Reports circulated on Thursday night that former Rams coach Mike Martz backed out of an opportunity to become the Lions new offensive coordinator because the Lions wouldn't increase their offer from $1 million per year to $1.5 million annually.

But now there are reports that Martz didn't land in Motown because new head coach Rod Marinelli wasn't sufficiently comfortable with him.

Even if that's true (and we're not sure it is), shame on the Lions for letting the jungle cat out of the bag regarding the possible arrival of Martz.  Though we don't have the time or the inclination to figure out whether the initial reports of the potential hiring came from Lions sources or Martz sources, the point is that the Lions could have and should have ensured that all parties would be discreet as the two sides talked.  Then, if the thing hadn't worked out, it wouldn't have been a big deal.

But now it is a big deal, and it strengthens the perception that the Lions organization is run by Festiva-driving slapdicks.

Still, we're not ready to exonerate Martz.  Either he got an offer or he didn't.  If he didn't get an offer and if he's lying now that he did, then every team should think long and hard about the possibility of ever hiring him in the future.

That doesn't mean the Lions are off the hook, even if Martz is failing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Martz was a bad idea from the outset, given the smash-mouth mentality that Marinelli is supposedly planning to implement.  

And it doesn't take a genius to figure out that a flirtation with Martz, and his agent Bob LaMonte, could turn sour.  Quickly.

Here's our advice, Lions.  Interview your candidates quietly.  Settle on a top candidate without fanfare.  Work on the contract discreetly.  And then announce the hire.

Until then, shut the hell up about it.

NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw says that he plans to recommend in March decertification of the union that he runs, in order to block the possibility of a lockout by owners.  Put simply, if there's no union in place, the owners can't tell the players not to show up for work. 

Per The Washington Post, decertification would be a precursor to an antitrust action by the players if/when the owners collectively impose a new system of player compensation and free agency after expiration of the current CBA.

Article VLII, Section 3 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement expressly contemplates decertification of the union, and the antitrust lawsuit that likely would follow.  In that provision, the NFL and its member Clubs have waived "any rights they may have to assert any antitrust labor exemption defense based upon any claim that the termination by the NFLPA of its status as a collective bargaining representative is or would be a sham, pretext, ineffective, requires additional steps, or has no in fact occurred."

So let's be clear on this -- decertification would not occur until after the current CBA expires in 2008.  Thus, it's not a maneuver that will have any impact on the next two NFL seasons.

Then why is Upshaw talking about it now, you ask?

Here's our theory.  We think that the NFL and the NFLPA are getting close to working out a deal on a CBA extension, and that Upshaw's carefully-timed comments, which come only one day before Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's "State of the League" address, were intended to give the union some leverage as they hammer out any and all remaining key terms in the negotiations.

After all, the outcome of the current CBA discussions will be Tagliabue's ultimate legacy as Commissioner.  He needs to get a deal done, and he knows it.  When peppered with questions on Friday regarding Upshaw's rhetoric and the status of the discussions, look for Tags to make broad, general statements reflecting confidence and optimism that an agreement will be reached.  

Then, look for such an agreement to be announced a week or two before the start of free agency.

Again, we're just speculating here.  Since neither the NFL clubs nor the union are talking about the status of the efforts to extend the CBA, it's virtually impossible to know what's really happening.  But based on the plain language of the CBA, we doubt that Upshaw spoke out on Thursday in order to tell the NFL something it didn't already know.  Instead, we think Upshaw is trying to control part of the agenda for Tags' annual visit with the media, in the hopes that the Commish will essentially guarantee ongoing labor peace in response to the questions regarding decertification that he's now certain to face. 

TAZ DINGS HIS ANKLE (OR DOES HE?)

So much for the Tasmanian Devil returning kicks on Sunday.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu injured his ankle on Thursday, and is listed as probable for the Super Bowl.  With a bum ankle, the possibility of Polamalu getting the ball in his hands in any way other than an interception or fumble recovery is likely minimal.

