TAMPA, Fla. _ At first, the idea of vacating a title in Major League Baseball seemed ludicrous, too outlandish to be even seriously mentioned, never mind considered in the wake of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.
I always thought it silly when the NCAA, known for its ham-handed distribution of justice, chose to strip the USC football program of its 2004 national crown (along with Reggie Bush's Heisman trophy) or take back the 1996 Final Four appearance from the UMass men's basketball team.
My main issue? What was everyone supposed to do, just pretend those things never happened? They witnessed those victories, watched those title games, bought the memorabilia, wear the shirts. I just chalked it up to the NCAA's feelings of omnipotence, always so confident in the ability to bend reality to suit their purposes.
