Still, Vince Doria, ESPN senior VP and director of news, says that whenever “Bonds fatigue” sets in, something comes along to reignite the steroids controversy. Two weeks ago a former New York Mets clubhouse assistant pleaded guilty to dealing steroids to major-league players from 1995 to 2005 and is cooperating with federal investigators. ESPN has had meetings about how to call the historic hit, Doria says. “When we report the moment, there will be energy in it,” he says. But he doesn’t expect the kind of over-the-top celebration call that Mark McGwire got, and says ESPN announcers will quickly provide the entire context, including the controversy.
