From espn.com:

"Bonds said this fall that he would like to get his playing weight down to around 200, which would mean losing approximately 40 pounds this winter. He was at 185 as a rookie in 1986, but hasn't been close to that in years."

Hmmm... coincidencia?

http://www.global-air.com/global/graphics/father%20guido%20sarducci.jpg

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I wonder why the change. New testing procedures this next year? He played the last few years at 230, and kicked no shortage of ass. I'm just wondering why the change. He hasn't tested possitive, ever. So what has changed for next year?

I wonder what he is at right now?

What? Giambi lost weight and what happened? He was voted the Comeback Player of the Year by the fans. He is just trying to go after an award he has never won before. Or maybe it is just the fact he is realizing that he can't be that heavy with all those knee problems.Those are the only reasons :rolleyes:

On a related note, Victor Conte started his jail term yesterday

I wonder why the change. New testing procedures this next year? He played the last few years at 230, and kicked no shortage of ass. I'm just wondering why the change. He hasn't tested possitive, ever. So what has changed for next year?
As I understand the way the previous policy was implemented, the players agreed to testing as a result fo the 2002 bargaining agreement. In 2003, if more than 5% of players tested positive, that kicked in mandatory testing in 2004 and beyond (or at least until the end of the labor agreement). In 2003, more than 5% tested positive; however, none of those results were made public, nor were any disciplinary actions taken. In 2004, players were tested once during the season. First time offenders were sent to counseling, and I'm not sure if any discipline was otherwise taken against anyone else who might have tested positive, or whether the results from 2004 have ever been published.

That brought us to 2005. I guess Bonds would have been subject to testing since he was still on the 40-man roster, but he didn't play until Spetmber and could very easily have stayed off the stuff all year. I don't recall what he looked like when he played in September, but I assume he was at a minimum out of shape, so he probably didn't look any skinnier at that point.

So now we're moving into 2006 and the tough new drug policy. And Bonds is, for the first time, going to have to deal with non-anonymous testing AND playing everyday. This is his first time having to deal with the reality of playing a full season and having to undergo testing, especially with pretty severe penalties.

So the fact that he's now talking about losing 40 pounds seems mighty suspicious to me. I've been pretty vocal about not judging him guilty on what we know so far, but that doesn't mean that the mountain of evidence doesn't point to him being a user. And this is just one more pile of rocks to throw on it. This is just part of a PR plan to gradually work himself down to a slimmer body without creating a huge PR nightmare by showing up at spring training 40 pounds lighter for no apparent reason. He's laying the groundwork now, so that when he shows up much slimmer, it was all part of his off-season workout which he told everyone about 4 months earlier.

And in other news on this, Bonds says he's going to play for the US in whatever tournament is coming up. Since when is Bonds interested in representing the country?

And in other news on this, Bonds says he's going to play for the US in whatever tournament is coming up. Since when is Bonds interested in representing the country?Since he was nearing the end of his career and making sure that his public percepetion wasn't so lousy that he wouldn't get into the Hall Of Fame?

Since he was nearing the end of his career and making sure that his public percepetion wasn't so lousy that he wouldn't get into the Hall Of Fame?

Bingo.

Since he was nearing the end of his career and making sure that his public percepetion wasn't so lousy that he wouldn't get into the Hall Of Fame?
No, I understand that completely. It is the transparency of both of these things that is shocking to me.

I hear he's planning an ice cream social for disabled kids, too.

No, I understand that completely. It is the transparency of both of these things that is shocking to me.Shocking? Brian, you're forgetting how dumb and short-memoried the public can be. ;)

Why did I read that as "small-mammaried"?