Falcon Henne, aka the Balloon Boy, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he went into the garage and stayed there because it was "for the show."  Later reporting indicated that Heene's parents were not only former participants (contestants?) on ABC's Wife Swap, but they were looking to parlay the hoax into a reality show of their own.

Like we need another one.  I would personally trade the entire VH1 network for the Pet Rock Network.  In fact, FOX is trading its low-rated FOX Reality Channel for another National Geographic channel, according to DCRTV.com.

So, the only thing to take away from this is a lesson.  Don't try to push a hoax as the real deal.  It's a lesson that's very applicable to golf right now. 

Peter Dawson, don't pee on my shoe and tell me it's raining.  The Road Hole was never intended to play 490 yards as a par four.  Henry Cotton did not design the hole and waiting some 45 years to take his idea out of the suggestion box is poorly masked BS.

To the good folks at Conde Nast: putting bar codes in your magazine will merely delay the inevitable.  Put some exclusive, subscription content online and people will go for it.  By the time the ink dries on your printing press, each issue is already out of date.  Let's all recognize that we can save and create more reporting jobs if we just go purely digital.  Perhaps the rest of the sport could take our lead in moving into 2006.

Down in Orlando, Golf Channel is trying to drum up interest by labeling the PGA Tour's Fall Series as "Golf's Photo Finish" after the finale of the $1 million Kodak Challenge.  (1) Did anyone know that was still going on?  Both.  (2)  No one watches the PGA Tour after the Tour Championship.  It's the negative side effect of keeping golf relevant after the PGA Championship.

If Rory McIlroy comes over to the United States to play next season, can we drop the hoax that he is golf's next biggest thing?  He has one professional win.  The kid can certainly play, but golf is in some serious dung pile if McIlroy isn't the next next thing.  Paddy Harrington is the next thing - mark my words.

Tiger Woods is a billionaire.  Even if he's a couple hundo grand shy of the mark, I think we can round up at this point.  Bernie Madoff is in jail, so Tiger's money is safe and will only continue to grow.

Not everyone on the PGA Tour likes one another.  There is no need to release a press statement with disingenuious quotes from Robert Allenby and Anthony Kim about their Skippy-smooth friendship.  They clearly have a beef - and that's good!

Our world needs a little more honesty now.  It doesn't need another shyster.  If we get off of our Spin Machines and show things for they really are, then it works a whole lot better for everyone involved.