I’ve noticed an odd trend in the news over the past few days.  People with a name beginning with “B” have been in the public eye a bit more than  usual.  Some “Bs” have fared well from an image and reputation standpoint.  Some haven’t.  Here B my list of the good, the bad and the ugly. 

The Good: Tony Blair has decided to listen to his constituents’ feelings and has announced a withdrawal of 1600 British troops from southern Iraq.  Regardless of one’s political stance, I admire any leader who “listens” to his or her constituents. 

The Bad: Barry Bonds has returned to Spring training from his Winter hibernation, and is sticking to his story of not having had any involvement in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid distribution case. 

He has invited the federal government to investigate him, and denies any wrongdoing, yet he still has nothing to say about the former teammate from where he obtained steroids, his trainer who is currently in prison for not testifying, or his lawyer who leaked grand jury testimony from the Balco case.  More recently, Bonds has been dealing with perjury and an income tax crisis.

   

Does Barry actually think being on the defensive is helping?  He has tarnished his image forever, and there will always be an asterisk next to any record he has broken.  But the show must go on. 

Barry still puts people in the seats of AT&T Park, and you can bet that every game leading up to Barry’s breaking Hank Aaron’s record will be packed to the gills, but how will Bonds be viewed by his teammates and the fans?

Bonds is going to have to reach out to the people around him, and be somewhat likeable.  He has already befriended newcomer Barry Zito in Spring training.  During batting practice, on Wednesday, both were spotted wearing shirts that said “Don’t ask me…Ask Barry.” 

Bonds will need to show more of his playful side and less of his angry side to win back some of his fans, but a lot of the responsibility of filling the seats will be on Bonds’ teammates.  If the Giants do well as a whole, the team will be the main story.  Bonds will still catch some heat on his way to breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record, but at least he does not have to be the media’s focus.  Quite frankly…it’s getting old. 

The Ugly:  Britney…Britney…Britney… things just keep getting worse for you, don’t they?  First came the divorce with K Fed, then the revealing paparazzi pictures, then you shaved your head, and now the revolving door to rehab. 

When you think about it, you really have to feel bad for celebrities who just can’t take it.  Britney has been in the public eye, for what seems like ages now, and I think something had to give.  That something unfortunately, was her hair, perhaps her mind, and perhaps her career. 

But what is next for Britney? 

After rehab, she really needs to make a choice about how she wants to live her life.  If she leaves rehab as a totally new person, who can control her partying, establish her family life, and build back her image as a role model, this most recent episode will only be a speed bump in the road of life. 

In fact, if handled properly, Britney’s “comeback” has the potential to be an even bigger story than her downfall, because as we know, everyone loves an underdog. 

It sure seems like the Killer Bs are taking over our lives.  Have you noticed any Killer Bs in the news lately who we can add to this list?

Tip of the hat to Rob Longert who wrote this post while he was "me" last week during our Swap day.