Just to tidy up a few comments and questions from the past few days regarding excuses as opposed to explanations, what I do and don’t believe, excuses and what I actually think, here’s my column today.

Just a reminder, I don’t write columns until Monday-for-Tuesday, so that explains the absence of an immediate reaction. Additionally, I admit I have a hard time being opinionated as a beat writer because I believe my job is to be water. That said, there are things that stand out right now and it wouldn’t be right to operate in a manner that suggests I don’t see and realize them.