It’s brilliant because 15 years later people are still arguing about it. If it had been clear-cut, nobody would have talking much about it.
I didn’t mind the ending at all. But in my observation a lot of folks hanker for everything to be more clear cut after they have invested so much time. At least in the 24 hour news cycle era.
And like you point out, the controversy was good for publicity, just like Pete Rose not being in the HoF. How many conversations about this decade+ old show happen because of that ending? How many more times did MLB/HoF/Rose get talked about by not being in?
Freegards