Pittsburgh Steelers crack down on ping pong, pool in locker room

Aug 29, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark (25) stands on the sidelines during the second quarter in the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

After scouring the game film and an going through intense period of self-evaluation, the Pittsburgh Steelers have discovered the reason for their ugly 0-2 start, to say nothing of a winless preseason.

Three words: too much fun.

As reported Thursday afternoon by KDKA-TV’s Jory Rand, Steelers veterans have decided to ban anyone with less than four years of pro experience from playing table tennis or billiards at the team’s South Side training facility during “business hours.” According to 12th-year NFL safety Ryan Clark, this was decided in a meeting of the Steelers’ more tenured players Wednesday.

As harmless as this hubbub may seem, it falls under the category of an unneeded distraction for a team looking for some stability on and off the field. It’s not out of the ordinary for teams to rein in extracurricular activities on company time, but posting signage on the ping pong and pool tables guarantees the topic will get some play in the local media.

If the Steelers’ veterans wanted to send a message, they could’ve easily informed their less-experienced teammates in private. That would’ve gotten the point across pretty well, a point we’re left to assume involves taking the profession more seriously.

Instead, the Steelers organization looks misguided for addressing the issue in such a transparent manner. We as fans and media ask for more access to a team, but sometimes matters are kept private for a reason. This should have been one of those cases.