Or, “I was right … and I WAS RIGHT!!”

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, or in blissfully ignorant McCovey Cove, you know by now that Barry Bonds’ 756th home run ball will enter the Hall of Fame with an asterisk. I was mildly dismayed to see that Barry Bonds didn’t agree with my praise of Mark Ecko for his democracy stunt, calling him an “idiot.”

But I was pleased to see that voters agreed with my recommendation to brand the ball with an asterisk before sending it to the Hall. My position hasn’t wavered in the last couple weeks that Bonds’ record is legitimate — it’s the game that was illegitimate — and thus should go in the books without an asterisk. So it’s nice to see the public’s mixed sentiment make its way into the Hall, along with the ball that stirred such dissension.

The cynic in me would like to point out that precious little voting of consequence is done over the Internet, since it’s so impossible to monitor. I’d love to see the books opened on this one, 2000-Presidential-Election-in-Florida style, if I thought there were, in fact, any books. Ecko claims more than 10 million votes were cast. But by whom? Raise your hand please, and don’t lower your hand until I’ve pointed at you!

Whatever. In this case, I think the end justifies the means.

As fun as it is being in the plurality on the Bonds-ball vote, it’s even more fun knowing I was 100 percent right in calling out 49ers wide receiver Darrell Jackson for wearing his helmet incorrectly in their season opener, thus costing them a touchdown.

From sfgate.com’s John Crumpacker:

His most notable noncatch came in the opener against Arizona, on the last, frantic drive for a touchdown. Smith’s perfect pass slipped through Jackson’s hands in the end zone.

One of the problems, Jackson said, might have been his off-kilter helmet.

“I couldn’t see the ball. My helmet sat too high on my head,” he said, citing his Afro as the culprit. His hair is now trimmed.

An Afro? That’s the reason? How, then, does one explain the prolific efforts of Mike McKenzie? Or even O.J. Simpson? (note: I spent about an hour looking for a still from “Naked Gun 33 1/3” with O.J.’s monster-fro from the 1970’s disco scene; I came up dry. Thanks, Google images).

And thanks for shaving, Darrell. Way to put the team ahead of your hair.