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As more athletes cave in to pressures of federal investigators about their use of steroids, a familiar alibi has popped up enough times for me to take notice. The first time I heard Bonds say he ‘unknowingly’ took performance enhancing drugs, like most people I dismissed it. When Shane Mosley said it, I dismissed it. Now that Marion Jones is saying it, I still don’t believe them… but I find myself giving the argument more merit than I used to. If I had to bet my hard earned money on what was most likely to be true, I’d bet that all three athletes are lying, but I believe it’s worth looking into.

Bonds and Jones specifically said they were told that they were receiving Flax Seed Oil, and after a session of Google sleuthing, I found this gem in an ESPN article:

Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery testified that Victor Conte used flaxseed oil containers to send “the clear” to athletes.

The fact that the steroids were given to athletes in a package saying “Flax Seed Oil” isn’t a smoking gun to prove their innocence, besides it’s not like if you buy a dime bag on the street corner it’ll say “WEED” on the package. But I consider this a nugget of info that may or may not be useful later on.

Marion Jones said she lied when she was questioned in 2003 by federal agents investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. Jones said she panicked when agents presented her with a sample of “the clear,” which she recognized as the substance Graham had given her. (supposed Flax Seed Oil)

The second thing that struck me from the very same ESPN article, was the notion that Barry willingly took whatever Greg Anderson gave him, because they were good friends. Barry knew Greg Anderson long before Anderson officially became his trainer in the late 90s. For someone who is a self proclaimed health nut to take anything someone gives them is far fetched. But certain things in Barry’s testimony made me entertain the fact that he might be telling the truth, like the tidbit about him taking “The Cream” and “The Clear” in front of the media, and his team mates:

Bonds said that, to his knowledge, Anderson had only given him legal drugs to treat his arthritis and fatigue, which were especially bad when the Giants would play a day game after a night game. He said the trainer brought the substances to the Giants’ clubhouse, where Bonds would use them.

“It was in the ballpark … in front of everybody,” Bonds testified. “I mean, all the reporters, my teammates. I mean, they all saw it. I didn’t hide it.”

Barry Bonds would have to have a pair of balls the size of Texas if he knowingly took steroids in front of the media, wouldn’t you agree? Armando Rios, Benito Santiago, Bobby Estalella, and Jason Giambi all said they hooked up with Greg Anderson off the strength of him being Barry Bonds’ trainer. Is it plausible that Greg Anderson betrayed Barry’s trust to gain a larger clientele, and continues to sit in jail out of guilt? I personally haven’t read Game Of Shadows, but from what I understand most of the evidence against Bonds is property and documents belonging to Greg Anderson.

The most commonly held belief (and probable truth) is that Greg Anderson and Barry Bonds were one in the same. But what are the chances that Anderson acted on his own behalf and pulled wool over Bonds’ eyes?

If any of my visitors have read Game Of Shadows and want to fill me in on tidbits I may not know, feel free.