As MDS pointed out earlier today, the NFL has decided to uphold the four-game suspension imposed on Texans linebacker Brian Cushing.
But even though the league essentially found that, as we all suspected, overtrained athlete syndrome is as real as uromysitisis poisoning (or anal fissures), the fact that the NFL opted to give Texans owner Bob McNair an audience regarding the supposed medical evidence supporting the latest lame excuse offered up by Cushing’s camp means that every cheater who gets caught cheating will now include in his standard anti-cheating P.R. playbook a last-ditch, send-the-owner-to-New-York attempt to persuade the league to scuttle the suspension.
At that point, the goal isn’t to change the league’s mind, but to persuade the fans and the media that the player didn’t cheat.
Even if, you know, he did.
Meanwhile, McNair now has a friend for life in Brian Cushing. And all it took was a trip to Manhattan.