pittsburghsportsdailybulletin – Page 135 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

Dan Kreider, Steelers Fullback, 2000-2007

First, can you let readers now what you’ve been up to since you’ve retired from the NFL and how you got started in the line of work?

I have ownership in a property management business with my family that we started six years ago. I am involved with management of the properties.

What lessons from your playing days have helped you most in this new line of work?

The lessons from my playing days that have helped me in this line of work is being willing to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Some jobs are not that much fun but they still need done.

Continue reading “Dan Kreider, Steelers Fullback, 2000-2007”

Jim O’Brien: Suzie still feels the Olympic spirit

Suzie still feels the Olympic spirit

By Jim O’Brien, Columnnist, Pittsburgh Business Times

Few Pittsburghers could appreciate the 2012 Summer Olympic Games as much as Suzie McConnell-Serio, the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Duquesne University.

McConnell-Serio was a member of the gold medal-winning women’s basketball team at the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea in 1988 and the bronze medal-winning team in Barcelona, Spain in 1992. She won a gold medal in the 1991 World University Games.

“I remember living in the Olympic Village, meeting all the athletes from around the world, learning different cultures. I remember the competition, the awards ceremonies. You’ll never forget it,” she said.

“Every chance I got during an especially busy period for me (with recruiting, camps and practice for a pre-season tour of Canada), I watched the Olympic Games on TV with my family,” she said with a gleam in her blue eyes. “I love the Olympic Games. When I’m in my family room I can cheer and root for them, agonize for them and feel their excitement and their pain. I know what it feels like.

“I won gold and I won the bronze; I know the disappointment of not living up to expectations.”

There are many stories about athletes who overcame obstacles to succeed. Suzie’s story is a good one because she is 5-feet 4-inches, and was often told she was too small.

She has modeled herself after the many coaches she has had from grade school, high school, college, international teams, Olympic teams and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) teams.

She is in her sixth season as the head coach of a continually improving Duquesne team and, at 46, is still as spunky and determined to win as when she was the only girl on the 4^th and 5^th grade teams at Brookline’s Our Lady of Loreto Grade School.

Her coach then, Dan Kail, whom she still credits for her early development, predicted that someday she’d be playing for the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team.

Susie and her husband Pete Serio, who also grew up in Brookline, have four children: Peter (21), Jordan (17), Mandy (15) and Madison (14). Young Pete is in his fourth year of the pharmacy program at Duquesne, and the three girls are on the basketball team at Upper St. Clair High.

Suzie credits her parents, Tom and Sue, for her work ethic. “They always told me to stay busy,” she said. “They taught me how to treat people.”

Basketball is in the family DNA. Her brothers Tom and Tim have been coaches, and her sisters Kathy and Maureen played basketball, and Kathy is coaching in the WNBA. She has two other sisters, Patty and Eileen, and a brother Michael.

Tim, a successful coach at Chartiers Valley High, says of Suzie, “The one thing that sets her apart is her determination.”

When Suzie went to Penn State University (1985-88) she became the school’s first All-American in women’s basketball. She majored in elementary education.

After her first Olympic Games experience, she was invited by Fran Mannion to be the coach of the girls’ basketball team at Oakland Catholic. She took over the program in 1990-91 and won her first of three Class AAAA State Championships in 1993. In 13 years, McConnell-Serio averaged over 24 wins a season.

She blushed when asked how much money she was paid to coach at Oakland Catholic. “I was paid $4,000 a year,” she said. So Suzie has paid her dues. Sometimes you have to start for little compensation.

Her husband Pete made sacrifices, too. He had to give up his job as a physical education teacher and basketball coach when his wife, after a six-year layoff from playing basketball came back to star as a player and then a coach in the WNBA. In 2004, she was named WNBA Coach of the Year with the Minnesota Lynx.

“It’s easier now because the kids are more self-sufficient,” she said, “but I couldn’t have done this without Pete’s help. He held everything together for us. I was expecting our first child in 1990, and I had all four of my kids between 1991 and 1997, so we had a real juggling act. The kids have been great from the start.”

Pete Serio said, “Her kids have been the No. 1 priority in her life.”

Suzie still has the Olympic spirit. She is living proof that all things are possible if you have a positive attitude, truly believe in yourself, and are willing to work hard and make the personal sacrifices necessary to realize one’s aspirations.

Jim O’Brien has written 20 books in his “Pittsburgh Proud” series. His e-mail address is jimmyo64@gmail.com and website is: www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Jim O’Brien: Pittsburgh fans can look forward to winning seasons this fall

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

Since you asked, here are my thoughts about our favorite teams for this season.

I think the Pirates will post a winning season, and that’s a giant step in the right direction, and that the Steelers, Pitt and Penn State football teams will all have winning records this fall and provide fans with a great deal of entertainment.

No, I don’t think the Pirates will be a wild-card team in the playoffs and I certainly don’t think they will be in the World Series. It’s been a terrific season so far, with more highs than lows, and I think manager Clint Hurdle has done an amazing job.

Considering the Pirates’ personnel, the team has been more amazing than the 1969 New York Mets.

