Comments on: Barry Bonds to pay for Bryan Stow’s kids to go to college

By: youravgjoe42

youravgjoe42 — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:51:12 +0000

Wherever you stand on Barry Bonds, its impossible to deny that this individual action was very generous and will have a long meaningful impact for the Stow family. None of us are in Barry’s head, so trying to deconstruct his motives is a useless endeavor. Most people don’t know this about Bonds, but over his career he has poured millions of dollars into charitable ventures. I think its not just possible, but likely that Mr. Bonds has good and bad elements of his character, both equally real. For example, he may be sullen and rude to strangers and reporters in personal interactions, and generous on issues he cares about. I have heard enough stories about donations, and instances of him blowing people off to be reasonably confident that Mr. Bonds is more complex a person then he is given credit. In either event, his donation to the Stow family is a good thing all around.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:17:52 +0000

I’m willing to assume for the moment that your 80% statistic is real and not merely pulled out of nowhere since the actual number is immaterial…doesn’t such a statistic, along with your other anecdotal evidence say to you that the prison system as a purely penal institution is costing us taxpayers entirely too much money? Instead of throwing people in prison, forcing them to work for next to nothing, and then releasing them, perhaps we should try something like rehabilitation so the numerous drug addicts that ind their way to prison have a shot of being released no longer addicted…explore work release type programs that allow for non-violent offenders to develop real skills that will help them obtain employment upon release…treat humans as humans so they don’t leave the system angry and filled with resentment that will ultimately lead them only capable of interacting with other criminals and never get a chance to learn from their mistakes? There are many many ways that we could lower the recidivism rate, and in the end lower the overall cost of prisons and crime, but aren’t being explored because the prison business is a multi-million dollar enterprise with heavy lobbying power that works hard to ensure that as many individuals are imprisoned as possible, and that they can get away with spending as little as possible to house them like cattle to turn a profit rather than help society.

So yes, my tax dollars should be spent to make sure that people are treated humanely, are fed, housed in a civilized manner, and provided with a base-line tv and antenna to help pass some of the many hours of down time because I like to think that we here in America don’t treat people like animals, aim to provide some hope and help to those that are in need of both, and want our money spent in a manner that will benefit society.

As for the wall that you propose (glossing over the politics because it’s not germane to my point), wouldn’t the better way to have government projects like this built be to have government works projects like in FDR’s New Deal era where instead of merely handing out welfare checks we pay the unemployed to work temporarily and perhaps learn important skills that will help them obtain employment in the future as well?

By: nixonotis

nixonotis — Thu, 26 May 2011 05:51:02 +0000

What point are you trying to make?

By: raysfan1

raysfan1 — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:32:00 +0000

rhandome–Don’t you know that the entire offense explosion in the late ’90′s and early 2000′s was steroids-fueled? There couldn’t have been any other factors. Expansion had nothing to do with it, nor juiced balls, body armor, pitchers getting thrown out of games for brushing hitters back, or newer stadiums being built as band boxes. Clearly steroids only affect hitters; they are completely ineffectual for pitchers. Also, don’t confuse me with the facts by pointing out that ballplayers were using steroids in the 1970s and probably earlier than that. Further, please do not remind me that prior to 1991 steroids did not require a prescription in the USA either (and they still do not in some countries where some players are from); it just makes my hair hurt.

By: raysfan1

raysfan1 — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:16:25 +0000

Bonds has no need for image repair. While he’s a pariah in most baseball circles, he still draws cheers in San Francisco, which is likely all he cares about. It is indeed a class move, one based on genuine feeling–not on any ulterior motive.

By: lowfund

lowfund — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:33:24 +0000

Family admits Bryan Stow has Criminal Past

In response to rumors circulating about Bryan Stow’s violent past and criminal history the Stow Family posted the following comment on the Bryan Stow Fund website:

“News & Updates Sunday, May 22, 2011

‘there has been comments and postings regarding Bryan’s past. Bryan was not perfect…nobody is. In the years since, Bryan turned his life around. Regardless of his history, we ask that everyone refrain from posting any judgmental comments. Please be aware that we will delete ANY negative comment. Don’t forget to visit the store to show your support! ‘

Dave, Ann, Erin and Bonnie

Send your love>>”

By: king3319

king3319 — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:02:20 +0000

Kwphilly….well said my friend. As to the forum of the steroid debate…it’s been done to death. I never cared for his attitude but giving those kids a good start is one hell of a gift. No matter what I may think of the man that was a damn nice thing to do to help Mr. Stows kids. Well done Bonds.

By: rhandome

rhandome — Wed, 25 May 2011 20:34:55 +0000

You’re wrong about steroids, but that’s been discussed to death (http://steroids-and-baseball.com for more info). But I just wanted to add that corked bats don’t work; the cork actually absorbs some of the energy from the baseball, leading to shorter fly balls. There was a Mythbusters epidsode about it

By: bleedgreen

bleedgreen — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:38:07 +0000

While I am against steroids, its been proven that many pitchers were ALSO on the juice. If a juiced pitcher pitches to a juiced batter, who has the advantage? Steroids don’t make you a better hitter. You still need to actually make proper contact with the ball.

By: pjmarn6

pjmarn6 — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:33:38 +0000

Matt you never saw a chain gang alongside a highway picking up trash. You never been to New Jersey or Florida and saw convicts chained together and a cop on a horse with a rifle overseeing them? You never heard of prisioners working in prisons earning .15-.25 an hour doing menial labor for minor offenses? Google for more information.
It is entirely possible that the father will never recognize his kids again. The brain damage is severe and you want these miscreants to sit in luxury for the next 10-20 years for what they did? You did not hear the latest news about California prisions. They were told to RELEASE prisioners because of overcrowding. Now you got a choice go to California and live with the newly freed prisoners or volunteer to oversee the border fence with Mexico. BTW the fence is being made where the smugglers were using native indians to help them smuggle drugs across the border.
80% of criminals reoffend. So the next time your house or car or you get mugged remember that you laughed at having the criminals do HARD TIME!

