OK, so columnist/podcaster/media tycoon Bill Simmons debuted his new HBO show, 'Any Given Wednesday,' Wednesday night.

One of the noted Boston sports fanboy's first guests? Actor and fellow noted Boston sports fanboy Ben Affleck.

But if he was suggesting that Manning preparing his footballs is somehow comparable to what Brady and the Patriots are accused of, or anywhere close to cheating, he's dead wrong.

It is perfectly fine to believe Deflategate is the single-dumbest thing in the history of the NFL (it is), and that Brady's as-of-now four-game suspension to start this coming season is a ridiculous overreaction (it is), even if he likely had some level of awareness about the tampering that occurred with the footballs (it's hard to believe he didn't).

But the bottom line is, Brady and the Patriots are accused of breaking the rules and manipulating the footballs after they were approved by game officials. What Manning, and every other quarterback in the NFL, does is perfectly legal. They prepare the game balls to their liking leading up to a game, then allow the officials to approve the footballs before the game.

It's been that way since 2006, when the league started allowing both teams to use their own footballs during games. A rule that was pushed in large part by ... Tom Brady.

Someday, Deflategate will mercifully be over. What a day that will be.

James Kratch can be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find and like NJ.com Giants on Facebook.