The Pitt schedule is soft and will be a tough sell to fill seats at Heinz Field, and Paul Cryst seems like a sound coach who understands that you do what your players do best, and not boast about your own “high octane” offense as did that phony Todd Graham, who thought he was Billy Graham and preached a better game than he played.

The Panthers could post an 8-4 record. The Panthers should post an 8-4 record. But both Dave Wannstedt and Graham managed to lose games the Panthers should have won.

PennState has been over-punished by the NCAA, but Bill O’Brien has an opportunity to be a leader in a recovery program that will gain national attention, and could end up casting a positive light on HappyValley. I think the Nittany Lions could post a 7-5 record this season.

Looking farther ahead, the Penguins will have a winning season as well.

The Steelers have the personnel to post a 10-6 record and, sorry, won’t be playing in the Super Bowl. Why do so many Steelers’ fans start the season wondering whether they will win the Super Bowl?

I may have been dead wrong, but I didn’t think the NCAA had the jurisdiction to do what it has done concerning the penalties it has dealt Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child-abuse scandal.

I think Joe Paterno erred by not seeing to it that Sandusky’s behavior was reported to law enforcement officials since Paterno was one of the most powerful figures on the campus. I think he stayed too long at the job and that his power impacted his judgment. I always thought he presented himself as being so smart, and now we learn he had to ask his son the meaning of the word sodomy.

Overall, Paterno’s program was a solid one, and I think the school conducted its program better than most, if not as snow white as Paterno would have had you believe.

To me, Paterno is the winningest coach on the major college level, and you can’t change that. Why punish a dead man? He didn’t win those games by himself. The NCAA stripped PennState of all its victories from 1998 to 2011 and that’s just absurd.

They fined the school a record $60 million which will be dedicated toward programs to protect children from abuse. Again, where does the NCAA come off having that role?

I think the four-year ban on bowl participation is fitting, and so is the reduction in scholarships from 85 to 65 over a four-year period, beginning in 2014. Teams such as Pitt and PennState were once successful with 65 players on their varsity football teams. PennState will attract a better kind of kid.

Nowadays schools such as Waynesburg and Washington & Jefferson and California (Pa.) have over 100, sometimes 120, players on the squad, and half of them never get on the field.

Bill O’Brien came from the New England Patriots to PennState. He is right when he says PennState is still a special place to play college football, and that there are no bowl games that attract 110,000 fans as they do on a regular basis at Beaver Stadium

O’Brien objects mostly to the NCAA granting the PennState players the ability to transfer to other schools without having to sit out a season of play. Several key players have already transferred.

He is wrong when he says that prospects should come to PennState because he has the ability to prepare them for the next level.

That’s not his job. You are talking about three and maybe four kids a year who have the ability to move on to the pro football level. His focus, and the focus of any college coach, should be to prepare his players to play college ball to the best of their ability.

This past Sunday was a full day for any Pittsburgh sports fan, watching the Pirates play a 19-inning game and finally beat the St. Louis Cardinals and then see the Steelers win a close one with the Indianapolis Colts on a late field goal.

I taped the Steelers’ game so we could watch the final innings of the Pirates’ game, and then we were able to watch the Steelers’ game and fast forward through the commercials and other breaks in the action.

The Pirates still have too many automatic outs in their lineup, and the pitching simply isn’t as strong and effective and consistent as it was in the first half of the season. When are the Pirates going to realize that Jose Tabatha has no aptitude for the game of baseball?

It was worth watching 19 innings of baseball just to see Pedro Alvarez smile for once after he launched the game-winning home run, and to see Wandy Rodriguez get a win in his pitching log. All three of those Pirates have the poorest body language in the lineup.

The Steelers have made some interesting changes in their scheme of things, but it will take a while for the team to adjust to the changes, and for the young players to grow into their roles. The Steelers want to run the ball more, but because of injuries do not have any running backs that have proven they can do well on a consistent basis.

I fully subscribe to the idea of protecting Ben Roethlisberger from himself and opposing tacklers.

The absence of Mike Wallace has been a distraction. Chuck Noll always thought that some people are more concerned about how they do rather than how the team performs. He thought such players would hurt you in the long run. He got rid of such players. Roy Jefferson was the best player on the team when Noll arrived in 1969, but he dealt the terrific receiver to the Redskins because he thought he was setting a bad example for the young players.

The Steelers pay their players well and Wallace would get fair compensation. He overrates himself and his production to date. He thinks he will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day, and has told people this. The last Steelers’ player to oversell himself in a similar manner was Kordell Stewart.

If Wallace doesn’t watch himself, someday in the distant future he may be asking the Steelers if he can come back here to retire as a member of the Steelers.

I’m looking forward to this fall. Over the weekend I saw the land site near Station Square, where the Melody Tent once stood, where they are getting ready to build a soccer stadium for the Riverhounds along the Monongahela River and that will add to the downtown skyline for sports fans.

Pitt and PennState fans can look forward to new coaches with new ideas and, hopefully, both will attract the best of football players and kids also interested in the academic and life-building aspects of the respective programs.

Playing the Pittsburgh Steelers will still be special, and playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates won’t be so bad anymore. This city has had more than its share of success in sports.