Still, it's important to remember what the term "probable" really means.  Even though guys with much more experience and intelligence than us (or is it we?) continue to write that the "probable" designation means that there's a 75 percent chance the guy will play, the real meaning of the term (as we 'splained on October 10), is that there is a "[v]irtual certainty that player will be available for normal duty." 

So now we're starting to wonder whether Troy's injury designation is a Trojan horse of sorts.  If there's buzz that Polamalu might make an appearance on offense or special teams, what better way to kill it than to declare that Taz has a bad ankle?

Then again, teams never manipulate the injury report.

BRADY PLAYED WITH HERNIA

On that same topic, it turns out that Pats quarterback Tom Brady has a sports hernia.  According to The Boston Herald, he played roughly half of the season with the injury.

And that the Pats never listed him on the injury report as having a hernia or a groin injury.

This is where the accurate definition of "probable" cuts against a team that might otherwise hope to conceal a guy's injury.  Since the term means that there is a "virtual certainty" that the player will be available for normal duty, common sense suggests that even a minor injury that still leaves the guy "virtually certain" to play should appear on the list.

But these are the Pats, whom some regard as the masters of manipulation of the injury report.  Listing Brady as having a hernia or a groin injury would have sparked a continuous firestorm in the media (see McNabb, Donovan) -- and it also would have been the equivalent of painting a bull's-eye on Brady's crotch.

And it wasn't a minor condition.  Per the report, other players on the team were aware that he was hobbled.

"I didn't know how severe it was," linebacker Willie McGinest said, "but I knew it was bothering him.  But you have guys who play with all types of injuries across the league and on our team.  Being the kind of competitor he is, he wasn’t going to let it slow him down."

BOWLEN THROWS WATER ON T.O. TALK

Four days after a surprise visit by receiver Terrell Owens to the Denver Broncos, owner Pat Bowlen tried to put the trip in perspective.

"This is a process, and when a player like this becomes available, we just felt like we owed it to ourselves to let him know that at the appropriate time, we might be interested," Bowlen said Thursday, according to The Denver Post. "We're not going to be the only team he visits.  The only reason why I think this story created such an uproar was because we were the first ones he talked to.

"Obviously, there is concern about character.  That is why we wanted to talk to him and why we talked to many of our own players.  We don't take the character element with a player lightly.  If he doesn't conform to the way we do things with the Denver Broncos, then he won't be playing for the Denver Broncos.  It's as simple as that."

Okay, we read that last paragraph seven times and we still laugh when we see the words "[w]e don't take the character element with a player lightly."

Hello?  Dale Carter?  Daryl Gardener?  Maurice Clarett?

We'd hate to see what kind of a team they'd have if they did take character lightly.

Apart from all of that, we think that Bowlen is trying to give Coach Kevlar an easy out if/when the team doesn't follow through on T.O.  Indeed, we've heard from several sources that Bowlen has no intention to add Owens to the team.

So if Owens ends up in Denver, it's further proof that Mike Shanahan has far more influence and power in the organization than should anyone who doesn't, you know, own the thing.

Our computer, in the end, is safe.

We'd recently told a reader that we'd consume the damn thing if Mike Martz stooped to accept a job as an offensive coordinator in 2006.  On Wednesday night, it was looking like it would be time to start chewing on the motherboard.

But now Martz is out. 

The issue reportedly came down to money.  Martz wanted a three-year deal worth just under $1.5 million a year, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen.  The Lions wouldn't do it.

"Obviously, I took the job," Martz told The Associated Press  "It just didn't work out with the money."

More evidence, in our view, that the Lions know not what they do.  Martz's requested salary isn't out of line in light of his skills, experiences, and the market.  The Redskins are paying Al Saunders $2 million per year on a three-year deal -- and Martz is more accomplished that Saunders.

It'd be interesting to know how close the two sides got to reaching a deal, and whether in the end the impasse was more about the egos of Matt Millen and/or agent Bob LaMonte than about the gap between the parties' respective positions.

