"And neither you, nor Jonathan nor King has answered the most basic question. If it really made no difference, why did the Pats keep doing it for so long given the risk of being caught? Even if there's no consequence, why waste the time and effort and expense?"

Why not? Maybe it would make a difference a few times a game. Maybe a few games a season. In a game of inches, every centimeter helps. And other teams are doing it to you (re: Dolphins) so you've got to get an edge somewhere or end up unemployed. It depends on whether you consider it cheating or gamesmanship. Same as whether you consider someone who speeds a criminal; technically true but realistically, the worst speeding (the kind that actually endangers lives) is either almost never caught or done by the cops...

Call it the Barry Bonds effect: if everybody "cheats" so much that the end effect is a level playing field, than the only people cheating are the one cheating themselves or their teams' fans by doing nothing. I'm convinced that there is now and has never been purity in sports (at this point) and anyone who thinks that Rose, Bonds, the Pats, or whoever becomes the next scandal dejour is not "devaluing" the sport any more than those who came before did.

As a side note, the Dolphins won a few division titles and a AFC championship or two under Marino. Yes, those aren't NFL championships, but I never said "Championships". Makes me wonder how much you've been paying attention to the rest of my part of the conversation.

What's it like in heaven? Must be pretty boring with all those perfect people...

As far as "falling back" on an argument, it's hard to fall back on what you've been asserting from the get go. You really aren't all that good at reading comprehension, are you?

And tell your brother, Mr. Pure Sport the second, "the Jets still suck". What part of the Chad is broken this week?

Work's over. See you peeps tomorrow...

See yesterday's column;

i.e. "Purity" in sports was:

A. Never there to begin with

B. Slowly and excruciatingly disappearing with each new revelation; also known as the "Things-were-better-when-I-was-a-kid" answer

C. Just now gone because of Isiah! Shocked, I say!

D. Mostly A but, Wow, how 'bout that C!

.. or a Republican: its all about the "rule of law" to him. Be damned that rubber and road crap! Well, unless its Barry Bonds, apparently.

People are suspended for weeks to months to years for substance abuse policy (don't even get me started how smoking some reefer is supposed to give someone a "competitive edge"). Which, if salary is taken into consideration, adds up to millions of dollars A GAME. Notice that didn't happen here - no one was suspended. I'm calling BS on the NFL front office - if they really had more evidence, this fine would have been a whole lot bigger. As it is, I see a big X-mas bonus in Billy B's future - you know, to cover expenses..

And a first round pick? The Pats will trade for 2 more from the Raiders and Falcons for waterboys and season tickets to watch a REAL football team.

Mike's Pace: Montana, Rothlisberger, Favre to name a few QBs who weren't quite noticed in college. The list is even bigger for college superstars who flopped bigtime in the pros. I could go on Ohio Fanboy but I'm already sure that if it didn't happen in Ohio, you got no clue.

All the Pats championships are legit, they're in the record books, and after 5 years, no one will remember this even happened (the stupid rule might even be changed by then). And neither the Browns or the Bengals will have won the Superbowl... still.

... its because Brady's from Michigan, isn't it? How gay are you for a stupid college anyway? Time to grow up dude...

Couldn't of said it better myself. Those Chargers need to be careful: if they win anything people might start hating them for being good too...

I spent all night flipping back and forth between the Pats and Red Sox/Yanks game all night. Luckily (hah!), the Pats game ended sooner than regulation so I could switch over just in time to see Lowell's solo homer and the Bo Sox come just this close to a comeback win over the Yanks (Rivera loading the bases with a hit batsman and walk - yea, we're not really afraid of you anymore Mariano).

So, that puts the regular season Sox vs. Yanks at 8-10 in favor of the Yanks. I'm looking at it as a good sign. You know, in favor of being over fatalistic..

...of FOX shows (past and present) where “G-word” has been used:

1: 24

2: Simpsons

3: Arrested Development

4: Married with Children

5: Boston Public

6: Ally McBeal

7: Family Guy

8: American Dad (pretty much the entire Sunday line-up)

9: Malcolm in the Middle

Just off the top of my head.. Can anyone else think of more?

I can't believe this didn't get a blurb. Not to be off-topic, but this is freakin' awesome:

Fashion Designer Mark Ecko bought the Barry Bonds record ball for a little under $800,000. Being a man of the people, he has decided to let the public vote on what he will do with said ball. The choices are:

1. Give it to the Hall of Fame

2. Brand it with an asterisk, then give it to the Hall.

3. Shoot it into space

No word on whether he plans to honor the vote, but if you have an opinion (and who here doesn't) go to http://www.vote756.com/marcecko/ and vote.

I pulled the lever for 2...

Its "The Notorious W.E.S." And yes, I can't believe he hasn't corrected you using at least 4 different posts to do it...