Ron Artest assaulted the fans who pay the salaries of the entire NBA. Barry Bonds assaulted the legends who built his sport. What's worse: juiced-up ball-players stealing the places of Aaron, Ruth, and Mays in the record books, or out-of-control punks transforming the NBA into a thug league?

Both are despicable. I stopped watching the MLB during the '94 strike. I've also stopped watching the NBA. I'm tired of out of touch prima donnas whining. I don't begrudge them the money, but enough of the whining. I saw Artest on tv after the fight, he was more interested about promoting the cd he's producing than explaining his actions. Then there's that clown of a union chief comparing the incident to Iraq!
As for Bonds, with his talent, he didn't need steroids. All his records are now suspect. Where does the next scandall come from, the NFL?

I understand that players can get caught up in the heat of the moment, but Artest's actions were uncalled for. He got hit with a PLASTIC CUP OF BEER, for cryin' out loud! While the spectator who threw the cup should have been immediately removed from the arena, Artest should NOT have jumped in the stands and committed assault.

As for Bonds, he cheated. I am not sure exactly what he took, but if you take performance enhancing drugs you are a cheat.

Bonds offernse is much worse in my opinion. Artest's was a crime of passion even though it did reflect his disposition to do the stupid thing.

But Bonds has repeatedly been on a podium, or seated at a table with his GODFATHER Willie Mays and praised Mays for his achievements and declared his respect repeatedly for what Aaron meant to baseball and especially to black people generally for what he delat with in breaking Babe Ruth's record (Aaron really went through hell doing that by the way). All the time he was doing this, publicly praising their achievements he was completely juicing up and cheating. Look at his stats? He was a 35 homer guy who ballooned in production when he started juicing, the steroids DID have an effect.

It makes me reconsider what Bonds meant in all those press conferences where he said how "difficult" it would be to pass Mays home run total, and later Aaron's because of how much their achievements meant to him. Maybe what he meant to say is I will feel guilty doing so since their achievements are impressive and reflect their good character while mine are fantastical and unnatural and reflect my bad character.

His premeditate cheating is far worse to himself, and the game he plays that Artest's thugging it out in today's NBA.

I don't have as much of a problem with Bonds. It's not like the effects of steroids are a mystery, so Bonds and Giambi and their ilk KNEW they were sacrificing their health for increased performance. Misguided? Tragically. Malicious? Far from it.

What is malicious is Artest losing his cool and charging into the stands to wail on fans. It's purely selfish. Bonds and Giambi could at least defend their actions by pointing to the result: increased production on the field of play, which in turn helps the team, which in turn benefits the fans. What redeeming quality can Ron Artest point too?

What a Faustian choice...

Can we just kick them both out of their respective sports? Put an asterisk next to Bonds' name and records (if not outright invalidate them?)

The only saving grace for Bonds is that he still managed to hit for a high average. Steroids help one get bigger and stronger, but do not help a keen batting eye. Ask Jose Canseco or Ken Caminiti about production in the second, third, fourth year of steroid use. HR don't happen if you don't hit the ball at the right trajectory. Granted, once you do, the steroids help long flyballs become splashdowns in McCovey cove rather than outs, but Bonds still had to maintain a keen batting eye.

But I would still strike his right to the records. Record what the numbers were, but give him the asterisk that he deserves and Roger Maris did not.

Artest? Well, I'm only surprised something like that didn't happen sooner in the NBA. Can't stand that league. Stopped watching it years ago. Thugs.

If Bonds is going to be allowed in the record books, than they need to put Pete Rose in the record books. Bonds cheated plain and simple. Spoiled Prima-Donnas, thats why I dont watch anymore. The 94 strike turned me away from that game.