Don’t forget to check out your favorite high school teams on Friday night. That’s as much fun, sometimes more, than following the professional and college teams.

Relax and enjoy the ride.

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien can be reached at www.jimobriensportsauthor.com or jimmyo64@gmail.com

Oliver Gibson, Steelers Defensive Lineman, 1995-1998

First, you’ve been interning with the Steelers. How did that start, how has it been going and what has interested you most in general about coaching?

I saw an NFL Players Association memo on the Bill Walsh Coaching Internship Program. I thought I could go through the NFL and submitted my application with my team preferences. But I didn’t hear anything form them so I called Dick LeBeau directly. I played for him both in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. He told me Coach Mitchell was in charge of the program and put me in touch with him. And now, here I am…

Continue reading “Oliver Gibson, Steelers Defensive Lineman, 1995-1998”

Jim O’Brien: Randy Grossman offers a “good story” about his early days with Steelers

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

The Steelers started their pre-season schedule with a less-than-scintillating 24-23 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia last Thursday evening. While it failed to get us excited about the Steelers’ Super Bowl prospects for this year it did serve to remind me of a story I heard Randy Grossman tell at a sports luncheon earlier this year.

Grossman was a terrific tight end for the Steelers during their glory days of the ‘70s, playing eight seasons (1974-1981), when they won four Super Bowls in six seasons under head coach Chuck Noll.

Grossman signed with the Steelers as a free agent out of Temple University for the minimum of $15,000. Today, the minimum salary for a rookie is $355,000. Grossman and Donnie Shell of South Carolina State, another free agent, came to the team with the greatest draft class in NFL history.

It included four future Hall of Famers in Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster, plus Jimmy Allen, a fine but often overlooked defensive back who was a valued reserve on two of those Super Bowl teams.

So there was plenty of talent around and Grossman worked hard to make his mark. The NFL teams played six pre-season games back then. Talk about cruel and inhuman punishment – for the fans more than the players.

The third of those pre-season games was in Philadelphia, Grossman’s hometown. Joe Greene was talking to Grossman in the locker room a few days before the game in Philadelphia. “Bet you’re looking forward to playing in your hometown,” said Greene.

Grossman agreed with that assessment, but went on to tell Greene that he hated to fly on airplanes. He told Greene that he often got ill just thinking about it.

Terry Bradshaw overheard the conversation and came over and spoke to Grossman as well, offering some encouraging words.

Bradshaw and Greene said they’d help him out and told him they’d see him at the airport prior to takeoff and that they’d have breakfast there. They assured him that if he was flying on a full stomach it would quiet his nerves.

They’d been in the NFL a few years. They were the offensive and defensive stars of the team. They’d been around the block a few times, and they knew what to do. Grossman was an eager rookie, and he thanked them for their concern.

As Grossman was sharing this story, as a featured speaker at a sports reunion luncheon at the Kennedy Township Fire Hall, where I had been the speaker the year before, it struck me that I had never previously heard this story.

I had heard him speak around the same time at a golf outing at the Butler Country Club. I had heard him speak at the Sports Night at the Thompson Club in West Mifflin on a few occasions, and I had joined him in a parade of former Steelers at Kennywood Park on two occasions. Yet I never heard that story before.

I first met Grossman at St. Vincent College at the Steelers’ training camp in the summer of 1979, and I had interviewed him many times, for newspaper, magazine and book stories. But he never told me this story.

That’s why I have learned you can never interview these guys enough times. Maybe you failed to ask the question that would unleash a pretty good tale.

“So I got together with Bradshaw and Greene at the Pittsburgh Airport, and we went to a restaurant there,” recalled Grossman. “They urged me to order this and that, some eggs, some pancakes, juice and coffee.

“They ordered breakfast for themselves. After they ate, they said they had to go to the bathroom. They never came back. I was stuck with paying the bill. They’d gotten the best of a rookie. I should have known I was in trouble then.

“I had to hustle just to get on the plane before it left the gate. I was the last one on the plane. There was only one seat open on the plane and it was the one next to Chuck Noll in the first row. Now you have to know that I was afraid of Chuck Noll at the time. He was like God to me.

“He gave me a half-smile as I took my seat and buckled myself in. It wouldn’t be a long flight to Philadelphia, so I thought I’d be okay. But midway through the flight I felt a little queasy. The bathroom was in the back of the plane, and I didn’t want to go down the aisle and have Greene and Bradshaw laugh at me, knowing they’d gotten the best of me. My stomach was rumbling.

“I was very competitive and I thought I could tough it out. I could hear my stomach growling more frequently. The plane was about to land and I knew I was in trouble. I threw up on Chuck Noll’s lap. He was sleeping at the time. Thank God for that.

“I was in a panic. I didn’t know what to do. I started cleaning up my mess a little bit, and that’s when he stirred and woke up. I was standing over him now. He looked up at me. And I said, ‘Coach, are you feeling a little better now?”

The audience at the Kennedy Township Fire Hall was wide-eyed and laughing. What a story! They’d never heard this story before either.

