Is Barry Bonds Boycotting Giants Games Televised By ESPN?

Bonds Yet To Start Game Televised On ESPN This Season

Giants LF Barry Bonds has not played in the three games in which his team has appeared on ESPN this season, leading some to wonder if he is “boycotting the Worldwide Leader,” according to John Ryan of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS.  Bonds also did not participate in the ESPN-televised Home Run Derby last week. With Giants-Cubs airing on ESPN Monday, “Baseball Tonight” host Karl Ravech said, “This is, I believe, Game 3 in a row that ESPN cameras have been there and he hasn’t played. I can’t believe there’s any connection. That wouldn’t be right to the team.” Analyst John Kruk: “You would hope he doesn’t dislike us that much that he would sit out games.” But Ryan writes that for the theory “even to make it on the air as banter, it has to be getting some run behind the scenes at ESPN.”  The conversation “wasn’t on the late edition; an ESPN spokesperson said the early show was 84 minutes long, while the recap was 40 minutes.” Meanwhile, during Monday’s “SportsCenter,” anchor Steve Levy, while showing Bonds in the dugout behind a chain-link fence, said, “There’s a behind-bars joke there somewhere.” Amid laughter, Levy said the thought “just sort of struck me instantly, and it’s probably not going to strike me in the morning.” Ryan notes the line was not in the morning telecast (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/18).