[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

2/6/06

ESPN plans reality show around Bonds’ record chase

Monday, February 06, 2006


By John Shea SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>JEFF CHIU | ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>With 708 home runs, Barry Bonds is No. 3 on the career homer list behind Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755). Bonds’ pursuit of the home-run mark may be the subject of a weekly TV show. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


The media coverage of San Francisco Giants superstar Barry Bonds leads to a circus atmosphere, and it appears the big tent is about to expand.
For the 2006 season, Bonds might supplement his $20 million salary with earnings from appearing on a reality show that ESPN expects to begin airing during spring training, which starts in two weeks.
The network would air the show as part of its entertainment programming, not its news coverage. While ESPN isn’t expected to announce the show until later this month, ESPN.com’s ombudsman already has written about potential conflicts of interest, and all sides say a deal is in the works.
A set of cameras and microphones would follow Bonds on and off the field through the season as he pursues Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron on the career home-run list. With 708 homers, he needs seven more to pass Ruth. Aaron’s record is 755, which Bonds is not expected to reach this year.
Granting Bonds his own reality show would give fans a flyon-the-wall perspective on his personal life, and it would give Bonds a forum to improve his public image in the wake of his well-chronicled ties to the BALCO steroid scandal.
But the program also would raise myriad concerns, including the matter of camera access and whether the invasion of the TV crews will sidetrack a team that might take a run at a championship.
The show is set to air Tuesdays (and be repeated during the week) as part of a collaboration between Major League Baseball, Tollin/Robbins Productions, ESPN Original Entertainment, the Giants and Bonds himself.
Bonds would be compensated, as would Major League Baseball. The Giants say they wouldn’t benefit monetarily other than to receive one-thirtieth of MLB’s proceeds along with the other 29 clubs.
"Our view is, it’s going to be a huge, potentially historic season in baseball, and this is a programming form that could engage the fans," said Larry Baer, Giants executive vice president.
ESPN is billing the Bonds series as an "all-access" show, which brings to mind visions of production people having the run of the Giants’ clubhouse and pointing cameras wherever they want.
That could create distractions for Bonds’ teammates, the coaching staff and management, all of whom have spoken about the 2006 team being good enough to reach the playoffs. Through the years, the Giants have been forced to deal with countless distractions involving Bonds, but a weekly TV show would present a new challenge. "There are areas of the clubhouse that have been off limits and will remain off limits," Baer said. "I don’t see them going into the trainers’ room."