Investigating T.O.: What will Arlen do?

SI.com is reporting that "Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday backed off a threat to have a Senate subcommittee investigate whether the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles violated antitrust laws in their handling of Terrell Owens."

But what was the point to start with? Only the day before, Senator Specter had "said it was 'vindictive and inappropriate' for the league and the Eagles to prohibit the All-Pro wide receiver from playing and prevent other teams from talking to him". In other words, he was prepared to waste public money and the time and energy of public officials investigating a matter involving a collective agreement between owners and the union -- even after arbitrator Richard Bloch had already determined that "the team's actions were supported by the labor agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association".

I'm neither anti-government nor anti-politician, but surely the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee has better things to do than to meddle with the NFL. After all, as Steve Benen put it: "Specter's committee hasn't managed to lift a finger to look into a White House criminal scandal that's already led to one high-profile indictment, among other matters that might spark a hearing or two. In other words, by Specter's standard, an undercover CIA agent outed by the White House can't get attention from the Senate Judiciary Committee, but a controversial football player can."

My own take on T.O.: He's the one who's been "vindictive" and "inappropriate". The Eagles were right to do what they did.