"Former Chiefs running back Larry Johnson avoided jail but didn't escape the wrath of a judge who admonished him Friday for dropping the ball on his community service.

Johnson, 30, was supposed to work with children at the Kansas City Police Athletic League for his 40 hours of court-ordered service. But Johnson refused to play sports with the children and instead told police officials he wanted to start an art program. The program didn't draw enough students and quickly fizzled out. He got credit for nine hours of service.

Municipal Court Judge Joseph Locascio said his intention was for Johnson to play sports with the kids.

"Children who go to PAL don't go there for art class," Locascio said at the probation revocation hearing Friday. "The idea that you would draw pictures with kids who want to participate in athletics is absurd.

"If I knew you didn't want to do sports with kids, I would have assigned you to pick up trash on the highway. That's what we typically have defendants do."

Johnson's attorney, J.R. Hobbs, pointed out that Johnson provided a Thanksgiving dinner to 100 people at the PAL center, bought turkeys for an additional 100 families and bought $2,500 worth of Christmas presents for the kids."