WHAT IF BARRY BONDS PLAYED PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL?

By Scott Daniels, Esq., NFL Draft Bible

Barry Bonds has faced just about everything over the last few years. Criticism. Controversy. Joy. Humiliation. Congress. The end result? An indictment by a federal grand jury. I was looking over a timeline of Barry's legal troubles over the years and I began to ponder what his punishment would be if he played in the National Football League.

October 23, 2003
Barry Bonds testifies before a Grand Jury about his alleged knowledge and dealings with BALCO, a laboratory accused of distributing performance enhancing drugs to professional baseball players – especially Bonds. He states he received “cream” and “clear” substances from BALCO but was told they were not steroids.

MLB’s Reaction: nothing

Roger Goodell’s Action: Goodell would have immediately had Bonds come into his Manhattan office for a meeting. He would have most certainly reiterated the steroid policy in the NFL and warned Bonds that a suspension is imminent if further investigation revealed steroid use.

February 17, 2004
Greg Anderson, Bonds’ longtime friend and personal trainer, is heavily investigated in the BALCO scandal and tells federal agents he gave steroids to several baseball players.

March 2, 2004
A newspaper article reports that Bonds, along with Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Marvin Benard, Benito Santiago, Randy Velarde and Bill Romonowski received steroids from BALCO.

MLB’s Reaction: Commissioner Bud Selig finally meets with Bonds in private before a game in April of 2004. No suspension.

Roger Goodell’s Reaction: At this point, evidence is piling up fast against Bonds. Goodell would have required a drug test once a week during the season and in the off-season. He might also secretly put pressure on Bonds’ team’s owner to sever ties with Bonds until any investigation on him comes to an end.

April 8, 2005
Bonds is reported to be continuing to work out with Greg Anderson – who is awaiting trial on charges of distributing performance enhancing drugs.

MLB’s Reaction: MLB implements new steroid policy: 50 game suspension for first time offenders; 100-game ban for second time offenders; and a lifetime ban for a third violation. Nothing is done to Bonds.

Roger Goodell’s Reaction: Goodell’s disgust with Bonds continuing to associate himself with poor character individuals leads him to require that Bonds submit to a drug test before every single game.

2006 MLB Season
Bonds fails a drug test (MLB’s amphetamine policy). Bonds blames it on a teammate.

MLB’s Reaction: Under MLB’s policy, players are not identified for a first positive test for amphetamines.

Roger Goodell’s Reaction: Immediate suspension for at least four games. (In the NFL, that is equivalent to 1/4 of your regular season games).

November 15, 2007
Bonds is indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of perjury and one count obstruction of justice.

MLB’s Reaction: Nothing formal as of yet.

Roger Goodell’s Reaction: Indefinite suspension with a possible ban from the game.