Life of a steroid user

Late last week, the San Francisco Chronicle revealed that Barry Bonds, a star major-league baseball player, admitted to using steroids over the past few seasons.

In major league baseball Bonds is the equivalent of Elvis: He excites others like the Beatles once did. In every town he goes to other players, fans, staff – even the guy at McDonald’s wants something from him, whether autographed baseballs, bats, or pictures.

Many sit back and envy Bonds because he makes millions, but they fail to consider the constant pressure of not even being able to do the most basic things – like going to a movie without the hassle of having to sign autographs and talk baseball with hundreds of people.

People on the outside of the game don’t understand that fans literally chase after star athletes like Bonds, following them around. They sit outside the hotel his team is staying at so that when he comes and goes they can ask him for autographs. Fans sit in the airport and wait for the team flight to come in.

The only privacy Bonds has is to stay in his hotel room, which he had to register for under a false name to prevent fans from calling, and even then some will knock on his door to ask for an autograph.

When you get to that level, you can’t trust anyone because everyone wants something from you.

Bonds was a victim of his own fame because he surrounded himself not with friends who would give him a true opinion, but with an entourage of yes-men who did exactly what he said.

Sometimes that can be what hurts you. Bonds gave testimony to the grand jury in San Francisco that he “unknowingly” used steroids because he didn’t know what was in the substance he was using. It seems that, if not Bonds, at least someone in his entourage would have spoken up and asked what was in the substance he was putting into his body.

I don’t feel sorry for Barry Bonds because he has a great life, albeit with many privacy sacrifices. But that is the price you pay, as the old saying “It’s lonely at the top” holds true.

Bonds is a good guy who has achieved immortal greatness in baseball, but now he is also a cheater. I don’t care how many times he claims that he didn’t know what was in the substance he was using. Bonds treats his body like a multi-million dollar investment. He sits out day games after night games, doesn’t hustle to catch fly balls on the field, watches what he eats, and works out religiously. After spending all that time perfecting himself, how could he be so na