Barry Bonds is a great athlete...He has more skills than 95% of the major leaguers to ever play the game. He is physically gifted and has a body which would make most men envious...Having said that, I say the Giants should a) trade him, or b) trade him...Why? Simply put, with all his attributes and skills, Barry Bonds, for whatever reason, doesn't hustle enough (for someone who makes $44 kazillion) and more importantly, cannot get it done in October...Simply put, Barry Bonds will get you to the prom, but he doesn't know how to dance! - Rick
(From Fitz & Krug's E-Mail Bag)
Barry Bonds & Gary Sheffield are so transparent that their act is an insult to all of us sports fans. Gary says he's not feeling loved in LA even though he signed one of the most lucrative contracts of all time. Every couple of years Barry says he's not feeling loved. That is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. Bigger than OJ's claims of innocence. What they are feeling is that A-Rod got $25 mil a season, hence they deserve more than what he is getting today. What these guys are really thinking is that the time to cash in is now. They don't want to risk the uncertainty of the post labor dispute environment after the 2001 season, so they demand their cash now while the market is hot. They lack loyalty. They lack honor. They lack class. They lack heart. - Mike
(From Bruce's E-Mail Bag)
I think the Giants should DUMP Barry Bonds. He should realize that baseball's a team sport and NOT a ME sport. No man should be larger than the team he plays for. If he thinks he is, then they should get rid of that person regardless how big he is. This would send shockwaves throughout baseball and sports. Maybe it'll kill off that prevalent attitude, "It won't happen to me!" - Gene
DALE EARNHARDT
(From Fitz & Krug's E-Mail Bag)
I am a huge NASCAR and Rusty Wallace fan. I hope and believe this is what will happen at the Rock on Sunday. I hope that every car will have the white #3 in red trim in a black circle on their car. I also hope that every driver, crew member, and owner will be wearing a patch of the #3 over their heart. What you will definitely see is the missing pole. Whenever there is a loss in the world of NASCAR, especially to a driver, you see the missing pole (everybody moves over a spot and the pole is left open at the start of the race in remembrance of the individual). I hope that whoever wins the race does the all respectful backwards victory lap for Dale as well as maybe a donut or two in the grass. I think it would be a tearful, joyful, and fitting end to Rockingham if Dale Jr. wins this race. As far as I'm concerned, he's already won the race just by getting behind the wheel on Sunday. - RustyFan
With the last four deaths, NASCAR has to look to improve safety on the track. One problem is that NASCAR should exercise more control over their drivers. I was convinced over the past couple of years that Dale was going to kill someone with his style of driving, he bumped more than one driver at high speeds as he was doing prior to his accident at Daytona. Because of Dale's popularity NASCAR let him do what he wanted. During a race last year, an announcer said that "he was happy to be in the booth when Earnhardt was driving". I believe Dale's driving style was a major contributor to his death. - Matt
The solution is quite simple in my opinion. Why not move the wall off the the track say 250-300 ft and place grass around the first 150 ft from the track and then place sand/gravel around the next 125-150 ft and then have the wall. Sure the fans aren't nearly as close but this would make these wall collisions at 130-180 mph virtually non-existent. The idea being that even at 180 mph spinning off or getting in an accident the car will automatically decelerate to much safer speeds. I don't know if 300ft is too much or too little but at least the idea attacks the main problem, the wall. As for fans being less reluctant to attend events because they aren't as close well like you guys said the sport will die if its heroes, champions, and leaders are dying so this solution seems to attack the main safety issues plaguing NASCAR and racing in general. - Raphael
You will never be able to make racing perfectly safe. Any time a human being is strapped into a machine, especially one going nearly 200 mph, there is the chance that he/she could die. Not just NASCAR. What about drag racing, funny cars and superbikes? Maybe you guys have some pointers on how to make those sports safer? We are all going to miss Dale Earnhardt - with all our hearts. - Steve