By: pjmarn6

pjmarn6 — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:22:42 +0000

You really don’t understand the problem behind steroids? Do you understand the problem with spitters or corked bats? When you exploit an unfair advantage to increase your abilities, you drag down the abilities, averages, production etc of the opposing players who are playing fair.
You’re a crook, a liar and a cheat. Is that clear enough. Do you think all those home runs magically started flying out of the ball parks because of global warming? Now what happened to the pitchers ERA? How many more games were won? How did the steroids altered the stattistics and how did it alter the way all future statistics are measured? If you don’t understand all that, then you are incapable of understanding baseball. How many athletes have been tossed from the Olympic games for illegal substances. The bike racing scandals? Why are horses tested after winning a race? Jesus you got to THINK!!

By: pjmarn6

pjmarn6 — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:08:24 +0000

Matt then we should raise your taxes to pay for feeding them, giving them airconditioned rooms and let them sit around watching tv?

By: rhandome

rhandome — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:39:22 +0000

@ adenzeno: that’s a separate issue from whether they were banned by MLB. Unless you think that breaking a law should invalidate a guy’s stats. In which case, I can think of a few players we need to kick out of the H.O.F. …

By: bklynbaseball

bklynbaseball — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:36:32 +0000

what’s funny is that really the only teammate I’ve read about who didn’t like Barry was Jeff Kent – who wasn’t exactly Mr. Congeniality.

By: rhandome

rhandome — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:32:11 +0000

Barry Lamar Bonds is the greatest hitter in Major League Baseball history. He’s far better than the best player that ever played for your team. You’re not fit to speak his name, much less criticize his career.

By: mjaugelli

mjaugelli — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:48:19 +0000

good to know, well done by bonds

By: Utley's Hair

Utley's Hair — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:44:39 +0000

Whoa…kinda harsh for a Canadian, isn’t it? Especially after your Canoildienleafs are going to the Finals….

By: Utley's Hair

Utley's Hair — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:41:08 +0000

According to the story, Bonds “donated” the money already, so I’m guessing it’s some sort of trust, 529 or escrow account or something similar.

By: mjaugelli

mjaugelli — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:23:08 +0000

that’s perfect, especially when you consider the fact that by the time those kids go to school, Bonds may be broke as a result of his legaL issues

By: Utley's Hair

Utley's Hair — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:19:15 +0000

Though my opinion of his career doesn’t change, Bonds should get his props when they are deserved, and this is one of those cases. I’ll give him a bit of time off for good behavior.

By: pacnwsailor

pacnwsailor — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:06:19 +0000

wow Barry is actually trying to be a human being…good for him

By: b7p19

b7p19 — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:38:14 +0000

One of my biggest problems with people is when they don’t think for themselves. If you have never met someone before you should really withhold judgement on them. Dodger fans can hate him for fans sake and baseball fans can hate him for the steroids, but as far as actually pretending you know who a guy is not cool. Just my opinion.

By: sayheykidwschamp

sayheykidwschamp — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:37:25 +0000

The MLB did not test for steroids until recently. The MLB looked the other way and loved every dime of our money to rejuvenate a deflated sport. So how were they illegal? How would anyone get caught without a test?

By: sayheykidwschamp

sayheykidwschamp — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:29:13 +0000

Looks like meathead could have used someone like Barry Bonds to donate money so that he could have gotten an education as well. It’s amazing that he even knows how to find this site and post a comment. I guess that proves that the internet is not idiot proof.

By: ngearhart1981

ngearhart1981 — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:32:14 +0000

Wow. When was the last time you did something really special for a complete stranger? I mean beyond holding a door open or letting someone change lanes in traffic? Bonds never seemed to care about his legacy, which can be both a bad AND good thing. Such as cases like this; it’s very good. He’s treated the media with disdain, but he’s always been charitable. I’d stake a whole lot that Barry Bonds is a much better person than you.

By: xpensivewinos

xpensivewinos — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:15:06 +0000

Apparently, the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day.

Good for Bonds. It’s a great gesture regardless of what people think of him and it’s nice to actually see his name associated with something positive for the first time in a long time.

What people think of him is irrelevant………the bottom line is, he helped people. The world can use a lot more of that these days.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:02:04 +0000

If you do any searching you can probably find different profiles that talk to former team mates from his college and pro days. The guy has always been a giant ass with a huge sense of entitlement…personality traits fostered by both his father and god father. You don’t have to meet someone to be able to judge their actions or the qualities they evince. One or two stories, you could dismiss, but there is a pattern of behavior that suggests that Bonds has a number of undesirable personality traits….and yeah, pretty much everyone. How many non-paid for non-family member friends does Bonds seem to have? How many people ever defend the guy or talk about what a nice guy he is? No one does, and there are reasons for that.

By: deathmonkey41

deathmonkey41 — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:39:26 +0000

Most likely part of his PR campaign to repair his image, but still a very classy move by a guy who has spent most of his life being an a-hole. Good for him and great for the Stow family.

By: Lukehart80

Lukehart80 — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:12:06 +0000

This story doesn’t seem to be on ESPN. com at all, not as of 7:00AM, CST anyway. That can’t be though, can it?

By: The Common Man/www.platoonadvantage.com

The Common Man/www.platoonadvantage.com — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:10:36 +0000

Haters gonna be spineless, horrible, hate-filled people.