I'm sure you meant to say he's #3 on the list. Regardless, a lot of Bonds' issues with the media stem from when he was a kid. His father, Bobby, was an alcoholic and apparently the media was pretty hard on him. That's one of the reasons that Bonds has been so reserved and distrustful of the media.

And honestly, there is a grain of truth to the issue of race. It might be on a subconscious level, but when fans drool over Ruth, and the "good old days", one has to note that the good old days didn't involve black players. People are quick to point to the steroids, smaller parks, juiced balls, diluted talent pool, etc, but they never mention that Ruth didn't have to travel to the west coast, play in many night games, or face pitchers with more than 2 pitches (usually). And nobody had in depth scouting reports on how to pitch to Ruth.

I'm not saying that it's all about race. Of course there is the human tendency to just think that your generation was the best and that everything that comes after it is tainted. But to fully dismiss the issue of race is a bit naive as well. Barry Bonds has put up 3 of the most amazing seasons of all time. His numbers blow anything that Ruth was ever able to do. Is that recognized? Nope.

The cause cause/effect debate over whether Bonds is the media is negative towards him b/c he's a jerk to them, or if he's a jerk to them b/c they are negative towards him is unanswerable. When the media is against someone, that person will be unfairly labeled. Ewing, Murray, etc etc. I wouldn't trust anything the media has to say....or at the very least, i'd be aware of the fact that they are only painting half a picture.