Once again, we are asking the same question about a famous athlete - this time Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers: "What was he thinking?"

I'm not suggesting Rogers was trying to sneak a loaded handgun onto an airplane Thursday for any evil purpose, but I also find his excuse of "Oops! Forgot that little sucker was in there (or words to that affect)!" when he got arrested as lame and stupid.

Anyone who travels by plane for a weekend probably goes through the same checklist: Change of clothes? - check; extra socks? check; underwear? check; toilet kit? check; laptop? check. Weapon is not on that list.

But let's give Rogers the benefit of the doubt - keep reading, please! - and say he did forget he had a loaded gun in his bag. Then the question becomes, what was he doing in the first place and where was he going to think he needed a gun in his travel bag? It's not like he reached for his toothbrush and grabbed his gun by mistake. As Sam Rutigliano once said of one his players who got into trouble with the cops, he wasn't going to the library.

So should the Browns get rid of Rogers, like they got rid of Donte Stallworth? I say no. Stallworth drove drunk and killed a man. Rogers should be punished. He should be suspended for two games, if not by the league then by the Browns, but that's enough. Stupidity is not a crime.

I expect the law to come down hard on Rogers. If it doesn't, then any would-be criminal or terrorist could be prepared to use the "I didn't know it was there" defense and take his chances.