Stuporstar

Barry Bonds is as unloved as any player in sports history

Take the best player in the game, perhaps, some would say, the best of all time, a powerful offensive thunder machine -- the kind fans adore -- put him in his first world championship, and what should you have? An absolute bonanza for his sport, the type of showcase that should break television records.

After all, when Tiger Woods is in competition in a Grand Slam, ratings soar. When Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi reached the US Open final a couple months ago, it was a salvation for men's tennis. Only Wayne Gretzky could move the needle for hockey's ratings, and for years the NBA dined out on Michael Jordan making the finals. Shaq and Kobe bump the ratings now. It's only the biggest names in any sport who can bring in the fringe audience. It's like in Hollywood, where just a few big stars can, as they say in the business, open a film -- guarantee first weekend box office pop, no matter how rotten the reviews.

And baseball had its colossus in close-up in his first World Series. Barry Bonds is not only the home run champion, but he also wins the MVP most every year. On top of that, he has just come off a glorious season, that, overall, actually surpassed the one he had last year with the 73 home runs. This is Babe Ruth, people. This is today's legend, one of a kind. This is your chance to see the likes of Olivier, Caruso, Ali, Nijinsky, Pelé at the height of their powers on the biggest stage. Hurray, hurray, hurray.

And America said: No, thank you very much, I don't care a whit about Barry Bonds. He's baseball's stuporstar. Even with an exciting seven-game series, this year's Fall Classic got by far its worse ratings ever.

If I was Variety, I'd say: BONDS BOMBS; LEERY FANS VERY CHARY OF BARRY

Oh, there are all sorts of other excuses for why this terrific series was greeted with benign neglect. But ultimately we can only conclude: Barry Bonds must be the most unloved sports superstar ever.

It was instructive (even if it was also hokey) that in the poll taken to determine baseball's most memorable moments, the achievements of Cal Ripken Jr. and Henry Aaron ran a close one-two. Ripken and Aaron are the classic anti-Bonds, humble and accommodating team players.

And who got the biggest hand of all during the memorable moments ceremony in Bonds' home park? Pete Rose, who was allowed out of pastime purgatory for one night to be recognized for having broken the record for career hits. Rose may be a tainted human being, but he possesses the gung-ho characteristics that are especially appealing to baseball fans. There is Bonds, standing haughtily at home plate, admiring his handiwork. Rose ran out walks.

For all that has changed, baseball remains a game of old-fashioned ways, where certain traditional values yet matter to the parishioners. As fabulous as Bonds is, he jars on the diamond. His style probably would have been accepted more readily had he been a star in football or basketball. But, as it is, he's not welcomed as the cynosure of his game. And if, three or four years from now, he breaks Aaron's all-time home run record, it will be, I reckon, a stupendous achievement received with only cool respect, joylessly, at some distance.

Sports Illustrated senior contributing writer Frank Deford is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com and appears each Wednesday on National Public Radio's Morning Edition. He is a longtime correspondent for HBO's Real Sports and his new novel, An American Summer (Sourcebooks Trade), is available now at bookstores everywhere.

 

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