We also wonder whether Martz would have even worked out on head coach Rod Marinelli's staff.  Marinelli was hired to be a disciplinarian and play smash-mouth football.  So Martz, the king of the finesse attack, was gonna run the offense?

The whole escapade is further proof that the organization is a mess.  They picked a guy who didn't fit with the new approach, and then they weren't willing to pay what it took to get the guy they wanted. 

Meanwhile, Marinelli says that he has yet to speak with quarterback Joey Harrington, and that he doesn't plan to do so until a new coordinator is hired.  What the hell is that all about?  Does Rod first need to know whether his new coordinator wants Harrington so that the head coach can decide whether to suck up to Joey or whether to brush him off?

It's stupid.  It's asinine.  And it bolsters, in our opinion, the talk in some circles that Marinelli will be the NFL's latest Les Steckel by the time it's all said and done. 

We're hearing strong and stronger indications that Al Michaels will be released from his contract with ESPN for 2006 and beyond, and that he'll instead join current broadcast partner John Madden on Sunday nights at NBC.

As widely speculated, we're told that ESPN will instead go with a trio of Mike Tirico on play-by-play, and Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser providing the color commentary.

So, basically, Michaels pulled a T.O.  The veteran broadcaster signed a contract and then later decided not to honor it.

BERNSTEIN OUT AT CBS?

There's rampant talk in industry circles that CBS sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein will leave the network after the Super Bowl.

She's scheduled to work the sideline for the CBS/Westwood One Radio broadcast of the game, but then she's likely to depart.  Word is that she's grown unhappy at CBS, and that she wants to pursue an anchor type of position, possibly not in sports.

Bernstein also has launched a consulting company, Velvet Hammer Media, which offers aspiring broadcasters a phone consultation with Ms. Bernstein for the reasonable price (if the quoted numbers were yen) of $1,250.  A follow up will only (only?) set you back another $950. 

But there's a bargain -- a package of three follow ups costs a mere $2,150.

So you can get four phone four calls with Ms. Bernstein for the grand total of $3,400.

Bernstein's web site doesn't say anything about the duration of the calls.  For that kind of money, however, they'd better be 10 hours long or involve a lot of four-letter words.

Earlier on Thursday, we posted a story explaining that, if the Steelers find themselves in a close game in the second half on Super Sunday, safety Troy Polamalu should be inserted into the kick return team given his tremendous abilities with the ball in his hands.

When preparing to update the site on Thursday night, we screwed up while attempting to load the live version of the page onto the official PFT computer. 

We're not smart enough to remember what we said this morning, and we're too lazy to re-write it from scratch. 

Bottom line -- we think that it would be a great move to put the ball into the hands of the most thrilling broken field runners we've ever seen.  Several readers e-mailed throughout the day reminding us what happened to Jason Shoehorn when he tried to return kickoffs, but his ACL tear happened in a meaningless preseason game.  The potential reward is much greater in this case, if the Tasmanian Devil is unleashed with an NFL title in the balance.

A league source has shared with us the details regarding the contract extension recently signed by Chiefs guard Brian Waters.

The strangest thing about the deal is that is carries no signing bonus.

Instead, Waters will get a $4 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2006 league year, and a $12,500 roster bonus for each 2006 game in which he is on the active roster.  He's also eligible for a $100,000 workout bonus, which he'll receive only if he participates in all OTA's and mandatory minicamps.

In 2007, Waters is eligible for a $3 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year, which is fully guaranteed for injury.  He'll also get a $31,250 roster bonus for each game in which he is on the active roster, and a $200,000 workout bonus subject to the same terms as above.

In 2008, Waters is eligible for a $2.5 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year, with a 100 percent injury guarantee, and the same per-game roster bonus and workout bonus terms as in 2007.

In 2009 through 2011, he gets the same per-game roster bonus and offseason workout bonus.

