Where were we? Oh, yeah, the Daily News was telling us how its earnest, four-reporter team was not simply carrying MLB's water in the war on A-Rod

Last week, Michael O'Keeffe of the Daily News went tongue to tongue with radio's Mike Francesa over of MLB's bitter battle with Alex Rodriguez. It was compelling to hear. At times, it sounded like a de facto debate between MLB (O'Keeffe) and A-Rod's lawyers (Francesa).

Throughout the discussion, O'Keeffe denied having an axe to grind with A-Rod, stressing that the four-person team is simply chasing the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help him. And here's what the scribes of sanctimony ginned up yesterday.

"Rat out?"

Well... as long as you use "allegedly," everything's fine, right?

I know, I know... why bother? It's just tabloid crapola, screaming into the mike, clasping butts, trying to out-shout all the rest. Hell hath no fury like a tabloid scorned. Why are we even looking? Still, I thought the News would try a little harder to appear fair. That headline plays into everything Francesa said about the News becoming Bud Selig's personal leak farm.

What conclusion can we take? Here's one:

The News is going to attack A-Rod for the duration of his Yankee career. For better or worse, right or wrong, the paper wants to run him out of New York.

It's going to be a long winter.