Infertility

Even more amazing is how Bonds has so far escaped any punishment outside of the court of public opinion.

He got a break when the principals of the BALCO scandal all pleaded guilty and avoided what would have been an embarrassing - and revealing - trial in court and, without the publication of the book, would have likely gotten through another season unscathed.

That season starts a week from now, with Bonds just seven home runs from breaking Babe Ruth's mark of 714.

The Giants say they plan to celebrate the occasion, but it had better happen at home because it could be an ugly scene on the road.

The truth is Bonds - and the juiced sluggers before him - are a disgrace to the game.

Their home run records are meaningless and they have no business in the record books or the Hall of Fame.

The best lawyers in San Francisco can't find a way to spin that enough.

-_ Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press.

Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org email this print thisreprint or license this News Copyright ...

The company pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy charges, bringing to a close a four-year investigation by the US authorities.The settlement also barred Serono Laboratories, based in Rockland, Massachusetts, from participating in federal health programmes for five years.The fine was big enough to plunge Serono into the red with a $106 million loss last year despite increased turnover.

No buyer The lawsuit comes as the company seeks a buyer.

Serono has been on the shelf since last November, and both Swiss drug maker Novartis and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline have passed on making an offer.A suggested sale price of $15 billion ...

Even more amazing is how Bonds has so far escaped any punishment outside of the court of public opinion.

He got a break when the principals of the BALCO scandal all pleaded guilty and avoided what would have been an embarrassing — and revealing — trial in court and, without the publication of the book, would have likely gotten through another season unscathed.

That season starts a week from now, with Bonds just seven home runs from breaking Babe Ruth's mark of 714.

The Giants say they plan to celebrate the occasion, but it had better happen at home because it could be an ugly scene on the road.

The truth is Bonds — and the juiced sluggers before him — are a disgrace to the game.

Their home run records are meaningless and they have no business in the record books or the Hall of Fame.

The best lawyers in San Francisco can't find a way to spin that enough.

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press.

Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org03/26/06 Sign up to receive ...