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RIP Beano Cook: 2011 PSDB Interview with Beano Cook

Beano Cook (September 26, 2011):

First, can you let readers know how you got started as a broadcaster and what experiences helped you along the way?

I got into broadcasting by luck. Roone Arledge, then president of ABC Sports, hired me to be in the studio for the Scoreboard show and for any studio work for college football games starting in 1982.

My experience led me to a gain a lot of knowledge about football. It was not that I was more knowledgeable than everyone else, but enough in the opinion of Roone Arledge to get me into the studio.

Who influenced you most as you began your career?

One person was Roy McHugh, who, at the time I met him, was on the sports staff of the Pittsburgh Press. Roy later became sports editor. He taught me a lot about journalism. I never got a Master’s in Journalism, but for me, what I learned from Roy McHugh was better. I would say hanging around and asking questions, listening to the answers, and remembering them was a great asset.

You’ve started a relatively new blog. Can you tell readers about this new endeavor and what you look to achieve with this?

I started the Blog, www.Beano-Cook.com in 2010. I’ve lived a long time and some of my observations, pet peeves, and opinions are what I share. For example, politicians are one of the biggest threats to the welfare of this country. If you look at Congress, it’s obvious we don’t hire the best and the brightest.

I write only one column a month. I don’t have the talent to do more than that.

I don’t write about sports. Whether anyone reads it, I don’t know. But I hope it’s interesting. I enjoy writing it and sharing what I hope contains some truth, a little wisdom, and a bit of humor. I look forward to continuing it.

Where else can fans follow you these days?

I’m on ESPN Radio. I do a weekly podcast with Ivan Maisel and you can find that on the internet. I have no idea how that works, but people do find it. I’m not exactly a Luddite, but I find no need for direct use of even a computer. I live in a building where you need to buzz someone in with a touchtone phone, otherwise I’d still have my old rotary phone.

You started out as a sports publicist for the University of Pittsburgh and held that role for ten years. How was that experience for you and how has that role changed for universities now?

Let me note that now it is a very different job than when I started in 1956. Now, there’s an adversarial relationship between everybody today. It seems that way, anyway. We didn’t have talk shows to worry about, the internet, or everyone having blogs. I shared a secretary when I first started. I sometimes had some help, but now, E.J. Borghetti, who has the job now, gets a car and has a staff bigger than Ike had for D-Day.

But there’s one huge difference: they don’t have as much fun as we did years ago. As college sports became bigger, it became less fun. People don’t have fun today in sports. They just glad to have a job and they’re glad to have the job when they get up the next morning.

This may be a surprise to some but you also served as the Vice President for the Civic Arena under Edward Debartolo. How did that come about and how hard is it for you now seeing the seemingly imminent tear-down of the facility?

First, Paul Martha is the person who hired me. He got permission from Mr. DeBartolo. After a few years, they brought in a “Money Guy” to look things over. He decided I wasn’t necessary and I was fired. I could say I was laid off or “let go” but I was fired. I might have quit a year or two later, but after three years , I was fired. A lot of people have gotten fired, and I’m one of them.

Second, as for the Civic Arena, I don’t see a fifty-year old building as a landmark. Some say fifty years defines an antique. Well, I’m eighty – maybe I am an antique, but I wasn’t at fifty. I least I don’t think I was.

Being from Pittsburgh, you have likely paid close attention to the latest rumblings on potential Big East changes. How do you see this playing out and are these changes a positive thing for the sport – why/why not?

Number one, it was a great break for Pitt to get into the ACC. I thought the Big East had a great future in basketball, but I think Big East Football is shaky. There wasn’t that much interest in most of the games except for West Virginia, and in Cincinnati, when, in December 2009, when that team got to go to the BCS Bowl.

I think the Big East is always going to have problems in football. But I always think it’ll be a good basketball conference, whether it has 16 teams, 12 teams, or 8 teams.

How does the Big East football program get back to greater prominence?

I think the Big East football conference has real problems and I don’t know how they’re going to resolve them. There’s talk of taking in more teams, but I really don’t know if that’s the solution. I have my doubts.

As I said, I think Pitt was very fortunate to get into the ACC, and whoever at Pitt was responsible for that deserves to have his or her salary doubled.

What are your thoughts on the latest scandals involving payments to athletes? Do you feel college athletes should be paid? If not, how else can these issues be avoided?

I don’t know how the issue can be avoided. I think the big difference today compared to when I was at Pitt starting in ’56, is how many of athletes, especially in football and basketball come from one-parent families and from a lot less money than athletes did 60 years ago.

Should they be paid? At one time, I did not think so. But I think the football players- and maybe the basketball players, should get paid. Football is especially hard on you physically.

Years ago, football players got $15 a month for laundry. How much more would that be today, maybe $100? And, normal expenses have increased beyond laundry. Look, I don’t know whether they’re going to get paid, but I don’t see anything wrong in it. At one time I was against it, but now if they get paid, I have no complaints.

What have been some of your most memorable experiences as a broadcaster?

Working for Roone Arledge and getting to know Howard Cossell. Nothing beats those two. Also, I went to ESPN when it was only seven years old. To see how it has grown since 1986 is Unbelievable – it really is. It was chance that I went to ESPN. I was offered jobs at ESPN and CNN. I took ESPN because ESPN studios are in Bristol, CT and CNN in Atlanta.

The flight from Pittsburgh to Hartford was shorter and beat dealing with the Atlanta airport. It was pure luck that I got involved with ESPN.

What players have left some of the more lasting impressions with you, and why?

Actually there are two: Mike Ditka is my favorite Pitt football player and Don Hennon is my favorite Pitt basketball player. They are my two favorite athletes from my ten years at Pitt. I will always be honored to have been the Sports Information Director when they were playing at Pitt. They were just great athletes, truly great competitors.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Well, I consider myself lucky. I’m not trying to be modest when I say I have average talent. That’s what I have. I got lucky: I got the Pitt job when I was twenty-four. Later Roone Arledge came into my professional life. There are a lot of people more talented than I, but I had luck on my side, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Matt Rippin, Harlequins Rugby Youth Programs Coordinator

Matt Rippin:

First, can you tell readers how you became the coordinator for the Harlequin’s youth programs and what that entails?

I played for the Harlequins until I was about 27. Every member of the Rugby Football Club (that’s the team itself) is expected to contribute to the Rugby Football Association. The RFA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit which owns our field and runs our Youth programs, among other things. I coached at one of our youth sites throughout my career, and after I retired, I was happy to step up my involvement with the RFA.

We run a touch-rugby league at four sites in the area: Hazelwood, Garfield, Braddock and Homewood-Larimer. Our target youths are high-risk boys from 8-14, and our program runs for ten weeks in the late Spring. But we are always looking for new opportunities to expand our reach.

