And I have media in my family :)

I've never understood why I need to know about a bus crash that killed 8 in Australia.

If you think about it, sensationalism rules the news. You have to be sensationalist in order to sell newspapers capture the TV audience. Charlie Sheen made a great little known movie called "The Chase" which looks into this - (great movie by the way, also starred Christie Swanson of Buffy the Movie fame).

But, and you know it is true, everyone knows what the media is like, and as a professional sportsperson you have to be aware that even the smallest lapse will be picked up and replayed/printed everwhere. The odd slip here and there is usually forgotten - but repeat offenders are hounded. Barry has a way of almost always providing a bad clip. If he didn't say it, then the media wouldn't print it.

That is why I also stated that if you live in the Bay area you are probably more aware of things Barry does in the community. Living on the east coast Barry's visit to a hospital in SF won't make the news here - but if he gets surly, it's front page sports news.

What I find more interesting is how some players are accepted even though they are surly - like Dennis Rodman. Couldn't stand the man personally, and yet he was a huge media icon. Go figure...