bonds knew exactly what he was doing.
If convicted, Bonds could face up to 30 years in prison.
Bonds has been tarnishing the name of baseball for years now, stealing home run records he probably doesn't deserve and being the least personable player in the Major League, saying he would boycott Cooperstown if they put an asterisk anywhere near his career highlights.
People make the argument, "Steroids don't help you make contact with the ball. His batting average would still be awesome." Sure that's true. But if you take out the steroids all he has is a good batting average, which, last I checked, still isn't in the realm of deserving Hall of Famers' averages, like Ted Williams.
This indictment of Bonds signifies professional sports getting one step closer to making the game what it was in the beginning: fair. Also, it probably keeps Bonds out of the Hall, a triumph in the recent sports world.
The weekend of Dec. 7 will be a celebrated one in sports, not for championships or record-breakers, but for justice. Bonds will go to court for his recent charges on Dec. 7, while Michael Vick is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10 for his alleged crimes. His trial date was set for yesterday for his animal cruelty and dogfighting charges.
The last few months of professional sports haven't been something to be proud of. The NBA saw referee Tim Donaghy betting on games. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was caught cheating in a game against the Jets. Even if they go undefeated for this season and go on to win the Super Bowl, I'm not sure if anyone could call it perfect.
With all of the controversies occurring among our sports heroes, it's hard to stay excited and find someone to look up to. But the announcement of Bonds' indictment is a stepping stone toward turning the controversies around. Finally, fans have something they've been looking for and hoping would turn up for a while: proof.
Here's to the asterisk.
-Lauren Kohout, Editor-in-Chief
