A bouncer is stabbed at a New York City nightclub. And the Fourth Estate insists on making it about the smoking ban. Headlines from California to Maine scream out "Bouncer Stabbed in Smoking Ban Brawl" or some variation thereof.

This also happens to be the fault of the syndicator who transmitted such an offensive and inaccurate headline. And I can't forget my local news training - if it bleeds, it leads - so I really shouldn't be surprised or outraged. But I am. If you actually read this story, and I'd love to know how many editors actually did, it seems pretty clear that the stabber didn't want to be told what to do by the stabbee. I'd bet the farm that if the bouncer said "no more rum and coke" - the same thing would have happened. Gotta love New York, right?

The trouble is likely the amount of alcohol consumed. But no one dares go there. Bloomberg may put that "health crisis" next on the list and we'll have Prohibition 2003. History, people. Does anyone pay attention?

UPDATE: Looking back, the victim's family blamed the ban so it's unfair to place this solely on the press' shoulders. But just regurgitating quotes from the victim's family, who are of course angry and upset, is poor journalism. If I was paranoid, the angle was used to sell more newspapers (or ensure a wider syndication.) I can hear the evil laughter of city desk editor's all over the city as this was slugged.