Richard Sandomir of the New York Times is probably my all-time favorite columnist. Nearly everything he observes about the intersection of business, media and sports offers a fresh dose of common sense with well-founded insight.

However, I thought one of his criticisms in today's column was unfair. He scolded Bret Boone, a guest TV commentator during the American League Championship Series, for not offering insight into his brother Aaron's dreadful batting slump leading up to the series-ending home run.

Despite apparent nerves at first, Bret became quite chatty and was a pleasure to have aboard. However, it was equally clear that he had made the specific decision not to comment on his brother's performance. If Bret is a professional sportscaster, this decision is fair game for objection. But Bret is an infielder for the Seattle Mariners. He made no representations of professional broadcaster aspirations (at least judging from the juxtaposition of Boone in a black t-shirt next to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver in business attire). He was apparently just uncomfortable commenting about his brother and decided to avoid an awkward situation.

In the capacity of an active ballplayer and of Aaron Boone's brother, Bret's decision may not have been perfect for everyone. But it was perfectly acceptable.