'Bonds' makes some contact
Do we really need to hear more about Barry Bonds? Apparently we do, according to ESPN.
''Bonds on Bonds," a 10-hour series, airs Tuesdays on ESPN at 7 p.m. The show's debut this week was an hour; future installments will be a half-hour.
Which is probably just about right for Bonds lovers or Bonds haters. The lovers get to see his classic swing, and shots of his late father, Bobby. The haters get to see Bonds's contempt for the media, and hear the growing allegations of steroid use, although he doesn't address them directly, per his attorneys' instructions.
In other words, there's something for everyone who wants to tune into a reality show instead of an actual ballgame.
ESPN spokesmen hasten to stress this is not just another reality show, but a documentary tracking Bonds's quest to eclipse the home run totals of Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755). But the timing couldn't be worse, with the recently published book ''Game of Shadows," alleging Bonds's steroid use, combined with the major league-wide steroid investigation launched by commissioner Bud Selig.
''He leads a compelling life," said ESPN spokesman Rob Tobias. No argument there. ''It's up to the viewer to decide [what they think of Bonds]. [The show] doesn't shy away from anything, and there's also an effort to be current."
The debut episode included footage from the Giants' season opener in San Diego, where one fan held up a sign of a giant asterisk, and another fan threw a syringe at Bonds as he came off the field.
ESPN had similar programs following Cal Ripken Jr. (during his final season) and Tiger Woods.
''These documentary-style shows are nothing new at ESPN," Tobias said. ''But we want to make it clear from the outset that this is part of ESPN's entertainment division. Our news-gathering shows are not being compromised."
The show is being produced for ESPN by Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins of Tollin/Robbins Productions, which produced ''Arli$$" for HBO, and feature films ''Coach Carter" and ''Varsity Blues."
''Bonds on Bonds" does give some insight into the slugger's personal life, although he's definitely aware the cameras are rolling. It shows him laughing in his SUV while being chased by paparazzi, cleaning up a mess at home from a broken pipe under an aquarium, and talking at his father's gravesite.
It also shows that infamous press conference after his knee surgery in which Bonds wants to make sure photographers get his son in the picture, and shows him in his leather chair in front of his locker.
You also hear Bonds voice his regret that he doesn't have a World Series ring, and see him wiping tears away as he talks about baseball letting him down. ''Half the people hate me, and the other half root for me. Why should I let them down? Why should I let myself down? Why should I let my kids down?"
Tobias said the show is ''a chance to see Barry in his world."
A world that gets stranger every week. No wonder ESPN doesn't like to call ''Bonds on Bonds" a reality show.