For instance, this Fall we’ll be participating in an after-school program in the Hill District that seeks to expose the kids to Olympic sports (which rugby will become in 2016). Our first priority at all times is mentorship. We’re not recruiting for rugby; we’re trying to teach sportsmanship and teamwork and discipline. Rugby is a great vehicle for those lessons.

What have been some of the bigger successes you’ve had to date with these programs?

Just this year one of our volunteers, who is a professor at Cal U., reconnected with two alumni of the youth program who now attend Cal. They say that without our rugby program, they never would have stayed on the path they are on. That is always one of the most satisfying aspects of the program–when you see the young men wearing college memorabilia and you feel that you played a role in helping them get there.

But I should mention, we’ve also attended the funerals of some of the young men that we’ve coached. We have a lot of successes, but we definitely have our faith tested as well.

What’s been the biggest challenge in getting people to adopt the sport early, and how can they do so?

They don’t see the game on TV. They want to emulate what they see. At the youth level, it’s a challenge to get them to embrace the game and not just play tag football with a rugby ball.

There is a lot of high school rugby out there, though. In Western PA the programs are not run through high school athletic departments–so you don’t have to attend Fox Chapel to play for Fox Chapel’s team, for instance. If you’re interested, there should be a club that’s not too far from you.

Football is so dominant right now in our culture, and I think it does a disservice to a lot of kids. A lot of great athletes fall through the cracks in football because they don’t quite fit the game. They’re big, but someone else is bigger; they’re fast but someone else is faster.

Rugby rewards the well-rounded athlete: every player on the field has to run, hit, carry the ball and perhaps even kick. And you can tailor your game to your particular strengths. I think I lot of kids would prefer a game like that.

How has the Pittsburgh area adopted the sport of rugby so far and what big inroads can/will you make to continue to grow interest?

Rugby is growing all over, and it’s growing in Pittsburgh. Almost every university in the area has a team. And as the high school programs in the area have grown, they have begun to match up favorably with the teams in Philadelphia. Those are marked improvements compared to a mere ten years ago.

Traditionally, rugby has been thought of as a college and private school sport. That’s beginning to change now. Everybody in American rugby is hoping that the addition of Sevens Rugby to the Olympics will help to increase visibility. NBC is also starting to carry games and tournaments.

For our part, we’re looking to expand our youth operation within the city. We hope to be in five or six neighborhoods soon. Although our primary mission is mentorship, the program is also a great opportunity to share the game with communities who haven’t yet experienced it.

Tell readers about this year’s team? How has it changed from the 2011 squad and what are your expectations for this season?

The team’s looking real good these days. It’s the nature of amateur sports that you always have to rebuild after a few years. That’s where the club was a year ago at this time. But they had a strong 2011 and have opened up 3-0 in 2012. They’re really on the upswing now. I think they have a legitimate shot at the national Sweet 16 this year.

Where can they see the Harlequins play, and tell readers a bit about the experience as a fan?

Pittsburghers might be surprised to know that this is home to one of the finest rugby facilities in the country. We play at Founder’s Field in Indiana Township, just off Rt. 910. We were one of the first clubs, and are still one of the few, who have our own home field. Most clubs still have to scrounge for time on municipal parks.

The game experience is great. If you associate rugby with college hooliganism, you’d be surprised how professional and family-friendly it is: dogs and kids are welcome, and of course you can always get a spot close to the action. This is not to suggest, though, that there isn’t any beer. There is beer. And rugby songs. It’s really a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Who are some of the bigger rivals of this team?

The Harlequins play in Division I of the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union, so our league rivals are the teams in Philadelphia and DC, plus Norfolk, Raleigh and Charlotte. Our oldest rival is Pittsburgh’s D-II club, although the nature of the rivalry has changed since we’ve moved up and out of their division. We do still play each other, though, almost every Spring, and it’s always a grudge match.

Who are the bigger characters on this team and what makes them so? Any examples?

Hmm. You could ask every Harlequin in the organization that question and get a different set of answers. I can only answer for my era. In my time I’ve seen a friend jump out of the overhead storage compartment of a bus dressed like Spiderman; I’ve had another friend walk from a party in the North Hills to his home in Shadyside via I-279; I also have three very funny stories that involve knifeplay, but I’ll keep those to myself because I don’t want you to get wrong impression.

The thing you need to remember is that these are also some of the smartest, most interesting people I have ever met. And they’re outstanding friends. Rugby players are stereotyped as being buffoons; nothing could be further from the truth. They’re just quirky and uniquely unpretentious.

I’m sure you’ve seen the issues with concussions in other sports. How is rugby dealing with the issue of concussions and the physical nature of the sport in general?

The rugby community has been out in front of the concussion issue. International rugby had restrictions on players returning from concussions years before the NFL started to take the issue seriously. The Harlequins are interested in taking a leadership role locally, but our plans for that are still in the embryonic stages.

Rugby is undeniably a violent sport, but there’s also a lot of common sense written into the rules that mitigates the danger. You can’t launch yourself at a ballcarrier the way they do in football; you can’t tackle above the shoulders; and you have to make an attempt to wrap your arms in a tackle. Most importantly, I think, is that rugby players don’t wear the body armor that American football players do. I tell everyone who will listen that the way to make football safer is to remove the hard plastic shells, which turn players into human battering rams. When your face is exposed to the violence, you learn very quickly how to hit responsibly. And when your neck and shoulders have full range of motion, you can protect yourself.

That said, I have seen a few gruesome injuries in my day. The risks can never be fully eliminated.

Do you work at all with any of the other local sports teams, and if so, how?

Most of our work is with the college rugby teams, with whom we seek close relationships for obvious reasons. Founder’s Field is also host to a lot of the area’s soccer and lacrosse.

To this point, we haven’t had any enduring relationships with the three majors sports teams–although some Steelers have been nice enough to make appearances at our Youth Tournament. The Steelers’ new concussion initiative may be an opportunity for us.

What do you think would surprise readers most about the sport and about the Harlequins?

About the sport: when most people think of rugby, they tend to focus on the contact. But it’s also one of the most grueling tests of endurance and discipline of any sport in the world. The game evolved from soccer, and like soccer it’s a long, continous-flow game played on a huge field. Only with full contact.

About the Harlequins: I think as soon as you arrive at Founder’s you’ll appreciate that we’re a lot more than just a social club. We have to put in a lot of extra time to run a class operation–and that’s in addition to our Youth Programs.
Any last thoughts for readers?

If you’re interested in anything we do–the team or the volunteer work–you’ve got to go to //www.pittsburghharlequins.org/. We also have a Facebook page. Or you could just swing by the field sometime.

Interview with Founders of Steel City Buzz

Founders of Steel City Buzz

What are your backgrounds and how did you come up with the SCB concept?

