Obviously the steroids story is going to be with us through Spring training and into this season.

San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, New York Yankees stars Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield and three other major league baseball players received steroids from a Burlingame nutritional supplement lab, federal investigators were told.

The baseball stars allegedly got the illegal performance-enhancing drugs from the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative through Greg Anderson, Bonds' personal weight trainer and longtime friend, according to information furnished the government and shared with The Chronicle.

In addition to Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield, the other baseball players said to have received steroids from BALCO via Anderson were two former Giants, outfielder Marvin Benard and catcher Benito Santiago, and a former A's second baseman, Randy Velarde.

At this point it's probably too late to take seriously the idea that maybe we need to rethink the use of performance enhancements/enablements in general, and steroid use in sports in particular -- although for those willing to try, I'd recommend these pieces by Dayn Perry and Patrick Cox, both of whom understand the science and ethics better than your average sports writer.

All I'd add at this point is that the players and the players' union are in the best position to judge for themselves how they should think about steroid use. Having the Feds crack down on it is not probably the best way to address the question.

Also, make sure you see JC's take on Bonds and his homerun binge. Some important perspective.