So the only truly guaranteed money in the deal is the $4 million 2006 roster bonus and his $545,000 salary, if he's on the roster when the season opens.  And the Chiefs will realize no cap hit by releasing or trading him, assuming that the salary cap survives beyond the coming season.  Sure, there's another $5.5 million in future roster boni that are fully guaranteed in the event of injury, but if new coach Herm Edwards a/k/a Jackie Chiles simply decides that Waters has lost his mojo, Waters gets no money beyond the initial $4 million.

Look for more deals like this one to be signed in 2006, since signing bonus money can be prorated only over four years, due to the status of the CBA.  The losers generally in this regard will be the players, who'll have more of their money tied up in future years, with less of the cash in their pockets when they sign.

Since mentioning in this here space several days back whispers of a possible draft slide by USC quarterback Matt Leinart, we've heard all sorts of different opinions from all sources of league insiders.

Some think he might slip on draft day.  Some think he won't.

Said one league insider:  "The agent thing is part of the problem because it shed light on what this guy is all about.  He's not about football.  He's about Hollywood and being L.A.  People really worried about it last year when he was on the 'People Magazine circuit,' clubbing with people in that lifestyle.  He would have slipped last year too, trust me."

Said another:

So, at this point, who knows?  The debate will continue through draft day, and likely beyond.

And Leinart isn't the only one who is in danger of some slippage in late April.  There's also talk that Texas quarterback Vince Young might fall, now that the euphoria of his Rose Bowl performance has subsided.

But, hey -- maybe it's good to be the third quarterback off the board.  Just ask Ben Roethlisberger.

WHERE'S McNAIR'S LEVERAGE?

In response to recent proclamations from agent Bus Cook that Titans quarterback Steve McNair won't take a reduction in his $10 million salary for 2006, some league insiders are scratching their heads.

A guy's value to his team is driven in large part by what he'll otherwise get on the open market.  If McNair were available via free agency, he'd never get $10 million in salary to join, say, the Dolphins or the Cardinals.

So how does he merit that much from the Titans?

The other thing that Cook and McNair need to keep in mind is McNair's prospects beyond the completion of his football career.  If he finishes his career in Tennessee, he likely can continue to annually earn six figures indefinitely via endorsements and other non-work work.  If he bolts and plays a couple of years or more somewhere else, that Nashville goodwill could evaporate.

The problem, of course, is that Cook has been emboldened by the Titans' apparent willingness to pay more to McNair that the market would dictate.  And that's very odd, in our opinion, since the Titans have shown in the past that they're not afraid of running guys out of town.
 

According to the guys at KFFL.com, new Jaguars assistant head coach Mike Tice told Jacksonville radio station WOKV on Wednesday that he already has spoken with one of the Minnesota Vikings' 16 free agents regarding the possibility of joining the Jags for 2006.  Tice declined to name the player.

The problem is that, until free agency opens, these players remain the property of the Minnesota Vikings.  Thus, Tice has admitted to a tampering violation.

The development should surprise no one.  Tice reluctantly conceded a year ago to the scalping of Super Bowl tickets, in blatant violation of league rules.  The Commissioner imposed a $100,00 fine against Tice for the transgression.

This time around, the Vikings likely will be required to file tampering charges before the Commish can act.  And we wonder whether the NFL will "stack" dissimilar offenses when disciplining guys who can't seem to stay on the right side of obvious rules.

It'll be interesting to see what happens next. 

In the wake of reports suggesting that the Washington Redskins are now the favorites to land receiver Terrell Owens, we decided to go straight to the source and ask whether the reports are accurate.

Redskins Senior Vice President Karl Swanson told us that it's not going to happen.  "We think Terrell is an exceptional talent, however, we do not see him as a fit with the Redskins," Swanson said Wednesday night.

There have you it, folks.  An official statement that the Redskins are not -- and will not be -- in the mix for Owens. 

This development, if acknowledged by the media generally, could throw a bucket of cold water on the smoldering stew of rumors suddenly linking Owens to multiple suitors.

With that said, someone is sure to sign him.  The only question is how much he'll get paid, and whether the Eagles will get anything in trade.

YOU LIKE US. . . .

