Thompson: Barry Bonds like we've never seen him

Say what you want about Barry Bonds, but he's got great teeth.
 Maybe I didn't notice because he's never smiled as much as he did Monday. At a news conference to kick off his stint as a guest hitting coach at Giants camp, Bonds had morphed from renowned jerk to giggly middle-aged man.
It was like Darth Vader after a spa day. It was weird to watch, even a little uncomfortable, yet riveting. Because Bonds is anything but contrite. People are waiting for him to confess his crimes, but he didn't. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for him to turn on the waterworks and exude the remorse public opinion requires.
 Not even close. Instead he smiled. Incessantly. His perfect teeth reflecting a purity his persona never accomplished. day basis. I'm the same person, just a different character. I'm more in the middle. I can still be crazy, but I've calmed down." Maybe he was smiling so much because he has actually changed. It has been seven years.
 That was enough time for him to slim down his bulky physique, which once made the batter's box look like hopscotch. It's certainly enough time to reflect, read a few books and soul search. Or maybe Bonds is smiling so much because he has gotten what he wanted -- to get back in baseball -- without sacrificing what he deems to be his dignity. A great franchise, which he loves dearly, extended welcoming arms (with a chance to stick around longer) and he didn't have to dampen his cheeks in front of Bryant Gumbel. Bonds declined -- politely -- to talk about PEDs or felony convictions or the pronounced scuff he left on baseball. Yet he's moved on.
 Confession is good for the soul, the saying goes. But Bonds just proclaimed to the nation his soul is doing quite fine. Maybe he has confessed, just not to those who want it the most. That's going to bother many, which may be another reason he was smiling so much. Even in turning over a new leaf, he's still the same ol' Bonds. His stubbornness is at least more worthy of respect than the choreographed remorse people want so much (#RyanBraun).
It works like a charm for the many who believe a grown man apologizing publicly is adequate consequence for nearly any crime. But if one is not really remorseful, what does it matter if they can act? And since we can't really know who is truly remorseful, why are we bothering with such charades? That's the problem with sports fans being the moral police -- we aren't qualified for the role. We have double-standards and selfish ambitions.
 We are selective in our prosecution and uneven in our sentencing. We care more about appearances than substance. We are too diverse, making it impossible to apply a fair standard. Fans can jeer and complain. Fans can pay to show up or not, turn on the television or not. But in determining who is worthy of being part of the expansive sports world is rightfully out of our jurisdiction.
And Bonds brazenly stamps us as unworthy each time he refuses to bare his soul to us. This time he did it with a smile.

New Source: www.mercurynews.com