Haven’t seen this story anywhere yet, but it just ads to the legend of menacing linebacker Joey Porter and the criminalistic nature of the Cincinnati Bengals: Sunday night at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Porter, who left the Steelers this offseason for the Miami Dolphins, brawled with Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Levi Jones.

Norm Clarke, the dude with the eyepatch who runs Vegas, breathlessly reports:

A fist fight between two NFL players broke out in the Palms casino on Sunday night, sources said. Joey Porter, an All-Pro linebacker who recently left the Pittsburgh Steelers to join the Miami Dolphins, brawled with Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Levi Jones, at about 6 p.m. at a blackjack table in the casino.

Jones, who suffered scratches, told Las Vegas police he would be filing charges against Porter. Sources said there has been bad blood between the two.

A quick tale of the tape:

Porter is listed at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, and has a body by diamond. He’s chiseled. Looks like his 30th birthday is this week (March 22), so perhaps he was in Sin City enjoying some pre-birthday action.

Jones, 26, is a chunky former first-round draft pick from Arizona State who stands 6-5, 307.

Any clue as to what started the rumble? A few guesses:

* Jones trashed Porter’s dogs, calling them ’soft’
* Jones mocked the fact the Steelers unceremoniously dumped the veteran
* We’ve got no clue how Porter could start the fight because he’s such a docile human being

We’ve been told that the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament is a time to completely avoid Vegas because it’s a dudefest. Maybe Porter was upset because he tried to make it rain but it just didn’t take.

Either way, we’re eagerly awaiting the police report on this one.

Breaking news: NFL Players in Fist Fight at the Palms (Norm Clarke)

UPDATE: ESPN has jumped on the story and advanced it a bit. According to police, Porter jacked Jones in the face, and is facing charges of misdemeanor battery.