Feb 13, 2005 By John Mehno For The 3 min read

Kevin Colbert, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ director of football operations, said the team might look to restructure some contracts. This has become standard operating procedure in the National Football League.

It’s a tweak here, a nip there, all designed to help the team clear some room under the salary cap to sign other players. The players who are having their contracts adjusted don’t lose anything; they just alter the schedule of payments.

The Steelers used to operate on a firm policy of no reopening of contracts by either side but that just isn’t realistic in the age of the salary cap.

What’s about to happen there – and the fact that it’s now fairly routine – is instructive as the National Hockey League moves closer to suicide with its unbending demand for a cap.

Owners will shut down their business to get a salary cap. Once they have it, they then start looking for loopholes to circumvent the rules.

– n –

If the NHL does get a salary cap, make sure the owners put a cap on ticket and concession prices, too.

After all, “cost certainty” with their biggest expense should lessen the need to bleed the paying customers, right?

– n –

Some people still can’t get over the Steelers’ loss in the AFC Championship game.

Maybe it would easier if they could accept the premise that the New England Patriots have a pretty good team.

The three teams they beat in the postseason had regular season records of 12-4, 15-1 and 13-3.

– n –

If anyone makes a movie of the Bill Belichick story, the title role will either go to Charles Grodin or the guy who played Mr. Carlin on Bob Newhart’s old show.

– n –

The Pirates are looking for a part-time color analyst to take the road games that Steve Blass no longer wants to work.

They really could get by with just three broadcasters – a play-by-play announcer each for radio and television, with analyst Bob Walk working on TV.

Then no one would really notice when chief announcer Lanny (Hi, Friends) Frattare has one of those days where he’s not speaking to anyone in the booth.

– n –

The two great unanswered questions from the local college basketball scene:

Why doesn’t anyone go to Robert Morris games?

Why does anyone go to Duquesne games?

– n –

Jose Canseco says he injected Mark McGwire in the butt with steroids.

McGwire said it never happened.

Clearly, someone is deliberately lying.

That’s not the kind of thing you’d be likely to forget.

Of course, if it did happen, the case could be made that McGwire didn’t get a good look at the guy.

– n –

Four days until Pirates pitchers and catchers report. Less than three weeks, then, until one of the pitchers reports to Dr. James Andrews.

Sports correspondent John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehno@lycos.com