pittsburghsportsdailybulletin – Page 149 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

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).

Continue reading “Michael Minter, Steelers Defensive Lineman, 1987”

Joe Gordon, Former Steelers Director of Communications

First, can you tell readers how you first became the Steelers’ Director of Communications in 1969?

I worked for the Hornets minor league hockey team then the Penguins and developed a reputation as being a confident and professional PR person. I had a relationship with Dan and with Art. Art was a big Penguins fan – he attended seven-to-eight Penguins games a year.

In 1970, the Steelers moved to Three Rivers Stadium. It was Dan’s opinion that they needed to expand the staff – including PR. The Steelers had one of the smallest staffs in the league at the time, and with the league merging with the AFL, Dan knew they needed to expand the staff. The NFL-AFL merger meant more opportunities for the team and NFL. Plus, we had an antiquated stadium. They had to generate more revenue to compete and playing at Pitt stadium – that was built in 1927 and had only bleacher seating – well, it was not even up to the standards of the current league much less the merging league.

Continue reading “Joe Gordon, Former Steelers Director of Communications”

Chris Kolodziejski, Steelers Tight End, 1984

First, can you let readers know about your post-NFL career, including your new investment – Chella Skin Care Products?

I was fortunate to graduate from University of Wyoming with a finance degree and after my career ending injury, I moved back home to California and started a real estate development and construction company. That was a great business to be in from 1985 to 1991, however in 1991 we went thought a dramatic real estate collapse that lasted until 1996.

Continue reading “Chris Kolodziejski, Steelers Tight End, 1984”

Antwaan Randle El, Steelers Wide Receiver, 2002-2005, 2010

First, can you let readers know about the Antwaan Randel El Foundation. How it got started and why this cause is so special to you?

I started the foundation eight years ago. It started off as football camps for the kids. I’ve been living my life for Jesus – that’s my background – I’ve been living for God for ten-to-twelve years. There’s not many football camps that teach that to kids. So, I tied it to the social part – what it is to be a man. That’s what we teach the kids.

I got that from my upbringing – from my mom and dad. When my dad got saved when I was a kid, everything changed in my house. God transformed my dad – he was a big drinker, heavy into the alcohol. He used to kick us out the door when it was time for church. He wouldn’t go but he wanted us too. The way the household changed when he was saved – it was so different.

Now we teach the kids to follow God. Who can you help? We serve the kids this way.

Continue reading “Antwaan Randle El, Steelers Wide Receiver, 2002-2005, 2010”

Jim O’Brien: From Hazelwood to London still long jump for Douglas

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

Herb Douglas Jr. is a boyhood hero who has stood the test of time. As a 26-year-old graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Douglas won a bronze medal in the long jump in the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London, and parlayed his celebrity status in sports into a successful business career.

He lives in Philadelphia, but he has maintained his boyhood home in Hazelwood and stays there when he returns to coordinate special recognition programs for track & field and African-American athletes at his alma mater. He has served on the board of trustees at the University of Pittsburgh and now enjoys emeritus status. He is in the Taylor Allderdice High School Hall of Fame.

“He’s a good friend and counselor,” said Chancellor Mark Nordenberg. “Herb has always been a point of pride for the University of Pittsburgh, and leads us in so many ways.”

Douglas is departing Philadelphia on Thursday, July 27 for a week-long stay in London during the Olympic Games with several of his teammates from the 1948 USA Olympic team. At 90, he is the oldest surviving Olympic track & field medalist, and will serve as an ambassador for the University of Pittsburgh.

He returned to Pittsburgh last month to place his memorabilia in a time capsule on a wall where many prominent Pittsburghers are honored at the Heinz History Center. Douglas has been cited as a “History Maker” at the Senator John Heinz History Center, is hailed in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum and he celebrated his 85^th and 90^th birthdays at gala events there that were attended by Olympians and sports celebrities, as well as family and close friends.

“Herb Douglas has a special place in so many respects here at the Heinz History Center,” said Andy Masisch, the president and CEO of the center in the city’s Strip District. Douglas has become a good friend of Franco Harris. “He’s taught me a lot about our history,” said Harris, who chairs the Champions Committee there.

Douglas spoke over the telephone from his apartment in Philadelphia earlier this month, and a sense of excitement and anticipation resonated in his usually steady voice.

“There was a photographer here yesterday from The New York Daily News who took a picture of me and my Olympic medal,” declared Douglas. “That’s the first time, strangely enough, that has happened. I needed that, too, to pass along.

“I feel good about all of this, everything. It was 64 years ago that I won that medal, but it stays with me. I was a person who used the Olympics to open up business opportunities.”

