Today Oregon announced it was going to probably rescind its season-long suspension of right-cross-impaired LeGarrette Blount.

Based on Blount’s questionable behavior before the Boise State game ever occurred, I didn’t have a problem with Ducks Coach Chip Kelly ’suspending’ Blount for the season. I also think it’s reasonable to rescind the suspension if Blount has shown he can get his act together. (As soon as we found out Tony Dungy was involved, it was a safe bet dude would soon be back in Oregon’s regrettable gear.)

One thing I haven’t seen talked about much, which was mentioned today by Steve Hartman on Fox Sports Radio, was that if Blount’s punch hadn’t landed squarely or the camera hadn’t been so perfectly trained on the jaw-drop moment, Blount most likely wouldn’t have gotten the harsh punishment he received. Of course, that doesn’t excuse what Blount did to Byron Hout, or his outrageous reaction to crowd taunts.

Another interesting observation on Blount’s situation came from respected OREGONIAN columnist John Canzano. Canzano claimed on ESPN-TV earlier today that perhaps Kelly was bringing Blount back because the Ducks had resurrected their season. And that the coach might’ve yielded to pressure from Oregon boosters.

Problem with that though is Oregon has played its best football without Blount, and it’s likely that even if he returns to the team, he probably won’t be the Ducks’ top running back anymore. LaMichael James is averaging six yards per carry since Blount was blown out by his outburst, and he’s likely to continue getting the bulk of the carries,

While there’s been an orgy of media coverage about Blount’s possible return, another sports figure who also got trucked in a colossal case of bad public judgement quietly slipped back into his highest profile gig this week.

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER sports columnist Mark Whicker was back on-set as a panelist for Jim Rome Is Burning on ESPN-TV this week. A month ago, Whicker wrote an indisputably unthinking piece that overreached in an attempt to relate the tragic existence of Jaycee Dugard to long-gone sports events.

Whicker was then, somehow curiously bewildered by the public’s outrage over his contemptible comparison.

Unlike Blount though, Whicker’s judgement lapse was an isolated incident. The columnist had put in 22 years of reputable work before his laptop-in-pothole moment. So you can certainly make an argument for Rome standing behind Whicker in keeping him in the JRIB rotation.

And Rome’s move is made all the more remarkable considering Whicker somehow got no counsel from Dungy.