Take Bonds or Leave Him; Choice Is Yours

Skip Bayless, writing in the San Jose Mercury News, says that Barry Bonds “is becoming the most unappreciated superstar in sports history,” adding, “This has happened because he doesn’t appear to have a phony bone in his muscled-up body. This I appreciate.

“Bonds is who he is, take him or leave him.... He’s perfectly aware he’s the best player of his generation and probably will go down as one of the top five position players ever.

“Yet he seems tormented because just being the best isn’t enough. He doesn’t enjoy coming down off his personal Mount Olympus to do interviews or sign autographs, even for kids. He doesn’t want to be an actor or politician or pitchman or role model.

“Is that all bad?”

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Trivia time: Who holds the UCLA record for the longest rushing touchdown?

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New image: John McGrath of the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune writes that because of the recent tragic events in New York, the Yankees have become America’s team.

“The ‘NY’ they wear on their pinstriped home jerseys packs more symbolism now than it ever has, and it has always packed enough to intimidate those who were not awed.

“Were this any other September, the Yankees would make convenient villains. They’ve got the highest payroll, still.

“They’ve got the most insufferable owner still.... But this is not any other September, and the month that follows will not be like any other October.”

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Unusual gesture: Defensive end Trace Armstrong, a former Dolphin and now a Raider, was asked by Dan LeBatard of the Miami Herald why he took out a full-page newspaper ad, thanking South Florida upon leaving the Dolphins.

“Because the ending didn’t feel right,” he answered. “One minute you are pouring yourself wholeheartedly into an organization and the community, and the next minute you’re cleaning out your locker, and that’s it. Goodbye.

“I wanted to make sure people knew I was grateful for my time here.”

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Memorable: Jerry Greene in the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel: “Here’s Bob Uecker’s greatest moment in baseball:

“‘St. Louis, 1967. I walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in a spring-training intrasquad game.’

“You’re right, Bob. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1944, UCLA and USC played to a 13-13 tie at the Coliseum. Because of wartime travel restrictions, the cross-town rivals played each other twice that season, the Trojans winning, 40-13, on Nov. 25.

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Trivia answer: Chuck Cheshire, against Montana in 1934, 93 yards.

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And finally: Bernie Lincicome in the Rocky Mountain News: “In searching for something good to come out of a world gone mad, we settle upon the postponement of the Ryder Cup, golf’s answer to an international fistfight, using the single golf glove, overlapping grip and a ‘gotcha’ at the top of the back swing.

“The quest for the Cup shall be delayed a year, rather than discarded altogether, as it should be, because lately it has become more important than was ever intended, full of loud screams and bad manners and galloping greed, you know, like real sports.”