If the name Todd McFarlane sounds familiar, it's not likely because the creator of "Spawn" won a Grammy, an Emmy or owns a minority interest in the Edmonton Oilers.

It's probably because he's the person who owns Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball.

	The value of Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball will lose some luster if Barry Bonds breaks his record.

And though McFarlane says he'll "look like an idiot" for paying $3.05 million for the ball if Barry Bonds surpasses McGwire's home run record, don't think the savvy businessman doesn't realize the amount of attention he's been getting since buying the McGwire ball in a January 1999 auction.

The 40-year-old Canadian loves to talk about the ball, and the media spotlight that has surrounded him thanks to Bonds' quest for 71 has allowed for a return on his investment. He says he has granted more than 30 interviews, including 20 this past week alone.

Everyone from XTRA radio in San Diego to WMFD radio in Wilmington, N.C., wants to talk to him about the McGwire ball. He cracked the front page of USA Today's sports section, and Newsweek plans an article on him, as well. Shock jock Howard Stern came calling, and the Today Show has invited him for its Monday show.

"I might have spent all that money on the ball, but I would have spent that money on the business anyway," said McFarlane, whose toy company began making licensed sports figurines two years ago.

"They might do a full-page story on me and the ball in Sports Illustrated," McFarlane said. "Well, an ad in Sports Illustrated costs $125,000, and they say people read the articles before the ads."

Although the ball might lose value, McFarlane apparently is getting his money's worth. The numerous newspaper, radio and television reports on the ball during the baseball season have generated more than $350,000 in equivalent advertising time, according to Joyce Julius & Associates, a sponsorship evaluation firm. A full-page article in Sports Illustrated is worth another $240,000, said Cindy Shevrovich, senior vice president of Joyce Julius.

For McFarlane, the ball provides "one hell of a conversation starter" and also builds credibility among sports fans who might be potential buyers of McFarlane's sports figurines. The first series of McFarlane's licensed NFL figures hit stores last week.

A piece of history

Out of all the major sports, baseball is perhaps the only one that gives the fan a chance to own a piece of history. "If Michael Jordan scores the most points in a game, the fan isn't getting the basketball," said Rich Klein, a price guide analyst for Beckett. "A fan isn't getting the puck from Eric Lindros' first goal as a Ranger or the football from the game Emmitt Smith breaks the all-time rushing record. A baseball fan has that chance." Todd McFarlane, with his imaginative mind, has dreamed up scenarios of what could happen to Bonds' record-setting home run. A whale could swallow it if it lands in McCovey Cove. McFarlane is intrigued with the idea of positioning swimmers in the water to beat out the boats for the ball if it lands in the water. Bonds apparently wants the balls. He has reportedly told the Giants' public relations staff, "I'd like to get every one that I can" after he hit No. 60. -- Darren Rovell

"If I was a public company and I told the board of directors I wanted to spend three million bucks on this ball, so that I could get a higher profile and I could increase my credibility in the sports marketplace, I couldn't have done it," McFarlane said.

Despite the tone of some recent stories, McFarlane said he does not have trouble stomaching Bonds' pursuit of McGwire's record, even if McFarlane's prized possession may not be worth what he paid just 2½ years ago.

To be sure, McFarlane isn't hurting for money. He has sold more than 120 million copies worldwide of his Spawn comic books. A movie spinoff grossed $85 million. Though all of his companies are privately owned, McFarlane said a report that his net worth is $100 million might be a little high. But you get the point: What he paid for the ball isn't significant.

Don Middleberg, author of "Winning PR in the Wired World," calls McFarlane's purchase of the ball "one hell of a PR program."

"From an emotional standpoint, if Bonds hits 71, he might be sitting there with some rawhide leather and strings," said Middleberg, chairman of Middleberg Euro RSGC, a New York-based public relations agency. "From a business standpoint, if he bought the ball to get attention, that doesn't take away from what I think is a brilliant move."

Middleberg said Fortune 500 companies spend $2.5 million on an effective public relations campaign and argues that a $1 million investment could have given McFarlane "the same leap from low profile to high profile in the shortest amount of time."

McFarlane said he has invested more than $500,000 to show off a collection that includes McGwire's first, 62nd, 64th and 67-70th home run balls, as well as Sammy Sosa's 31st, 61st and 66th home run ball from 1998. The McFarlane Collection has traveled to 30 cities since June 1999. Although it costs the public nothing to see the ball, the ALS Association, the tour's charity, has taken $250,000 in donations to date, according to ALS Association spokesperson Carol Levey.

Still, some collectible analysts say Bonds could make McFarlane look like he made a bad business decision. But Rich Klein, baseball price guide analyst for Beckett, a sports collectibles publisher, said that is not necessarily the case.

Klein said the value of Roger Maris' 61st home run ball from 1961 didn't decline precipitously when McGwire broke the single-season homer record three years ago. And likewise, Klein said he doesn't think the value of McGwire's 70th home run ball will lose much of its value if Bonds break's the mark.

"People will remember the home run race from 1998 more than they'll remember the one in 2001," he said.

Meanwhile, McFarlane puts up a good fight for the McGwire ball's place in history.

"Neil Armstrong was on the moon first and I guess you can say a couple guys tied him and some of them even broke his record for staying on the moon longer," McFarlane reasoned. "So just because it's not the record, that doesn't mean it isn't part of a great story."

Believe it or not, McFarlane said part of him wants Bonds to beat the record.

"There's a part of me now, since the Sept. 11 attack, that wants him to break the record. In order to do what (Bonds) has to do, he has to be both mentally and physically ready to do it. And there's a moment not too far from here where we are going to be asking of 22-year-olds to be mentally and physically fit (for war)."

McFarlane had planned to be at Pac Bell Park to taunt Barry with a sign reading, "It would be just fine if you hit 69." But in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Wasington, he plans to tone it down now and said he will watch the final games of the baseball season with his wife and friends at his home in Arizona.

Until Bonds hits his 71st home run, McFarlane will continue his media tour. But if Bonds falls short of McGwire's mark, you can bet there will be plenty more newspapers, radio and television reporters wanting to talk to McFarlane again.

If Bonds does break the record, McFarlane said he has one simple message:

"Don't cry for me, Argentina. I'll be OK. And who knows, I might just stick my foot in the game (and buy the ball) if everything looks good."

Darren Rovell covers sports business for ESPN.com. He can be reached at darren.rovell@espn.com.