Barry Bonds - 'Boston too racist for me'.

Interesting article -

<snip>
And finally when asked what his thoughts were about the fact Boston named a tunnel after slugger Ted Williams, Bonds responded, "Nothing, man," he said. "I'm black. They don't build stuff for blacks."
</snip>

http://www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=2499272

I got to say it for this guy - he says what's on his mind.

we Sox fans like people who hustle when they play anyways :)

He would not stand this town.

years of history has a way of changing things. I'd still like to win just one World Series.

Singling Boston out is pointless. Do the Sox and Giants have a series coming up or something? Why did this conversation even take place?

Yes, Barry. There probably are racists in Boston. And New York, Pittsburg, Seattle, Cincinnati, etc. Barry, you are right that there are racists in the USA. Why single out Boston? (I'm not from Boston, nor am I a Sox fan.)

Barry Bonds is perhaps the best player ever. Why does he have to be such an asshole? (**These remarks did not cause me to form this opinion - he's been an asshole for years, but the singling out of one city - not even my city - rubs me the wrong way and increases his assholery.**)

bonds up to bat

Bonds is not the greatest player ever. Can you imagine what Aaron, Mays, Williams, Ruth, etc would have done if they had taken the same steriods that Bonds has taken?

I was only looking at the numbers. I forgot about his steriods (allegedly, of course). But then, those players you mention didn't face Kurt (Curt?) or Randy. It's a different game now.

The day Barry pitches a shutout and is one of the leading pitchers in the game as well as one of the leading hitters, then he will start to reach the level of Babe Ruth. Not before.

his mind should be in the game of baseball.

fans are pelting the field tonight

No matter how much of an asshole Bonds is, they shouldn't throw shit.

It'll just give him a SportsCenter interview.

He claims Pittsburgh is racist because we boo him, when in fact it's because he's an asshole.

Hello, most of Pittsburgh's most loved sports figures are black (Franco, Roberto, Bettis, Ward) but since we don't kiss Barry's ass we're racists.

Bonds can cram it.

Bonds said it was because he was black. I think it was because he left via free agency. I don't remember the particulars.

I was actually there once when they booed Chris Sabo. I don't remember Bonds complaining. You're right. He's an asshole. He makes his good points from time to time, but most people don't take any of them seriously because of his assholeness.

If millionaire a-hole athletes are a racial group then I am a racist. Ever seen his team mates when this guy cracks a home run, not that many guys come out of the dugout. What does that say when your team mates don' have your back.

n/t

Some of Fenway's favorites in the last few years. He can say what's on his mind but I think he's full of hot air.

I live here. Trust me.

He'll tell you what's what, and you can trust him.

Most segregated, huh? That's pretty shitty. Is that what Bonds meant, or was he talking about the past? I'm sure Boston now is better than Boston when his pop played. I don't know that, but that's my hunch. And I got the feeling he was talking about the club more than the city, but that's speculation again on my part. (The Sox have a reputation, if SportsCenter is to be believed, of a racist past. I figured that was what Bonds was talking about, more than the reality on the ground in Boston. After all, he would make plenty of cash and would not be subjected to all that.)

But I didn't know that about Boston.

the city,and the area in general,still has an ingrained racism.I can't say that it's any better or worse than other cities,but it does exist here.

He was in a funk band and no one would book them, because they were interracial.

This was before Mighty Mighty Bosstones. But think about it: before Bosstones, how many integrated Boston bands can you name?

Sox were the last MLB team to intergrate. Passed on Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays.

Jackie Robinson played his first game in 1947. The Boston Red Sox did not integrate until 1959.

http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1042/Boston_Red_soxs_integrate

the Boston Bruins were the first NHL team to ever have a black man on their team.

And the Boston Celtics were the first NBA team to field an all-black starting line-up, and the first team to have a black head coach.

I just don't see any undertone of racism any longer in Boston sports. It was there once, surely.

I am just mentioning that several players of color have been fan favorites. Pokey Reese is one the biggest this year. I don't mean to start a racism contest here, it exists everywhere. But to say that Boston fans don't embrace black players is not accurate.

Send Pokey back to the Reds. Okay, okay, I know that ain't gonna happen, and it wouldn't be a solution to what you're talking about anyway.

But man, I love that guy. Sorry to go off-topic on ya.

You're very on-topic. Heck, what do I know about world peace, I'm just a baseball fan :)

The World = Baseball.

