Bonds was vilified; his motives questioned, his work ethic dismissed, rumors and hearsay reported as fact. His word was not taken. The media made up its mind and demanded asterisks, or worse, just decided the record didn't count.
In 2014, Peyton Manning, a player in his late 30's who had come back from many injuries, including a career threatening one, broke one of his sport's most hallowed records.
Manning was celebrated; his motives commended, his work ethic lauded, any questions about him was dismissed as sour grapes and hate. His word was taken as gospel. The media made up its mind and decided that he was everything right with a sport where so much has gone wrong recently.
***
Am I missing something? This can't just be a black/white thing, can it? Is it just the way PEDs are viewed in their respective sports? I mean, Manning plays a game where HGH is ingested like so much candy, so are we to believe that he came back from an injury that would cripple most people through only a lot of hard work and a good diet? And all any hack writer can ever talk and/or joke about is the size of Barry Bonds' head. Have you fucking seen Peyton Manning's head?!?!?
The fucking thing doesn't even fit inside his helmet!
Look, I am no Barry Bonds apologist. I am a baseball hipster, I hated Barry Bonds way way way before it was cool. But why has no one even questioned Peyton about the comeback from his injury? Why has no one pointed out that Manning is playing as well or better at age 38 than just about any other quarterback ever (and that after a catastrophic injury)? Most QBs are absolutely finished by age 36-37 - Unitas, Montana, Marino, Fouts, the list goes on and on. Yet Peyton keeps breaking records and playing better than he ever has and all the media can do is fall over themselves to fawn over his greatness. If no one cares about PEDs in football, why are they the end of the fucking world in baseball? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
