Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800
Dear Mr. Commissioner:
So Barry Bonds is three (Update: two) away from Hank Aaron’s record. Some folks think you should start attending his games as of, well, right now. Tough decision. If you go, you may as well acknowledge that Bonds goes in the record books asteriskless. If you don’t, you imply that you think he’s clean, never used performance-enhancing substances. The obvious choice is that you go. Bonds hasn’t been found guilty of anything, so you have to go along with that; similar to the way in which the National Football League is dealing with the Michael Vick/dog fighting scandal.
It would appear that they will let the courts handle everything and reserve any commentary/discipline until then, at which point, punishment, if necessary, will be handed out to Mr. Vick. And it is punishment that inspires me to write to you today. Adam Jones was involved in a strip club shooting where a victim wound up paralyzed from the waist down and Jones gets a one-year suspension; Chris Henry has been arrested like seven times in the last year and-a-half, he gets an eight-game suspension; Jared Allen and Kenny Peterson drove drunk and used steroids, respectively, and they each get four-game suspensions.
Vick allegedly has ties to these trainings, fightings and murderings involving dogs. If convicted, what will his punishment be? A fine, a suspension, perhaps both. And what about Pete Rose? He didn’t kill, maim, hurt, paralyze, use, drive drunk or any of the above. And he gets a lifetime ban? It’s not right.
Professional sports leagues are taking the right steps to make sure their high-profile figures act more socially appropriate. Rose committed nothing similar to any of these heinous acts. He should no longer be banned.
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