Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed threw a raging tantrum at a Sheetz convenience store in Alexandria, Pennsylvania, and, as a result, was cited for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief by Pennsylvania state police.
The reason for Jeff Reed’s outburst? The restroom didn’t have any towels.
Jeff Reed Charged with Disorderly Conduct: Other Bad Boy Steelers
According to the Associated Press, Jeff Reed broke the towel dispenser and hurled profanities at a store employee. Reed’s transgressions carry a maximum fine of $300 and 90 days in jail. Interestingly, two Steelers players ran afoul of the law last year. Receiver Santonio Holmes was cited for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, and linebacker James Harrison was accused of assault by his girlfriend (the charges were dropped after Harrison went through an anger management program, however).
Jeff Reed Cited in Restroom Incident: What’s He so Pissed off About?
Apparently, 29-year-old Jeff Reed is no longer basking in the glow of the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl victory. It’s rather surprising that such an innocuous inconvenience as being stranded without a towel in a restroom would set him off, for things have been going so well for Jeff Reed. He has made nearly 83 percent of his field goals during his tenure with the Steelers, and has played in two Super Bowls in which the Steelers emerged victorious. Most NFL players never even get an opportunity to play in one Super Bowl during the course of their entire careers. These include such notable players as Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen and Barry Sanders.
Jeff Reed Arrested: Whatever Happened to an Attitude of Gratitude?
Who hasn’t been stranded in a public restroom without towels? It happened to this writer recently. No need to fly into a rage. Just grab some toilet paper or a disposable sanitary toilet seat cover. They don’t dry your hands as well as paper towels, but they’ll suffice. And the next step is to politely tell an employee that the restroom needs to be replenished with towels.
The kind of behavior exhibited by Jeff Reed only serves to reinforce a widely held perception that professional athletes are egotistical have an inflated sense of entitlement. Though in the interest of fairness, fans are partly to blame for this. In this culture, big time athletes are worshiped and held up as heroes. But, then again, doesn’t that special status require Jeff Reed to make a special effort to act more responsibly?
Sources:
Police cite Steelers kicker for restroom tantrum, The Associated Press
