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A review by andrewmillerthesecond
Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports by Mark Fainaru-Wada
4.0
A great account of the BALCO sports scandal, with a specific focus on Barry Bonds, MLB and track and field. There are few heroes in this story, even though there is much space given to the unraveling of the scandal and those who “caught” the dopers.
Bonds is arguably the main figure here and he does not look well under the lights. He claims righteousness and inveighs against a media he sees as out to get a black guy, but much of the anger is self-generated. He works incredibly hard, but that drive is not turned off around other people and manifests itself in emotional abuse towards his girlfriend. And, of course, he juiced and he lied about it. If you wanted a fuller story of how steroids insidiously entered MLB and track, you won’t get it here, but you’ll get the broad strokes. The Bonds Show, however, is what people wanted in 2006, and it’s what they/you got.
BALCO’s inter-workings parallel the Bonds story, with the key figure given center stage. It’s exactly what Victor Conte wanted: a shameless showman, he never really tried to develop any sort of veneer to mask the true goal of dealing roids. It’s quite surprising it didn’t unravel sooner, given Conte’s braggadocio and semi-public fights with track and field trainers. Not even being caught could stop Conte’s inveterate need to flap his gums.
The second half turns to the investigation by the feds and USADA. This is Game of Shadows at its most page-turny. Dumpster diving, mailed syringes, a rush to create a testing system that can better detect drugs… it’s all fascinating. Congress even rears its ugly head by the end. Unfortunately you can’t help but feel the story is incomplete, even with the afterword, since the Mitchell Report did not release until 2007. But the book is worth its salt. Mostly enlightening, somewhat insider gossip, just not willing to wait a bit longer because of the very explosive findings they had on Bonds.
Bonds is arguably the main figure here and he does not look well under the lights. He claims righteousness and inveighs against a media he sees as out to get a black guy, but much of the anger is self-generated. He works incredibly hard, but that drive is not turned off around other people and manifests itself in emotional abuse towards his girlfriend. And, of course, he juiced and he lied about it. If you wanted a fuller story of how steroids insidiously entered MLB and track, you won’t get it here, but you’ll get the broad strokes. The Bonds Show, however, is what people wanted in 2006, and it’s what they/you got.
BALCO’s inter-workings parallel the Bonds story, with the key figure given center stage. It’s exactly what Victor Conte wanted: a shameless showman, he never really tried to develop any sort of veneer to mask the true goal of dealing roids. It’s quite surprising it didn’t unravel sooner, given Conte’s braggadocio and semi-public fights with track and field trainers. Not even being caught could stop Conte’s inveterate need to flap his gums.
The second half turns to the investigation by the feds and USADA. This is Game of Shadows at its most page-turny. Dumpster diving, mailed syringes, a rush to create a testing system that can better detect drugs… it’s all fascinating. Congress even rears its ugly head by the end. Unfortunately you can’t help but feel the story is incomplete, even with the afterword, since the Mitchell Report did not release until 2007. But the book is worth its salt. Mostly enlightening, somewhat insider gossip, just not willing to wait a bit longer because of the very explosive findings they had on Bonds.