Bill Hinchey – Rob Phillips and I went to 1^st grade together in Elizabeth Township just outside of McKeesport and we’ve been friends ever since. Rob’s background is selling data services to large companies and I have been entrepreneur and marketing guy. The idea for SCB was simple – we wanted a social network that was just about Pittsburgh sports. We were tired of all the NOISE that you have to wade through on Facebook and Twitter. So, we built our own and we are psyched to bring Steel City Buzz to Pittsburgh fans all over the world.

Describe Steel City Buzz and why you think Pittsburgh fans will use it?

Rob Phillips – Here is SCB in a nutshell – It is a virtual stadium, where you get to pick who you sit with! We created a place that you can chat with an entire nation of Pittsburgh fans OR just a couple of your friends. We’ve included local media personalities and current and past Pros like Chris Hoke, Louis Lipps and Lawrence Timmons. Our app is free, easy-to-use and you can personalize the experience. That means you can block content, invite and create friend circles, and share posts on Facebook and Twitter. We also provide real-time scores and we will be rolling out new features on almost a weekly basis.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Bill Hinchey – Software development is just hard. The end product should look simple-to-use and be “seamless” or “intuitive”. But the process of getting the app to look and feel that way as well as perform at a high level is a major challenge. Oh, and one more thing, you only get one chance to do it right or you’re toast!

You have a lot of celebs and pro players on your app. What has that experience been like?

Rob Phillips – Working with guys like Mel Blount, Peter Taglianetti, Chris Hoke, Louie Lipps has been one of the best parts of this journey. We had ZERO idea if they would want to be a part of a social network or even talk to us. What we found is that they loved the idea of connecting to Pittsburgh fans and talking about the sport that was that loved so much. Each one of them has a great story and SCB gives them a chance to share some of themselves with the best fans on the planet.

How many downloads or users are on Steel City Buzz?

Rob Phillips – We don’t disclose that information but I can tell you that we are seeing a tremendous uptick in downloads, and we built our network to handle well over 100,000 users. We have partners in place who can scale up in literally 24 hours of notice. We will be ready as more of Steeler Nation comes knocking at our door!

What is next for Steel City Buzz?

Bill Hinchey – We’ve built a great platform that is available on the web and on every mobile device – iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablet. Now our focus is to get the word out to Pittsburgh fans and let them create a social network that is full of great content. Our tag line is Chat, Rant, Rave 24/7 and lately it been more RANT with the collapse of the Pirates and the two Steeler losses. That’s ok. At least fans have a ONE place to go and get it out of their system. We also want to create a charity component to raise money for charities such as The Mel Blount Youth Home. Honestly, we have only shown fans the “tip of the iceberg”; there is so much more to come.

What is the best way to reach you guys?

Rob Phillips — Fans can download SCB directly from our website at www.steelcitybuzz.com and can follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Other inquires can be sent to us at info@steelcitybuzz.com

Jim O’Brien: Frenchy Fuqua reveals his secret insight into Immaculate Reflection

Jim O’Brien: Frenchy Fuqua reveals his secret insight into Immaculate Reflection:

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

John “Frenchy” Fuqua is a legendary figure in Steelers’ football history. He was also known as “The Count” for wearing fancy capes with his eye-catching clothing ensembles, for having gold fish in his clear plastic high heels, and for high stepping on the football field, in the locker room and at the infamous Aurora Club, an after-hours joint in The Hill District that was frequented by Ernie Holmes, L.C. Greenwood, Glen “Pine” Edwards and visited on occasion by Moon Mullins and Ray Mansfield.

Fuqua had some fashion face-offs with Greenwood to the merriment of all in the locker room from time to time to determine who was “the best-dressed” Steelers’ player.

Fuqua was the Steelers’ leading rusher for two seasons, 1970 and 1971, and held the record for most yards rushing in one game, with 218 at Philadelphia on December 20, 1970, until it was broken by Willie Parker with 223 against the Browns at Heinz Field on December 7, 2006. Fuqua went 85 yards for a touchdown against the Eagles, the third longest run in Steelers’ history.

He rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in his seven seasons (1970-76) with the Steelers. He worked in the circulation department of The Detroit News in his latter days with the Steelers and on a full-time basis when his ball-playing career came to an end.

Fuqua also gained fame as the middle man in “The Immaculate Reception,” which was voted the No. 1 play in pro football history even though it was a broken play and then some.

Terry Bradshaw was throwing a pass down the middle of the field to Fuqua, one of the team’s most sure-handed receivers, when Jack Tatum of the Oakland Raiders collided with Fuqua, knocking the ball back upfield where Franco Harris found it and grasped it at his shoe tops and raced for a touchdown in the AFC playoffs on December 23, 1972.

Tatum was one of the fiercest, hard-hitting cornerbacks in the NFL at the time. He was responsible for dealing the blow that crippled Patriots’ receiver Darryl Stingley, and he hit Lynn Swann and John Stallworth a few hard shots when they ran crossing patterns against the Raiders.

Chuck Noll once blasted the likes of Tatum and some of his teammates as being members of “a criminal element” in the NFL.

The Steelers beat the Raiders 13-7. It was the Steelers’ first victory in a playoff in the team’s history.

It was a fourth and ten call at the Steelers’ 40-yard line with 22 seconds left to play, and the Steelers trailing, 7-6. Bradshaw ducked a strong rush, but was flattened as he let the ball go and had no idea what happened afterward. A lot of people who were at Three Rivers Stadium that day still don’t know exactly what happened. Many fans were staring disconsolately at their shoe tops, believing the game was lost.

The game was not shown on Pittsburgh television because it was not a sellout.

Art Rooney Sr., the owner of the Steelers, did not see “The Immaculate Reception.” He was on the elevator heading for the team locker room to console his players after a valiant effort.

“Frenchy likes to be coy about it,” said Terry Bradshaw in his book, Looking Deep, in writing about what he termed the pivotal play in the team’s history. “The glory days for the Steelers were still two years ahead, but we buried our past that day.

“If Frenchy did touch the ball first, then the play was voided. In those days, it was illegal for a ball to be touched first by another offensive player. John Madden and the Raiders felt they got shafted, and Madden is still mad as hell about it.

“Frenchy doesn’t want to say and is either going to take his secret to the grave, or write a book about it himself some day.”

It’s one of the most famous and frequently aired sequences in sports history, yet Fuqua is often a forgotten figure in it. He teases people about whether he or Tatum touched the ball first. If he alone had touched it the ensuing catch and run by Harris would have been nullified by NFL rules in use at the time. Back then, the ball could not be touched simultaneously by two teammates on the receiving end. Today it can be.

