1. Easy. We're all being tongue in cheek about this. No need to bring in unnecessary logic to the debate. It'll just get in the way.
2. It was a good episode, but I dunno about the best. I can think of some from Next Gen I enjoyed more- Tapestry for one, that one with the alien probe that makes you live an entire…

Oh please. While Picard was giving cutesy nicknames to the Borg like "Hugh" Ben Sisco was busy making an entirely new ship from scratch specifically made to blow them up. When the Cardassians were giving Picard trouble, his big cumuppance was saying there were four lights instead of five. When the Cardassians were…

Other captains go to the problems. The Sisco makes the problems come to him. Before he administers the asskicking.

Ouch. You are so very close. All scientific evidence proves that Ben Sisco is easily the greatest Trek captain of all time. But he started off as a Commander, so it is an easy mistake to make.