Personally, when I read that any "athlete" has accomplished something, or broken a record, as a result of steroids, it invalidates said accomplishment immediately in my eyes. People have made the argument that in the days of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, black athletes weren't able to compete on the same level, and that invalidates, at least to a certain extent, the accomplishments of that era. I think that's a valid argument. But I pay absolutely no attention to the "achievements" of those like Bonds or Mark McGwire in our modern era. As Mike Lupica recently wrote, people like a "carnival", and Bonds certainly gave them that. To me, though, it's an insult to the memory of Hank Aaron to imply that his natural achievements have been surpassed by those of a steriod-abusing ubermensch. In my 20's, when I worked out religiously, the thought of taking steroids never crossed my mind. For a start, I never wanted to develop premature cancer, or have testicles the size of cashew nuts. But I also wanted to be comfortable in the knowledge that whatever I was able to achieve in the way of body-building was achieved naturally, through my own efforts. I can't imagine that Bonds, blessed with at least an average intelligence, can see his "victory" as anything other than a hollow one.

steriods or no steroids, a record has been broken. as a braves fan, it saddens me to see hank's record fall to anyone, although it was fair to assume it eventually would. as a baseball fan, it saddens me to see such a historic moment surrounded by the buzz of cheating. unlike hank's moment, anytime that footage is shown you will hear as many boos as you do cheers. it's a little painul to think that such a great man (hank) who achieved such a wonderful achievment and was supported by nearly all fans, will have a name above his on the list that represents scandal and the possibility of cheating. barry, you've achieved something great. more homeruns that any other person ever. but if it turns out you did so with the help of steroids, your title should be revoked and you should be excommunicated from the world of baseball. let's hope time will tell us the truth, as well as bring closure and justice.

and like frank said, it is only a game. so i'll try not to lose sleep.

I'm kinda torn on this one. Sure, if Bonds cheated his accomplishment pales next to Aaron's. But the game is different today, he's not the only guy playing by the new rules (juiced), just the most successful at them. He's an unsympathetic character and that makes him easy to dislike, McGuire was more generally likeable back in '98 and the accusations of cheating never got above a whisper. Records, all of them, are made to be broken. There will always be qualifications around anybody's accomplishment. The record is attributable to a watered down talent pool, improverd technology, better training, coaching, medicine, yada yada yada. Today's players are bigger and stronger and they throw, hit and run faster, harder and farther. So comparisons between eras are really bound to be rife with asterices. If Bonds is under suspicion for violating the rules, the league has a responsibility to address the allegations in a thorough and timely manner. Unfortunately they aren't, or so it would seem. But until they do, he should be innocent until proven guilty. If he is found guilty, then he should get the same treatment as Pete Rose. Oh ya, and one more thing, it's only a game.

The fact that a record of this calibur has been broken makes it one of the biggest sports stories not just of the year but of the decade. Hank Aaron's held the record for 30 something years. Sure it would have been far sweeter if Barry had a personality like Michael Jordan and wasn't surrounded in a steroid scandal, but the fact is he broke the record and as it presently stands it's 100% legit.

I recently was in the Toronto Reference Library and happened upon a Baseball almanac from a couple of years ago. As I am wont to do, i found my self leafing idly through the tome.

Upon reaching the list of all time home run leaders I quickly noticed that someone had added a hand written asterisk beside Bond's name (he was fifth or sixth on the list at the time), at the bottom of the page....

* - steroid assisted

Our editor was impartial, McGwire, Palmeiro and a few others had their asterisks as well. Where's Kennesaw Mountain Landis when you need him????

Sorry, Genghis, but this "great event" in the history of baseball will forever have an asterisk next to it in my book. I'm rooting for A-rod to stay clean and healthy, so he can erase Bonds from the record books.

Let's get over it and celebrate it for the great feat that it is. Assuming that Bonds did take steroids, and assuming that others in the game took them, how come a lot of baseball players aren't hitting 756 homers?

Bonds gets at most two balls to hit during a game. The pitchers have pitched around him for years, and he has an obscene number of walks, far and above any other player in history.

*numbah throws things* I can't even process this yet...

Sorry Barry...your record is tainted, as is Major League Baseball thanks to your cheating.

I must be one of the few baseball fans who likes Barry, but I must admit that the event itself was not a moment of exultation -- more of relief, mixed with a little disappointment. Not only the home run count but the record itself has been surpassed. It no longer seems like "The Greatest Record in Sports," as it is often called. We'll have to look for another record we can value more, but which also has a reasonable chance of being surpassed. Number of TDs, for example ... though that doesn't seem all that significant (I don't even know who holds it). No record in basketball is as cherished either. Any suggestions?

An afterthought: How about "Total Number of RIA Reviews" for a new record we can cherish highly?

I really haven't been that interested in this story. It's been inevitable for so long, and Bonds is just so unlikable, that I've sort of filtered it out of my sports news attention span. Now that it has happened, I remain luke warm. The man is a jerk, he probably cheated, and that's just all there is to it.

The good news is that this is probably just a blip on baseball's big screen. A-Rod, a somewhat less unsavory figure, will likely pass Bonds in a few years time.