Fred Swearingen didn’t signal a touchdown right away. He checked a sideline video to help him make the call. There wasn’t any official review of plays at that time. Thus instant reply was born. All TDs are now reviewed by the officials upstairs in the stadiums.

“I always have to tell that story,” said Fuqua when he was in attendance at a gala dinner on the eve of Andy Russell’s annual celebrity golf outing in mid-May of 2012. “I tell them everything that happened, except who touched the ball and how. Jack Tatum had to hit for it to have been a legitimate reception by Franco. But let’s not beat around the bush. Jack didn’t touch it. It’s the only secret I have left in my life.

“That pass was coming to me from the get-go. Ron Shanklin and I had led the team in receiving (with 49 catches apiece) the previous season, and I was considered one of our most sure-handed receivers.”

According to game reports, post-game commentary and Bradshaw’s book, however, rookie receiver Barry Pearson was the primary receiver on that final play. But that was other people’s version of the story, not Fuqua’s.

“When Bradshaw went to the sideline to confer with the coaches before that play, I watched those blue eyes from the sideline to the huddle, and I knew he was going to throw the ball to me. Bradshaw eyed me all the way back to the huddle,” offered Fuqua.

“If the timing had worked out, and the pass protection hadn’t broken down – Otis Sistrunk nearly got Terry – I was wide open. I’d have gotten to the end zone or to the sideline, and Roy Gerela would have had an easy kick for a field goal to win it. I could have been the hero.

“But Bradshaw had to duck under and away from the rush – he ran to the right – and in the meantime Tatum left one of our wide receivers, Barry Pearson, and came up to cover me. The ball came my way. The ball was tipped (ricocheted really) and Franco caught it and ran away with hundreds of thousands of dollars I’d have made on that play. It took 1.8 seconds for the ball to go from my hands to Franco’s hands.

“I’ve watched that play a hundred times. I have it on tape at home. Tatum wasn’t near me, at first, when I went into my hook. I was around their 30-yard line, and I’d have taken an angle, and we’d have been, at the least, in a position where Roy couldn’t miss it (a field goal try).

“Franco should have been nowhere around that ball. But some players just have a nose for it. A guy like him is always at the right place at the right time. I’m glad he was.”

Head coach Chuck Noll had said, “Franco made that play because he never quit on the play. He kept running; he kept hustling. Good things happen to those who hustle.”

John Madden, the Raiders’ coach, was protesting on the other sideline. Madden claimed that Fuqua, not Tatum, had touched the ball and the pass should have been ruled incomplete, having bounced from one offensive player to another.

“It’s so disappointing,” Madden said, “to come down to a whole season and have it end like this.”

Fuqua begs to differ, of course. “That play is shown on TV at least three times a year,” he said, “and my boss at the newspaper always gave me a nod at the office the next day to acknowledge it. But what would have happened if Frenchy Fuqua caught the ball? But I was always a team player, and always thought in the team concept. If I had scored, though, I’d have given the reporters a better story than Franco. The controversy is what made that play.”

Franco Harris was at the head of the table at a quarterly meeting of the Champions Committee that oversees the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center in July of 2012 when “the Immaculate Reception” was being screened to be part of an introductory film of highlights in Pittsburgh sports.

He asked if it could be shown again, with the accompanying music up louder. He watched it with his chin resting on his hand as if he had never seen it before. “Make sure you catch the ball this time,” I warned him.

He smiled. “It’s more dramatic with the sound up,” he told everyone at the table.

Later, I asked him how many times he has watched that sequence. “Jim, I can’t tell you that,” he said. I swear he was blushing.

“What would have happened if you had dropped the ball?” I asked.

“I’d have been famous one way or another,” he said.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will stage its first off-campus exhibition at the HeinzHistoryCenter starting this Saturday, Oct. 6. It is called “Gridiron Glory” and it will contain some Steelers’ artifacts as well as over 100 items on loan from the Hall of Fame in Canton. It’s worth a visit to The Strip.

Pittsburgh sports author Jim O’Brien will have a new book coming out Oct. 15 called Immaculate Reflections. For more information contact Jim at jimmyo64@gmail.com or visit his website at www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Kevin Cook, Author, The Last Headbangers: NFL Football in the Rowdy, Reckless ’70s—The Era that Created Modern Sports

Kevin Cook, Author, The Last Headbangers: NFL Football in the Rowdy, Reckless ’70s—The Era that Created Modern Sports:

First, can you let readers know how and why you decided to take on this subject and how you started doing so?

I was a tyke in 1967, watching the first Super Bowl on a little black-and-white TV. I grew up watching the early Monday Night Football and the great teams of the ’70s. After writing three books that were largely about golf, I wanted to write about the number-one sport.

It’s easy to forget that pro football didn’t always dominate the sports landscape the way it does today. It was a process—an evolution that’s really fascinating, full of epic games, crazy plays and vivid characters.

What makes the book unique in its coverage of those 70’s teams?

I think Headbangers is the first to suggest that the NFL took on its modern form in the ten-year period between the sport’s most famous plays: the Immaculate Reception and The Catch. Back in ’72, rookie Franco Harris actually hitchhiked to practice. Terry Bradshaw sold used cars in the off-season. Andy Russell and Ray Mansfield carpooled to work to save on gas that cost 55 cents a gallon. Monday Night Football was new—an experiment that only last-place ABC was willing to try.

By the time Dwight Clark snagged Joe Montana’s pass in 1982, the NFL was America’s dominant sport. Thanks mostly to TV, teams were getting rich and players were making ten times what guys earned a decade before. Rules changes favoring the passing game helped Bill Walsh’s 49ers usher in a more efficient, scripted style of play—the modern, corporate, huge-money NFL we watch today.

How did you research the book and what surprised you most as you did so?

I watched a bunch of grainy ’70s games, read everything I could find on the subject, and then started phoning ’70s players, coaches and broadcasters. What surprised me was that the vast majority of those players went on to other careers. They were the last NFL generation that wasn’t set for life by virtue of playing pro football. Some have struggled financially as well as physically. And then there’s Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, who screwed up his career by abusing drugs, and then won $28 million in the Texas state lottery.

How can readers purchase the book?

It’s at Amazon.com as well as Barnes & Noble, independent booksellers and the bookstore near you.

Were some players reluctant to discuss their experiences with you? Why/why not, do you think?

Most were eager to share their memories. I expected Henderson, for instance, to be tight-lipped about drugs, but he told about hiding liquid cocaine in his uniform during the Super Bowl. I expected Roger Staubach to be a stiff, but he was one of the most candid, interesting interviews I had in more than a year of working on the book. Talking to Staubach could almost make you root for the Cowboys…I say almost.

How do the players you spoke with look at the way the game is being played today? What were their thoughts on today’s rules regarding hits and the way today’s players handle themselves – both on and off the field?

