Maybe it's true what so many are saying about Jerome Bettis. Maybe he is losing it.

Not his football ability. He still has plenty of that left. Don't think Duce Staley is going to get all of the carries for the Steelers this season.

	Peter Diana, Post-Gazette For Jerome Bettis and his ties to the Palisades Park project, the perception can be just as damaging as the reality. Click photo for larger image.

It was as shocking as it was disturbing to see Bettis in the headlines last week because of his involvement with developer Charles J. Betters, who hopes to bring a horse racing track and slots casino to Hays. Those feelings reached all the way to Park Avenue in New York, where the NFL has its headquarters. The consensus there is the same as here: Bettis is way too smart to be linked, even peripherally, to gambling.

Or at least he used to be.

Bettis and Betters met Tuesday with three members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus in Harrisburg to push Betters' plan for $500 million Pittsburgh Palisades Park, which also would include townhouses, retail development and a hotel. Bettis told the legislators he was a partner in the project.

The Black Caucus had threatened to vote against legalizing slots if gaming-industry developers didn't make a strong commitment to hiring minorities. We might never know the significance or impact of Bettis' appearance, but this much is certain: On Wednesday, the Black Caucus announced it would support the slots bill.

In any case, Bettis clearly appeared to violate an NFL rule that prohibits all league personnel from any activities "that can reasonably be perceived as constituting affiliation with or endorsement of gambling or gambling-related activities."

I know I'm a little thick, but I don't see much wiggle room there.

It's no wonder the NFL suits are squirming. Bettis is one of the league's most popular and influential players. In 2001, he won the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his outstanding community service here and in his hometown of Detroit. He's always been a positive role model. These headlines aren't just a blow to his reputation, which he has carefully nurtured for years, perhaps more than any other Pittsburgh athlete ever has. It's a blow to the league's image.

That's why NFL officials need to deal with Bettis harshly. He is expected to meet with Jeff Pash, the league's chief legal officer, and perhaps even commissioner Paul Tagliabue this week. They need to give him a public reprimand and tell him he has to sever all business ties with Betters. If he refuses, they should suspend him until he does.

Bettis didn't return telephone calls late last week, which also is out of character for him. But he's expected to tell Pash and Tagliabue that he's involved only in the real estate end of the Betters' project and that he has nothing to do with the gambling operation. That might sound nice, but it's a crock. If you're involved with a gambling figure at all, you're involved, period. The perception can be just as damaging as the reality.

You can tell me the NFL is inconsistent when it comes to gambling and you would be right. It allows, for instance, the Rooney family to own dog- and harness-racing tracks as well as the Steelers. The justification is that Dan Rooney and his son, Art II, don't have anything to do with the tracks, and the family members who operate the tracks don't have to anything to do with the Steelers.

You also can tell me the NFL is hypocritical about gambling and you would be right again. As much as league officials fret about it and oppose it publicly, they would be sick if it suddenly dried up and went away. Betting -- legal or otherwise -- is the No. 1 reason the NFL is so popular. If you've ever put down $5 on a Super Bowl block pool, you know why.

But I'll tell you that the players and coaches have to be beyond reproach. Fans have to know the games are real and legitimate. At another time in another sport, Pete Rose violated that sacred trust. That's why he should never be allowed in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The integrity of the game must be protected at all costs.

If Bettis wants to join Betters after his playing days, that's fine. Here's hoping he makes a zillion dollars.

But if Bettis wants to a part of the Palisades Park project now, he should retire. He can't have it both ways.

It's nice to think Bettis will postpone that retirement.

Staley and the Steelers need his help a lot more than Betters.