The tough thing about covering the NFL is that once a week schedule, which means large shovels are often needed to fill all the 24-hour news cycles between games.
From one Sunday to the next, there's a lot more talk than action. That's why you get stuff like "keys to victory," which usually starts with the combination of "establish the running game" and "control the running game." True confession: I haven't read a "keys to victory" filler in decades, so I'm going from memory.
The NFL has its own TV network jammed with shows that fill time until there are actual games to dissect and real-life highlights to show.
That's why people who purvey words were secretly delighted last Sunday when Antonio Brown pitched a fit on the sideline in Baltimore. He flung an empty Gatorade cooler (you try to move one of those when it's full) and then pulled angrily away from offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who tried to cool things down.
Brown was hot because Ben Roethlisberger failed to notice he was wide open for a potential touchdown. His display of temper essentially showed up the quarterback by calling attention to the oversight. It was "Hey, look at the mistake Ben made."
Bad stuff. Bad for morale. Selfish. Depending on your perspective on Brown, it was possibly oh so A.B., a hopelessly me-first guy who tries to keep those traits under wraps as much as possible.
In reality, it was a gift from above for those who have to comment on pro football matters between games. Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin had their say on Tuesday.
The issue got more life because of Brown's totally arbitrary policy of restricting his media availability to Fridays during the season. That kept the flame flickering for an end-of-the-week blowout, which left just one more day for everyone to deduce the keys to victory.
We're told that things are fine now, and that's all well and good. The tempest served its purpose.
It was an annoyance for Roethlisberger, an embarrassment for Brown, a distraction for Tomlin, and a blessing for the people who would otherwise be looking for variations on "establish the running game/control the running game."
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--BLING IS THE THING
Those massive diamond-crusted Penguins Stanley Cup rings are serious pieces of jewelry.
They are also something no hockey player will ever wear in public. Sidney Crosby will wear that ring on his grocery store run right after he dyes his hair purple.
As the rings get bigger and brighter every year, it also becomes more apparent they'll stay in bank vaults after the initial presentation and photo op.
Seems like it kind of defeats the purpose.
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--SPECIAL GUEST
Before the Pirates adjourned for the offseason, they got into some mildly hot water with MLB over inviting Wiz Khalifa to throw out the first pitch before a late-season game.
Khalifa is the Pittsburgh-rooted rapper whose career is based largely on the glorification of marijuana use.
He showed up at PNC Park wearing a t-shirt that read, "Legalize It." Before he threw the pitch, he pantomimed a man smoking a joint. Then the artist whose releases include "Rolling Papers," "Weedmixes" and "Wake and Bake" made his cameo appearance.
MLB didn't think much of the Pirates' judgment in extending the invitation, and sent along an official but mild reprimand.
Oh well. At least they offer those all-you-can-eat seats for Wiz followers with a serious case of the munchies.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
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