I've learned all I need to know about it.

I've seen Smoker's parents' statement that their son is being treated for substance abuse.

I've heard the chairman of Michigan State's board of trustees say that the star quarterback from Manheim "tried some stuff he shouldn't have tried," realized he was in trouble, then voluntarily approached a school employee and asked for help.

I've heard Spartans coach Morris Watts say he has no doubt that Smoker will bounce back and become the player he once was, maybe not this season, but probably next, when he will be a senior.

I believe all of them.

And I believe nothing I'm reading in Internet chat rooms, which have been filled with vicious rumors since Oct. 24, when Smoker was suspended from Michigan State's football team.

Smoker's saga is a perfect example of why the Internet should be federally regulated. In this case, chat rooms have become open sewers, seeping with whatever filth any nutcase feels like spewing forth.

And judging from what I've been hearing the past several weeks, a lot of people are taking what the nutcases are writing as the gospel truth.

Jeff Smoker's parents will need to have the patience of Job to get through all this. Indeed, they are the true victims of this sorry episode.

You might feel that Jeff Smoker is not worthy of your pity, but how can you not feel sorry for his parents? After all, Jay and Sue Smoker did as much as they possibly could to make sure their son found the right college and surrounded himself with the right people when he got there.

After Jeff's junior year at Manheim Central, Sue and Jeff climbed into the family van for a long trek around the Midwest, in search of the perfect school.

And after they decided on Michigan State, Sue tried to make sure her son would be roomed with a Christian.

For the last 2 years, Sue and Jay have made the long journey to East Lansing for almost every Michigan State home game to show their support for their son.

And when he got into trouble, they stood up for him. After Jeff was suspended, the media implored them to come forward with the truth. So they issued a statement of apology, explanation and support for their son. For their efforts, they were criticized for not detailing which substance he was abusing.

Now, Jeff is being asked to come forward with details.

He doesn't have to on my account. Of course, if he should choose to do so in order to help others with a similar problem, that would be quite admirable. He previously has been glorified as a great role model, and such a noble act certainly would polish his tarnished reputation.

Right now, that probably is asking too much of a college junior who is trying to recover from a life-shattering problem. I've seen Smoker do so many wonderful things for people that I wouldn't be surprised to see him add one more good deed to his list.

But not yet. Something that magnanimous will take time. And before Smoker can even think about such a courageous gesture, he needs time to heal. And privacy.

Football fans in East Lansing want him to have neither.

They are clamoring for answers that explain the demise of their team, so they can make sure proper steps are taken to get it back on track. And since Smoker's problem has a huge bearing on their team's problems, they are demanding answers from him.

Since we are not expending quite the time, energy and expense on Michigan State football that many of them are expending and have been expending for quite some time, we aren't quite so eager for explanations.

We're pretty curious, though. I think a lot of us want to find out which substance Smoker abused so we can pass judgment. I suspect many of us need to do that before we can close the case and move on.

I don't need to know which substance Smoker abused. And my judgment is this: He's a good guy who made some terrible choices and is paying a dear price for his mistakes. He's shown considerable strength of character by seeking help.

I wish him a speedy recovery, and I hope he returns to the football field some day soon.

I'm glad he is in good hands and is moving forward with his recovery. I hope we can all soon move forward, too.