Hines Ward Is the Latest Athlete to Fall Victim to Someone Who Wants Their 15 Minutes of Fame

Hines Ward's 1,000th catch was his last in the NFL this past New Year's Day.

Now someone is trying to catch him for some cold hard cash.  A 26-year-old suburban Pittsburgh man was arrested today after sending a text to one of Ward's personal assistants.  He demanded Ward give him $15,000 to "buy silence."  Why you ask?  It's over a girl, as always.  Suburbia boy claims Ward had a relationship with his current girlfriend.  Yesterday (Oct. 17) the man asked for the money, and claimed that if he didn't get it, he'd sell material that would accuse Ward of paying women for sex.  Earlier today (Oct. 18), that same assistant met the young man on a street in Sewickley, PA (Pittsburgh suburb), and gave him the $15,000...except that cash he brought for the accuser was provided by the police.  The envelope please...the accuser then gave the assistant the material that would supposedly "expose" Hines Ward.  Well, Mister Iamoutforafastbuckoffanathlete was promptly arrested by detectives and charged with 2 counts of attempted extortion.

I must say I'm happy with the assistant, who had the brains to quash this quickly.  If this guy is 26, how old is his current girlfriend, and when exactly did this happen?  I see this as just another average Joe out for his 15 minutes of fame.  It probably never will.  As a sports fan, the only thing I can think of is which household name athlete is going to be the next target?

BK over and out