Could The Steeler's Legal Problems Really Be a Marketing Ploy? (SATIRE)

This is a satire article so please don't take it seriously. 

There are a lot of perks that go with being one of the NFL's most successful franchises, and that includes a high amount of merchandise sales. I'm talking specifically about the sale of jerseys.

If you look around Pittsburgh during the fall, you are sure to see a lot of people clad in a Steelers jersey. They'll usually be some of the team's top players. A few popular choices after a Super Bowl 43 victory were the three heroes of that game: James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes.

Harrison was a strong seller prior to that game, but several Steelers fans may have opted for a different jersey after Harrison was involved in a domestic-abuse altercation. They may have chosen Roethlisberger following that game.

Imagine how they must have felt when Roethlisberger was accused twice of sexual assault and Holmes was involved in several marijuana busts. Perhaps they turned their attention towards an up-and-coming first round pick, Rashard Mendenhall. Safe bet for a jersey right?

Mendenhall was recently caught up in controversy after he made some comments on Twitter about Osama Bin Laden.

By this point, you'd think Steelers fans would want to invest in someone safe, someone who couldn't possibly do wrong. A veteran presence that was beloved all around town, they likely invested in a Hines Ward jersey. This looked even better after Ward claimed the Mirror Ball Trophy on Dancing With The Stars.  Of course a few weeks ago, Ward was pulled over for suspicion of DUI and now faces legal issues in Georgia.

What if this was all a ploy to sell jerseys? It'd be genius on some level, as I am sure many fans have owned at least one, if not more, of these jerseys.

The whole plot only works when you are a popular team, and the Steelers consistently rank in the top five in NFL merchandising.

Sure it'd come at the expense of the team's reputation, but the players have all gotten off the hook so far, so in the end, what is the big deal?

It's all about the money!

I don't buy popular player jerseys, I opt for a personalized jersey. Less hassle this way, as I know I won't be traded away from the Steelers.

What do you all think? Is it just crazy enough to be true? Could this all be intentional on the Steelers' part?

I remind you this article is a satire, so please don't think I seriously believe the Steelers would get into legal trouble to sell some jerseys.