Now that baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has upheld the Hall of Fame ban of Pete Rose, let's hear no more excuses or well-wishes for him.

He blew it. He got caught violating the one sacrosanct rule in baseball. He lied about it. He lied about it some more. He thumbed his nose at baseball. He lied some more. Then he lied some more.

You're certainly allowed to feel sorry for him. He is the definition of a tragic figure. He is also the cause of all of his own problems.

I get the sentimentalists who want to see the hit king in the Hall. He would seem to belong. And I get those who say that there are plenty of cheaters, or at least suspected cheaters, in the Hall or on the way to the Hall. All true.

But Rose can't be excused. He violated the one rule that is emphasized above all others, the rule designed to ensure that gamblers couldn't compromise the motives of those involved in the outcomes of games. He lied about it to multiple commissioners.

Forgive him in your hearts, if you like, but baseball can't be in the business of forgiving him in the Hall.

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What's the Vikings' best victory of the season?

You could argue that their two most impressive victories were road losses - at Denver and Arizona.

Maybe their best victory was against Kansas City, right before the Chiefs got hot. Maybe it was Oakland, or at Detroit, shortly before Detroit got hot.

There is the real possibility, though, that the Vikings can reach 10 victories and the playoffs without a signature victory. Which would be weird.

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New at MalePatternPodcasts.com: Viking Update's Tim Yotter and I break down the rest of the Vikings' season: https://goo.gl/JOPch5 Shows with Roy Smalley, Jon Krawczynski, Michael Russo and my guest, longtime Chicago football writer Dan Pompei, will be posted daily this week.

@Souhanstrib