Maybe you didn't get the memo. Now quickly send Pokey where he belongs - to the banks of the Mighty Ohio!!! (Where the racism is at least hidden, if you don't count the cops!)

Is Tim Naerhing still in the Reds organization?

that's a low blow :evilgrin:

he's a defensive guru :)

I'm sayin' please here. Pokey's the man.

honestly I can't really stand B-Bonds but he isn't alone on this one. Bill Russell basically disowned the city after his career ended because of his experiences there.

hasn't been voted into the Hall of Fame because he too spoke of racism in Boston,and the Sox ownership at the time in particular.

In a way Bonds is right. Russell couldnt even buy a house in suburban Reading. The neighbors ended up buying the house he wanted over price just to keep him out of their lily-white neighborhood. Now this was Bill Russell who brought them 11 championships in 13 years.
I was born and raised in Boston and vicinity and I have to agree with Barry Bonds.

the "divide and conquer" racism that pervaded Boston when I lived there.

Review at: http://www.afsc.org/pwork/0207/020713.htm

Some real ugliness came out back then.

is that it is written from the life experience of someone whose life was shaped in that virulent environment and later saw through the con. Highly recommended both to those prone to stereotyping and to those who want to see the possibility of change for the better.

explores the Boston Red Sox race problems in depth. It also discussed Bill Russell and his experiences. An excellent read for baseball fans of all teams and a must for Red Sux fans.

Bonds is a complete asshole, but even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and again. I'll still boo the shit out of him when I head out to the park this afternoon (as I will boo the shit out of that fat head Pedro and everyone else attached to both teams). :evilgrin:

I've never been fond of him; I find his arrogance annoying and his talent dubious. I live and breathe baseball, and I've never enjoyed the way he's represented the game.

I found his comments today to be a slap in the face to the people of Massachusetts, as well as the long-suffering Red Sox fans. Sure, Bonds tends to say what's on his mind, but most of the time I just wish he'd shut his piehole and swing.

ON EDIT:And, by the way, Barry Bonds isn't half the player, or man, that Ted Williams was. And that's just the way I feel.

come on - the guy has set the record for on-base percentage (they're scared to pitch to him - he also has the record for walks), most home runs in a season, 5 MVP's, and 676 homers. He might be the gratest offensive player of all time. And he's outdone Ted Williams in every category.

Bonds is great. But he is no Teddy Ballgame.

Ted hit 521 hr playing in a tough park and missed 5 full seasons during WW II and Korea in which he was a world-class fighter pilot.

He would have hit 800 homers if he played in Yankee Stadium and didn't miss those 5 years.

Oh, and BTW, he led the league in 1957 with 388 at the age of 39.

THREE FUCKIN EIGHT-EIGHT AT THE AGE OF THIRTY-NINE!!!
AND NOT ONE LEG HIT!!!

Mickey Mantle hit 365 that year - and Mickey was at his PEAK.

His talent was real, not drug enhanced.

for 8 years. It was a great neighborhood with great neighbors. I'm white and never had a problem even though only 2% of Mattapan's population is white. Boston is no more and no less racist than anywhere else in the USA. Our country is still a very racist country . . .


"Cripes . . .I can’t even spell Preserdent . . ."

Just enjoy them for what they are good at and don't pay attention when they open their mouths.

That's sarcasm, folks, from me. Of course, there are DUers here that blame everything that's wrong with the world on the south.

... from S.C.

Though the Red Sox did have a terrible record concerning integration, so did dozens of other American League teams.... part of the reason names like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays all played for the National League.

Here's the deal with Bonds... if you don't like him then you must be racist. Never mind that the guy is a straight-up asshole, because he's black he thinks everyone is out to get him because they don't like black people. That's ridiculous.

Just wondering.

"Bonds acknowledges his views on the "racist" city aren't based on any first-hand experience, but rather on what he has heard."

...well, I've HEARD he is an asshole, so it must be alright to judge on word of mouth. If he PLAYED in Boston, he would've had a statue of his fat head there when he retires.
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The out loud racist rhetoric in Boston was the most blatant I have ever encountered.

It's a crying shame when a black man can't find work for more than $18 million a year in this economy.

Damn this racist society. Damn the man for keeping Barry Bonds down.

I'd much rather have David Ortiz as my DH anyway

Exactly what does he do to make him an ass? Also, why bring up his money? What does a rich black man's money have to do with his claim of racism. In case you don't know it, rich black men do not escape racism. Just ask the rich black entertainers who can't get a cab, who are the victims of driving while black. And Bonds is correct. I had a relative who lived in Boston and she said it is a terribly racist city.

