A member of the media has pointed out to us that it appears that Boston Herald sports writer John Tomase has been removed from the Patriots beat.

We’re aware of no announcement in this regard, and it’s possible that it’s only temporary move.  Regardless, after poking around the Herald web site, it’s obvious to us that something is going on.

Consider Tomase’s Herald blog, “The Point After.”  The last new post was June 2, and Tomase personally hasn’t added a thing since May 29.  (The comments also are off.)

It’s a slow time of the offseason, you say?  Well, yeah, except for the fact that the Patriots opened a mandatory minicamp on Friday — and Mike Reiss of the Globe was all over it.  (In fact, the absence of any recent Pats story on the Herald Patriots/NFL page makes us wonder whether the paper has been frozen out completely.)

Meanwhile, Tomase has been covering the Red Sox.  The comments to his articles, however, seem to still reflect the venom triggered by his February 2 blunder regarding cheating in Super Bowl XXXVI.  In all, Tomase has written five Red Sox stories this week.

The reality is that the fans and the team won’t be forgiving or forgetting Tomase’s gaffe, and he can simply no longer do an effective job covering the Patriots.  He probably can’t ultimately be effective on any New England beat.

On one hand, it’s a shame.  On the other hand, it’s a lesson for all journalists as to the potential consequences of swinging hard — and missing completely — on a story that can make (or, in this case, break) a career.

 UPDATE:  Despite the evidence (or lack thereof) on the Herald site, Tomase apparently is still on the Patriots beat.  We’re told that he was at the team’s practice on Friday.  So why, then, is there no reporting of any kind on the Herald site?