Satire?

I can't tell any more. You make the call.

In any case, the revelation that the Clear was apparently not yet covered by Federal drug laws in 2001 has brought with it an avalanche of pro-Bonds columns, saying that somehow he is now completely vindicated, and further, that the whole circus has been some form of racist witch hunt.

Right.

The Clear was legal - big deal.

1. The 1971 agreement between management and players prohibited using any prescription medication without a valid prescription. This language has gotten more specific over time, but well and truly covers the Clear, whether the law of the US had caught up with that particular designer drug or not.

2. Bonds started using the Clear because it was then undetectable - unlike the previous anabolic steroids he was using that BALCO's own tests were easily able to detect. His cheating goes back before he ever hooked up with Conte.

3. There's no racial element here. Ask Roger Clemens how public opinion is running for him. It's about arrogant cheats who blame everyone else and won't admit their guilt in the face of a mountain of evidence.