A Slice of Bacon

Here is a social experiment I’m sure is as simple as they come; ask four coworkers around you to say the first thing that comes to their mind when the name “Barry Bonds” is uttered. 

Cheater. Steroids. Jerk. Asshole. 

That’s what we think, because we are society, and that’s just how life works. When you’re famous, you either go one way or the other, and a lot of the time it isn’t anything you did. Alex Rodriguez is an incredible baseball player, the likes of one we haven’t seen in decades, but if you asked people to mention things about him, most would come back negative. On the other hand, if you did the same for Albert Pujols, you’d probably hear nothing but good things. You’re lamented as something in this society and that is what you are. There are a ton of Kim Kardashians in our world and very few Paul Rudds. 

So when I read this article at With Leather about a lot of major media outlets ignoring the goodwill of Barry Bonds, CHEATER and JERK, it saddened me. What are we if we aren’t predictable, right? 

Bonds brought a lot of negative press on himself, and I’d be as likely to wear a North Korea soccer jersey as I would to sport something with “Bonds” on the back, but that shouldn’t stop us from talking about something good someone does even when they’re not expected to do good. 

Aren’t the best acts of kindness the ones we don’t expect? Don’t girlfriends loves flowers way more when you bring them on a random Wednesday instead of on Valentines? You were thinking of them and them only, not about the consequences if you don’t act. 

Bonds did something incredible. He is picking up the tab for Bryan Stow, the Giants fan that got beaten into a coma at Dodgers Stadium, for all of Stow’s kids college. All of it. Stanford. Texas. Coastal Carolina. It doesn’t matter. Bonds is taking care of it. 

And the story hasn’t been reported enough. Not even close. Do you want to know how word leaked about the selfless act? By Stow’s lawyer, not by anyone in Bonds’ camp. He didn’t mention it at all, and if the lawyer hadn’t said anything, nobody would have heard of it. 

As Jimmy Traina pointed out, “Bottom line: if Tebow donated the money, how do you think these sites would play the story?” It’s an incredible point, not because Tim Tebow is white and Bonds is black, but because society adores Tebow and hates Bonds. Whatever Tebow does is gold, and whatever Bonds does is goof. 

But it should be the other way around. We should be more impressed when people surprise us with things. We should be proud of Bonds for doing this, even if the money he will spend for Stow’s two kids to go through college won’t dent his bank account in the least. We should praise ANYONE that would be willing to do this, and just because it’s a guy that we have been told is BAD shouldn’t change how we report or perceive it. 

I’m proud of Bonds for doing such an incredible act, and feel he deserves the appropriate press for the story, but it isn’t even about that. It’s about our ideas about people, and how we go about things. Everyday someone can surprise us, and instead of rolling our eyes about their past, we should be happy about their present. Today, Bonds is a good fellow. Who cares about anything else?