From the NY Times’ Michael S. Schmidt :

Patrick Arnold (above), a chemist who worked with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, said in an HBO Sports interview that Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield took performance-enhancing drugs provided to them by the laboratory.
Arnold is widely credited with creating œthe clear, a previously undetectable steroid that Balco provided to athletes. In 2006, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute steroids, and was sentenced to three months in prison and three months of home confinement. He was among five people convicted in the case. As part of his plea agreement, he did not have to name athletes and coaches to whom he supplied drugs.

The HBO interview was shown last night on œCostas Now. Arnold told Bob Costas, the show™s host, that he never met Bonds but often heard Balco™s founder, Victor Conte, raving about Bonds™s performance on œthe program.

When asked by Costas if œthe program included steroids, Arnold said: œI have a very strong feeling about it since he was on the program. And like everyone else, the program consisted of the clear.

Bonds reportedly told the grand jury that he thought he was taking flaxseed oil, not the clear. Arnold challenged that and likened the liquid to œnontoxic antifreeze.

He added: œI guess it™s possible that Barry had never tasted flaxseed oil and said, ˜Well, I guess this is flaxseed oil.™ But it™s pretty hard to believe.

When asked about Sheffield™s recent statement that he never took steroids because œthey are something you shoot in your butt, Arnold said: œThat™s an ignorant statement. That™s some sort of weird rationalization. No, he took steroids. This is a bona fide anabolic steroid.

Bonds is three home runs shy of breaking Hank Aaron™s career record. Arnold said he planned to watch Bonds break the record on television. œI feel like in a, in a crazy way, obviously, I™m a part of it, Arnold said. œI, how can I want to miss, how would I miss that?

Interesting to see that Arnold is more enthused about watching the Sultan of Surly make history than the Commissioner Of Baseball. But why settle for the boob tube? Surely Peter Magowan can provide this scientific pioneer with whatever front row tickets the Giants might’ve otherwise reserved for Hank Aaron?