The BONDS Story; Mixed 'Bag From SF Media; KNBR, 'Semi-Soft

SAN FRANCISCO

As the BARRY BONDS story commences full-throttle mode in the City-by-the-Bay, it's generally conceded that the ex-Giants slugger has received far more critical coverage from the city's daily newspaper, the SF Chronicle, than from the Bay Area's radio-TV contingent, notably, all-sports talk-station, KNBR, which happens to be the Giants flagship outlet, and owns 5% of the team.

Bonds name has surfaced again as he formally plead not guilty for the third time before a federal magistrate as his perjury trial is set to begin early next month.

It was the Chronicle's Lance Williams and Mark Fainru-Wada who broke the initial BALCO story nearly six years ago that led to Bonds testimony before a federal grand jury in December 2003; a hearing in which the career home run record-holder testified that he didn't knowingly take steroids. The govt. said he lied.

Sports columnists here have generally been critical; KNBR's hosts have been relatively tepid. Just today, mid-morning host, Gary Radnich, also sports anchor at KRON-TV, was mostly supportive of Bonds and semi-lampooned callers who said that Bonds deserved all the legal wrath and impending fate, perhaps, coming his way.

During one call today, when a male caller pointed out that "even a President was impeached" over lying to a grand jury, Radnich quickly cut him off and suggested to the caller that Bonds was a baseball player and that the only harm he may have committed was to his body.

Solid point, but when another observant caller pointed out that Bonds may have to go to jail for a period of time should he be convicted, Radnich laughed it off, obviously forgetting the most recent case of Martha Stewart, who was found guilty on four counts of obstruction of justice, and served four months of jail time.

KNBR's night-time host Damon Bruce and afternoon duo, Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert, (The "Razor and Mr. T) have been far more pointed and critical of Bonds; in fact, Barbieri and producer Brian Smith committed to several interviews of Williams and Fainru-Wada and last year had a fairly intriguing and informative interview of Bond's mistress, Kimberly Bell, who figures to be a prime witness for the prosecution's case against the 45 year-old Bonds.

Developing Story...

2-5-'09 5:57 PM PST