Artie Burns' arrest in Miami Beach June 29 went virtually unnoticed here. That was hardly a surprise.
You might say Pittsburgh was a bit distracted. Fans still were celebrating the Penguins' second consecutive Stanley Cup win and were trying to get over their tearful goodbyes to Marc-Andre Fleury.
Many, finally, were starting to pay attention to the Pirates, quickly realizing they are a bad team that could and probably should be blown up at the trade deadline. Beyond all that, we have become de-sensitized to athletes' arrests. It seems as if there is a domestic-abuse case every other day. Who really cares that the Steelers' Burns was arrested for something so trivial as driving with a suspended license and not paying more than $1,000 in traffic tickets? At least he wasn't suspended for the NFL season because of a marijuana problem, right?
Well, I care.
The Miami Herald reported Burns spent a night in jail after police pulled him over for expired tags and discovered he had failed to pay $1,012.20 in traffic tickets. Sports radio station WINZ reported Burns' violations included going 130 miles per hour in a 60 mph zone. He also reportedly failed to show for a court date.
And we wonder why there is a growing disconnect between fans and so many professional athletes?
Money is a big part of that. I get it. In the past month, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (5 years, $125 million), Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry (5 years, $201 million) and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (8 years, $100 million) became the highest-paid player in their sport. They moved into the same filthy-rich neighborhood of Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (13 years, $325 million). We are talking about Monopoly money. Who can relate to that?
But most fans have come to realize that outrageous contracts are a part of the entertainment industry. It's not just a sports thing. It's television. It's movies. It's music. What fans struggle to cope with is the nauseating sense of entitlement that so many pro athletes have. That seems to be Burns' problem. Either that or a bad case of immaturity. Or maybe a lack of discipline.
I will try to read Burns' mind:
Why should I have to fill out the forms for an updated automobile registration?
Why should I have to stand in line to get my picture taken for a new driver's license?
Why should I have to pay my traffic tickets?
Why should I have to do what everyone else has to do?
Remember how Mike Tomlin called Steelers safety Anthony Smith "young and dumb" after Smith guaranteed a win against the 12-0 New England Patriots in 2007? Right before the Steelers went to Foxborough and were beaten, 34-13?
I'm thinking that description fits Burns.
Burns, the Steelers' No. 1 draft pick out of Miami in 2016, really is young. He was just 21 last season _ the youngest player on the team _ when he became a starting cornerback. He showed great promise as a rookie, helping the team all the way to the AFC Championship. Tomlin is counting on him being an even bigger part of the defense in 2017.
It will help if Burns learns from this arrest and grows up.
