Next week, NFL owners will get together in Tampa to discuss a variety of open issues.  We’re told that one of the isssues on the table will be the uncertain status of the ownership of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Per a league source, the NFL teams have been informed that the league will press the Rooneys to resolve the violation of anti-gambling rules arising from the ownership by certain members of the family who acquired an interest in prohibited gaming activities.

The reaction in some circles was, “It’s about time.” 

As we’ve previously noted, some teams believe that the league office has applied a double standard to the Rooneys, giving them more than two years (and counting) to fix a problem that, for other teams, might have resulted in a much more swift and unequivocal directive to sell the gambling interests, or sell the team. 

The precise manner of the resolution remains to be seen.  Last month, the Rooneys rejected a big-money offer from billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller to buy 64 percent of the team.  Either the interests will be sold to the highest bidder, or team chairman Dan Rooney and his son Art, II, will come up with a way to arrange the 64 percent owned by Dan’s four brothers in a manner that gives Dan Rooney:  (1) at least 30 percent of the team; and (2) a greater slice than any other owner.