PITTSBURGH - Mid-week commentary on the news:
n Quarterback Michael Vick gets a $100 million contract from the Philadelphia Eagles.
"Only" $40 million of that is guaranteed, but you get the idea.
Vick has not only recovered from the dog fighting conviction that interrupted his career, he's enjoying a life most people don't even dream about.
He did prison time for his crime, but was there ever any doubt that he'd be welcomed back to the NFL?
As long as quality quarterbacks are in short supply, there will always be second chances for players who make mistakes.
n Steelers backup quarterback Byron Leftwich breaks his left arm.
That temporarily clears up the back-up situation.
If the Steelers were planning to trade Dennis Dixon, that's on hold now.
The only issue is determining who is No. 2 behind Ben Roethlisberger, either Dixon or Charlie Batch.
Because coaches tend to favor experience, Batch will probably be the first in line if anything happens to Roethlisberger.
Either way, the Steelers are in better shape than a lot of NFL teams.
They have an elite starter, and they also have quality back-ups if they're needed.
n Pitt opens its football season this Saturday against Buffalo.
Usually a non-conference opener is a ho-hum affair, but everyone is anxious to see what new coach Todd Graham has to offer.
Graham has been talking boldly since he took over the program, a refreshing change from coaches who like to minimize expectations.
Graham has promised fans a high octane offense, and he's said the Panthers will compete for the Big East title.
n The Steelers complain about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's discipline.
Enough already. The NFL Players Association had a chance to do something about Goodell's authority during collective bargaining, but passed.
Other issues, like time off from practice, were more important to the majority of the membership.
The Steelers need to get over their obsession with Goodell.
They're not going to change anything, so complaining doesn't do any good.
Just play football.
n Some people have suggested Little League players should get paid since the Little League World Series is on TV.
Here's a better idea: Don't put the Little League World Series on TV.
Do we need intrusive close-ups of 12-year-olds who have given up a big hit or missed a ground ball?
We don't let kids be kids any more, and this is just further proof of that sad fact.
Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com
