So here’s the highlight of last night’s Giants-Dodgers game, I suppose. Fans in the AT&T bleachers are really letting Manny Ramirez have it: “Manny’s on steroids,” “Manny takes women’s hormones,” the stuff you might expect. One woman, wearing a Dodger-blue baby bonnet, has a sign that reads, “It’s a boy.” Then one particular guy screams at Manny, “Are you even a man!?”
(Love you, Manny! Signed, the guy in the Giants No. 22 jersey)
To which Manny turns, points at the guy and then grabs his crotch. Although he denied it afterward, the fans were in Manny’s head big-time (and it sure was spacious; lots of room for bookshelves). So today the Bay Area media is writing about how the Giants-Dodgers rivalry is back, how important this series is, and why there were so many fights in the bleachers (there were).
But I was there as well, and here’s my take: Giants fans are among the biggest hypocrites in sports.
It was Manny’s first appearance in San Francisco since returning from a 50-day vacation for PED abuse, and the mood was vindictive. On Monday, in much the same way Glenn Beck riled up conservative town hall health care activists, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE columnist Scott Ostler called on Giants fans to show up at AT&T and boo Manny back to the stone age.
Ostler’s reasoning went like this: Dodgers fans booed Barry Bonds for his chemical escapades, so here’s right back at ya!
And right on cue, Giants fans booed lustily every time Manny poked his head out of the dugout. Some people screamed steroids-related epithets at him while wearing Bonds jerseys. Those jerseys, however, were not purchased at the Giants Dugout store, or anywhere else in the park. The nice clerk working there told me the team has banned the sale of Bonds apparel on the premises. Barry’s merchandising attorneys throwing their weight around, or a higher ideal at work? You be the judge.
Anyway, the air was thick last night with a “Your cheater is just as bad as our cheater” fog. Ironic, since apparently the entire current Giants’ roster is clean — save for Pablo Sandoval’s dangerously high levels of MSG. But the image of Barry looms larger here than the giant Coke bottle in the bleachers.
Giants fans, could you be bigger hypocrites?
When Bonds was on his Magical Misery Tour of the National League following the release of the book “Game of Shadows” in 2006, opposing fans left no steroid reference unturned. That’s the way it should be. But when Bonds returned to the friendly confines of his home park, he was welcomed like a conquering hero. As Randy Newman sang, “He may be a fool but he’s our fool. If they think they’re better than him they’re wrong…”
So while it’s good to see Giants fans getting worked up about anything in August, I just wish it wasn’t this. How do you explain to your eight-year-old that you’re booing Manny for taking juice, when you cheered Barry for doing the same thing? Ah, your kid’s probably on Ritalin and six other drugs right now. He’s not listening anyway.
1:11 pm on August 11th, 2009
One difference is Bonds cheated while PEDs were not banned by MLB. Manny cheated (and was dumb enough to get caught) before and after the ban.
1:24 pm on August 11th, 2009
Nothing like SJ-LA in the late 80’s early 90’s. There was an open space between the fence and the bleachers in left field.
Giants fans and Dodger fans used to drop down in that area and have massive brawls. SF security would pretty much wait till it was over, then escort them from the building, or not. Depending on whether they were motivated enough to chase them down.
Giants fans now wouldn’t think of doing anything similar for fear of spilling their wine or damaging their iphone.
1:48 pm on August 11th, 2009
There were several bawls last night, many arrests: Mostly Dodger fans. But you couldn’t even get into the bleacher area without showing your ticket, a new development. Things are relatively tame these days because security is everywhere.
3:24 pm on August 11th, 2009
we just wanted to see what it felt like
3:53 pm on August 11th, 2009
So, what do you suggest Giants fans do? Cheer Manny? Barry Bonds was jeered in every ballpark with the exception of Pac Bell (SBC, AT&T), vilified as the one man plague of baseball… only now are other franchises such as the Red Sox and Dodgers feeling the wide ranging effects of the steroid era. Roids that helped the Mannys and Papis of the world play like All-Stars year in and year out, that helped Bonds play like a God. The media crucified Barry Bonds and took away any enjoyment that Giants fans could have possibly found from following their team during the past few years. The label of “hypocrite” should be reserved for the Dodgers fans who once booed Barry Bonds and now cheer Manny Ramirez. Bonds filled seats in SF for a decade and a half while Ramirez hasn’t even played 162 games in Dodger blue. That being said, what would you think of Giants fans had they turned their back on Bonds after all those years? And how indifferent must Dodgers fans be towards steroid use if they’re able to welcome back Manny like a long lost hero, post suspension. If Giant fans are looking to take the anger that has built up over the years over the unfair treatment of Barry Bonds I see no better place to direct it then a player wearing a blue hat.
