IF ONLY YOU COULD BRAND BONDS INSTEAD

by Sterling Gould, More Credible

WARNING: Semi-serious post from a usual jackass ahead. You have been cautioned.

The results are in from vote756.com and the fans have spoken, they want to send Barry Bonds home run record breaking ball to Cooperstown with an asterisk:

Over 10 million people voted and were given the options of banishing it into space, bestowing it to the Hall of Fame or branding it with an asterisk, due to the popular thought that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs to accomplish the feat. The decision was a landslide as 47 percent of voters put their support behind branding it while 34 percent voted to bestow it to the Hall of Fame. "We're going to be working with the folks at the Hall of Fame. It is a historical museum. We want to treat this ball as such, as an artifact with respect," Ecko said on the Today Show.

Nothing says "we respect your accomplishments" more than slapping a symbol that has summed up the public's opinion on your career on an item of history you created. Personally, I wanted to see the ball banish into space because it just sounded amazing.

All kidding aside, I really appreciate Ecko's idea to let the public decide on the fate of the baseball. Bonds seems to be untouchable to the public. No matter what you say about him, it doesn't seem to affect him. No matter what you think he's allegedly done, no one can seem to catch him in the process. Barry Bonds has been a huge part of sporting culture and almost synonymous with cheating. Fans have always wanted to take their shot at Bonds, so why not hit him where it hurts the most? Bonds had called Ecko "a moron". Why? Because nothing would hurt Bonds more than tarnishing the one thing that means the most to him.

By doing that, you've hurt Bonds more than words or physical force ever could.

Wow, that was really hard for me to write. I'm going to go back to the apartment and shotgun a few cold ones before I start shedding a tear.