Just in case you thought the current sorry state of athletes was being exaggerated by the Brett Myers incident, I offer these stories, which all happened within the last two weeks...

June 21 - LOS ANGELES, Ca. (AP) -- Bengals defensive end Frostee Rucker has been charged with two counts of spousal battery and vandalism. The misdemeanor charges were filed Tuesday after an alleged fight between Rucker and his girlfriend at a party he was hosting in Los Angeles last August.

June 23 - MANDEVILLE, La. (AP) -- New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Jammal Brown was free on bond Friday following his arrest on a domestic abuse complaint from his wife. Brown was booked Thursday with domestic abuse battery after his wife placed a 911 call.

June 16 - PITTSBURGH, Pa. (AP) -- Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes was charged by Columbus, Ohio, police Monday with two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence and simple assault. It was his second arrest since he was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft.

June 15 - COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Bengals receiver Chris Henry pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges accusing him of providing alcohol to three underage females.

June 7 - CINCINNATI, Oh. (AP) -- Cincinnati Bengals' A.J. Nicholson, 21, is charged with grand theft and burglary, both felonies, in a break-in at a former Florida State teammate's apartment in Tallahassee, Fla. He was the Bengals' fifth-round draft choice this year.

Henry was charged Sunday in nearby Clermont County with speeding and drunken driving. He also faces trial Aug. 21 in Orlando, Fla., on a concealed weapon charge following a January incident in which police say he pulled a pistol on a group of revelers. Henry pleaded guilty in March to marijuana charges from a December arrest in Kentucky, avoiding jail time after completing a drug rehabilitation program.

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Granted, if we were talking about poverty-stricken, inner-city dwellers who were desparate to change their lives and had fallen on hard times, there may be some extenuating circumstances. But, these are five of the most fortunate people on the planet. They are being paid an exhorbitant sum for playing a game most of us would play for free, if we could. Other than that, what they have in common is that they are young and stupid.

If you think the Phillies were wrong to continue to employ Brett, think about how stupid the NFL is to continue to employ these hoodlums. Especially when you consider that NFL contracts are not guaranteed. They could be cut today, but they won't be. The teams may not have a choice, but we do.