Most of them think today’s players are spoiled. They hate seeing preening, prancing me-first guys do touchdown dances on TV. And they think the rules have changed so much that quarterbacks aren’t really football players anymore—QBs are more like kickers, playing a specialized, protected position. Or ballerinas. But don’t quote me—I don’t want Jay Cutler kicking me with his toe shoes.

Concussions and head trauma and the issues many former players deal with as a result of those injuries are a big topic today How did you find the players you spoke with on those issues. Angry at the NFL, accepting of them as a game risk…?

I think they’re scared. Worried. But while many ex-players are suing the NFL, others shrug and say they knew the game was risky. I’m hoping The Last Headbangers leads more fans to support former players who risked their futures to help build the game. The NFL and the NFLPA are starting to recognize the debt they owe the Headbangers generation, but haven’t done nearly enough.

How in your opinion does/can the NFL successfully manage the need to keep a certain level of “old school” physicality in the game for fans while better protecting players today?

I think it’s crazy when people talk about banning NFL football. Twenty or so years ago we began hearing about Dementia pugilistica, the brain damage boxers suffered from getting concussed. But we didn’t ban boxing. I applaud the NFL’s efforts to deal with players’ health issues. The next step is twofold: The league needs to put more of its wealth into pensions and medical care for former players; and it needs to keep improving concussion detection.

If a player shows concussion symptoms, team doctors need to keep him off the field. For years, players were expected to “shake it off” and stay in the game. That decision—in the NFL as well as in college, high school and every other level of football—must be taken away from players, so they don’t feel pressured to say, “I’m fine.”

Who were some of the biggest characters of the headbanger days and what made them so? Any examples?

The ’70s was the most colorful time in NFL history. Mean Joe, Franco, Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann (who never got enough credit for his toughness), Stallworth, Vietnam hero Rocky Bleier, Frenchy, Ham, Blount, Webster, Fats Holmes, Greenwood, White, Gerela—and that’s just the Steelers! You’ve also got O.J. Simpson slashing downfield, and the crazed Raiders and glitzy Cowboys. I can’t imagine any time in any sport that ever had a better cast of characters.

In your discussions with former players, how much did they discuss the difficulties ex players have on adjusting to post-NFL life, and what’s you find separates those that struggled to do so from those that did not?

That’s a mystery. It’s clear that one or two bad concussions make you more likely to suffer more in the future. But why are some people more prone to concussions, while others are resistant? Raiders linebacker Phil Villapiano used to bang his head on a cement wall before games. Villapiano had a bunch of concussions, but 40 years later he’s as lucid and healthy as can be, while plenty of guys he played with suffered far greater damage. Some were senile at 50. Others died before they turned 50.

I think the next frontier in sports science is discovering why some of us are more prone to concussions that others.

Without revealing too much, what players and stories were the most powerful, from your perspective. And why?

I really enjoyed talking with Franco Harris, who turned out to be as thoughtful and sharp as I expected. But his old rival Villapiano was my favorite: a great conversation, funny and profane. And Phil provided an important, powerful end to the book, because he’s got a son, Mike, who plays football. Quarterback Mike Villapiano led his team to the New Jersey high school state championship. Mike and his dad talked about what he should do if he “got his bell rung.” They agreed that Mike shouldn’t tell anybody. He wasn’t going to get a Division I scholarship sitting on the bench; he had to stay on the field.

Were they right? Were they risking Mike’s future for a shot at a scholarship? I think they were right, because Mike’s goal is to find out how far he can go in football, and that can’t happen unless he stays on the field. But I could be wrong…

What’s next for you?

Two movie producers are working on films of my previous books, Titanic Thompson and Tommy’s Honor. Here’s hoping somebody wants to make a movie of The Last Headbangers. Other than Jim Caviezel as Staubach, I’m open to casting suggestions.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I hope they’ll buy the book rather than just reading excerpts online. We authors gotta make a living! I spent almost two years of my life on Headbangers…but it’s bigger than me.

I hope the book brings a great NFL era back to life for a new generation of fans.

Lanny Frattare, Pirates Broadcaster, 1976-2009

Lanny Frattare:

First, can you let readers know about your work now at Waynesburg University – how you got started there and what you enjoy most about the position?

I have been an assistant professor of Communication at Waynesburg University since 2009. I find it exciting to help create the next generation of communicators. I teach two sections of sports announcing at Waynesburg, one section of announcing and two sections of public speaking.

I know I am learning as much from my students as they are learning from me. Advice for young broadcasters? To be successful in the competitive business of sports broadcasting, you must make a major commitment to developing and improving your style and skills. I ask my students, “do you want it badly enough?’

You started off working as a broadcaster for the Pirates in ’76. How did you get started with the Pirates and what advice would you give to others trying to get into sports broadcasting today?

From the time I was twelve years old, my goal was to become a major league baseball announcer. I was most fortunate to realize my dream at the age of 28 and blessed to announce for the Pirates for 33 years. The wonderful people of Pirates territory opened their hearts and homes to me. They allowed me to share their summertime memories with them.

One of my fortunate breaks was when I was hired as the announcer for the Charleston Charlies in West Virginia (at the time, the triple A affiliate of the Pirates). I announced minor league baseball for six months and announced minor league hockey in my hometown of Rochester, New York, the other half of the year.

Bill Guilfoile, then the Public Relations Director of the Pirates, invited me to visit the Pirates after the minor league seasons end in 1974 and 1975. Bill introduced me to Bob Prince and Nellie King. During each of my stops in Pittsburgh, Bob and Nellie invited me to announce an inning of play-by-play. This was another major break because I was exposed to the Pirates listeners. Despite the fact, that I was one of the individuals who replaced Bob and Nellie, they both were extremely helpful. As a novice announcer, I needed and wanted advice and they gave me much of it. There were many critics of Milo Hamilton and me, but most of the backlash ended up in Milo’s lap.

You eventually replaced Bob Prince which caused some backlash. How did you weather that storm, and how looking back were you able to maintain such a long career and resonate so well with fans?

I was patient and persevered. Admittedly, some of the criticism was mean and unfair. But, also, I knew that as a young broadcaster I had a great deal to learn and I hoped that through hard work and dedication, I would be successful in the long run.

Who were some of the other sports broadcasters you most admired, and why?

I grew up as a Yankees fan and listened many nights to Mel Allen. When I got to the major leagues, Jack Buck, Vin Scully and Harry Kalas were valuable mentors.

As an employee of the Pirates, how did you walk the line at times between giving honest analysis of the games versus staying positive about the team during broadcasts when the team wasn’t playing well?

In my early years, my lack of knowledge hindered my ability to handle the analysis of the games. My main goal as a baseball announcer was to do a great job of describing the action. I hoped that when people talked about my announcing, they would say, “with Lanny, we always know whats going on and we always know the score.”

