I thought I had commented on Barry Bonds sometime last spring and his comments that he just wanted to get away from all of the media, etc. and live a normal life. He was talking about being depressed and that he was giving it all up. I couldn't find the archived blog, but I know I read about it. Now I find an article on Tracy McGrady this morning along the same lines. My thoughts are the same, not that the pain of whatever they are going through isn't real, but making $15 million dollars a year makes it easier to go through in my mind. You may disagree and call me hardhearted, but I find it harder to take pity on him or Bonds compared to a single mother with three kids whose father dies suddently. She has no time to plan emotionally or physically, she needs to travel across the country for the funeral, settle the estate, etc., but her kids are in school, her boss won't give her the time off, she has no money for the travel, etc. Now that is something that could lead to a depression, and I'm sure it's very common. Or even the single mother who just can't get ahead in life, hates her job, her kids are rebelling due to no father figure, etc. The same with the father who works 12 hours a day at a dead-end job but has no chance at moving up due to a lack of education, he continues to work to support his family. I'll take pity on these people, not T-Mac or Bonds who have maids, cooks, gardeners, etc. to help them through whatever tough times they are going through. And Barry, I'm sorry, the pressure of chasing Hank Aaron for the home run title is of no comparison to raising a child on your own or working day in and day out for peanuts to support your family. Finally, Tracy, your problems better be real if you are going to the media and making a big deal out of this.


This from the Sports Guy's Mailbag:
Q: I caught part of the fourth quarter of the Pro Bowl last night and noticed that STEVE MCNAIR was taking snaps for the AFC. Was Brooks Bollinger already booked at the Brick Tamland Celebrity Golf Tournament? Has there ever been a more meaningless sporting event than the Pro Bowl?-- Kevin, Kansas City
SG: No. Never. Even the Michael Douglas & Friends celebrity golf tournament is higher on the food chain than the Pro Bowl. They need to cancel it. Even my buddy Sal won't gamble on the Pro Bowl, and that's saying something.
More important, I was blown away by the McNair thing as well; it was one of the under-the-radar incredible moments in sports history. When I first saw him taking snaps, I thought the game had been rained out and they were showing a replay of the 1999 Pro Bowl. Then I realized the game was live, which made me wonder whether this was the first time that a QB who didn't start for a single fantasy team during an entire season started in the Pro Bowl. Then I spent the next two to three minutes in complete shock, which probably gave me something in common with his AFC teammates. Then I became disappointed that they didn't figure out a way to videotape McNair's reaction to the "Can you come to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl?" phone call, as he probably spent a good three days wondering whether he was being "Punk'd." And finally, the more I thought about it, the more I became furious that Keanu Reeves or James Van Der Beek didn't get the call. That's where I am now. Still smoldering. This could have been Keanu's one chance.

As with 99% of his stuff, it's just too true. I've got a friend who now is coaching for the Bears and played ten years in the league, making two Pro Bowls. He said the same thing, it seems that these guys get paid more if they win the game, he feels that they should split the money even and just do the skills games, play flag football, etc. for the game, it'd draw better and be just as meaningful.