Jun 22, 2015 4 min read

The Steelers finished the offseason – that’s a misnomer in a sport that is in the news year-round – last week and are off until they begin training camp in a little more than a month.

That means they should be out of the news until then. Should be, that is, unless somebody does something stupid.

Down time is the greatest fear of NFL coaches. They have to give up some control of the players when they aren’t in a structured program.

And many times, that is when players seem to get into trouble.

Ironically, star wide receiver Antonio Brown made an appearance on the debut of HBO’s “Ballers,” Sunday night playing himself.

The show, which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a former NFL player who is now a financial planner, focused on some of the pitfalls that can happen to an NFL player.

Not long after Brown made his appearance – he spoke two lines – a fictional wide receiver got into a tussle with an unruly fan who verbally harassed him in a nightclub and wound up assaulting the guy.

The fictional receiver was summarily released by his current team – Green Bay – then signed by Miami. The fictional head coach of the Dolphins told the player it was basically his last chance and he would be on a short leash.

If it’s a tale that gives fans a look behind the curtain at the lives of NFL players, it’s something that should also serve as a cautionary tale for NFL players.

How many will pay attention? Keep an eye on the news over the next month and find out.

• Is the Paterno family so hard up for money that it must now sell the image of Joe Paterno to a beer company?

Yes, a portion of the money raised by the new Paterno Legacy Series of beer, which will be brewed in Latrobe, will go to the charity of Sue Paterno’s choosing. But is it necessary to do so on a beer can?

For a family that fought so long to restore what it said was Joe Paterno’s legacy, putting his face on a beer can, even with some of the proceeds going to charity, seems strange.

• ESPN released new documents showing Pete Rose did, indeed, bet on baseball, not only while as a manager but during his playing days.

Rose admitted, albeit after nearly 15 years of denials, he bet on baseball games while he managed the Cincinnati Reds, but he continually denied he bet on games while still a player.

Under MLB Rule 21, “Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible,” to have any part in the game. That includes induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rose was a great player, but also was flawed. And in this case, his flaws will keep him out of the hall of fame.

• If the weather holds out this week, Thursday and Friday, the league champions of Washington and Canon-McMillan Pony baseball organizations will meet at Lew Hays Pony Field to play for the Founder’s Cup. The two teams will meet in a best-of-three series to determine the champion.

Those two organizations, which were the first two Pony organizations in the country, combined to play regular season games against each other this season.

With both organizations down to four teams each at the Pony (13-14-year-old) level because of kids playing AAU baseball, different sports or just a lack of numbers, combining the two leagues was a move that benefitted both. (Full disclosure, I currently serve as president of Washington Youth Baseball’s Pony division).

Special thanks should go to Washington Youth Baseball President Rick Herrnberger, Canon-McMillan Youth Baseball President Rich Egezio and C-M Pony President Todd Burke for working to make this happen.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.