He'll probably never know it, because to read his columns he doesn't know how to log onto the internet, but Dan Shaughnessy has set off a chain reaction on the blogosphere. Yesterday in one of his impossibly clever and entertaining "Picked Up Pieces" columns, Shank mentioned that some Patriots cheerleaders are in the Far East, teaching cheering in China. And with the wit that only he can muster, the CHB ended the tidbit with "....Why?" Hilarious. Since then, the story has been picked up by Deadpsin, Busted Coverage, and about a hundred other sites.

To steal a phrase from Shaughnessy, "...Why?" This isn't the first time Pats cheerleaders have gone to China, as all of us who follow cheerleading, the Patriots and Sino-American relations know. Remember this from Patriots.com last July 31st:

The Patriots Cheerleaders just returned home from a whirlwind tour to China, and came back with some amazing memories.  Alyssa, Lindsay, Tanya, Quinn, Briana, Stacey, Crystal, Meg and Tracy departed the states on June 29th with the goal of reaching out to the Chinese public in Beijing and Shanghai to increase awareness and interest in American Football.  Nine days later, mission accomplished!  In just a little over a week, the ladies did countless media interviews, to include shoots for Chinese FHM and Men's Style Magazines! 

Apparently our office here in the Barstool Building is the only place in America that gets Chinese FHM delivered because this is old news to us. And why is it big deal anyway? Is there a better way to promote cross cultural understanding and international cooperation than through cheerleader-ambassadors? The world needs to know what Americans... real Americans... are all about. That we're all young, gorgeous, sexy and proposterously enthusiastic all the time. The Patriots know, and that's why they've been working to make the world a better place. Shame on anyone who's just coming around to realizing this.