Joe just got a phone call from a great source who played college football with a pair of former Steelers.

Apparently the NFL has Tampa Bay mixed up with Detroit or Miami. Seems the former Steelers received a letter from the NFL warning them of how Tampa Bay is such a “high crime area.”

In fact, the NFL informed the players that if they plan on coming to the Super Bowl Feb. 1, that the NFL “cannot guarentee their security” and that if the players want to avoid getting lead in their backside they should only appear at NFL sponsored events next week in the days leading up to the Super Bowl.

Joe smells a rat. This is the NFL’s version of coercing players into avoiding events that haven’t paid the NFL for the right to use the three-letter acronym.

Tony Soprano would be proud!