I wrote down Grossman’s remarks for future use.

Grossman, now 59, has been a financial and investment advisor the past 22 years, a certified financial planner since 2002. He is with Wealth Management Strategies. I visited him in his office on Brilliant Avenue in Aspinwall, a quaint old-fashioned community just off Rt. 28 east of downtown Pittsburgh.

I asked him about his story. My wife Kathie couldn’t believe it was true, and now I was doubtful.

I asked Grossman if that story about him and Chuck Noll on the airplane was true, and Grossman gave me one of his double smiles. He smiles with his mouth, like most of us, but he also smiles with his dark eyes, squinting them both.

“It’s a good story,” he said.

“But is it true?” I persisted.

“It’s a good story,” he repeated.

Later that same day, I bumped into Rocky Bleier, another Steelers’ star on those teams in the ‘70s, at the Heinz History Center in The Strip. Bleier and I both serve on a Champions Committee, chaired by Franco Harris, for the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center.

I repeated Grossman’s story for the benefit of Bleier. Rocky just smiled when I finished the tale. He put his hand on my shoulder in a reassuring way and said, “It’s a good story.”

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien has written “Steeler Stuff” that is one of the 20 books in his “Pittsburgh Proud” series. His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

John Balawejder on the Pittsburgh Hockey Expo

John Balawejder on the Pittsburgh Hockey Expo:

First, can you tell us a bit about the expo. How the idea began and who runs the expo itself?

The idea began three years ago. Myself and some fellow collectors of Penguins game worn/used items got together and thought it would be fun to put on a free expo for the public. Joe Tomon of J & J Distributing and John Balawejder from Double Deke Hockey are the ones who run the expo.

If people have items they’d like to sell at the expo, how can they go about doing so?

We have a few dealer tables available for $75 a piece or two for $100. But fans can bring in rare/unusual pieces of memorabilia to sell to collectors/dealers as well.

How involved – if at all – is the Penguins organization and it’s affiliates – and how are they involved?

The Penguins sell the game worn jerseys and sticks to us but are not involved in any other way.

What are the big reasons why fans should come to the expo – and is this only for those interested in selling or purchasing a piece of Penguins history, or are there reasons for the non-buyer/non-seller to attend?

If you are a hockey fan in Pittsburgh, this is a can’t miss event.

First, its free. Second, its like walking into the NHL Hall of Fame, but there only being Penguins stuff. Third, you can actually touch/try on pieces of Penguins history from your favorite players. So you can walk in, not spend a dime, and have an amazing time, or you can walk out with a prize piece for your personal collection.

Card and autograph collectors, there will be items for you as well.

This year Phil Bourque is in attendance. What is Phil’s role and how can fans meet him?

Phil is good friends with one of our collectors. He is a special guest who will be signing autographs and hanging out with the fans.

Any other former players/personalities fans should look for at the expo? What others have attended in prior years?

This is the first year that we have had a special guest. But with it being so close to the arena on a game day, you never know who will stop in.

Have you seen representatives from sports history museums like the The History Center and Sports Museum come to the event to acquire items?

We have had some major auction houses come in to acquire items from collectors, but have not had anyone from the museums. A lot of what you will see if Hall of Fame worthy items.

What are some of the more unique pieces of Penguins history you’ve seen sold through the years – and what are some of the more unique items being sold this year?

Because it is a first come first serve event, we don’t reveal any of the items in advance. This keeps people from getting really upset that they missed out on a piece. All we can say is, get in line early. As far as in the past, most collectors hold onto their prized items, but here are a few of the amazing pieces of Penguins history you will see at the Expo:

Mario Lemieuxs game worn jersey vs NJ when he scored five goals five different ways
Mario Lemieuxs rookie NHL contract
Michel Briere’s photomatched game worn glove
Sidney Crosbys rookie game worn jersey
Tons of jerseys and game used items from all 3 Stanley Cup Seasons
Game Worn Jerseys from every season of the Penguins

What else should readers know about the event?

It takes place Saturday Sept 22nd 9am-4pm at the Epiphany Church Hall located right next to the Consol Energy Centers lower entrance at 184 Washington Place.

Doors open at 9am but get there early for best selection. Phil Bourque will be signing autographs from 10:30am – noon(subject to change without notice).

The equipment sale also starts at 9am. There will be game used sticks, jerseys, helmets, gloves, skates, and pants, many never being available for sale before.

Any last thoughts for readers?

If you like Pittsburgh Hockey, then the 3rd Annual Pittsburgh Hockey Expo is a can’t miss event!

Bobby Shaw, Steelers Wide Receiver, 1998-2001

First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself professionally since your time in the NFL and how you got started in this line of work?

I’m doing very little now – I was working in real estate for a little while, but the way the market is…I’m not doing that anymore. I had a golf shop for a year and a half – from 2007-2009, That was my primary thing then. I had lots of fun doing it, but unfortunately I had to close it.

I’m enjoying being a husband and dad now. I have two boys – 5 1/2 and 1 1/2 year olds – and am really enjoying being a full-time dad. I enjoy spending quality time with them – it’s all about my boys.

