It's a trap!

This part was better:

Aside from Bonds' reaction, Arnold's statement unleashed a flurry of denials on Wednesday with even Arnold qualifying his original supposition. Arnold, who had no direct knowledge of what drugs Conte may or may not have given the athletes, told ESPN Radio on Wednesday that his assessment should be viewed only as an opinion, "albeit an informed opinion."

And this part was good too:

Conte, who like Arnold, also plea bargained a short sentence that included prison time and house arrest, immediately released his own statement to the New York Times saying that Bonds never used steroids.

"The program I created for Barry was a comprehensive nutritional supplementation regimen and had nothing to do with 'the clear' or any other anabolic steroids," said Conte, who has never implicated Bonds in the scandal, although he said in a television interview that he watched track star Marion Jones inject herself with the performance-enhancing drug under his supervision.

In a subsequent interview with The Los Angeles Times, Conte told the newspaper that he didn't give steroids to Bonds.

"Why would a baseball player have needed an undetectable steroid when drug testing wasn't mandated until 2003?" Conte said. "To suggest that Barry's 2001 record of 73 home runs was assisted by 'the clear' is ridiculous and simply makes no sense."

Bob Costas: A little midget man, who doesn’t know jack about baseball, who never played the game before.

I think Bonds pulled this directly off Costas' Wikipedia page.

"Don't worry," he said. "My day will come."
"I'll tell him how I feel face-to-face," Bonds said.

Nice to see Bonds firing back.

I think Bonds used steroids.

A little midget man, who doesn’t know jack about base

I thought that was Bill James?

3-2-1...on when "Little Midget Man" becomes the hot new handle round these parts!

I thought that was Bill James

No, he's "A little fat guy with a beard who knows nothing about nothing."

I thought that was Bill James

No, he's "A little fat guy with a beard who knows nothing about nothing."

and which one was the "pork and beans factory" worker?
I get confused on the whose who of these math geeks all the time.

I thought that was Bill James?

No, that's Mike Lupica.

Of course, one of the problems is that, having a man like Victor Conte stand up for your chemical purity, is a little like having Bill Clinton vouch for your chastity, or Dick Cheney lauding your environmental credentials.

Of course, one of the problems is that, having a man like Victor Conte stand up for your chemical purity, is a little like having Bill Clinton vouch for your chastity, or Dick Cheney lauding your environmental credentials.

That, obviously, goes both ways, since it's men like Victor Conte who are generally prosecution witnesses.

But what's Conte's motive to lie here? He has already pleaded guilty, so he's not trying to exculpate himself. And he has already sold other athletes down the river, so it's not like he's concerned about being a rat.

But what's Conte's motive to lie here?

In a previous magazine interview, Conte said he gave drugs to Bonds' longtime trainer, Greg Anderson. But he said he didn't know what Anderson did with them. Anderson is currently in jail for refusing to testify about Bonds.

"Should there be some suspicion?" Conte asks. "Absolutely. Can I say, you know, that Barry Bonds did not use drugs? I can't say that, because I don't know that."

Conte says he provided Bonds with a complex nutritional program, and that Bonds worked extremely hard in the gym. When asked whether he is once again working with Bonds, Conte says, "There have been people that come by to pick up boxes of supplement for a designated baseball player. And we'll just leave it at that."

I think that's most likely the motivation but maybe we'll never know what his motivation is. And, it is possible that he doesn't have first hand knowledge of Bonds' steroid use.

Conte says he provided Bonds with a complex nutritional program, and that Bonds worked extremely hard in the gym.

Wait, I thought he just popped/rubbed/injected some steroids and turned into a superhuman slugger.

*jumps out of papier-mache cake*

Ta-Daaaa!

Isn't Costas enhancing his performance with those bleached teeth and his eye job? Pot, kettle, black, Bobby!

"Why would a baseball player have needed an undetectable steroid when drug testing wasn't mandated until 2003?" Conte said.

This, of course, is a good point.

I would guess that they were either preparing for the possibility that random drug tests could be instituted overnight, and Bonds wouldn't have time to get whatever he was on out of his system, or that BALCO was using Bonds as something of a celebrity endorsement -- using him as an example to athletes in other sports where there WAS testing of the results that were possible with this new steroid.

I'm less convinced about THG's ability to have a steroid-sized effect on performance. If the testing program gets steroids out of the game but allows some players to continue taking THG (or to start taking it instead) I'd probably consider that a victory.

"Don't worry," he said. "My day will come."
"I'll tell him how I feel face-to-face," Bonds said.

He admits that he didn't actually see the interview, and so he's making vague threatening statements on the guy simply because he interviewed Patrick Arnold? Seems a little odd.

Nice to see Bonds firing back.

When has he not fired back? He's acting with the same amount of class, grace, and dignity that he always has, which is why he's so beloved.

THG also had tremendous pharmacological properties. That it was also undetectable was a bonus.

Um, no. That it is undetectable is the primary usage - because the track athletes were already monitored. Arnold brought it back from the dead beause it was undetectable. That it was more effective than other typical steroids was the bonus.

He admits that he didn't actually see the interview, and so he's making vague threatening statements on the guy simply because he interviewed Patrick Arnold? Seems a little odd.


How is that a threat? And who leads the NL in OPS+? How about that?

The Costas thing is comedy gold.

Great to hear Bonds shoot back at Costas. Costas is a angry little man who is ruining a great accomplishment in baseball by his prejudice remarks. I dont remember his hateful comments at Mark McGwire and Sosa when they gave baseball a much needed Jolt. His bad attitude should be targeted at all the records before Jackie Robinson intergrated baseball. Then the game started to be played at a high level. Until all the best players played together all statistics should have a astericks before them. It should say "played the game with only bigoted friends." From the highlights I see it was also played like slow pitch softball.
Anyone who carries around baseball cards (like Costas) with them has to be off centered in their views. Thinking that baseball stats should be view as holy numbers cant be rational.
Putting clear lotion on your muscles is something most would do if you are ageing trying to play a young mans game. I would have done it if I saw all the love Sammy and Mark received. And to try to ruin this feat with hate is just awful. The vengence is shown because no one questions Lance Johnson great tour run. Or how Micheal Jordan body and Head got so Big. Or how Roger Clemens is the only picture I know to throw a bat at someone. It obvious he took steriods. And many more. Its 2007 Costas. This game is not perfect and neither are your heroes
Drugs have been it the game since the 70's and to single one man out is wrong. Steriods are bad and the game has done something about it. Let move on and enjoy this feat in a very boring sport.