CHANGE MY LOCATION
Local
California News
Multimedia News
Bonds fans stand by their man
SEE HOW THIS STORY DEVELOPED
Related Topics: SAN FRANCISCO
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Even after learning their homer-hitting hero had been indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday after a four-year investigation, Giants fans remained supportive of the team’s former slugger and all of his accomplishments despite continued allegations that he used illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
“I’m a Barry Bonds fan,” said Casey Pacheco, a 43-year-old computer analyst and lifelong Giants fan, said while making a late-afternoon stop at Beale Street Bar and Grill. “If they didn’t have anything by now, let it go.”
Pacheco’s pal Michael Pagan, an A’s fan, said he found it more than coincidental that Greg Anderson, Bonds’ personal trainer, was released from the federal prison in Dublin shortly after the slugger’s indictment for perjury and obstruction was announced. Anderson was imprisoned for failing to testify against Bonds.
“I think it was Anderson that [ratted Bonds out],” said Pagan, a plumber who said he would like to see the A’s sign the slugger. “He said, ‘I want to sing you a song, Mr. Judge.’ It’s hypothetical, but it could have happened that way.”
Regardless of whatever conspiracies are floating around, the fact is Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s career home run record this season. He sits at 762 blasts as he shops himself around for a new team as a free agent.
“I’m still behind him because he broke the record,” said Brandon Rubio, a 20-year-old car salesman and lifelong Giants fan. “I’m going to stand by him to the end.”
Even non-Giants fans said they believe Bonds’ plethora of records should stand.
“I don’t think [his records] should go untarnished, but I don’t think he should be held totally accountable,” said Pittsburgh Pirates fan Steve Chester, a 45-year-old facilities manager for Autodesk who said he played against Bonds in high school. “To pull something that he did was extraordinary, with or without steroids.”
Comments from Examiner Readers
1:54 PM MST on Fri., Nov. 16, 2007 re: "Bonds fans stand by their man"
Report as inappropriate
1:07 PM MST on Fri., Nov. 16, 2007
re: "Bonds fans stand by their man"
Report as inappropriate
12:37 PM MST on Fri., Nov. 16, 2007
re: "Bonds fans stand by their man"
Report as inappropriate
11:18 AM MST on Fri., Nov. 16, 2007
re: "Bonds fans stand by their man"
Report as inappropriate
Ms. Jackson said:
Barry Bonds fans are like little Virginia who wanted desperately to believe that there is a Santa Claus. Virginia is now a drunken old hag on welfare. She was not much of a critical thinker, which brings up the subject of the mind of the average Barry Bonds fan on the street...
33 agree | 37 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
joey eckstein said:
Hey, Casey Pacheco is on steroids too He bought them from Carlos Ayala
55 agree | 45 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Denial can be an amazingly powerful emotion.
56 agree | 47 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
HA HA HA said:
Headline should read "Bonds Fans Stained by Their Man"
50 agree | 36 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree