The false purity test

It's pretty clear now we've heard enough of Fay Vincent's purity test of right and wrong. He had his moment with Pete Rose, keeping the flame burning for Bart Giamatti on making sure Rose is out of baseball in all capacities forever. We all get to pretend that those 4,256 hits never happened.

Now we're getting the same purity test on Mark Cuban, the victorious owner of the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks who has been known for his mouth as much as his money.

So there was Cuban, T-shirt and jeans, arm in arm on the Dallas bench as time wound down to the title on Sunday night. The test apparently states he was supposed to be in a luxury suite, shirt and tie at least, watching through glass, toasting the victory with other well-dress rich people. Instead, he actually … wait for it … had fun with his team's achievement!

Purity test failed.

Enough of the purity test. Enough of the tiresome memories of gentlemen and days gone by, days far more complicated than fit this purity model. There's nothing wrong with longing for sportsmanship, but there's a difference between bad sportsmanship and having a unique and maybe more modern approach to team ownership.

Cuban is universally liked by his players and staff, has never been accused of breaking league rules, and his worst transgressions have been those ill-timed comments (however true some of them may have been) that have drawn fines.

Sorry keepers of the purity cause, but off-court attire and a big mouth are the same as all those hits – just ignore them and they won't bother you.