Oh My Gosh! Barry Bonds Failed A Steroid Test In 2000! No Kidding?!

In the midst of the heated Roger Clemens Vs Brian McNamee debates, suddenly a familiar accused steroid user popped back into the picture. The problem was, while everyone accused Barry Bonds of taking steroids, no one had actually proved or convicted him with evidence. Well, that's about to change.

A month after hitting his record 73rd home run, Barry Bonds tested positive for steroids in November, 2000. The allegation comes in the federal perjury case against Bonds and claims he received steroids from trainer Greg Anderson.

Barry Bonds tested positive for steroids in November 2001, just a month after hitting his record 73rd home run of the season, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday.

The allegation came in a legal filing in his steroid perjury case that referred to Bonds' long-time trainer, Greg Anderson.

Is this surprising? I'm actually surprised they didn't make this discovery sooner. I also find the timing of this discovery to be no coincidence either. Roger Clemens is slightly more respected overall than Barry Bonds. By revealing this information about Barry Bonds to the public at this time, some of the focus and attention should shift away from Roger Clemens and move towards Barry Bonds again.

"At trial, the government's evidence will show that Bonds received steroids from Anderson in the period before the November 2001 positive drug test, and that evidence raises the inference that Anderson gave Bonds the steroids that caused him to test positive in November 2001," U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello wrote.

The U.S. government made the assertion in a document that asked a federal court to reject Bonds' motion last month to dismiss the charges that he lied about past steroid use.

In December, the record seven-time National League Most Valuable Player pleaded not guilty to lying to a federal grand jury in 2003 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

He testified in the BALCO sports steroid case, which ended up jailing his personal trainer, Anderson, and the head of the BALCO lab near San Francisco.

The latest government motion also referred to a question by a prosecutor during the BALCO case to "determine why Bonds apparently tested positive for anabolic steroids in November 2000."

To date, prosecutors have revealed little about the details they have in the case against Bonds, the greatest hitter of his era long dogged by suspicions about doping.

They Finally Caught Barry Bonds

Let this be a lesson to everyone: It doesn't matter who you are, do not mess or lie to the government because eventually they will hunt you down. I've watched the Barry Bonds story develop over the years, always expecting it to finally die down at some point. I wanted this story to die down, not because I dislike Bonds (which I do by the way), but because I'm sick and tired of hearing about him anymore. Well, this case didn't die down. However, I've changed my opinion about this story. I find it rather comical how the government pursued this one man to the point where they were absolutely determined to indict him. In addition, I am more interested in the outcome of this story. Will the greatest home run king, who just came off his record breaking season, go to jail?

Bonds finished the year with 762 homers, seven more than Aaron, and is currently a free agent. In 2001, he set the season record with 73 home runs. The indictment culminated a four-year investigation into steroid use by elite athletes.

Barry Bonds was indicted Thursday for perjury and obstruction of justice, charged with lying when he told a federal grand jury that he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds has repeatedly denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. He has never been identified by Major League Baseball as testing positive, though we all can figure out through one theory or another that he is positive.

Bonds was charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. He was cited for lying when he said he didn't knowingly take steroids given to him by his personal trainer and longtime friend, Greg Anderson. Bonds also was charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids. Therefore, this is not a baseball issue on whether he took his steroids or not. The grand jury could care less about that. This is an issue of lying under oath. I'm curious (and we'll never find out the answer to this) to know if Bonds would have told the truth from the beginning, being who he is, would they have taken it easy on him in the same way they did to Jason Giambi?

If convicted on all five counts, baseball's home run king could go to prison for up to 30 years.