Barry Bonds case is the reinvention of O.J. Simpson

This court controversy with Barry Bonds has been all too familiar.



The allegations, the interrogations and the denials remind me so much of the adventures of O.J. Simpson, a fall-and-can’t-get-up type of celebrity whose not-so-great escape from his murder case has done nothing but bring him further down into publicity hell.



How ironic that another man of athletic greatness takes a disappointing fall. Bonds, who is the reigning home-run leader with 762, has already lost his personal integrity to the mass media. He is about to lose his legacy in America’s favorite pastime, much like Simpson having lost his reputation as a role model. Although Simpson is under far more scrutiny in his Nicole Simpson murder case and his current armed robbery debacle, Bonds has publicly made himself the primary scapegoat for one of the nation’s biggest controversies — steroids. But the most notable thing is that both of these once-promising individuals have taken serious turns for the worst, and Bonds’ problems only stir up the memories of Simpson’s problems.



O.J. Simpson is one of the greatest football players of all time. He has been a famous actor, spokesman and broadcaster, but he has never been the best at dodging the criminal courts. Bonds is like a brother to O.J. when it comes to staying under the public scope. He has maintained his “ums,” “I guesses” and “well, what do you thinks,” and will never stay away from his patented “no comments.” All of those catchy two-word exit moves couldn’t convince a child that he has not been around steroids. Nobody is fooled by his turnaround strategy, blaming the media for his struggling reputation. O.J.’s frantic search for his “belongings” in Las Vegas is just as comparable. I can delve into the looking glass and predict that both of these former impact players could be bunking together soon.



Both of their current cases have been held up because of confusion, but Mike Tyson’s cases always seem to go as quick as his TKOs. The longer a case goes, the more tortuous it can be for the lawyers, litigants and judges. But it can more hellacious for Simpson and Bonds in their respective cases because we all know what do, but only they know what they have really done.



Bonds should quit while he’s behind. Simpson should just quit, period. Either way, I see no differences in two men who are now famous for being infamous.