Continue reading “Bobby Shaw, Steelers Wide Receiver, 1998-2001”

Jim O’Brien: Wild Things still chasing the big-time dream

JIm O’Brien: Wild Things still chasing the big-time dream

Pittsburgh sports author and Pittsburgh Business Times columnist Jim O’Brien

The won-lost record and the ballpark attendance are down, but the principal owner of the Washington Wild Things remains up.

Stu Williams is aware that his Wild Things have not been playing as well as they have in the past, or drawing the kinds of crowds they traditionally attracted at CONSOL Energy Park, but he is an indefatigable optimist and is thrilled to have a franchise in the Frontier League.

“We are doing our best,” said the 58-year-old attorney from Upper St. Clair who provides legal guidance for Mylan Corporation among many top-tier clients, and has been involved in the ownership of the Wild Things since their origin in 2002.

“We couldn’t do this without Consol Energy, Washington Financial, or the Coury Family. It doesn’t happen without them. Without them there are no Wild Things. I’m optimistic. I’m confident. I love this. I want this to work.”

His group bought the ballpark, originally known as Falconi Field, for $3.9 million last year. Williams is working on establishing a Frontier League franchise in Bridgeport, W.V. as well as maintaining the one in Washington.

Former Steelers’ center Dermontti Dawson, soon to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is one of the investors, along with Jeff Coury, president of Coury Financial Group in Pittsburgh. Stu’s wife, Francine or Frani Williams, joins him as a managing partner.

Four of their six children were all working at some task in the ballpark on Friday the 13^th when the Wild Things celebrated Halloween in July. Frani was doling out free chocolate chip cookies and mini-milk cartons during the fifth inning, a ritual at all home games. It’s a family affair.

The oldest of the Williams’ children, Louis, 27, was not there; he’s in med school at Albany (N.Y.) Medical College. Nicole, 25, a graduate of Hofstra University, is going to play pro basketball in Israel next season. Elana, 20, was serving food in the suites section; she’s a student at Pitt. Philip, 18, is a sophomore at Pitt and a Chancellor’s Scholar. Amanda, 14, and Shane, 8, were there as well.

Marketing Director Christine Blaine came to the ballpark that night in the spirit of “Halloween in July” dressed as Snow White, and Operations/Special Events Director Wayne Herrod came with his face painted green and black as a camouflaged soldier.
Anything for the cause. Both put in long days and are respected by the media they serve.

“All we need are 3,000 fans per game,” said Herrod. “If we could get 8 per cent of the population within a 30-mile radius of the park we’d be happy.”

Williams wants to see that happen sooner than later.

“I think we’re doing everything right,” said Williams. “I know that sounds boastful, but we have a lot of things in the right place. We have a beautiful field, good coaches, a good staff throughout, good music. Kids can go out on the field after every game. We’re more open here. We just haven’t won yet.”

He’s pleased the Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing so well this summer, drawing bigger crowds and increased TV ratings, even if it has made his job more challenging.

Some fans complain that parking was raised from $3 to $5 and concession prices went up a bit. Even so, a family of four can have an evening of fun for less than $50. The general admission seats are $5 and the most expensive are $15. A beer is $6. For $10 fans can buy a Wild Dog Combo – a hot dog, French fries and a 32-ounce soda.

He pointed out a huge video screen on the right field wall that was showing images of the ballplayers. “We just put that in,” said Williams. “It cost a million dollars. We’re making improvements to the field and to every aspect of the operation.”

He pointed to a pink sky over a sylvan setting framing the outfield wall at sunset. The backdrop reminds older fans of Forbes Field in Oakland, looking out into Schenley Park. Announcer Bill DiFabio calls it “The House of Thrills” over the public address system throughout the games.

“We have a different set of fans,” said Williams, “and they like coming here. We’ve got to get back some of the fans who came here because the park was new and the team was new. We’ll get there. Our kids are playing their hearts out. I hope the Pirates do well. The Pirates’ experience is first class; we’re not at the same price point.”

The Frontier League player payroll per team is $75,000 for a 24-man roster, with a salary range of $600 to $1600 a month, based on experience. Age limit is 27. Teams can keep one veteran player beyond that.

Williams knows the players, even some of the best of the opposing players, and he’s focused on the field as well as the stands during the games. He blanches if a sore subject is introduced in the conversation, but he stays focused. “Those are tough questions,” Williams said several times.

“We’ll get the players and we’ll be fine,” he said. “We love what we’re doing here, and we believe we have become a real asset to Washington County. We provide a real entertainment option here. We have brought in a big-time circus, wrestling shows, provided a first-class ballfield for youth baseball and softball teams, we have plenty of promotions and fun nights, mascots the kids love, and we’re having fun.”

The team has been flirting with seventh place or last place in its division, and the average attendance of 1,537 (after 52 games) is next to last in the 14-team league. It’s a league with teams called the Evansville Otters, Lake Erie Crushers and Schaumburg Boomers and visiting teams stay at the Red Roof Inn when they come to Washington. The London Rippers folded their franchise following Tuesday’s game in Washington, and Williams watched the game more intently than usual because he picked up four players from the Rippers.