During the busing era, there were riots by whites who objected to busing. White parents threw bottles at little black kids who were just trying to go to school. There is still a lot of racism in Boston. I think it was Boston where Charles Stewart said a black man had attacked him and killed his wife. Of course, he lied;he had committed the murder. He made that accusation because he knew of the racist attitudes of many in that city and was sure his accusation would be believed. He was right and there began a reign of terror in the black neighborhoods of Boston where the police violated the civil rights of African Americans by assaulting them in the streets and in their homes.

I've always liked Mr Bonds, especially when he couldn't throw out a gimp runner, Sid Bream, in the Atlanta/Pirates playoff game.

Nah, how bout this.....

He's a steroid raging punk bitch who wouldn't be shit without being on the juice.

Of course, I acknowledge my views on the steroid issues aren't based on any first-hand experience, but rather on what I've heard.

sad when someone is hated based on one incident and the suspected, not verified, use of steroids. Do you despise all athletes suspected of using steroids or other illegal substances? I would suspect not. Perhaps there is another reason why you dislike Bonds.In this society black men who do not behave as expected of black men, are often villified. When other do exactly the same thing, such vilification does not occur. The black man, though, is called arrogant because to some, he has stepped out of his place.

Nope - I can honestly say out of all of the athletes in organized sports Bonds is the only one that I have ever met that I can say acted like a royal prick.

He, specifically, is a spoiled BITCH!

Have always hated him.

I don't hate him cause he's black, I hate him cause he's a dick!

I will remain puzzled since you have not given a cogent explanation as to why you have such hatred for this particular man. I wont pursue the matter any further. There are many asses and pricks in the sports world. They do not engender such vitriol.I was just wondering what Bonds is doing that is different from other players with big egos.

It's a review of GWB's "autobiography." Scroll to the bottom.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0688174418/ref=cm_rev_prev/103-8898560-0760645?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews&show=-submittime&start-at=1

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

BUSH IS AN UNDERRATED TOP GUN FIGHTER JOCK, June 14, 2004
Reviewer: Steven R. Travers (see more about me) from CALIFORNIA

I finally read this book, and did so in light of the mounting criticism of Bush as "dumb," along with attempts to discredit his military career. My sense at this point is to look at the available empirical evidence. George W. Bush was admitted to Yale and graduated in four years. He was a legacy, so getting in was assured, but many students do not graduate in four years, as he did. This is to his credit. His grades have not been released, but most of those who were there say he was about a B- student, which is quite respectable.

Next, he entered the U.S. Air Force, their version of the Reserves, which in his case was the Texas Air Guard. Perhaps he received some favoritism over others in getting a slot, but the evidence is he did not. The fact is, he was willing to "go jets," which few were willing or qualified to try out for. Bush went through a series of rigorous tests and passed them. He entered flight school, where the "wash out" rate is about 80 percent. He passed. He entered flight test, where the wash out rate is quite high. He passed. He qualified and flew jets. Here is the thing: People make movies and write books about this experience. "The Right Stuff", "Top Gun", "An Officer and a Gentleman" are all about exceptional young men who walk this trial by fire. Bush is one of them. He is a Top Gun - no, not the actual guys who are selected for Miramar by the Navy, not a Blue Angel, not Chuck Yeager, but he is one of an elite group of awesome Americans.

When Fleet Week comes around, and I see these pilots walking around town, my first reaction is that by virtue of having those wings they are top flight individuals, outstanding people. I do not ask whether they flew in combat or missed some drills. I know if they are wearing that uniform and have those wings they are studs. Bush was one of those men.

Apparently Bush missed a few drills in 1973 after five years in the Air Force. I was in the Reserves and missed some drills. Everybody misses drill occasionally, for a million valid reasons, none of which means we were AWOL. Bush was never AWOL.

One other thing. Bush never flew in Vietnam, but I bet he is glad of this. Had he, no doubt his detractors would say he dropped napalm on villages and killed civilians.

Bush applied to the University of Texas Law School and was turned down. So much for having every door opened to him because of his "daddy," who had been a Texas Congressman and two-time Texas Senate candidate. Bush applied to the Harvard Business School. Guess the percentage of people who are not accepted. 80 percent? 90? Point made.