4:08 pm on August 11th, 2009
Well, Rick, if by “among the biggest hypocrites in sports” you are including those hypocrite pu**y LAD fans, then yeah, you’re exactly right.
4:13 pm on August 11th, 2009
“So, what do you suggest Giants fans do?”
Root for the A’s.
4:13 pm on August 11th, 2009
I have never been in a stadium more accepting of opposing fans than Pac-Bell. Defend your yard pussys!!!
5:05 pm on August 11th, 2009
The difference is manny did not get any one to look the other way when he was tested. (Mr. Bonds) I still don’t hold it over him.(bonds) Sure is funny that when it is someone thats not on their team they (the Fans) have a issue
5:15 pm on August 11th, 2009
“Root for the A’s.”
Only if I needed help falling asleep.
6:45 pm on August 11th, 2009
Talk about a hypocrit! Dodger fans relentless towards Bonds when steroids were not banned but welcome Manny back with open arms after the 50 game suspension then complain about Manny getting a fraction of the harrassment that Bonds got. Poor Baby…. grow some. How do the Dodger fans explain that to their eight year old? The nanny will take care of it…they can’t be bothered.
12:31 am on August 12th, 2009
Hey brooks, f*** you. Its called the our guy syndrome. Why do Dodger fans continue to support Manny? I used to like you but now I think your a f***in dousche. grow a pair and realize that there is more to the world than the sh*thole that is LA.
12:44 am on August 12th, 2009
Brooks, you have it a**backwards… and sound ridiculous for it… Giants fans — like myself — stood by Bonds regardless of whether he took roids or not, principally b/c we all saw through the MLB smokescreen and understood that they weren’t banned at the time he took them. Remember, Bonds was/is on trial b/c he supposedly lied to the Feds, not b/c he took performance-enhancers.
Flash forward to present, and all the f-sticks like yourself now can’t point the finger at your own stars, but want to still point the finger at Bonds (SF) fans. I spell moron B-r-o-o… You guys are clueless. The point isn’t whether Bonds took or not, b/c THEY ALL DID YOU TOOL…
Clemens… Manny… A-Rod… Ortiz… ALL the F’n stars were, period. You’re just too much of a homer tool to see otherwise, period.
12:48 am on August 12th, 2009
PO: Meet me in front of the Marichal statue tonight and let me explain how it was me who wrote this post, and not Brooks, and how I’ve been a Giants fan since before you learned to read. Which, come to think of it, must have been very recently.
Look at the little white box at the end of the story and sound out the vowels.
And douche is not spelled with an s. Read the box next time.
1:34 am on August 12th, 2009
Way off base on this one, Rick. If you think that there’s a fanbase in any sport that wouldn’t react the same way the Giants fans did with Bonds and then Manny, you’re fooling yourself. Being a hypocrite is a big part of being a fan. “I can say my guy sucks, but if you do, I’ll punch you in the nose.” If you’re going to start calling out fans for being hypocritical in a steroids situation, you should start with the Dodger fans who vilified Bonds more than anyone else, and cheer Manny unconditionally even after he got caught cheating before he even spent a full season with the club. Once you’re done with them, you can move on to Giants fans.
By the way, your comments to PO make you look like a bigger idiot than he is.
4:11 am on August 12th, 2009
Dad?
10:15 am on August 12th, 2009
ALL I CAN SAY!!!!!!! THE STUPID NEITHER FORGIVE
NOR FORGET,
THE NAIVE FORGIVE AND FORGET,
THE WISE FORGIVE BUT DO NOT FORGET.
12:51 pm on August 12th, 2009
I take back my previous satement…I now know 1 Giants fan with a pair big enough to defend his yard…Good job Rick Chandler!
12:29 am on August 13th, 2009
Only a Dodger fan.
This would be a viable arguement if the Dodger fans rejected Manny when he came back from his ban. Now if just looks like sour grapes. Besides, even if Manny didn’t test positive, he’d be bood to no end because Giants fans hate Dodgers. This just gives Giants fans a topic to point that hate.