Or you hate us.  Either way, you're reading us.  January 2006 was our biggest month ever, with more than 2 million page views and a whopping 261,000 unique visitors -- a 30 percent increase over our prior high water mark.

So thanks for liking us.  Or for hating us.  Just keep reading us.

And tell your friends.  And your enemies.  And anyone who's willing to listen.  Or who isn't. 

T.O. TO D.C.?

Feel free to check our archives -- it's in there.  Several months ago, we predicted that Eagles receiver Terrell Owens ultimately would land with the Redskins.

Now, Peter King will report on Wednesday night (as reported by Adam Schefter) that the 'Skins are the favorites to acquire Owens.

Both on-the-record and off-the-record, Redskins personnel have long denied any interest in Owens.  But that only has made us more convinced that the 'Skins are and have been in play for the Pro Bowler.

And although there never will be any firm proof of tampering (see Milloy, Lawyer), we believe that the seeds for the ultimate transaction were planted not long after Drew Rosenhaus became Owens' new agent.  Rosenhaus represents several key Redskins players (Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Sean Taylor), and he has a great relationship with the organization.  How far-fetched is it to conclude that Rosenhaus and owner Dan Snyder (or someone acting on Snyder's behalf) had a conversation that (wink, nod) never really happened regarding the terms that the 'Skins hypothetically would be willing to offer to a high-end pass-catcher in 2006?

Think about it -- which team benefited the most from the fact that T.O. went turdy and ruined the Eagles' season in 2005?  But for the Philly implosion (which very well might have happened anyway due to quarterback Donovan McNabb's sports hernia), the Redskins would not have made it to the playoffs.

Now, the 'Skins can push themselves over the top in the division and the conference by adding a bona fide playmaker in Owens.

The only glitch, in our view, is that the emerging market for T.O.'s services could enable the Eagles to trade him.  So would Philly do a deal with a division rival?

Of course, Owens can essentially block any trade by refusing to agree to terms of compensation that would permit the Eagles to sign him to a new deal and then trade him.  If Owens already has his sights set on D.C., he merely needs to refuse to agree to a contract that would enable the Eagles to ship him elsewhere.

And although the growing interest in Owens might prompt a team like the Broncos eventually to swing a trade with the Eagles under the terms of his current contract, which require $7.5 million in cash payments by March 15, no team is going to absorb such an obligation unless T.O. is willing to go happily. 

In that regard, keep this in mind -- Rosenhaus doesn't earn a nickel from his representation of Owens until his existing deal is replaced with a new contract.

Not long ago, it looked like the market for Owens might be on the light side.  Now, it looks like T.O. will find a new home -- and that he could replace much of the money that he would have made under the contract with the Eagles that he deemed insufficient.

We're hearing that new Jets coach Eric Mangini is having trouble putting together a staff of assistants.  He's been rebuffed, we're told, a "bunch of times" in his efforts to get the guys he has wanted.

There's no clear reason for his problems in this regard.  It could be due to his age.

It also could be due to the perception that the team's front office is in a state of flux.  Many league insiders believe that G.M. Terry Bradway is on his way out as G.M., and that the job eventually will go to assistant G.M. Mike Tannenbaum.

Some believe that Bradway hung himself by spending most of his time working out of his home.  In contrast, Tannenbaum has been a regular presence in the office, allowing him to solidify his relationship with the owner.

The only problem is that, if cap-and-contracts guy Tannenbaum ends up as the G.M., there won't be an established personnel guy running the show.

This opens the door, of course, for Mangini to have even greater influence when it comes to the configuration of the roster.  Of course, such a development could attract assistant coaches to town.

Our guess is that the general goofiness surrounding the franchise over the past month has contributed significantly to Mangini's inability to put together a group of assistants that will help him to achieve success sooner rather than later.   

BIG BEN BAGS ANOTHER MILLION

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger picked up some extra money to finance any future games of quarter bounce on Wednesday.  According to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com, Roethlisberger has signed a one-year exclusive autograph deal worth $1 million with Mounted Memories (the name of the company might also describe the recollections of the women with whom Big Ben was cavorting in those widely-circulated photos).

