Bonds: Man who bought record-breaking home run ball is an ‘idiot’
September 19, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Barry Bonds said the man who bought his 756th home run ball and announced plans to let the public decide its fate is an “idiot.”
Fashion designer Marc Ecko had the winning bid Saturday in the online auction for the ball that Bonds hit last month to break Hank Aaron’s record of 755 home runs. The final selling price was $752,467, well above most predictions.
Ecko, 35, has set up a Web site that lets visitors vote on three options for the ball: give it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk before sending it to Cooperstown or blast it into space on a rocket ship.
The asterisk would suggest that Bonds’ record is tainted by alleged steroid use. The Giants slugger has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.
“All of those options don’t weigh anything,” Bonds told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday night in Phoenix. “In baseball, that number (756) stands.”
Bonds said Ecko could have found a better way to spend three-quarters of a million dollars.
“He’s stupid. He’s an idiot,” Bonds said. “He spent $750,000 on the ball and that’s what he’s doing with it? What he’s doing is stupid.”
Ecko did not directly respond to Bonds’ comments Wednesday, but said in a statement he would make Bonds a custom T-shirt that says, “Marc Ecko paid $752,467 for my ball, and all I got was this ‘stupid’ T-shirt.”‘
Ecko plans to announce what he will do with No. 756 after voting ends Sept. 25.
Ben Padnos, the California entrepreneur who submitted the $186,750 winning bid on Bonds’ record-tying 755th home run ball, said Tuesday he also plans to have the public vote on what to do with it.
Wow! I can`t say that I am shocked with the Behavior of Barry Bonds, I have another Blog about other people in Sports lately as well. I will say this IMHO I would never pay $752,467 for a baseball…I do not care how big of a fan I am or how much money I have. But lets just say I do have an extra $752,467 laying around in my safe. I would not in a million years waste it on a baseball hit by a disgrace to the MLB. It`s a tainted baseball that belongs to a tainted record. Blah Blah to your “Talent” Mr. 756. Alex Rodriguez is going to pass you up and more than likely at a younger age too. But OK lets put the steroid use behind us and move on. How about showing your fan base some RESPECT. How in the world do you have the audacity to come out and make a public statement that the fan that bought that ball is an “idiot”? The only thing that Makes Marc Ecko (A True Success in his own industry) is the fact that he wasted his time being the fan of an Arrogant, Cheating, Manipulative, Over Paid Baseball Player with the voice a Pubescent teenage boy! Just Listen Here…..
If I were Marc Ecko after hearing that statement from Barry Bonds I would exploit Mr. Bonds worse than MTV exploited Brittney Spears last week at the VMA`s. How? I would probably take the ball and send it to Micheal Vick to use as a chew toy for one of his pitbulls that are in training and then have OJ Simpson go steal it back for me when Vick`s Dog Loses the fight! LOL!! On a serious note I just think that it is a shame to hear the statement made….I really do Hope Marc Ecko makes a line of clothing dedicated to exposing Bonds as a cheater and Steroid Abuser. I am not an Ecko fan but I sure would buy a T-Shirt that’s for sure. What he does with it is his business….Oh and to add fuel to the fire on Bonds…If you have ever played any MLB video games you will notice that Barry Bonds is never in the games….He will not endorse them because he does not want people to use his name or be able to “play” as him. Well to be honest with you…I do not play video games that often anyway but I would not want to be him anyway. e does not belong in MLB 2k games He belongs in A WWF game with all the other HGH addicts. Enough said! What are your opinions?