That’s all you need to know that this is not the National League or the American League. It’s an independent league with no major league affiliations, but the teams are stocked with eager young men who love to play the game, many of them still holding on to a dream that someday they will make it to the big dance.

One sees catches, throws and double-plays that are as good as anything offered by the Pirates at PNC Park. “I’ve been out there, and I was impressed with the quality of play,” said Joe Gordon, the former publicist for the Pittsburgh Steelers who played baseball at Pitt and is a big fan of the sport. “Like the Pirates, they do a great job in the entertainment business. It’s a great setting.”

The 3,200-capacity baseball field, a gem of a facility, is located just off Route 70, next to the Crowne Center Mall, 30 miles from the Pirates’ PNC Park, but it’s a world away from the life of Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker.

Former Pirates’ pitcher and present-day broadcaster Steve Blass stopped by CONSOL Energy Park with his wife Karen. “We have a break for the All-Star Game,” said Karen, “so what’s he do? He takes me to a baseball game.”

Blass came because he was invited to see a young man from his neck of the woods in Connecticut pitch for the Traverse City Beach Bums. Blass would have been a good fit on such a team. “I wish when I played we had a park like this,” observed Blass, standing behind home plate. “We didn’t have this. This is a gem.”

Blass beamed as he took in the scene. “This is a lot more fun for the ballplayers,” he said.

Paul Fox, the orchestra director at Upper St. Clair High School, and his wife, Donna, who does the same at Peters Township High School, brought her father Donald Stark to the game. “We broke him out of Country Meadows (senior care facility) for the night,” offered Paul Fox. “We’re here about three times a year and it’s the friendliest place you want to be.”

Alex and Ria Kartsonas accompanied a dozen kids from an under-8 softball team in Peters Township on a group package. “We’re having a ball,” reported Ria.

Alex, 45, who played baseball at the University of Pittsburgh, said, “You’re so close to the field here. There are so many things going on here the kids don’t have a chance to get bored.”

Chris Bando, who has been in professional baseball for 28 years, is in his first year as field manager for the Wild Things. “I’m passionate about baseball,” he said. “Player development and community development are keys for me. I see what the team owners are doing and I want to be a part of bringing a championship to the Wild Things.”

His bench coach is the ebullient Lenny Randle, who has 17 years of professional baseball experience, 11 in the Major Leagues. He’s quite a character. He once gained national attention when he was with the New York Mets and got down on all fours and tried to blow a baseball off the baseline into foul territory. He’s a real ambassador for the Wild Things and banters with fans during breaks in the action.

“He’s a lot of fun,” said Williams. “He’s training these youngsters to be big leaguers. He’s a big brother, a swag daddy. We have the youngest team in the league, and he’s teaching them. I think this would make for a good reality TV show.”

Two of the home grown players are Andrew Heck and Rick Devereaux who were students at Duquesne University when the school dropped baseball as a varsity sport two years ago. Heck, an outfielder from the North Hills, transferred to Oklahoma State, and Devereaux, a catcher from West Allegheny High, to Pitt. Gus Benusa, an outfielder, played at Riverview High School in Oakmont.

“This is an opportunity to play professional baseball,” said Heck. “I’m 23 and I’m still young enough to do something like this. I’m still living the dream. If I didn’t love baseball, I wouldn’t be here. We both have our college degrees so we’re prepared for the next step.”

“It’s an opportunity to play ball,” said Devereaux. “I’m not playing here for the money. I live at home and my family is supportive. I hope to get picked up somewhere. I’m putting everything into it.”

Randle, ever the cheerleader, said, “When I look at Heck and Devereaux, I see future major leaguers.”

Williams pointed out a young woman who was walking deliberately across the aisle, pushing a baby in a stroller. “Her husband is one of our infielders,” said Williams. “She pauses and watches him at bat and then resumes strolling. That’s what this is all about.”

The young woman, Erin Garvey was pacing with her 11-month-old son Levi. Her husband, Robbie, played baseball at Southern Nevada Junior College when she was on the softball team. “We were engaged for three years before we got married, so we’re patient about all this,” she said. “Right now, I’m fine with what he’s doing. We’re both 23. He wants to make it in the big leagues. That’s his dream. I’m in school now and I want to be a nurse. I’m trying to follow my dream, too.”

Two of the hardcore fans who are still wild about the Wild Things are Emily Narsavage and Martha McNutt, both in their 70s, who come to all the games from Woodlands Village, a senior community ten minutes from the ballpark.

“I’ve always loved baseball and I played mushball when I was young,” said Ms. Narsavage. “Martha and I even got dressed up for Halloween. See we’re wearing Wild Things shirts that are orange and black.”

Ms. McNutt said, “We enjoy the atmosphere at this ball park as much as the baseball. We see friends here. We talk to people. The employees are great; it’s just a fun time. Everybody is nice to you, all the way up to the big guy, Stu Williams.

“He’s really trying to make something of this. You have no idea of how hard they’re trying. They just haven’t found the right combination yet.”

John Chambers, a 60-year-old coal miner from Carmichaels, is a season ticket holder with front-row seats along first base. He’s had season tickets from the start.