Mounted Memories is owned by Dreams, Inc., a publicly-traded company.

"He's not prohibited from casually signing for fans," said agent Ryan Tollner. "But he's obviously not going to sign the same piece over and over again for a guy he thinks is bringing it to eBay."

Big Ben's exploits with B-level broads and a bottle of booze apparently had no effect on his ability to land the $1 million payday.  Then again, maybe Ben put his John Hancockberger on the paperwork after he caught wind of the portfolio of arguably unflattering pics -- and before the folks at Mounted Memories knew of them.

Our favorite (but not in a good way) NFL coach, Mike Tice, won't be sitting at home in 2006, after all.  Tice, to whom we lovingly refer as "Meathead," has joined the staff of Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as assistant head coach/offense.

Tice's contract wasn't renewed with the Vikings after the 2005 season, and for good reason.  In four full years, his teams underachieved their way to one playoff appearance.  Sure, there was a "lookie what we found" postseason win in Green Bay in January 2005, but a week later the team showed its true colors in being crushed by the Eagles.

The team's relative success in 2004 prompted then-owner Red McCombs to pick up a $1 million option on Tice, extending his deal through 2005.  The move also made it a little easier for McCombs to sell the team at a tidy profit of more than $300 million, since the new owner wasn't stuck with a coach with multiple years remaining on his contract.

But after Tice learned that he'd still be the team's coach in 2005, the bottom fell out.  He was whiplashed with evidence that he'd been scalping Super Bowl tickets -- allegations that he initially denied and then later admitted.  He coughed up a $100,000 fine for his transgression.

Then came the football season, and the weight of grossly unrealistic expectations for a team that had traded away one of the best players in the game, Randy Moss.  A poor start was compounded by the Love Boat fiasco, and not even a six-game winning streak was enough to make new owner Zygi Wilf give Tice serious consideration for a new deal.

In Jacksonville, Tice joins another coach with a history of not-so-bright moves.  A few years back, Del Rio was a Del Dumbass when he brought a hunk of wood and an ax into the locker room as a prop for his "keep choppin' wood" mantra. 

Punter Chris Hanson obliged -- and nearly chopped of his leg.

Still, the perception is that the tide is rising in the 'Ville.  The team came off of a 12-4 regular season and its first playoff appearance under Del Rio.  Tice can play a valuable role in the ongoing improvement of the offense, especially because he is adept at spotting and developing raw talent along the offensive line.

And if Del Rio can't take the team to the next level in 2006, the Meathead could end up being an enticing option for a front office that might prefer a big lummox who'll not expect big money -- and who'll pay proper homage to Paul Vance and otherwise know where he fits in the greater scheme of things (see Mike McCarthy, Scott Linehan, Sean Payton).

Based on a tip from a reader, we've confirmed via a league source that Bengals receiver Chris Henry had been living with receivers coach Hue Jackson after Henry's December 2005 arrest on charges of marijuana possession.

Apparently, some relatives and/or friends of Henry either moved in with or near Henry in Kentucky after Hurricane Katrina struck his home state of Louisiana.  Some of these folks apparently weren't the best of influences on him, so after Henry was busted during his rookie season he started bunking with Jackson.

But Jackson could only watch Henry so closely after the season ended.  Based on published reports regarding Henry's most recent arrest, he was spending more time that he should have in Orlando.

Kudos to the Bengals for realizing that Henry needed a full-time babysitter, but shame on the Bengals for not having a better plan to keep him out of trouble before he was set loose on the free world.

Henry slipped to round three of the April 2005 draft due in large part to questions regarding his character.  Some teams even struck him from their draft boards.

And as one league insider told us on Tuesday, "I told you so." 

IMG SUES FORMER AGENT

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that megafirm IMG has filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against former employee Bill Henkel, accusing him of trying to pilfer clients.

