And what harm did the feds nosing into their business actually cause the owners? They had to strengthen the penalties in the already-enacted drug testing programs.

It did more than harm the owners, it harmed all of us. Every time the government pokes into private decisions made by mutually-consenting adults, we all pay the price.

BTF I think for the most part, takes a libertarian stance on PEDs, dismissing any negative health effects as speculative or unproven or downright false

That's not really the libertarian stance on PEDs. The libertarian stance is players should be free to use PEDs, owners are free attempt to negotiate PEDs as part of a condition to employment, and players should be free to collectively bargain that and either go with the proposal with the owners or use their own leverage to get a different proposal (but that they should not be free to prevent the forming of a competing union between players that may seek to be more permissive or less permissive of drug terms in the negotiating process).

Whether or not the drugs are dangerous or not is besides the point. The players are free to consider these facts when formulating their individual or collective opinions on drug use in the matter of contract negotiation. I only see it as any of the government's business if, say, someone walking next to a roided up person had a higher risk of cancer or something (and then, only in either actual public places or places where a person could not reasonably have implicitly accepted that risk).

Chess after Deep Blue still draws a crowd (well, for chess) so I think the interest will be there. Still, for me, some of the magic in the deep, undiscoverable beauty that used to be chess (even though that was the function of limited brains) was lost after computer chess dwarfed human abilities.

At least you still have Go.

Still, for me, some of the magic in the deep, undiscoverable beauty that used to be chess (even though that was the function of limited brains) was lost after computer chess dwarfed human abilities.

I've never felt this way. I think it's actually more interesting and beautiful knowing that there is a solution. If the solution is trivial enough that I can memorize it easily, then it won't be interesting as a game any more (tic-tac-toe), but even games that are clearly solved like Connect Four or checkers can still be fun to play (especially if you add a speed element).

Then again, I am the sort of person that appreciates a magic trick more when I know how it works.

Still, for me, some of the magic in the deep, undiscoverable beauty that used to be chess (even though that was the function of limited brains) was lost after computer chess dwarfed human abilities.

The funny thing about Deep Blue's win is that both of Kasparov's losses were utterly uncharacteristic blunders. He resigned in a drawn position -- the only time this happened in his career. Yeah, he'd lost a few games that could have been saved (not many -- he simply didn't lose all that often), but never gave up a salvageable position in his life.

And the other was an elementary blunder in an attempt to take Deep Blue out of its opening book. He just didn't make those kinds of errors. It was a game that would shame somebody about 4 classes below him. Hell, I'm about 8 classes below Kasparov and I wouldn't be happy making the mistake he did (though I've made bigger). It's one of the biggest blunders by a world class player in the history of the game. On par with Stein walking into a mate in one (but at least Stein had time pressure to explain his error -- Kasparov's was in the opening). Fischer had a similar blunder once -- explained as his accidentally touching a piece and having no good move with it.

Deep Blue actually showed better in the drawn game than in either of the wins in my opinion.

It did more than harm the owners, it harmed all of us. Every time the government pokes into private decisions made by mutually-consenting adults, we all pay the price.

That's a beautiful sentiment. It bears no relationship to the argument I was making, but it's lovely in a "kids are our future" sense.

I sure as hell am not defending the Congressional involvement. But the owners suffered nothing tangible as a consequence of their delayed action on juicing. Only the players did.