“I like the family atmosphere here,” said Chambers. “I like the hustle. I see major leaguers dogging it and not running out ground balls. I like watching these kids who don’t make much money who are trying so hard.”

ATTENDANCE FOR 48 HOME GAME SCHEDULE THROUGH THE YEARS

Provided by Frontier League

Year Total Attendance Avg. Attendance

2002 132,901 2,768

2003 156,276 3,255

2004 154,276 3,214

2005 154,963 3,228

2006 152,805 3,183

2007 155,894 3,247

2008 154,444 3,217

2009 133,881 2,789

2010 116,722 2,431

2011 104,635 2,179

Pittsburgh Business Times columnist Jim O’Brien has written 20 books in his “Pittsburgh Proud” sports series. His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Jim O’brien: Munhall’s Jack Butler knows how to say “Thank you”

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

Jack Butler was the best speaker of the six former National Football League players who were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past Saturday evening in Canton, Ohio.

Butler was at the microphone in Fawcett Stadium for exactly 3 minutes and 55 seconds. That contrasts with the final speaker on the program, Curtis Martin, who spoke for 27 minutes. It took three hours to induct six players. That’s overkill.

Butler said “thank you” or some form of that phrase nine times in that span. He said he was thankful, grateful, honored, humbled, happy and proud. What more is there to say?

Hey, he’s 84 years old and moving as fast as he can on two bad wheels. He said he was “thankful to God.” He concluded his reflections by saying, “Heck, I’m thankful to be here. I thank you all.”

Butler was midway through his nine-year (1951-1959) playing career for the Steelers when Britain’s Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile for the first time – that was on May 6, 1954 – and the Oxford student completed the distance in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds.

So Butler broke Bannister’s record on Saturday night by a few seconds.

Martin, who came out of Hazelwood and Taylor Allderdice High School and the University of Pittsburgh, told some harrowing tales about an alcoholic father who beat his mother, giving her black eyes, burning her in hot water in a bath tub, setting her hair on fire with a lighter, and putting lit cigarettes out on her legs.

It might make for an interesting magazine story, or for a book, but not for a Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

In short, rather in long, Martin told his life story, way too personally as some saw it. Martin received rave reviews in some publications for his honest account of a dysfunctional family, but drew some strong criticism in social media. Some observers said it was “the worst speech in Hall of Fame history.”

Martin went into too much detail or TMI, as my daughter Rebecca says when I do the same. TMI is for Too Much Information. I felt the same way when I read “West on West,” Jerry West’s life story, when he revealed so many ugly details about his dad and his upbringing in backwoods West Virginia.

It’s a good thing Martin spoke last and not first. Butler was second on the program and he might have packed his bags and gone back home to Munhall if he had to sit through Martin’s marathon talk before it was his turn to speak.

Butler thanked his wife and his eight children, but he didn’t mention them all by name, thinking that he’d go over his allotted five-minute acceptance speech. That’s how long Hall of Fame officials ask you to speak.

I recall that Butler was the best speaker, even though he started out by saying “I’m not much of a speaker,” at a dinner to honor his teammate Fran Rogel of North Braddock.

That dinner lasted from 6 o’clock to just after midnight at the Churchill Country Club and Butler told a buddy “some of those speakers killed it by talking too long.”

Butler has always been a man of few words. He probably spoke longer than former Pirates’ star Bill Mazeroski did the day he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but both were well received because they are “so damn real,” as Steve Blass once said of Maz. They are down to earth and uncomfortable in the spotlight, and that’s part of their appeal to Pittsburgh sports fans.

I don’t think the induction ceremony of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is an appropriate place to put out your family’s dirty laundry.

I have been guilty of staying too long at the mike at the Sports Night Dinner at the Thompson Club in West Mifflin, and I have learned my lesson in that regard. Nowadays, I make sure I know how long I’m expected to speak and keep a close eye on my wristwatch to make sure I don’t go into overtime.

I remember going to a football banquet in Belle Vernon in the mid-80s when I was to be the featured speaker. I got there a half hour early, as is my custom, to meet people and pick up some items I could use in my talk to localize my remarks. The dinner started at 6 p.m. By 10 p.m. I still had not been called to the podium.

A long-time assistant soccer coach was given a surprise award upon his retirement. He said, “I don’t have a script,” before he went into a 24-minute ramble. Midway through his remarks, I told the head football coach who was sitting next to me, “Get him a script!”

When I got up to speak I had to remind those in attendance of why we were there.

I was happy to see Butler and Martin get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I knew Chris Doleman, one of the other inductees, from our days at Pitt. He was about to start his junior season (1983) when I was hired to be the assistant athletic director for public relations at Pitt.

I remember Doleman got hurt in the first game of his senior year (1984), a season-opener at Pitt Stadium against BYU, and missed most of the season. He was one of several players who were in the doghouse with Coach Foge Fazio. The Panthers lost to BYU 20-14. That setback in the first game set the tone for the rest of the schedule and the Panthers finished with a 3-7-1 record.

