When the Balco story started breaking, I felt that Bonds, Giambi and the other known roiders should have had their records stricken from the books. After the Congressional hearings, it was clear to me that MGwire should be added to that list. Then Palmiero got caught after falsely testifying, so I thought he should have his records stricken. It was also pretty clear to me that Sosa was a cheater although he had his attorney do the lying for him, and the lie was constructed in a very clever manner, so that a perjury charge would be very difficult to pursue. BTW once Slammin Sammy gave up steroids he tried caulking a bat and he lied about that too. I though all of their records should be stricken, but then when Grimsley got caught and gave up a bunch of names, I started to realize that the steroid use was widespread, not limited to Bonds, MGwire and Sammy. Pitchers were using it. Role players were using it. The owners, trainers, managers and sportswriters all knew that it was going on. It was the culture of the game. Writers that have been covering the game for decades estimate that one-third of the players were juicing at one time or another. The playing field was way more level than I had ever suspected. Bonds, MGWire and Sosa might have been juicing, but they were batting against pitchers that were juicing and lots of other batters were juicing. It was the culture of the game at that time. If steroid use was so available and widespread, where was the unfair advantage to Bonds. Yes it allowed him to get bigger and stronger, but everyone was getting bigger and stronger. You had middle infielders with 20 inch necks. Rocket Clemens transformed his body into this chiseled muscular physique and revived his career, but while he was with Boston he had fat roles around the middle. Who knows if he didn't use some help along the way. The bottom line is that steroid use was pervasive, and it is unfair for Bonds or other players to be singled out even if there is proof. If they is punished, other users will escape punishment and be rewarded. We also can't go down the road of punishing suspected users without proof, because that would run the risk of condemning innocent players, and that would not be acceptable. In my mind, I have come to conclude that the playing field was relatively level, because the open use of steroids were at least tacitly approved by the baseball hierarchy. Bonds' records should stand and there should be no question that he, MGwire, and Palmiero should go to the Hall of Fame.