Long gone are the days of the sling shot pass, and a dominating car in a race. Now with NASCAR going mainstream America, the rules have been changed so much that the fun in racing is now gone. One of the greatest drivers ever has passed away at the fault of NASCAR. NASCAR has neglected its responsibilities towards the drivers safety. Instead they have tried to make racing an even playing field so that some nobody can get a win over the better drivers. Soon NASCAR will go to a format where every car is the same, no advantages will be present whatsoever. I have long been a fan of NASCAR, and after the way Sunday's race was ran, I am totally disgusted at the sport. Never again will I watch another NASCAR race unless rule changes are made to better protect the drivers, and to let the best of the best rise to the top. I think it is just great that NASCAR makes all of the teams set up their cars exactly the same. It is just a grand idea to let them run in a pack of 38 at 200mph. That way when one crashes, almost the entire group of cars becomes collected in the carnage. NASCAR is now less of a sport than the WWF. - Mike
(From The Razor & Mr. T's E-Mail Bag)
I bet the Earnhardt family will within a week have a suit again NASCAR, DAYTONA SPEEDWAY and RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING for wrongful death. The family has lost its major $upport and will want something in return. These race car drivers know the risk they are taking but I think they feel, "it won't happen to me." It's very sad but do we memorialize the family of 4 that gets killed in a freeway accident? One in which they knew may not happen and was truly a real accident? - Dan
JASON KIDD & DOMESTIC ABUSE
(From Fitz & Brooks' E-Mail Bag)
Jason Kidd's wife could be your daughter, sister, niece. Whether we boo or cheer is not the issue. The issue is that violence against women is a major worldwide problem. Fitz said that not many guys beat their wives. It's funny because I don't know many guys who beat their wives or girlfriends, but I know too many women who have been victims of physical or sexual abuse. Hooray for Jason Kidd admitting that he has a problem. But this is nowhere near redemption. First, Kidd must get the intensive therapy necessary to deal with the issues that keep him from truly being a man. Control issues, anger management, sexual insecurity -- whatever the cause is none of my business. My business is that I do have a daughter, and Kidd is now in the position to educate the young men that may grow up to court my daughter that violence against women is the work of immature cowards. Many athletes who have children born with or suffering from diseases, dedicate much of their time to raising awareness and money to find a cure for the disease. Please, Jason, get the help you need and then turn to help others. - Kristien
This is sickening! He was wrong and he should be treated no better than Lewis, Carruth and Chumura, whom everyone is correctly hounding. The ESPN columnist may know him and spend time with him, but do you honestly think when he asked Joumana about the "physicality" of previous abuse, she was going to be forthright? I do not believe you guys are that naive. This is called "SPIN". Please remember Nicole Brown and her family wanted to work it out also. As Ralph might paraphrase, this is another professional athlete's wife who will put up with alot not to lose her lifestyle. - Ron
THE IMPORTANCE OF A SALARY CAP
(From The Razor & Mr. T's E-Mail Bag)
The NFL, as a company, is the strongest of all major sports organizations and do you know why? Of course, the NBA and MLB have shot themselves in the foot by having strikes and unbelievable player contracts that are going to cause the eventual downfall of these organizations (especially MLB). Having a salary cap in baseball will allow small market teams like Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, San Diego Padres and others, to give fans hope for their teams in the beginning of the season that they too will have a shot at the title. I believe that the salary cap has made the NFL strong as a whole and will contribute to its status as America's Favorite Sport. - FXG
THE XFL
(From Gary's E-Mail Bag)
The football is no different than NFL Europe on Fox Sports Net. Football. Not great football but something to watch when I have nothing better to do. The presentation is campy but the way I view it is that it's a behind-the-scenes look at what happens at an NFL game that the NFL won't let us see. Or more correctly, hear. This is more like viewing a football game produced by NFL Films, without the production quality. - Bruce
(From Fitz & Brooks' E-Mail Bag)
If the players were that good they wouldn't be playing for Vince and that traveling side show that is the XFL. So many people bought the hype. It's like a new toy we'll play with for a while then toss it aside. Remember "Tickle Me Elmo", "Beanie Babies", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Six Million Dollar Man dolls", "Pokemon", etc. The XFL will someday pass away and we'll be back to talking about overpaid jocks, bad officials, bad calls, high ticket prices, low attendance, wife beaters, drunk drivers, pot heads...you know...real sports talk. - Robert
If I want bad football, I'll check out "Monday Night Football." Why would I watch a bunch of guys who aren't good enough for the Cleveland Browns? And you just now figured out "Survivor" is rigged? News flash: Tiger Woods can play golf a little bit. - Jeff
