Tom Curran • E-mail

PALM BEACH, Fla. -

The NFL took time at these owners meetings to discuss … hair length.

As if the very real possibility of a work stoppage, player conduct and the integrity of the game weren’t enough to be concerned about. Talk about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

On Tuesday, the proposal was put off until the next owners' meetings in May so that input could be solicited from the players.

If you’re wondering, you can thank the Kansas City Chiefs for this bit of foolishness. They popped up with this proposal to regulate the amount of hair a player can have flowing from under his helmet just prior to these meetings.

And it’s been interesting to see how quickly officials from other teams point that out. Lions GM Matt Millen and Steelers GM Kevin Colbert both took the “wasn’t us” approach when asked about the proposal.

Competition committee spokesmen Jeff Fisher and Rich McKay also seemed less than enthused about discussing the proposal on Monday. They didn’t mention hair when discussing the agenda of items they were dealing with.

And when asked about it specifically, McKay noted the proposal came in after members of the management council met with a group of player representatives. He added that the league would probably not make a move on any edicts without first talking to the players about it.

Good move. The players are already going to be irritated enough at the news coming out of this meeting. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lamented on Monday that player salaries are devouring too much of the owners’ monies under the two-year-old CBA. Talks to rectify that loom.

It’s rarely good strategy to ask someone to give back money you agreed to give them in one breath and then tell them to get a haircut in the next.

"I would think there probably are bigger fish to fry," said the eminently sensible Tony Dungy, head coach of the Colts. “It shouldn’t be something that we get into as a league. It’s individual preference. When they presented it, they talked about it in terms of the uniform policy. That made me think a little bit. Is it impacting the uniform? We have a lot of rules on uniforms – what kind of tape you can use, how your pants need to be, how your shirts need to be – looking at it from that standpoint would make me think about it. But still overall my sense is it’s not something we need to get into.”

Dungy’s best defensive player – safety Bob Sanders – has hair that descends to his collar. And Colbert’s star safety, Troy Polamalu, has an even more impressive mane that – ironically – Kansas City Chief Larry Johnson once grabbed to make a tackle.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Baseball cover up, NBA faux pas, tennis nap, and more. more photos

In fact, most teams have a player or two with hair long enough to reach the name on the back of their jerseys. But I somehow missed the outcry that made this a major issue. Or was it something that’s just been annoying the people in Kansas City? I wonder, are people out there that easily distracted that their enjoyment of the game is altered by flopping locks? Do the Chiefs themselves have this much idle time to not only make this proposal but defend it?

One would think that a team coming off a 4-12 season and holding the fifth pick in the upcoming draft would have more pressing issues to address. Or would at least pretend to instead of making news with this foolishness.

No such luck. After the proposal was put off, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said, “There is a certain way we feel the uniform should be portrayed. That's why we brought it up. … When I was growing up playing football, you looked at pro football players and said, ‘I can’t wait to get my name on the jersey.’ Now, you get it on the back and you cover it up.”

Yeah, well, that’s why they sell programs in the stadiums, Herm.

MORE FROM NFL

NFL Section Front

NFLPA reportedly ready to oust director Upshaw Ease up, Goodell Randy Moss buys a NASCAR truck team Curran: NFL coaches on the hot seat in 2008 Favre says reports of comeback 'all rumor' Curran's blog: Favre story won't fade away Opinion: It's time for Cardinals to stick with Leinart NFL Rumors: Cooley opens his own eBay store   Fantasy Fix video: Still 'Super' Chargers? Latest NFL videos NFL Section Front   Add NFL headlines to your news reader: