Episode 13

Continued from the old board...

I just got round to listening this morning (I don't tend to listen to any podcasts at the weekend) and had a couple of points.

Totally agree the Bud should chase Barry around til he breaks the record. It is probably the most well know record in US sports (I am prepared to be shot down on this) and for the commissioner of the sport not to commemorate the achievement in any way does the sport no favours at all. If he is so against Bonds as the commissioner he could ban him (could he? I guess there will be all sorts of legal problems in this) but in not celebrating the achievement I think he brings the sport into disrepute and puts his own views above the sport he should hold in such high regard.

As for magpies, well I have just found out more than I ever wanted to know about them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpies. The article says magpies and jays are used interchangeably but in the pictures on the two articles they look different good old wiki.

Anyway there is a rhyme that goes
One for Sorrow
Two for Joy
Three for a Girl
Four for a Boy
Five for Silver
Six for Gold
Seven for a secret never to be told

and relates to the number of magpies you see. So seeing one magpie is bad luck (as it brings you sorrow) so my Mum nods her head at it and says "Good morning Mr Magpie". I just nod my head when ever I see a magpie. And they said the Brits were crazy

Good stuff Mark. Now I know more about magpies that I ever really wanted to as well because I actually took a look at that wikipedia link you left. Thanks for that.

As far as Bud Selig goes, I think that him going to the games that Bonds is on the brink of breaking the record would cause less contraversy and be less of a story than if he didn't. I think if he no-shows it will be something that follows him around for the rest of his career and in the end will be part of his legacy. If he goes, it's news for one day and then it's over. But not going is something that he will never shake no matter how the whole Barry Bonds/steroids thing turns out.

I would err on the side of caution and just go. If nothing else, it is his duty as Commissioner to be there.

Can I ask why it is important that the Comish is there for the breaking of a record?

Yes this is probably the most hallowed record in all of Sports, but like Aaron, Bud has a life. He doesn't need to follow Bonds around for a week getting asked stupid questions like "do you think he will hit the home run tonight" He doesn't need to deal with this.

It is an important event in baseball history, and he has to commemorate that. He is the public face of baseball and if there was no controversy over Barry Bonds you can bet that he would be be milking the publicity for all it is worth.

No matter what he wants now, with all the talk about is he going to be there or not, he has no choice in the matter - he has to be there.

If at the start of the season (or last year) he stated categorically that he respects Bonds in passing the record and the event will be commemorated in this way but due to the timescales/job pressures he can not attend every game in the run up, there would be no controversy - no will he won't he attend talk, it would have been nipped in the bud then. However with his silence he ends up looking petty for not following Barry around. I say following him around but I guess it just means moving camp to SF for a couple of weeks because he isn't going to break it anywhere else.

Like I said before, I think at this point he's in a damned if he does, damned if he doesn't situation. If he goes for it, he's caved and that sucks. If he skips it, he's petty and that sucks.

Selig might as well just do whatever the hell he wants, and then tell whoever bitches about it to get bent.

I still say that if he goes, it won't have the historical implications it does if he doesn't. If he goes, he's just the Commissioner on hand for a historical moment in the game. If he doesn't he's the man who turned his back on one of the greatest athletic accomplishments of all time. It's the kind of thing that could stick with him forever.

Also, he's quitting in 2009 so he's not going to be around long enough to watch A-Rod do it someday.

I think either way, it's going to stick with him forever. People are going to remember the controversy surrounding the whole thing. Every time someone writes a history of baseball that includes this stat, this story is going to be dug up and shuffled in there, no matter what he ultimately decides to do. It'll happen just as sure as everyone remembers O.J. promising to find the real killer and then taking off to Florida, never to be heard from again.

The controversy is just part of the story, a permanent footnote. That said, he might want to just consider doing it and being done with it.

Of course, the way Barry Bonds is playing right now, he may well be out of office before it happens.

Man, I recalled what I was going to add about the show.

I have always been rockhoppers on the web, but when I heard the name read out load it really didn't sound like me.

I have been called many names and I really don't mind Mark or Rockhoppers, I guess when it comes to signing off emails it feels more natural to sign them off Mark rather than Rockhoppers