The Fate of #756 by Marc Ecko

[vhawk01]

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I have an honest question, and I'm going to put my personal distaste for Barry aside here for a minute...

A lot of the argument for Bonds is that "everybody's doing it". People talk about the fact that its the "steroid era" and claim that basically most, if not all, big-time players are using some kind of steroids. My question - how is that a legitimate argument? Does that make it any less wrong or taint a record any less? Because lots of other people are breaking the rules and either get caught, does that somehow make it "less bad" that Bonds is doing it?

I'm just saying, I've seen that a lot in this thread, and I have to say, people talk about Aaron's amphetamines, and the fact that Babe never had to play black players, but it seems to me that steroids would have a much larger effect than any of the other misdeeds or simple circumstances in baseball's past. The ability to grow more muscle faster (coupled with an already great eye for the ball) and recuperate faster would do more than any upper or hot dog ever would, I think.

Like I said, I'm just saying, people shouldn't excuse Bonds as "just another player in the steroid era". Cheating is cheating no matter how many players are doing it. Now, whether he did or not is up for debate, but that's why we're here, isn't it?

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It might not make it any less wrong, but it absolutely taints the record a lot less. If everyone is doing it, it is a completely level playing field, and since a HR is a RELATIVE achievement and not an absolute achievement, as long as there is a level playing field, the record shouldn't be tainted at all.

It would be different if we were talking about 100m dash times or something, something that is an absolute achievement.