First, can you give us a quick rundown on how you got to be a sportscaster after a career as a DJ?
It started as a student at Duquesne. Any student could have a radio program on their station – now WEFA – so I had one on opera, as a disc jockey, and one on Duquesne basketball. And some high school football too. Later on when the station I was at bought the rights for Pitt basketball and football, my boss came up to me and asked if I had any play-by-play experience. He had me do the basketball games and help with the football games.
You are now currently broadcasting for three teams – Pitt basketball, football, and the Steelers. How do you manage that in terms of just keeping up with names and stats?
I take my cue from racetrack announcers. There are nine to twelve races a day. You forget the last race. Those names and colors change each time. I guess I was blessed with having a bit of tunnel vision.
In November and December, when all three are happening at the same time, that’s tough. You know what they say about hitting yourself in the head with a hammer – when you stop, it feels good. That’s how it feels now…
Starting a bit with Pitt basketball – what are your thoughts on the up and down nature of this Pitt basketball team?
Jamie’s got to do it. They have to bring it on every game, every possession. For whatever reason, they aren’t always doing that, The Louisville and Clemson games were disturbing – the teams took it to Pitt. They were more physical, played better defensively and hustled more for the loose balls. There’s plenty of season left but they really have to toughen up.
And your thoughts on the job Narduzzi is doing at Pitt in terms of recruiting?
I give Narduzzi a lot of credit. It’s an overused expression, but he gets it. He understands what it takes to be a good recruiter, He’s taken the steps – just like Johnny Majors did. He doesn’t tear other guys down – he builds relationships with players. If kids are wavering or have offers from other schools, he reminds them about that relationship. But he doesn’t bad-mouth those other programs. Johnny Majors did it the same way. As he used to say, “You can’t build something up by tearing others down.”
And as a game-time coach?
He instilled toughness in the team. The softness of the team bothered him. Last year’s bowl game I think had to bother him – he thought they played soft. He made change and it’s now a more hard-nosed program this year. They’re aggressive – as Tomlin is fond of saying, they don’t live in their fears. They are also doing a great job of half-time adjustments, with the exception of the Navy game. The coaches have player buy-in. And for those that don’t, they encouraged them to transfer. They separated the wheat from the chaff.
Looking at the Steelers season – what’s your overall impression of how the season went?
It all depends on your point of view. I’m a cup half-full guy. I look at all of the injuries and what it accomplished despite them. It was an admirable season. Of course, if you ask Tomlin, he’d tell you the goal is always the Super Bowl. But they were 2-2 versus the teams in the championship games. You have to think if they had Brown and Toussaint doesn’t fumble, they beat Denver. Then who knows what happens versus New England. But if you ask Tomlin what kind of team they were, he’d say look at the record. And they were 10-6. Not good enough for some, but some fans want this team to go back to the 70’s, and that can’t happen in this day and age of football.
You mention Coach Tomlin’s comments about his team. How approachable and forthcoming was he from your perspective – many fans and some media feel he’s less than he should be?
Chuck Noll used to have an expression and I never took offense to it. He used to say that the media were like mushrooms. They should be kept in the dark and fed you know what…. Well, I have no problem with that. Coach Tomlin’s job is to win games. My job is to report on them. He’s not going to give us his playbook in his news conferences. Cowher and Noll, they may have been a bit smoother, but Tomlin is consistent. And he won’t cut a player for a mistake, He won’t allow for more mistakes and he’ll ask for them to be corrected. And he won’t criticize a player in public – he’ll rarely praise them, except for a few exceptions, with players we can all guess..
The arrow though for the team is pointed up. Quarterbacks play their best football after 30. Brady and Manning were just in the championship game. There’s no reason Ben can’t play for a good more years. He’s an alien quarterback, as Tomlin calls him. He’s not human. With guys like that, you always have a chance for a Super Bowl. And with the weapons they have on offense and the defense playing better….I know the defense has warts, but those will be addressed.
Speaking of the defense and it’s issues, were you surprised at Rooney specifically pointing out the secondary issues needing to be addressed?
I’m not surprised. Art knows more football than me. But the secondary will always be exposed if the front seven isn’t doing it’s job. Near the end of the season the front seven did a good job and the defense got better.
I know a lot want to address cornerback, but they need a safety. Will Allen played at a high level this year but they need someone to come in and take over. They still don’t have a replacement for Troy – though it’s a pipe dream to think someone could play at that level. But they need someone who can at least be dependable.
