"Locally, Hines Ward's image will not suffer one bit in the wake of his arrest for DUI in Georgia early Saturday morning.

Steelers Nation simply won't allow it.

Ward's attorney says evidence will prove Ward was not impaired by alcohol. But Ward's car hit a curb. Ward flunked a field sobriety test. He reportedly refused to take a breathalyzer. What evidence could possibly be gathered after the fact? But Ward's attorney said it, and you'll believe it.

The great unwashed is disappointed, certainly. But Ward's mouthpiece provided a straw to grasp at, and the citizens are lunging. You ignored alleged financial improprieties regarding Ward's South Side bar. You ignored Ward splitting from his wife. You ignored him being pulled over at 1:30 a.m. in Los Angeles with a strange woman in a car reported stolen (it wasn't).

You'll ignore this, too. In Pittsburgh, Ward can do no wrong.

In Pittsburgh, Ward would never have gotten arrested. Mr. Ward, can you please sign this? You need a ride home, Mr. Ward?

Perhaps, PR-wise, Ward deserves a pass.

Driving while impaired has grave potential, but people make mistakes. It's Ward's first DUI. Sure, Ward could have killed someone. But he didn't. People are entitled to a private life, even celebrities who court the camera.

TMZ.com is badly beating the Pittsburgh football media when it comes to breaking Steelers scandal. You don't flinch when you're objective.

Locally, this will clear up even quicker than a black eye administered by James Harrison.

Nationally, the jury is still out.

Ward's timing was horrific. Many made fun of Ward's participation in "Dancing With the Stars," but the charisma Ward oozed en route to winning the competition set him up for a post-football career that could go beyond sports. ESPN is one thing. Hollywood is limitless. Ward's celebrity is bigger than the NFL. It transcends even Super Bowl rings and MVPs.

Does Ward's DUI diminish that? Maybe. It depends on post-bust damage control. Step 1: Deny, deny, deny."