My career was enhanced dramatically when Jim Leyland became the manager of the Pirates. I developed a strong friendship with him and his third base coach Gene Lamont. I learned a great deal about the game from them. Most nights on the road, I would visit with Jim and his coaches in Jim’s hotel suite. They trusted me with off the record information and I found ways to give my listeners a taste of the information without violating the trust they had in me.

From your perspective, who were some of the most memorable and most under-rated Pirates, and what made them so?

Jim Leyland, Chuck Tanner (who showed me how a positive outlook could lead one to accomplish remarkable things), Willie Stargell, Kent Tekulve (Teke and I came up from Charleston together and have been friends since 1974), Phil Garner, Bill Robinson, Ed Ott…

Humor often plays such a big part of teams to help curtail boredom and keep the team loose. How did humor play a part on those Pirates teams you worked with and who were the biggest characters any examples of the hijnks?

I worked for many years with Steve Blass and no one handles humor in a broadcast better than Steve. I cannot tell you too much about the happenings in the clubhouse. I never allowed myself to violate the sanctity of the major league clubhouse.

Do you follow the Pirates today? if so, what are your thought on the team’s direction?

Do I still follow the Pirates? Not really. After 33 years and some 6,000 games, I want to care about something besides major league baseball. Now, I can spend more time with my children and grandchildren. I check out the scores in the paper and read some of the stories. I want the franchise to be successful for many reasons, including the fact that the baseball fans of Pittsburgh deserve to have their loyalty rewarded.

If you could change anything about the game today, what would you change and why?

What have been the best and toughest memories over the course of your broadcasting career, and what makes them so?

My all time favorite game? the game in St. Louis in 1990 when Jim and his team clinched the first of the three consecutive division titles.

Any last thoughts for readers?

One final point! I enjoy doing play-by-play and for the past two years, I have been announcing high school football, basketball, softball and baseball for the MSA Network.

I love it and I work as hard to prepare for the high school games as I did when I was broadcasting in the Bigs.

Jim O’Brien: ‘Immaculate Reception’ was a lifesaver for Pittsburgh video photographer

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

The Immaculate Reception was a lifesaver for the Steelers in the 1972 AFC playoffs, but it was really a lifesaver for video photographer Les Banos.

The 2012 season marks the 40^th anniversary of the amazing catch and run by Franco Harris of a pass from Terry Bradshaw that caromed off the colliding bodies of both Steelers’ running back Frenchy Fuqua and Oakland Raiders’ defensive back Jack Tatum.

You are going to see that historic sequence – voted the No. 1 play in NFL history even though it was a broken play and then some – this fall when the Steelers promote their 80^th anniversary of the team’s founding by Art Rooney Sr. and the 40^th anniversary of “The Immaculate Reception.”

In Pittsburgh and Puerto Rico, this year is also the 40^th anniversary of the death of Roberto Clemente. He was killed in an air crash on New Year’s Eve, 1972, as he was accompanying a cargo of relief goods from his native Puerto Rico to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua.

Les Banos was supposed to be on that airplane. He had promised his good friend Roberto Clemente that he would accompany him on the flight to photograph the event.

Banos was a video photographer for both WQED and WTAE in his long professional career, and he did stints as a photographer for the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins and the University of Pittsburgh department of athletics.

He also filmed games of the Pittsburgh Valley Ironmen of the Atlantic Coast Pro Football League, a minor league team that played its home games in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. They were preceded by another semi-pro team known as the Duquesne Ironmen.

I know the latter first-hand because I was the publicity director of the Ironmen during my senior year at the University of Pittsburgh, in 1963, and again the following season before I was drafted into the U.S. Army.

Banos and I used to get together on Sunday afternoons, the day after the Ironmen games, to edit some highlights that would be used on Pittsburgh TV on Sunday evenings. We both liked to talk, so it took us longer than it should have to do that task.

Later, in the mid-80s, I worked again with Banos at Pitt. He and I and Pat Hanlon, my assistant, joined with Banos and others at WTAE to put together a highlight film on Pitt football. Banos went to pre-season camp with the Panthers at EdinboroUniversity. Hanlon, by the way, is now the vice-president for communications for the New York Giants Football Team, and a real success story.

Hanlon worked with Joe Gordon and Dan Edwards with the Steelers’ publicity office. Hanlon had a great time exchanging barbs with Les Banos.

Banos loved to tell stories, and he had some good ones. He told us, of course, how the Immaculate Reception saved his life. He told us about his days in his native Hungary when he was a spy who infiltrated the Nazi regime, and managed to save many Jews from the death camps in Poland.

Pat Hanlon and I used to tell people in jest that Banos had been Adolph Eichmann’s chauffeur. Eichmann, of course, was the Nazi general who oversaw the concentration camps and was brought to justice as one of the central figures and criminals by the Nuremberg Trials. It wasn’t politically-correct humor, no doubt.

Banos was born in Hungary, but he had some Jewish bloodlines, and he was always an enterprising fellow. He was short in stature, about the same size as Myron Cope, maybe 5-5 or 5-6 at best. Like Cope, he puffed up his chest and came at you like a bantam rooster. He talked with a heavy accent.

Les liked it when I told him I had played for a team called the Hungarians in the Hazelwood Little League, and that there was a Hungarian social club in my hometown. It closed a couple of months back and was the only ethnic or service club remaining in the community.

I also told him I remembered that in the mid-50s there were a lot of Hungarians who left their home country, then under siege by the Russians, and relocated in our community. There was a sandlot soccer team in Hazelwood that had all Hungarian players.

A weekly newspaper called Magyarsag was printed a block from my home by a Hungarian ex-patriot named Eugene Zebedinsky. His son was a classmate of mine in high school.

Cope, by the way, was the one who popularized the phrase “The Immaculate Reception.” One of the callers on his popular sports talk show suggested the name. Cope checked with his Catholic friends to make sure no one would be offended by the phrase, and went with it.

Cope’s other creation, of course, was “The Terrible Towel.”

Like Cope, Banos was fun to be around. I recall being in Montreal with him at a sidewalk café, enjoying some wine and food when we were there in 1967 to chronicle the entry of the Pittsburgh Penguins into the National Hockey League. Banos picked up a check, unusual for any member of the media, and did a double take when he saw the high tariff on the bill.

Banos was the only one in our party who could speak and understand some French, which is always good in the bilingual community of Montreal. It didn’t help him to get out of paying the steep bill. His brown eyes bulged at the numbers on that bill. I think the waitress brought us a bottle of champagne by mistake…maybe by mistake.

Banos befriended many of the athletes he covered in his duties as a TV cameraman. Franco Harris was one of them. Roberto Clemente was another.

When Banos died at the age of 86 on April 22, 2012 it brought back memories of this little man with the big heart and such wonderful stories.