I think they’ll sign a cornerback in free agency, and draft one. It takes a long time for a cornerback to develop. There are maybe five cornerbacks that could go in the first round, and the Steelers may very well wait on one. But for them to contribute early on will be tough.
And they do have Golson coming back – your thoughts on him?
He has a lot of talent and plays much bigger than he is. From the onset of his injury, Tomlin said he’d be a part of the team in camp and during the season. He’d be a true sophomore when he’s done and expects him to be a second-year player. I think he was spot on.
You mentioned the front seven. Especially at right outside linebacker, do they keep Jones – is he the long-term answer there?
You can’t give up on Jones just yet – the team hasn’t. Linebackers take a long time in LeBeau’s scheme – and it’s still for the most part his scheme – to learn the system. Shazier is an exception. Look at how long it took Timmons to be a good run stopper and good in coverage, It takes time – to know when to cover and when to stop the run.
Is it reading the defense or physical though with Jones?
It’s a little of both. You have to be patient – at some point the light just goes on. That’s how it happens = they try a move and it works and they realize that’s what they need to be doing. It has to happen on the field. If they thought he was a bust, they would have definitely given up on him by now.
And on the offensive line, they have decision to make possible with Foster and Beachum? Any thoughts there?
I watched Von Miller torture Brady in the championship game. I don’t recall mentioning Miller in the Steelers game. Ware had one, maybe two splash plays. They didn’t torture Pittsburgh like they did New England. Now maybe that says more about New England’s line, but I like the Steelers offensive line. Mostly because they protect Ben. Pouncey comes back, and if Foster leaves for big money in free agency they can move Wallace there.
Not Beachum?
I think Beachum comes back. I can’t see him leaving – the Steelers have the capital on their side with his injury and the play of Villanueva. The Steelers have he leverage. And why would he want to get away from Munchak? He helps make you the best you can be. The money becomes less important.
I did hear Tomlin send a perhaps subtle message to Beachum, praising him for his versatility and ability to learn any position…
Possibly that was a subtle message to him, and if it was, I’m sure his agent got it. But agents don’t always do what’s best for their client. Remember when Chickillo was suddenly activated but didn’t play for three weeks? Tomlin got wind that the Texans wanted to sign him off of the practice squad. The agent talked to the Texans because they money would be better – not because it was the best move. So the Steelers activated him.
Who on the team would surprise people the most in terms o how their personalities differ from their public personas?
In the current group, the guy that showed me something was DeAngelo Williams. He was a quiet guy – didn’t smile much. But then they did the Dick’s Sporting Goods skit on video, and it was hilarious. He dressed as a salesperson and even told someone to take a kayak for a spin and pushed him around in it. He wore a hat so no one could see his hair but someone finally saw it.
Heath Miller – he is so quiet – he’s not a good interview. He just goes with the flow. But when he gets the ball he takes it personally when someone tries to tackle him.
The Steelers basketball team – they have a good time. If you bring in women or the little ones, they will play and have fun. But if you try and bring in the shocktroopers and play to win, all of the sudden the fast breaks get faster and the play gets more physical.
Antonio Brown may be the most outrageous of them. His outfits and hats – he liked to be that guy, He’s built that way. I remember the Dapper Dan awards, when he gave his speech and had a list of people to thank. But at the end, the person he said he wanted to thank the most was himself. He brought the house down. It’s fun to see them as people, not just athletes.
Do you miss that part of the game – where athletes could be “people”?
Myron Cope would not have fun now. They aren’t allowed to be characters. I liked it when the wackos could be wackos. But I do understand. There’s too much money now and it’s had a profound effect on how they can act.
Speaking of Myron – the Heinz Center is having a tribute to Myron Cope this weekend. It’s on Myron Cope the journalist. I’ll be Mcing – his daughter, Franco Harris and Murray Chass will all be there. Myron was more than just Oi Oi – he was quite a writer and we want to honor that Sunday.
Steelers fans see the outfits and the videos of him waving the towels, but he was dead serious as a writer. He must have had special glasses, because he had the uncanny ability to see the humor in things. I always said he could see the humor in the Lords Prayer.
I remember when I roomed with him, he would work forever in the first word of his sentences, getting up and walking around the room, looking for the right word. He would tell me that the difference between the right word and the ok one was the difference between lightening and lightning bug. That always stuck with me.
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