The Barry Bonds home run watch is becoming painful on so many levels.

It's bad enough that most of the sports world believes that at least some of Bonds' assaults on various home run marks have been tainted by performance-enhancing drugs. Now, though, Bonds' chase of Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755 homers has slowed to an agonizing crawl. Yesterday, Bonds erupted with some bad words, calling himself an embarrassment. We'll let that hanging curve go unchallenged for the time being.

However, Bonds is hitless in his last 20 at-bats and you have to wonder whether the pressure to hit those last four round-trippers he needs to tie Aaron is getting to Bonds.  But although some folks seem eager to bury him -- perhaps hoping after No. 754 that in some cosmic retribution, his body parts will fall off one by one -- it's worth remembering that the guy does have 17 home runs so far this season. And he has fought his way out of at least one home run drought already this year. 

In the end, Barry Bonds will break Hank Aaron's record. 

Like it or not.

Photo credit: Lenny Ignelzi/AP