Which is Worse?

On Aug. 23, 1989, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for gambling.

In 1998, HBO launched the series “Sex And the City” starring Sarah Jessica Parker — who looks like a horse — and the stupefyingly popular show spawned not only a first film, but now a second “Sex” film is in the works.

Yesterday, on ESPN’s “Sports Reporters,” the joyless Bryan Burwell tried to smile.

My question is this: which of these truths is more painful?

A brief examination:

Rose: In 1989, then MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti had evidence that Rose had bet on his team. Pete said it wasn’t true, and Giamatti offered Pete a deal — agree to a lifetime ban, baseball won’t expose its evidence, and Pete goes away quietly. Eight days later, Bart kicks it, Pete keeps lying for years, he then admits his gambling in secret to new commissioner and former used car salesman Bud Selig, Selig keeps that confession secret for 14 months, Pete writes a book admitting what he did and releases it during the Hall of Fame unveiling of Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley, baseball gets upset at how Pete came out with his admission, and thus, Rose remains in baseball purgatory.

Sex: The show was about the preposterously materialistic and catty existence of four New York City women.  ­ The group manages such daily challenges as sexually transmitted diseases (you bet), safe sex (and that is?), heartbreaks (boo-freaking-hoo), multiple partners (that’s what I’m talking about) and promiscuity (and how). The series ended in 2004 and straight men everywhere cheered. But just when we thought we had been saved from the show’s excruciatingly annoying cast of aggravatingly vapid hypocrites, a film version arose.  Now, a second film is in the works (and if you are on Facebook, join Men Against Sex and the City 2 (M.A.S.C. 2) and voice your displeasure).

Burwell: He’s unquestionably talented, which is why he’s also written for The Sporting News and appears on ESPN. But it’s just so, well, uncomfortable, when he makes an attempt to demonstrate any semblance of joy. Even the smile in his Post-Dispatch picture had to be digitally added, and when he made a real-life attempt in yesterday’s “Sports Reporters” broadcast — it was just alarming.

You be the judge:

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