“It is significant that he passed our way,” said Harris at the HeinzHistoryCenter, where Banos had appeared the previous holiday season with a collection of his photos of Clemente. There are 50 of these photos on display in the RobertoClementeMuseum in lower Lawrenceville.

“It is amazing what Les accomplished when you look at his history and have seen his photos,” added Harris. “He was a great guy, always enjoyable, a kind and gentle man. You never would have expected what he went through by how kind and gentle he was.”

Banos addressed everybody as “Mister,” and he liked to get up under your chin like an undersized boxer, again like Myron Cope, and tell you his stories. Banos was a dapper dresser.

Banos was busy filming the Steelers’ game against the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium on December 23, 1972. When the Steelers won that game, 13-7, on Franco’s frantic catch-and-run with a deflected ball he picked off his shoe-tops for the game-winning touchdown.

It meant the Steelers would be playing another game the following weekend, on December 31, 1972, a day that will live in infamy in Pittsburgh and Puerto Rico. The Steelers lost that one, by 21-17, to the Miami Dolphins, victimized by a fake punt by Larry Seiple of the Dolphins that was a game-changer.

So Banos had to stay back in Pittsburgh to work that game for WTAE-TV instead of accompanying Clemente on his mercy mission to Nicaragua. It ended the life of Clemente, all too early, and gave Banos a bonus 40 years.

Pittsburgh sports fans were disappointed, of course, by the defeat suffered at the hands of the Dolphins, but they were far more shocked by Clemente’s death. Fans over 50, and some as young as 45 or 46, can tell you where they were that New Year’s Day when they were the news. What a way to start a year.

If you go to a Pirates’ game at PNC Park these days you might be surprised to see how many fans still wear Clemente’s name and number (21) on their backs to the ballgames. Andrew McCutcheon and Neil Walker are the two most favorite uniforms, with Clemente a close third.

There’s a statue and bridge outside PNCPark to memorialize the man from San Juan who came to our city and set new standards for a baseball player, on the field and off the field. Young fans are fascinated by his story and the way he died, trying to help his fellow Latin Americans when they were in trouble.

It’s a shame more of them didn’t hear those stories as told by Les Banos.

Pittsburgh author Jim O’Brien is working on a book called Immaculate Reflections, which will be out in late October. His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Jim O’Brien: Mike Wagner now a safety for well-heeled FNB clients

By Jim O’Brien, Columnnist, Pittsburgh Business Times

On a clear day Mike Wagner can walk from his office to PNCPark and Heinz Field. So he remains close to the playing fields of Pittsburgh. He’s had offices before where he could see Heinz Field on the horizon, and before that he enjoyed a close-up view of Mellon Arena.

It’s been 32 years since he retired from playing safety for The Steel Curtain defensive unit of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he remains interested and involved in the city’s sports scene. Wagner, at 63, is the vice-president of the Private Banking Group for First National Bank, with headquarters on Federal Street.

He can walk out the front door and see statues of Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. He was starting his career with the Steelers when they played for the Pirates. He was with the Steelers for ten seasons (1971-1980), four of which they won the Super Bowl.

“Fans in this city treat Steelers well, past and present,” he said. “I’m proud to have played for the Steelers. I have no complaints.”

He was an 11^th round draft choice in the Class of 1971 that is regarded as the second greatest group in Steelers’ history, right behind the 1974 class that included four future Pro Football Hall of Fame performers (Lambert, Swann, Stallworth and Webster). He started from the first game of his rookie season, and was regarded as one of the most intelligent, resourceful and sure-handed tacklers in the National Football League.

He’s one of the best-looking, best-dressed Steelers ever, and he looks like a financial advisor. At 6-2, 175 pounds, he is still taller than most of the current defensive backs on the Steelers.

He’s been in the financial world over 30 years. He started out, with his accounting degree from WesternIllinoisUniversity on his resume, with Russell, Rea and Zappala at TwoNorthShore.

Former Steelers’ Pro Bowl linebacker Andy Russell recalls those days: “I think Mike was the best safety the Steelers ever had. He was intelligent. He came to work for our investment bank firm, and we sent him through his MBA program at Pitt, and then he really provided us with quality work before going off on another opportunity.”

Rocky Bleier says of Wagner. “Mike is a nuts and bolts guy, just like he was with the Steelers. He’s prepared and he comes to play hard.”

John C. Williams, the president of First National Bank, has over 40 years in the Pittsburgh banking business. He hired Wagner. “Mike has always had a great reputation in our field,” said Williams. “He has the experience and contacts we can use on our team.”

Wagner provides personalized services for affluent households. These customers aren’t looking for autographs. They are looking for sound financial advice.

“Having been with the Steelers helps,” said Wagner. “I’ve worked with some of these people before. My clients need something and it’s my job to figure out what they would like to have. What I learned from football is that nothing comes easy. You have to keep grinding away and good things will happen. You do the best you can.”

Wagner admits he remains a highly competitive person. “Sometimes I have to ratchet that back a bit,” he admitted.

“You always have a responsibility to whomever you work for, whether it’s the Steelers or some company you represent later on. You have to protect the brand name, whether it’s UPMC, Highmark, PNC, PPG or US Steel. That’s just common sense.

“I’m not sure if there was some statement that told us what was expected of us or something that was in the team playbook as to how we should conduct ourselves, but we knew we stood for the Steelers and that meant something.

“The Rooney family wanted us players out in public functions representing the team, and helping non-profits raise money. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of special people in the community and I realized it was important.”

To that end, Wagner serves on several boards here, at the HeinzHistoryCenter where he helps organize a golf event, EconomicsPennsylvania to teach kids about economics, and the Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh.

“That was one of Chuck Noll’s favorites,” said Wagner, “so I am still aware of his presence.”

Jim O’Brien has written 20 books in his Pittsburgh Proud series, including “The Chief” and “Steeler Stuff.” His website is jimobriensportsauthor.com and his e-mail address is jimmyo64@gmail.com

Terry O’Shea, Steelers Tight End, 1989-1990

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL and how you got started in this line of work?

I’m holding up well.

I have a wife (Amy) and two kids – Moira (13) and Delaney (11).

I’m self-employed. I was in the environmental business until 9-11. I was laid off about six months after that. Now, I work on internet marketing and I’m glad I’m into it. I got into it through networking with some others that were involved in it. We have a strong focus on the health and wellness industries.

Continue reading “Terry O’Shea, Steelers Tight End, 1989-1990”

Mark Mravic, Author, “Pittsburgh Steelers: Pride in Black and Gold”

Mark Mravic:

First, can you let readers know how and why you decided to write “Pittsburgh Steelers: Pride in Black and Gold’ and how you started doing so?

