Turn down the volume --

Turn down the volume -- [1] In a weekend unlike one we've seen in sports, baseball, amid all the controversy, was at the forefront as Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Tom Glavine further etched their names into history.

The significance of this past weekend is lost as these events unfortunately came during what can be argued as the worst year in sports history. Among the steroid controversy in baseball, the gambling allegations in the NBA, and the criminal activity in the NFL just to name a few, 2007 will always be remembered a year were the major stories in each sport didn’t take place on the field, but off of it.

That’s just the way sports are today.

With every ESPN time out to carry Barry’s at-bat live, the steroid allegations were spoken about more than the record he was chasing. With every ARod at-bat you’d hear how he’s pressing, and can’t take the pressure. And with every Glavine start you’d hear about how the game has changed and about failed opportunities.

But take a moment and think about what we just saw.

We witnessed Barry Bonds tie Hank Aaron’s record of 755, and love him or hate him, if you didn’t feel goose bumps watching that at-bat unfold, you aren’t a baseball fan.

We witnessed ARod becoming the youngest man to ever reach the 500 home run plateau, and even with Barry Bonds finally hitting his record homer, you soon realize that if Alex continues with his current pace, Barry won’t be atop the record books long.

We witnessed Tom Glavine earning his 300 th win in the middle of a pennant chase, quite possibly becoming the last pitcher to achieve such a mark.

What we saw was more than numbers, more than records. We saw history.

I’m not one to view sports with such rose colored glasses. The problems in sports today are numerous and well documented. It’s not right to simply brush those problems under the rug and forget them as if they don’t exist. The issues, without question, need to be addressed and resolved if sports are to move forward.

However, if you turned down the volume on the television for just a moment, if you were able to look past the controversy and the negativity, you were able watch sports history unfold as it was always meant to.

On the field.

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