Bush was accepted. He was not a Harvard legacy. It would appear he got in on merit, being a Yale grad of good grades and a fighter pilot. Their conclusion: This guy has an impressive background. He studied the courses, and graduated with an MBA. How many enter the MBA program and wash out? Many do.

Accordingly to the not-Republican Atlantic Monthly, Bush has never lost a political debate. He has squared off with some tough characters, like Ann Richards and Al Gore.

Dumb? This issue has has been studied and analyzed. The conclusion? Bush is no dummy.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM --This text refers to the Paperback edition

on this man a couple of nights ago, when I turned on the radio late at night.

People who would do that are simply stupid. Contemptible. Pathetic.

What good ARE they? WHAT the hell are they DOING here?

It's time the world turned away from them and their twisted, backward, loser listeners. There are enough real things to think about without trying to get others to hate someone you have a fascination with, with you.

I just went to google to see who the heck he is. I've never seen him before. Can you imagine there are some people on a Democratic message board who want to take everyone's time to revile him?

What I find so entertaining about this thread is this: If a right winger had said some of these things about Bonds they would have been branded an extremist. Every time I post here and am in anyway critical the entire thread "happens" to disappear. Bonds may be an arrogant asshole as you say. I'm not a baseball fan. It's funny how "so-called liberals" are quick to defend their white heroes in spite of their behavior. When wingers do it it's wrong. When liberals do it they are just expressing an opinion. Ted Williams murdered two black men in cold blood. The story is in a book I read about lynching in America written by a white man. He got away with it because he was white. Why do you think they asked Barry Bonds what he thought? I'm sure I'll be dismissed as a "disgruntled black person". That's won't be the first time it's happened on other "liberal" sites. Al Sharpton was right. You take our support and votes for granted. You trash black people and expect to be forgiven because you're liberals. If you lose in November don't blame it on the black vote in Florida or anywhere else. Blame it on your inconsistent views. At least with wingers I know where I stand. They may be racists but they're consistent racists.

:shrug: the refugees i know in california...none want to go back there.

Exactly. I'm old enough to remember how black children were terrorized in Boston during busing. I've lived in several countries. All people have flaws. None of us are perfect. But I have heard a common complaint. That white Americans think they are better than anyone else. This is from white Europeans as well as people of color overseas. America needs to wake up. There is ingrained racism in America. It's not limited to a region. It's not just a "southern thing". I've also lived from east to west and north to south in the US. The south is not the only place you get refused service or called the "N" word. That's a myth. Admit it and move on. Then and only then can the left, in good conscience, take the right to tasks.

it certainly is a myth that racism lives only in the south (and always has been) or on the right of the political spectrum. admitting it...well, that seems to the problem.

I have also lived abroad in several countries and in several states here in the USA, and your assessment is accurate from where I stand. There's racism everywhere, from the fiords of Norway to the canals of Venice, from Alajuela, Costa Rica to Porto Alegre, Brasil.

I lived a year in New Hampshire (a beautiful state with very nice people), and my roommate was the ONLY non-Anglo person in town. I had to move back to New Orleans where I could be with MY people - people of ALL colors living together. When tourists come here, I jokingly tell them that the South is North of us - yes, there's LOTS of racists living in rural Louisiana, but that shouldn't define them as a people.

In fact, my experience in Northern cities, except for Chicago and New York, proved to me that the South is not the ONLY place in America that has racists, and those two great cities have their share of racists as well.

I agree that, "there is ingrained racism in America. It's not limited to a region. It's not just a southern thing." We need to admit it openly if we are to heal old wounds. Some communities are better off than others, which has a lot to do with the quality of education, access to information, and immigrant populations. New Orleans, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have more immigrants and tourists than many other cities, so they tend to be more tolerant, though not perfect.

This constant population flux is the key i suppose.

How many of the posts here are ignoring what Bonds said and just jumping to trash him. Yes I know he's a jerk, but even jerks can be right. I'm black and my mother and other relatives always told me horror stories about Boston and how they never wanted me to go there, even for college, because "They really don't like us there." So it may not be the most racist city in America, but yeah it sure as hell has an atrocious rep and continues to. I also have relatives that make (unfair) assumptions about all white New Englanders just being polite but virulent racists below the surface. So what Bonds was saying has some parallels among many blacks.

when i say that all my black friends from boston vow never to return...i've heard that from every single one who lived there for any length of time. i don't hear that sentiment expressed so consistently about many other places, including places in the deep south.

Moron.