Dear Journalists, Enough with the stupid questions!

Barry Bonds is not always a nice guy. Saying that is sort of like saying that the Irish occasionally like to drink a little.

Bonds, a talented, driven man, is legendary for his poor relationship with the press.

After Game 7 of the World Series on Sunday night, Bonds was besieged by reporters, as per usual after a game. Bonds dealt with their questions in a very terse manner. He eventually refused to answer several questions, calling some of them "stupid."

In Toronto, Bonds response to this scrum had veteran radio-man Pat Marsden make Bonds his "dink of the day."

Now, nine times out of ten, when I listen to Marsden, I'm on his side. The man has spent a lot of years in the sports business, and generally makes educated, interesting remarks. This time, however, Marsden was way off base.

I come not to bury Bonds, but to praise him. Ok, praise is a strong word, but I do come to defend him.

Given the timing, the circumstances and the questions, what the hell was Bonds to do?

Consider this question asked in the scrum: "Now that you've been to a World Series, do you have a better appreciation for what it takes to get here?"

Bonds tried an answer that, touched on his 17-year career without a Series appearance, but quickly trailed off to a "Next Question."

How was Barry supposed to answer? The man has spent almost two decades in the sport. He has, arguably, never had a bad year in his career. He has played in several post-season's. He has lost more than one gut wrenching series to the Atlanta Braves, and he has never played a World Series game until this season.

Didn't the bonehead who asked the question have the slightest inkling that Bonds was all too aware of how hard it is to get to the World Series? Did it not occur to the reporter that asking this question to a man right after the decisive seventh game was only going make a bad question seem worse? Why would Bonds answer that reporter's question? The answer to it is so painfully obvious.

Bonds is an intelligent man, an arrogant man, a man who does not suffer fools gladly. All too often we see the media asking the most ridiculous, insensitive, unimaginative questions. Bonds is simply not willing to deal with these questions, and I don't think that is to his detriment.

Yes, it's true, he often dodges perfectly reasonable questions, and he shies away from answering the tough incisive queries, but Sunday nigh, he did none of these.

Bonds now infamous reply of "Next question, because that's a stupid question, next question..." was inspired by -- surprise -- a stupid question.

"Barry do you think your best chance of winning the World Series has passed you by?"

Why would anyone ask that question? The answer is obvious.

The Giants led 5-0 with eight outs to play in Game 6. You can count the number of better opportunities to win a Series on one hand.

If Bonds does answer yes, you can see the spin coming from a mile away -- Barry doesn't believe Giants can win next year -- would have been in the news.

If Bonds answers no, he looks like a naive idiot (or more likely an arrogant S.O.B. who is willfully ignoring the facts).

It looks like he believes that being eight outs away with what seems like a very safe lead is not a "good opportunity," like he doesn't feel the Giants blew what he has been chasing for 17 years. It insults his teammates. Actually, either answer does.

Professional athletes do have a duty to stand in the scrum and answer questions. The media, though, has a duty to ask questions that mean something, to ask questions that have a degree of sensitivity to the situation at hand. To ask a question in which the answer will be interesting or enriching to the listener, viewer or reader. When they don't, we need athletes like Bonds to call them on it.

I don't mean to tar everyone with the same brush. I am sure many journalists prepare to the extent that they are not asking the "dumb" question. I am also sure that when you are in the media scrum and trying to get the inside line for your publication or show, that asking the thought provoking question is easier said then done. However, doing it, that's what makes you a true professional. Just like delivering in the clutch makes one an All-Star ball-player.

If you can ask the tough question, yet find a way to ask it without frustrating or enraging a man or woman who has just had their heart ripped out by disappointment, or if you can ask it so they actually want to answer it, then you have shown your craft at its highest level. You have provided a story that makes people think, and that reveals to a human being.

Perhaps, Bonds should be invited to the next major sportswriters dinner so he can stand two feet away from the retiring veteran who has just finished as runner-up for story of the year for the 11th time in his career, jab a mike in his face and bellow at him "What's it feel like to lose eleven times man? You're not getting any more chances, what's that feel like?"

Perhaps then we'd receive a slightly higher standard of journalism.