As we all try to make sense of the steroids mess that has given Major League Baseball a black eye that will not soon go away, it is my contention that we all move on.

Cheating always has been a part of professional sports and it always will be to some degree, not that I'm condoning it. I used to buy 75-cent sports magazines by the dozens when I was a kid in the early 1970s and I still remember a dramatic headline on the cover of one NBA publication I bought that said, "Jerry West: I would cheat to win!"

All steps should be taken to minimize cheating, of course. But to suggest cheating won't always be a backdrop in professional and collegiate sports with the money that's at stake just isn't being realistic.

And while Sen. George Mitchell's recent report on steroids was certainly admirable in its scope, it's also largely based on hearsay, which limits its credibility. Count Racine native Duane Kuiper, a play-by-by broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants, as among those who feel that way.

"If one guy's name in this report is innocent, then, as far as I'm concerned, this report did no good at all," Kuiper said. "And it's possible! There might be 10 guys who are innocent in this report because all it is is hearsay. It's 'This guy said this' and 'This guy said that' and, do you know what? I don't buy into that.

"If you have a player saying, 'You know what? I remember so and so saying he tried it,' that's not good enough as far as I'm concerned.

"But aside from all of that, this is a very serious problem that Major League Baseball has to deal with. And I think the players' union is under the gun here even more than the commissioner and maybe even moreso. And I think the players' union would like to see this thing cleaned up as much as anybody else."

So let's learn from this. Let's take appropriate action. And then let's move on.

By the way, if I had a vote for the Hall of Fame, I would vote for Barry Bonds on the first ballot. Is he a miserable human being? Yes. Did he take steroids? Almost certainly. Was he an all-time great player before he allegedly took steroids? Absolutely.

n How many of us who were clamoring for the Green Bay Packers to sign Randy Moss last spring still feel the same way, even afer Moss set a season record for wide receivers with his 23rd touchdown reception Saturday night? While Moss has shed his problem child image somewhat during this historic season with the New England Patriots, I think the situation could have been much different had he played in Green Bay - especially considering the volatile relationship he already had with Packers fans.

Truthfully now, would you really have liked to have seen Moss in a Packers uniform with Donald Driver and Greg Jennings around? And if you would have wanted to see Moss in Green Bay, who should he have taken minutes away from - Driver or Jennings? I think the Packers are going to have one of the elite contingencies of wide receivers in the league for years to come, with James Jones eventually replacing the aging Driver.

I really believe Jones is going to be on a level with Jennings within the next couple of years.

n Speaking of Moss, what he did was obviously impressive. But I'll still take Jerry Rice's 22 touchdown receptions in just 12 games during the strike-shortened 1987 season. Rice, not John Elway, should have been the NFL's Most Valuable Player that season.

n Let's hope the Packers' biggest priority after this season is signing Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson to long-term contract extensions. I thought braintrusts the caliber of Mike Holmgren and Ron Wolf came around once in a lifetime, but these guys already seem to be in that elite territory.

As far as Thompson, he was steadfast enough to not make reaches for free agents prior to this season even when fans were tearing him to pieces for not opening the bank vault. Because of that fiscal responsibility, the Packers will have $24.2 million in cap room, putting them in position to re-sign Corey Williams, among others.

And because of his keen eye for spotting a diamond in the rough, which led to the Packers' signing Ryan Grant, the Packers won't necessarily have to invest their first-round draft choice on a running back next April.

In McCarthy's case, he has been a major surprise. I have not seen this much toughness from a Packers coach since Holmgren was around. Seeing him glare directly at Brett Favre after a bone-headed play earlier this season was quite telling. So was his comment prior to Sunday's game that if Grant wanted to reach 1,000 rushing yards for this season, he'd better do it while he was still in the game.

When McCarthy was hired, I questioned in print just how tough he would be, especially with Favre. Boy, was I wrong.

Beyond that, McCarthy seems to be a master at relating to his players and pushing just the right emotional buttons. Beyond the disaster in Chicago Dec. 23, can anyone claim the Packers weren't ready to play in every game this season?

n My hunch about Favre is that he plays two more seasons after this one. He started his 253rd consecutive regular-season game Sunday and if he makes it through another season, that would extend his streak to 269 - one less than the all-time mark set by the Minnesota Vikings' Jim Marshall.

Even Favre, who maintains that he doesn't play for records, admits that he is most proud of his consecutive games streak. And how significant would it be for a quarterback of all positions to set the NFL's ironman streak?

n Can I see the Packers getting past the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC championship game? Sure I can. Can I see the Packers beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl? No way. McCarthy is a solid match for the Patriots' defense. But the Packers' defense is no match for the Patriots.

n Based on what I've seen so far among high school boys' basketball players in Racine County this season, it looks like Player of the Year honors will come down to either Horlick's Jamil Wilson or Case's Stephen Jaskulske. Both have been sensational.

With Case starting to come around after a slow start, this could be one of the most intriguing seasons involving the big three public school programs in Racine in recent memory.

Peter Jackel is a reporter for The Journal Times. You can reach him by calling (262) 634-3322, Ext. 323 or by e-mailing him at peter.jackel@lee.net