Pete Rose -- Now you want to tell us you bet on baseball?

On an ABC "Primetime Special" with Charles Gibson, which came on last night (Thursday, January 8th), Pete Rose did what he should have done many years ago -- admit that he not only bet on baseball and other sports, but that he bet on his own team.

Even before the special came out (and I guess Diane Sawyer and Oprah Winfrey were too busy to interview Pete), everyone was talking about Rose's admission.

Besides the big question, why did he wait so long, there are other questions to be asked, like:

* Why is he telling us this now?

* Is he having some "spiritual awakening? You know the way people do when they get caught, they say, "I've found the Lord and need to repent?" Is that what is happening to Rose?

* Is he trying to kiss up to the powers that be trying to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame?

* Is he just trying to sell copies of his new book, "My Prison Without Bars?"

* What about all those baseball fans and baseball people who were on Rose's side when sportscaster Jim Gray asked THE question during the All-Star game -- "Pete , did you bet on baseball?"

(I remember that clearly, because I was one of the ones who wanted to jump through my television set and personally wring Gray's neck for asking a question like that during an All-Star game in which the great players in baseball were being honored.)

How wrong we all were. We were willing to give Rose the benefit of the doubt.

So what if he has a gambling problem. Doesn't every one enter an office pool during NCAA playoffs and the Super Bowl?

Sure, we all do. However, none of us manages a baseball team.

So all of this brings up another point -- should Rose be allowed back in baseball? Honestly, in my opinion, no he shouldn't.

He did bet on baseball, especially games that the Cincinnati Reds were playing in. That should be a no-no in anybody's book.

However, should he be denied going to the Hall of Fame? No. In my opinion, they should let him into the Hall.

I know some people might say "Shoeless Joe Jackson bet on baseball and he's not in the Hall of Fame, so Rose shouldn't be either.

That maybe true, but I never saw Jackson play for Chicago, but I did see Rose play and one can't take away his accomplishments in baseball as a player.

Besides, there may not be any gamblers in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but there sure are a lot of drunks and bigots in there, so what's the difference.

Rose shouldn't be denied going into the Hall of Fame, but he should have admitted 14 years ago that he bet on baseball.

Some of us would have understood.