With this being the 80th season of Steelers football, we thought it would be a good time to look back at the history of the franchise, what it’s meant to the city and the NFL, and the great personalities and games for which it’s known.

What makes the book unique in its coverage of the Steelers?

What we’ve done is separate the book into three sections: The Pride, Players and the Prize. The first examines the team’s unique bond with the city, from the early struggles through the great Super Bowl teams, embodied in the continuous ownership by the Rooney family and the smart choices the team has made to maintain stability, beginning with the hiring of Chuck Noll. We went back and found relevant stories from the pages of SI, and here we reprinted Myron Cope’s great history of the Terrible Towel to accompany some historical photographs.

Then we grouped together some of the great players who’ve worn the Steelers uniform through the years, from Ernie Stautner and Jack Butler through the Steel Curtain teams to the Tomlin and Roethlisberger years, with accompanying text and excerpted stories on each one.

The third section reprints each of Sports Illustrated’s game stories from the six Super Bowl victories.

The real distinction of the book, apart from revisited some of SI’s great sportswriting on the Steelers, is that we went deep into the photo archives for a lot of pictures that have never before been published, and many that haven’t even been seen by anyone in decades. There’s a great untapped store of sports photography there—when SI shoots a football game, maybe a half-dozen or so shots end up in the magazine that week. But the photographers have shot literally hundreds of pictures (and with digital cameras now, thousands). When we are putting the weekly magazine together, that number gets winnowed by the photo editors to maybe 100 that the editors then sort through to make their selection based on the subject of that week’s story. The rest get stored away.

So going back through all of that stuff, from old pictures of the Steel Curtain defense to outtakes from those Super Bowls, was just a phenomenal experience.

How can readers purchase the book?

There are actually two versions: a large hardcover coffee table book and a smaller-format softcover. The former can be ordered online through Barnes & Noble’s website and Amazon.com. The latter are on newsstands and in some Pittsburgh-area supermarkets like Giant Eagle and other stores.

How did your role as the Assistant Managing Editor at Sports Illustrated make your job easier or harder as you researched and wrote the book?

Well, I’m AME but also oversee the NFL beat, so I’m very familiar with our Steelers coverage through the years. As AME I also had the authority to make the final call on the format, the particular story selections and picture choices.

As a Pittsburgh native/Steelers fan, how difficult was it for you to stay unbiased in our coverage?

It’s not particularly difficult—I think I’m able to compartmentalize my fandom and guide our football coverage objectively based on what I think the Sports Illustrated reader would like. I won’t deny that I get a special thrill working on Steelers stories (and this book was a kid-in-the-candy store experience), but professionally I’ve treated the Steelers like any other NFL team. (Everyone at Sports Illustrated grew up a fan of some team; you wouldn’t be in the business if you didn’t have that background.)

The Steelers have been good for so long that we do cover them more than some other teams, but when it’s time to be critical we have not pulled any punches. Our cover story on the Roethlisberger scandal from a few years back was very harsh but authoritative—we went after that story with all of our resources and no hesitation.

What surprised you most as you researched and wrote the book – and why?

Outside of discovering that treasure trove of photography, I did learn about players I was not familiar with from the pre-Super Bowl days, particularly Jack Butler and Elbie Nickel. It was great to learn more about the history of those old teams and those great players.

Concussions and head trauma and the issues many former players deal with as a result of those injuries are a big topic today. How do you find the players you speak with to be on those issues. Angry at the NFL, accepting of them as a game risk…?

It’s really a mix. A lot of old players accept the physical toll—the bad knees, bad backs, etc., as something they were prepared to deal with. But we’re learning more about the potential psychological toll—depression, memory loss, dementia—and there is a lot of unhappiness and fear. You’ve got nearly 3,000 former players suing the league. It’s a huge issue.

And now I think some active players are beginning to think seriously about the repurcussions of their profession. They’re less willing to just “shake it off and get back in” when they’ve suffered a head injury, and more generally you’re beginning to hear some players say they would be concerned to let their children play football.

The Steelers have always embodied that physical nature of the sport. How in your opinion does/can the NFL successfully manage the need to keep a certain level of “old school” physicality in the game while better protecting players today?

The various rules changes and punishments the league is instituting have made a difference (it’s one reason why offenses are so much more prolific these days). Hard hits are always going to be part of the game, though, and even clean hits can cause serious injury (as when a player’s head slams the turf when he’s tackled). Players have been brought up in a culture that rewards and celebrates those hard hits, and I don’t really see that changing.

What needs to happen, as much as possible, is for coaches at all levels, beginning in peewee football, to teach proper tackling and blocking fundamentals and downplay the macho celebration of that physicality.

Who were some of the biggest characters on the Steelers teams and what made them so? Any examples?

So many of those guys from the ’70s era were characters, from Bradshaw and Harris and Lambert to Ernie Holmes and Frenchy Fuqua. They were also so much more approachable that today’s player—there weren’t 10 layers of PR between the media, the fans and the teams, or a uniform image that the league was trying to project. You still get that occasionally with players—Hines Ward comes to mind as a guy who was very up front with the media and always willing to speak his mind.

In your discussions with players over the years, how much did they discuss the difficulties players have on adjusting to post-NFL life, and what do you find separates those that struggled to do so from those that did not?

You just never know who may or may not struggle post-career. Some players are very smart with their money and in their personal lives others are not; that’s a big factor obviously in the adjustment to a career beyond football. But in terms of the physical struggle, it’s very hard to explain why a guy like former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon is apparently suffering the effects of the hits he took as a player while Terry Bradshaw, who took plenty of knocks of his own and has admitted to suffering multiple concussions, seems pretty much unaffected.

Most people are familiar with the unusual number of untimely deaths among former Steelers players, from Mike Webster to Justin Strzelczyk to Terry Long. Those old Steelers teams have been linked to steroid use—Steve Courson was the first really outspoken anti-steroid crusader—and while as far as I know there’s not a clear scientific link between steroid use and emotional or psychological difficulty, it’s hard not to think that the way some guys push their bodies, either within the rules or outside of them, can have a serious effect on their overall emotional health.

Without revealing too much, what players and stories were the most powerful, from your perspective. And why?

I really enjoyed revisiting all six of those Super Bowl stories—the first four because I was a young fan during at the time and remember eagerly awaiting my SI to read about the victories, and the last two because I personally edited those stories and had the strange experience of having my fandom and my professional life come together so perfectly. And I thought about the new generation of Steelers fans who may be experiencing what I felt as a kid back in the ’70s. In seventh grade I made a poster in art class of the SI cover with Swann’s amazing diving catch from Super Bowl X.

Now I’m working for that very magazine, hopefully making some other young fan happy about his team and his heroes in the same way.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I hope everyone enjoys the book. It was a real pleasure to work on, and hope some of that comes through.