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Desmond Howard isn't dumb, but he sure sounded less than smart on ESPN a few days ago.

In an effort to play devil's advocate in a hokey segment, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner played the fool. It's what his bosses are paying him to do. But he did himself and viewers a disservice — and he ticked off BYU fans.

(BYU fans love being ticked off, but in this case they actually had a legitimate reason.)

In a segment ESPN calls "Fair or Foul," the subject of BYU naming 26-year-old Taysom Hill as its starting quarterback was raised.

The three panelists were asked — fair or foul?

"Of course it's fair," said David Pollack, recalling that former Florida State QB Chris Weinke was 28 when he won the Heisman Trophy in 2000; that Hill went on an LDS mission; and that Hill "red-shirted a couple times because of injuries. I like it. It's fair."

(Particularly since Weinke played six years of pro baseball before going to college.)

Howard was loud and aggressive in this point-counterpoint.

"Just because Weinke was 28 doesn't make it fair. Man, that's foul," he said. "At BYU, they've been getting away with this hustle for years! You got grown men playing against boys."

Yes, he called the LDS missionary program a "hustle."

"I think this is as foul as it gets," Howard continued. "There needs to be a cut-off age as far as playing collegiate football."

Among other things, that would prohibit young men who served in the armed forces from then enrolling in college and being eligible to play.

The third voice in this debate seemed rather disgusted with Howard.

"I think BYU is the exception," said Paul Finebaum. "I mean, they do good work. They go on missions. I think you need to factor that in before you start throwing the 'hustle' word around."

"Go on missions earlier then," Howard asserted nonsensically. "Don't go on missions and come back with a beard and a family talkin' now I want to play college football.... Nah, that doesn't jive with me."

Because LDS kids should go on missions when they're 15? Maybe 16?

We could point out that BYU is not the only school that recruits LDS athletes who go on missions. That any school could do so.

We could point to all the ways that having football players go on missions is at least as much of a detriment as it is a benefit. But let's let former University of Utah tight end Jake Murphy (who went on to play in the NFL) do that. Here's part of what he tweeted in response to Howard:

• "Thinking missions help you or your team in any way is laughable. If they were an advantage why was I told by multiple schools I couldn't go?"

• "BYU and Utah are at a DISADVANTAGE with mission kids. Juggling [scholarships], and getting guys adjusted once they get home isn't easy."

There's nothing wrong with debating this issue. But a couple of minutes of arguing on "Fair or foul" is not the way to do it.

Howard made a series of dumb statements. He carelessly and thoughtlessly impugned BYU and, perhaps, the LDS Church.

He did that because the thinking is that a TV show is more interesting if panelists disagree. That it's better television if people are arguing, even if one of them is making ridiculous arguments.

But it's short-sighted. Howard's credibility took a hit when all those dumb things came out of his mouth.

Scott D. Pierce covers TV for The Salt Lake Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.