Widely respected New York Times writer Murray Chass today said the Giants are looking for ways to dump Bonds after the storm of criticism following the revelation of his positive test last summer for amphetamines and his suggestion that teammate Mark Sweeney was to blame.

A lawyer on the Bonds side said yesterday that they suspect the Giants, reacting to negative news media views in the Bay Area, are exploring ways of getting out of the contract. When an official on the management side with knowledge of the talks was asked yesterday if the deal could blow up, he said, “It’s possible.” Brian Sabean, the Giants’ general manager, did not return a telephone call yesterday seeking comment on the contract circumstances. Given the chance to comment, Jeff Borris, Bonds’s agent, didn’t.

Sounds like comfort and joy infuses the whole scene, doesn’t it?

If you missed it, last week Bonds was awarded “Worst Person in the World” by Keith Olbermann on the Countdown show on MSNBC for his betrayal of Sweeney — who was, Bonds admitted when the news came out, entirely innocent.

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