The action has been filed in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, and IMG claims that Henkel violated a non-solicitation agreement in his contract by soliciting IMG clients.

Per the report, the lawsuit is supported by an affidavit signed by Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, an IMG client.  Presumably, Tomlinson has testified via his affidavit that Henkel tried to entice him to join Henkel's new shop.

In a 2004 article regarding the Manning brothers that still appears on the IMG official web site, Henkel is identified as the firm's director of athlete marketing.

Typically, a temporary restraining order is considered on an ex parte basis, which means that the party seeking to restrain the other party asks for the Court, without the involvement of the other party, to freeze the status quo until a hearing can be conducted on a motion for a preliminary injunction.  Through a motion for preliminary injunction, IMG would then ask the Court to prevent Henkel from soliciting any IMG clients until the parties' rights can be fully and finally considered and determined. 

In order to obtain relief prior to the issuance of a final ruling in a party's favor, the party typically must establish several factors, including a likelihood of eventual success in the litigation and a threat of harm that cannot be compensated or cured by an award of monetary damages.

IMG also has recourse against Henkel before the NFLPA, which can discipline agents who attempt to lure players already under contract with other agents.    

BIG BEN LIKES THE BOOZE

We received from several readers on Tuesday photos of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger getting his Bobby Layne on with a group of female fans.

Though the pics are undated, Big Ben is sporting the same beard that he has worn for much of the back end of the season, so our guess is that the photos are of relatively recent vintage.

We don't know what to make of this, other than it tends to confirm our suspicion that Big Ben might not be the brightest bulb in the box.  It's one thing for a young guy to kill some random brain cells -- it's another thing to brazenly pose for photos that inevitably will end up on the Internet.

Then again, virtually everyone has a digital camera nowadays, and our guess is that Ben had belted back a few before he decided to start saying "cheese."

Regardless, the guy's playing great football and we doubt that this will have any impact on his performance in the Super Bowl.  Though he's matured in a lot of ways since 2004 (and far faster than we ever thought he would), he's still a kid who's entitled to go out and have a good time.  As long as he doesn't, you know, point a gun at anyone while wearing his Steelers jersey, he should be okay.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

King Carl says that the Chiefs are "somewhat interested" in receiver Terrell Owens (translation -- Peterson is willing to enter the bidding in order to force the Broncos to pay too much for him).

The NFL is coughing up $20 million for the efforts to get the Superdome ready for some football.

Steelers RB Duce Staley is absent from Detroit due to the passing of his fahter.

From the "Things that Make You Go 'Doh!'" file, Pats LB Chad Brown, who has played for the Steelers and Seahawks, took less money to sign with New England a year ago than the Steelers were offering because he wanted the best chance to get to the Super Bowl.

The Aggies continue to squeeze the baggies of the Seahawks.

Eugene Robinson probably wishes that Super Bowl XXXIII had been in Detroit.

Offensive line guru Alex Gibbs is staying with the Falcons, despite feelers from new Texans coach Gary Kubiak.

Mike Martz is close to accepting a one-year, $2 million contract to become the Lions offensive coordinator (if we were he -- but he we not be -- we'd officially sign on as a "consultant" in order to be free to interview for and accept a head coaching job elsewhere if the Lions are in the playoffs).

Chiefs G Brian Waters has signed a six-year extension.

The Pittsburgh-area teacher accused of humiliating a student who wore a Broncos jersey to class won't be disciplined (they're instead giving the guy the key to the city and a case of pierogies).

The D.C. media is figuring out that Steelers WR Antwaan Randle El would be a good complement to Santana Moss.

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck told OL Robbie Tobeck not to worry after Tobeck suffered an injury in training camp because "hobbits heal faster than humans."

Bengals WR Chad Johson, who previously guaranteed that his team would beat the Colts and ascend to Super Bowl XL, has now guaranteed that Cincy will make it to Super Bowl XLI (hey, if he makes that guarantee every year, he'll eventually get it right).

Looking for more?  Click here for the rumor mill archives.