Steelers Coach Apologizes For Being Caught

On May 24th, I blasted the NFL in my blog entry Pornographic Email Sent Across the NFL.  I asked, "Just because many of those in the front office are lifelong football players, do they think that in today's age, inappropriate behavior is OK?"

Now, they made it worse!  It would appear that the NFL message is as follows: Porn is tolerated.  Getting caught due to sending a mass email is not.

The opening paragraph of an Associated Press story today said on the NFL.com website, "Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Larry Zierlein apologized for accidentally e-mailing an explicit sex video to numerous NFL employees, including league commissioner Roger Goodell."

Let's be clear. What exactly did he apologize for?  Here is his exact quote:

"It was 100 percent unintentional," Zierlein said. "I don't even know how to mass e-mail. I don't know these machines very good, it was just a 100 percent unintentional thing. Hit the wrong button. "

What button did he mean to hit?  I believe Zierlein when he says that he didn't mean to send a mass email.  But, did he mean to send pornography to somebody?  In my opinion, the only valid key to hit when receiving porn is the DELETE key.  Hit any form of SEND or FORWARD or REPLY, and you are just as guilty as the original person.  Zierlein needs to apologize, but he needs to apologize for tolerating pornography in any form at a major business and for forwarding it to anyone at all. 

The NFL also needs to get in the game, too.  The League is a huge business with national presence and an influence on a generation of college and high school players.  They should know better.  I am fearful that somebody in the NFL front office might have actually approved the apology.  That would mean that  the NFL doesn't get it, either.

We need clear statements.  If the NFL wants to forgive Zierlein as a first-time offender, I will not object.  But, the NFL must make it clear that Zierlein must specifically apologize for failing to immediately delete the email and that this behavior will not be tolerated in any form in the future.