Derrek Lee is a well-loved guy. He's got a warm smile that can light up a ballpark. He's attractive, and friendly, and I think you would be hard pressed to find a Cubs fan anywhere who hates him, unless there's some bitter holdover somewhere who can't forgive our All Star first baseman for the ass-whuppin' he gave us in 2003.

Derrek Lee is a player I'd love to see chase and break the all-time homerun record. Oh, and he's black.

Barry Bonds is, pardon my language, a royal asshole. He's got an arrogant look to him that is impossible to ignore. He's hulking, and scary, and I think you would be hard pressed to find many realistic people out there who don't think he's cheated his way to shooting distance of Hank Aaron's homerun record.

Barry Bonds is a player who is being more rooted against than he is being rooted for to break the all-time homerun record. Oh, and he's black. And if I don't want him to break a black man's homerun record, then apparently, I'm racist.

Except it's not a matter of race, except to the people who are making it one, and unfortunately a large number of people are doing just that. ESPN has published polling information which states that 7 out of 10 African Americans think Bonds did not use steroids, while an equally high majority of white Americans think he did. This is probably a little surprising to people, but it shouldn't be. A lot of white people think OJ Simpson killed his ex wife; a lot of black people feel he was framed. Are white people racist for expressing that opinion?

I'll say this - for those of you who want to make it a race issue, consider the flak that Mark "Couldn't be Whiter" McGwire has taken for his own steroid fiasco. This isn't happening because Barry Bonds is black. This is happening because Barry Bonds is a soon-to-be 43 year old man who is on pace for more than 50 dingers. This is happening because Barry Bonds has absolutely admitted to taking steroids, even if it was "by accident."

This is happening because Barry Bonds is an asshole and - from numerous non-racist accounts - a cheater.

Sports fans love their heroes. They loved Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle, and they also loved Willie Mays and, later, Michael Jordan. There is plenty of love for the black athlete in modern America, but there is zero love for the cheater, be he Pasty-White Mark McGwire or Black-Like-Night Barry Bonds.

Believe me, this isn't a race thing. If this was Mark McGwire, or Jose Canseco, people would be just as opposed. I truly believe that.

The people out there who want to quantify it, who want to tie it up into a neat little bow of racism, these are people who belittle the sport and the individuals who have achieved great accomplishments. I mean, seriously, why would anyone care if a black man broke another black man's record? Yet, doesn't it make sense that people are upset that a cheater will soon break an honest man's record?

It makes sense to me, even if I'm not opposed to Bonds and his accomplishments. It's just too bad it doesn't make sense to the agenda-pushing members of mass media who want to make this a race issue because it means more sold papers and higher ratings.