There was a lot of talent on that team. When the Panthers finished 5-5-1 the following season, Fazio was fired as the head coach. I thought he deserved another year, just as I thought Dave Wannstedt should have been given another year. Both had recruited the talent to turn out a winner.

I recall being in the press box in Martin’s junior season (1993) at Pitt when he ran for over 200 yards against a tough Texas team. There were two Steelers’ scouts in the press box that day. Martin did suffer some injuries at Pitt that limited his playing time. That’s why he lasted till the third round in the NFL draft before the New England Patriots, coached by Bill Parcells, took him in the draft.

I ran into Martin’s mother a few times when I was signing books at Ross Park Mall. She’d be wearing a New England Patriots’ jacket and she’d make sure you knew she was Curtis Martin’s mother. I got a kick out of her brassiness. She seemed like a strong woman, happy and proud of her son’s achievements.

She told me stories about her son. She never shared any stories about her husband.

I was no longer on the Steelers’ beat when Dermontti Dawson came along in 1988. But he seemed like a good guy, and he was definitely a great center, following in the tradition of Mike Webster, Ray Mansfield and Bill Walsh as outstanding Steelers’ centers.

This is the second time that Pitt has had two former players inducted into the Hall of Fame on the same day. Russ Grimm and Rickey Jackson were inducted in the Class of 2010.

Doleman commented in Canton that this could help Pitt in its recruiting efforts. He mentioned the problems in the Penn State program, with players abandoning ship at State College in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky Scandal and NCAA penalties.

He said that Pitt should get some of its Hall of Fame football players, and other alumni, to convince some of the Penn State players that Pitt would be the perfect place for them if they are considering transferring to another school.

Doleman’s idea sounds good, but it would be illegal and might draw NCAA penalties to the Pitt program. Todd Graham advanced some similar ideas when he became the head coach at Pitt. He wanted Bill Fralic and Tony Dorsett to do that. You would think a head coach in college would know the rules better than that. Former players and alumni are not permitted to talk to prospects about coming to any college.

I have been asked many times in recent weeks what I thought about the NCAA penalties against Penn State.

At first, I wrongly thought that the NCAA should not have anything to say about this scandal since Penn State broke no rules in its conduct of its football program. But I guess Todd Graham is not the only one who doesn’t know what the NCAA can and cannot do.

I think Penn State officials were so eager to not draw a four-year “death penalty” that they accepted the terms of this penalty. But I thought the NCAA went too far.

I think it was ridiculous and uncalled for to strip Penn State of so many victories in recent years. They didn’t want Joe Paterno to remain the winningest college football coach in Division I so they cut back on his victory total.

Hey, Joe Paterno didn’t win those games. The football team did, and it’s not fair to those players and those students and alumni who were part of the program to penalize them in such a manner.

I thought it was okay to ban the team from post-season bowl games for four years, and to reduce their scholarships by five each year. The new coach, Bill O’Brien, was most upset by the decision to permit present Penn State football players to transfer to another school without having to sit out a season.

Coaches always react to such things on a personal level. This was the one aspect of the penalty that was going to make O’Brien’s job more challenging. I am sure he didn’t buy into such a situation when he left the New England Patriots in favor of Penn State.

I think things will work out fine for Penn State. O’Brien is right to say Penn State is still an outstanding academic institution and there aren’t any bowl games you can go to and have 110,000 people in the stands as they have at Beaver Stadium.

I think Penn State will attract a certain kind of kid who wants to help turn things around in the program. Penn State still has one of the greatest environments any kid could ask for to play college football. Some of the great prospects will go elsewhere because they want to play in bowl games.

I think Penn State will appeal to the best kind of kids.

I have to take O’Brien to task for saying that because of his prior experience as a pro football coach that he can better ready players to move to the next level. Dave Wannstedt used to say that when he was the head coach at Pitt.

I don’t think O’Brien’s job is to prepare players for the pros. How many kids are we talking about here? Few make it to the pro level. His job, and Wannstedt’s job, is to develop a clean and proud college football program, to turn out winning teams.

Joe Paterno set the bar high in that respect. Paterno made a mistake in judgment when he didn’t see to it that Jerry Sandusky was fired and forced to leave the State College campus. I have friends, including Franco Harris, who disagree about this, and remain firm in their belief that Paterno did what was required of him.

Joe Paterno is dead. Taking his victories away doesn’t punish him. It punishes people who had nothing to do with the Jerry Sandusky Scandal. I am a proud Pitt man, but I feel sorry for Penn State people who truly cared about the school’s football team and athletic program, and have been hurt by all this.

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien can be reached at jimmyo64@gmail.com

Michael Minter, Steelers Defensive Lineman, 1987

First, can you let readers know what you have been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL and how you got started in this profession?

I moved back to my home state of Texas when I left Pittsburgh. With my sports background, I felt led to coaching. I wanted to give back to the youth.

So, I returned to school to finish up my degree and got a teaching certification from the University of North Texas. I coached football and track for about ten years at Denton High School.

I currently teach at Denton High School . This is my 20th year of teaching. I also own a driver’s education school (NorTex Driving School). I spend a lot of my time coaching select baseball on my son’s team. I have seven kids (four boys, three girls).

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