Dear Barry Bonds,

I used to be a fan of yours when I was a little kid, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned one major thing about you — I can’t trust you as far as I can throw you. I truly know after watching your press conference last week that you’re not only the most arrogant athlete I’ve ever seen, but you’re also a flat-out liar. Your mouth makes Terrell Owens’ look shy. What you don’t realize is that your fans, or the American people for that matter, aren’t stupid.

Everybody knows you admitted to a grand jury that you “unknowingly” used steroids. Instead of being a man and coming clean, you blew up at the media like any potent steroid user would. I know you’ve fed us a lot of fluff over the years, but your impersonation of a non-roid freak was not convincing.

The thing that upset me the most about your press conference is when you actually had the audacity to say, “I don’t even know what cheating is. I don’t believe steroids can help your hand-eye coordination and technically hit a baseball. I just don’t believe it.”

Now seriously, Barry, we all know you’ve said some stupid things during your phony career, but that by far tops them all. If you don’t believe that steroids are cheating, just look in the mirror. You had never hit more than 49 home runs in a season before the age of 35. Then you turned 36, put on 25 pounds and all of a sudden hit 73, just one year after Mark McGwire broke the home-run record with 70. Aren’t athletes’ numbers supposed to decline the older they get?

Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you out on a limb all by yourself. I think our buddies McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi and about half of the major league players were guilty, too. But you stand out Barry. Why? Because your “I don’t care what you think of me” attitude and gigantic ego have gotten out of control, and the sports world is sick of it.

Another thing that makes me sick is you believe America shouldn’t worry about steroid use and that it is not that big of a deal when millions of teens use the drug every day. How can you sit there and not care about what kids are doing to their bodies and the people who love them? You said a lot last week, and now I know you’re not only a lousy example of a role model, but an even more pathetic example of a man.

This summer you have a good chance to pass the great Hank Aaron for the record number of home runs hit in a career (even though you really aren’t breaking the record because you’re a cheater). Ten years ago, that’s something I would have loved to see. I would have loved to be there wearing your jersey, chasing you for your autograph and chanting your name. This summer I want to be there wearing a Hank Aaron jersey, spitting on your autograph and booing you every time you step up to the plate.

I’m sure that someday we’ll see you in Cooperstown, Barry, but that doesn’t mean you deserve it.

Your former fan,

Chris Williams