Rodney Harrison got off easy, according to Cankosyan.

Here’s why Harrison got off easy.  He used a substance that he thought would never be detected.  Harrison got busted, because the place where he got the stuff was investigated, and one thing led to another.  Doesn’t it make sense that the deterrent (i.e. penalty) be much harsher for a substance that’s practically impossible to trace back to the user?  Do you really think that Harrison or Shawn Merriman care about a four-game suspension?  Let’s face the facts here folks. The NFL and other sports leagues can talk all they want about drug-free players. The truth is that they wouldn’t have enough players to field a team in any sport if they threw the users out, and they know it.  That’s why they impose these ridiculously light penalties and show up on television making speeches about being tough on drugs.  It’s called public relations, and this is one fan that doesn’t buy it.  Here’s a message to Roger Goodell, Bud Selig, and David Stern: either throw the bums out or legalize the stuff, but please don’t insult my intelligence by saying that you’re against it when it’s clear that you’re not.  OK, I got my annual rant about drugs out of my system, so now we can talk about some other things.

The Patriots and the Cowboys continue to be the class of their respective conferences.  The Pats appear to be unstoppable at this point.  Running back Laurence Maroney has been a curse to his fantasy owners, but the Pats aren’t concerned, because Sammy Morris has been a more than capable replacement.  The defense can only get better with the aforementioned return of Rodney Harrison, so the only real question is whether the Colts’ defense has improved enough to challenge the Pats for AFC supremacy.  In the NFC, the ‘Boys don’t seem to have a viable challenger.  Sorry, but I still am not sold on the Packers.  Brett Favre is having a great year so far, but it’s hard to change old habits at his age.  The losses will come when he starts to get careless with the ball.  The Eagles, Saints, and Rams and are a mess right now, while teams like the Giants, Redskins, Panthers, and 49ers hardly strike fear into their opponents.

After four games, many top running backs have not yet returned to form.  LT and LJ broke 100 yards rushing for the first time last week, while Jackson and Westbrook are shelved with injuries.  Other backs like Gore and Bush are pale imitations of their former selves.  LaMont Jordan was this year’s ultimate sleeper, but now he’s nursing a bum back.  More than ever, we’re all realizing how important it is to have adequate depth if you want to win your fantasy leagues.  The folks that handcuffed their top runners have saved their seasons, while those that didn’t are licking their wounds.