Johnny Miller, NBC's golf analyst, has an uncanny ability to predict golfer's actions but habitually dismisses the talent of current pros by declaring so much of their work easy. He is also abrasively honest. Current PGA players and the language police despise him.

During the U.S. Open, Miller said Rocco Mediate looked like the "guy who cleans Tiger's pool" rather than a pro golfer. Even my son, who hates Miller, thought it was a funny line. But some were offended.

I'm not sure if there is an association of Italian- American pool cleaners, but Miller came under fire. He apologized; in today's super sensitive world there is no other way.

It was a good week to be offended. Shaquille O'Neal was recorded doing something called freeform rapping. He busted on his former teammate Kobe Bryant and made national news - not sports news, national news. Shaq was vulgar, racist, and demeaning to Bryant but did most of his damage to the music industry by claiming he was a rapper.

On the same day, Don Imus commented about former and future pro football player Pacman Jones and made the news. Jones has been terrorizing strip clubs and bars for the last few years until his sixth arrest got him suspended from the NFL.

Jones is making a courageous effort to turn his life around and get reinstated into football. His most impressive step has been to demand the media refer to him as Adam, his given name. Few athletes are willing to drop their street name. I get chills just thinking about it.

Jones is, of course, offended by Imus's comments declaring Imus a criminal because Jones is black. The radio broadcaster claimed he was making a sarcastic point about black men getting arrested because of their race.

The best part of this story was watching sportscasters trying to find a moral high ground. Imus has been branded a racist and is, therefore, among the most reviled people on Earth. A TV personality could lose his job by defending Imus.

Pacman, I mean, Adam Jones, has done way more harm to black men than Imus, so it's hard for sports commentators to side with him. Still, they try. Their job is to give us something important to discuss at happy hour.

While all this was going on, a $30,000 a year employee sued NASCAR for $250,000,000, claiming sexual and racial harassment. Someone made fun, and she is offended beyond any hope of emotional repair. I've heard some of the allegations, but haven't heard anything worth a quarter of a billion in damages.

Being offended has become a national obsession and a nice career path. Words and actions that used to not even be reported now lead news day broadcasts. As the economy goes south, every institution we depend on is dysfunctional, and education, health, and hope disappear. News readers solemnly tell us the latest fracas involving Imus, Shaq, or anyone else unfortunate enough to make a verbal misstep.

What was once a private conversation between two people has become a national story, complete with expert analysis and internet polls. The spotlight dims only when it highlights someone else.