Dodgers: Classless

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Posted By: Andrew Parks

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2959207

Pretty classless action by one of sports most "reputable" franchises. The idea is great, but the timing is piss-poor. Discuss.

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Posted By: Ray Piskadlo

HAHA! Timing is everything in this world!

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Posted By: David Smith

I think it is perfect. Why not use the poster boy to make the kids more aware of the problem with using steroids. Do you think the kids would pay very much attention if a nobody was given as an example??

The instructors at the clinic can say, "Look, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Barry Bonds might not be guilty of anything YET but look at all the questions about him and how everybody is bad mouthing him. How would you young people like it if everything you achieved was discounted because they said you cheated?? If you work hard and stay clean, they can NEVER say that about you and you can walk around and be proud of what you have accomplished. And if they do say negative things about you, then you can sue them and make A LOT of money". Something Bonds HAS NOT done.

David

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Posted By: Anthony

I think it's perfect timing. With all the attention given Bonds why not use some of that to highlight the dangers of steroids.

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Posted By: Jason L

I think this program sounds absolutely fantastic, very responsible, and furthermore, I think it should held in a travelling format and organized as pre-game program in every stadium in which Mr. Barry is about to play a game!!!

I'm still hoping he gets hit by a bus
-and I am generally a pacifist

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Posted By: MVSNYC

important seminars...i like what they're doing.

as for it being on the same day that bonds was there: i am sure the dodgers did not do it on purpose, but if they did, who cares?

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Posted By: john/z28jd

I dont think any team in baseball could hold a clinic and not have one of their own players feeling lucky that no one knows,or says that they did steroids. So basically if you think this is bad timing then theres technically no good time to do it. The majors is full of guys who at one time or another did some performance enhancing drugs,the only reason Bonds is singled out is because hes hated for many other reasons and hes reaching a major record.No one really cares who gets caught unless theyre good.I was at a Giants Phillies game last year where Bonds got booed unmercifully and then the fans cheered Ryan Franklin when he came in from the bullpen....which one of those guys has been suspended for steroids?

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Posted By: Rob Dewolf

Why is it classless? Even if you think it's disrepectful to Bonds, there's a long way to go before the scales are balanced, given how many people he has disrespected during his lifetime.

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Posted By: John J. Grillo

Kids aren't stupid and we shouldn't treat them as such...When they are being lectured on the subject of steroids, they know darn well what it is in reference to.

Don't try to put lipstick on a pig...I think kids would be more apt to listen if more teams like the Dodgers showed a little courage and risk to do something controversial of this nature...in the long run though it is the proper timing.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

If it was organized by the team, it would seem unlikely the timing was intentional. MLB executives are not the kind to do such things intentionally. I would imagine a lot of these types of things are planned out months in advance, perhaps before the season started.

It might come across just as bad if it was found out that the Dodgers canceled the clinic as Bonds would be in town.

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Posted By: Cobby33

I'm sure they would have offered the same clinic if Bonds was a Dodger. I wonder when they're going to offer the clinic on alcoholism and infidelity? It's amazing how selective and blind jealous hypocrites can be.

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Posted By: J Levine

Nothing classless at all about this. The Dodgers are still a class organization. The Hooton foundation is a great organization and this is not the first time the Dodgers have done an event with them. I think it would have been more of a disservice to the little leaguers to postpone (again) the clinic just because Barry was in town. Good for the Dodgers for going through with it and if Barry and/or the Giants were offended, they did not show it.

Joshua

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I don't think 8 year olds committing adultery is a pressing concern.

There's nothing wrong with Dodgers players telling kids not to use steroids.

I have a Dodgers DARE card of Darryl Strawberry.

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Posted By: Cobby33

If they're truly concerned about 8-year olds using steroids, make an example of an 8-year old on steroids. If the point is to show what happens when athletes (allegedly) use steroids, why stop at steroids? The behavior some (many) of these people exhibit towards others and the harm they do to others (and themselves), is far more obscene than alleged steroid use. Maybe when the Dodgers come to town, the Giants can do a clinic on transmitting STD's and abusing drugs and alcohol, much like Dodger players have done. Give me a break.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The problem with your analysis is that each and every MLB team does a wide variety of game day clinics and promotions throughout the season, from anti-drugs to staying in school to staying in shape to canned food drives for the poor to jersey sales for cancer research. The Dodgers' anti-steroids clinic is not the only public service topic they've tackled this year.

An interesting question is if the Giants have a similar anti-steroids clinic.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

My answer to Giants fans is you'd have the same opinion about Bonds as everyone else if Bonds played for the Mets, Phillies, Red Sox or any team other than the San Francisco Giants.

I'll admit that my favorite modern player being Robin Yount is not coincidental to me being raised in Wisconsin.

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Posted By: Pcelli60

Once again way off topic..And once again its permitted.

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Posted By: Andrew Parks

Sorry, pcelli60. I suppose I could have asked everyone to show their Dodger cards. Next time.

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Posted By: Bob C.

I have to disagree. Nothing at all to do with class or embarrassing Barry. And while we are on the topic of classless, Barry reeks of it in my humble opinion. He has demonstrated that throughout his career on and off the field.
This is about educating the kids not showing up an arrogant roidhead.
Sorry, no Dodger cards here, and yes, WAY off topic.

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Posted By: dstudeba

Barry has said that he didn't take steriods, so this clinic can in no way have a reflection on him since he doesn't use them. Right?

To make this acceptable for some.

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Posted By: Ed Ivey

What would Walter O'Malley think?

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Posted By: peter chao

Walter O'Malley would probably think that this was all part of one of the most intense rivalries in baseball and no big deal. As a Giant's fan, I'm really getting tired of all this hoopla over Bonds, but I'm like everybody else in the Bay Area, I have to watch his at-bats on TV.

Barry, just break the record so that we can go back to moaning about how pathetic the Giants are playing this year.

Peter C.