I'm ashamed to say I watched part of the SF Demons game yesterday. I watched out of curiousity. My hopes were low, didn't really care much about it either way. But the thing is, What's so extreme about it? Sure there are a few rule changes, and you have the idiot players who write stupid things on their jersies, yelling and screaming, but who cares? On the comercials you had McMahon, and Butkus yelling about how they wanted their smashmouth football back. Well I don't know about you, but I didn't see that much different from the NFL in terms of what plays were run and whatnot. And to top it all off, beside a few okay players like Pawlawski, the level of play is awful. So basically what we have is a Bengals - Browns game with a bunch of screaming idiots on the sidelines. - Mike
I'll sum the Sex-FL up in three phrases: 1) It's better than Hockey (no one on the West Coast understands hockey); 2) It's better than basketball (we're all sick of self-absorbed, school-skipping punks that can't dribble without travelling and only dunk nowadays), and 3) It's another excuse to drink large quantities of beer. - Jeff
While I could only take about ten minutes of the XFL due to the shoddy play, terrible camera work, and WWF attitude, I do like the rules such as live ball punts after 25 yards. So why not make it more interesting by doing this? 50+ yard field goals count 5 points 2 points for the other team when you miss a field goal. This would be like a safety. No-huddle offense the entire game. After all, the plays are sent in by wireless. Winning team gets the girls! - Mr. Ken
I expected a little more when watching the XFL. I feel let down. If people don't start getting hurt, I mean really hurt, the XFL isn't going to last. I was looking for more of a WWF meets the NFL football game. I was looking for NFL Blitz (a videogame), but in reality. In NFL Blitz: 30 yards nets you a first down, the clock stops after every play, each side has only seven players and, most important of all, there are no penalties. That means no offsides, no interference, no nonsense about unsportsmanlike conduct. Defensive players can (and do) pile on after every play. The players can even kick, punch, or pile-drive each other after the play is over. It's a great game and should have been used as a model of what the XFL should be: A mix of the WWF and the NFL. - Jon
I loved the fact the guys were playing for an extra $2500 incentive to win the game. I felt closer to the action with all the camera angles and interviews going on throughout the game. It was cool that everyone involved was trying to make it work instead of just worrying about what's in it for me. The cheerleaders were fine, but you can get a lot more T&A; on cable or in a video store today so who cares. The level of play was much better than I expected. They should not allow field goals from within the 30 yard line until last 2 minutes of the game. After the TD, teams should get 1 point for lining up at the 2 and 2 points for lining up at the 10. I got fed up with the NFL when Ray Lewis was able to "redeem" himself by winning the Super Bowl. GO XFL! - Max
(From The Razor & Mr. T.'s E-Mail Bag)
Out of sheer curiosity, I went to the Demons game with a small group of friends. Most of the media seems to be using superlative "successful" terms regarding the first weekend of the XFL. I saw something I had never seen at any sporting event.....hundreds of paper airplanes fashioned from the "Inaugural Program" flying around the upper deck. Yawn!!! The game was slow, the talent was neglible, and the "entertainment features" (while crass) were over-hyped. - Mary
Why is it that most sports analysts and talk show hosts feel the need to be so critical of the XFL? Why can't you all appreciate what the XFL is for: the fans. Every part of the games are geared toward the fans, from interactive interviews to meeting the players after the game. Why can't this be enough for you all to accept and appreciate? - Big T
The XFL should be renamed the NTFL for No Talent Football League. The NFL play is about equal in talent to what it was in the 1950's. With the total dilution of talent, how in the world could anyone expect to field a moderately decent product. The thing that amazes me is that NBC paid so much for so bad a product. I turned off the XFL, NFL and the golf tournament and watched a John Wayne movie and read a book. - Ray
You guys have been talking about how to make the XFL more interesting. Tom's suggestions include no helmets and getting rid of the fair catch 5-yard halo. I have another suggestion... Rugby. Northern California has some of the best rugby in the nation. Five reasons rugby is more interesting than the XFL: 1. No helmets, no pads. All blood. 2. On kick-offs, you can hit the receiver all you want, as long as they aren't in the air. 3. The kicker is usually the best athlete on the team. 4. Same players for offense and defense. 5. Women play rugby. On March 24th, SF Golden Gate plays last year's National Champions - Aspen in Boxer Stadium in Balboa Park. Check us out. - Paolo