Bonds HR chase is over...now what?

I couldn't sleep last night for a variety of reasons and decided to turn on the last few depressing innings of the Red Sox/Angels game. As I nestled up to the tv at the foot of my bed, I saw the scroller that I knew was coming for months now: BARRY BONDS HITS HOME RUN #756, SURPASSING HANK AARON TO BECOME BASEBALL'S ALL-TIME HOME-RUN LEADER. I watched the rest of the game, went to bed upset about the Sox's plight and woke up this morning like I always do.

This morning, the questions for those that care: "What's your reaction?" and "What now?'

ESPN's Mike and Mike morning radio show had callers talking about that very subject and the reactions were mixed, as expected. All forms of media are buzzing today about everything Bonds, casting a blind eye (or ear) to all of the subjects that have been discussed before. For months and months, we have been inendated with Barry Bonds talk from steroids to the home run chase to more steroids to Bud Selig to more home runs to Hank Aaron to more steroids. I have grown weary of it and finally, FINALLY, there is an end in sight after the next few days of reaction/follow-up stories.

So what's my reaction? Largely apathetic. Baseball is by far my favorite sport. I can distinctly remember my first experience at Fenway Park in 1988, walking up the ramp with my dad and seeing Wade Boggs taking ground balls at 3rd base. I remember playing right field for the Waterford Express and winning a Sebago-Long Lake Little League title in 1990 as a bench player (these days, it'd be called a utility position). I've attended games at more than 12 Major League ballparks, often looking forward to these trips more than the traditional vacations many plan out to warm climates. So yeah, I care about baseball.

However, I could really care less about this record being broken and I'm not sure why. It could be the media crush that became associated with the chase, the allegations that are surrounding Bonds, the fact that San Francisco is on the West Coast and the team is terrible. Then again, it could be all that and then some. All I know is when I saw that scroller, I didn't really care and I think that''s sad.

The other question: what now? After the next couple days, we can thankfully all turn toward the fantastic races around the league and start to move on. Bonds will hit a few more this season, but they will simply be padding for the record he now holds. Somewhere along the way, a final resolution will be made on the Bonds steroids issues and that will tell us what we need to know. In general, life will get back to normal...until we find another story to latch onto.

Congratulations to Barry Bonds for taking up way too much of my life than I ever planned on.