He says he was inspired by the gold medal efforts of Jesse Owens and John Woodruff and what African-American athletes achieved in the 1936 Olympic Games. “We didn’t have role models before that,” said Douglas.

In 1950, Douglas became a sales representative and district manager in Milwaukee for Pabst Blue Ribbon. In 1963, he left Pabst to join Schieffelin & Company, importers of such premium brands as Hennessy Cognac, Moet and Chandon Champagnes.

Douglas was credited for boosting sales in urban communities, and for promoting minority hiring in his company. He was named a vice-president of special markets in Milwaukee in 1968, and a vice-president of urban market development in 1984. He worked for the company, now known as Moet & Hennessy for 30 years, 24 years as an employee and six more years as a consultant. He formally retired in 1987.

He is reputed to be among the first African-American athletes, along with Jackie Robinson and Joe Black of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to use sports as a springboard for success as vice-presidents for national concerns.

Douglas met President Barack Obama in Denver this year. “He put his arm around me and said, ‘I stand on your shoulders.’ He said he hopes he looks as good as me when he is 90. I told him he’d look better because he’s better-looking.”

Douglas believes four basics serve anyone well. His motto has been “analyze, organize, initiate and follow through.”

To which he adds, “Get yourself someone you can trust like a brother, a good finance person, a good business lawyer, and work hard and you have a chance to be a winner.”

Jim O’Brien is the author of “Hometown Heroes” and 20 books in his “Pittsburgh Proud” series. His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Jim O’Brien: Just enjoy the games as they are played

Jim O’Brien: Just enjoy the games as they are played:

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

This is a great time to be a sports fan in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates have been playing so well and have created so much excitement in the city over their improved prospects.

The Steelers opened their training camp at St. VincentCollege at mid-week and many of their fans will be making their annual pilgrimage to Latrobe to get an up-close look at their favorite pro football team.

The Summer Olympic Games are underway in London and we will be rooting for our U.S.A. competitors in a wide selection of sports. Since I was 14, back in the Summer Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, I have been a big fan of this international competition.

Golf fans had to enjoy the British Open – I still call it that – in which the veteran Ernie Els made a great stretch run to overtake Adam Scott to win one of the majors. I don’t play golf but I love to watch it on TV. I was also glad that Tiger Woods was in contention nearly all the way.

Anyone who has a high definition flat screen TV these days has to enjoy the extended coverage of sports in every spectrum. I even watched the NASCAR race in Chicago on Sunday.

If only they could clean up the mess at PennState sooner than later. I’m a Pitt man but I root for PennState and I want to see the school resume being the great school it has always been.

As I was writing this column, the Pirates had just swept a series with the Miami Marlins for a season-high five consecutive victories and were 14 games over .500 with the Chicago Cubs coming to town. Who saw that coming back in April?

Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Neal Walker, A.J. Burnett & Co. are the toast of the town. So many Pirates have stepped up their games. It would be great if they can continue to win more games than they lose. I will be happy with a winning team this year.

I don’t want them to trade off any of their top prospects for a rent-a-player to help them get into the playoffs. I’d rather see this team grow from within. I’m a patient man when it comes to the Pirates. They are missing some pieces, but they have an inspired manager in Clint Hurdle. He has a heartbeat, unlike his predecessor, and he has endeared himself to Pirates’ fans. I’m worried that he will wear out his jaw chewing gum so vehemently during the games.

I was looking forward to attending Wednesday afternoon’s contest with the Cubs at PNCPark, knowing there would be a great crowd, enhanced by the presence of plenty of Chicago visitors. It promised to be a great afternoon for baseball.

There’s been a real buzz in the ‘Burgh about these Pirates. Some of the biggest crowds in PNC history have turned out to see the Pirates in action, and not just for the giveaways and fireworks for a change. They were there to see the Pirates play baseball.

Ticket sales for the remainder of the summer have been strong, and anyone looking for the best seats better hurry up and get their orders in because they are going fast. People are buying up Pirates’ paraphernalia

I may sound like a coach but I am enjoying each game on its own merits. Overzealous fans are already talking about the Pirates’ playoff prospects – there’s an extra wild-card slot this year – and even about what the team might do in a World Series.

People who recognize me as a sportswriter have started to ask me what I think about the Pirates and how far they might go.

I usually disappoint people when they ask me those kinds of questions, whether we are talking about the Pirates, the Penguins, the Steelers, or one of the Pitt teams.

For starters, I don’t know what any of these teams are going to do in future games. I pride myself on knowing the history of these teams, and sports in general.

I have been surprised and delighted by the Pirates’ play to date. Who wouldn’t enjoy what we have seen so far? But there are serious holes in their lineup, at bat and in the field, and the quality of pitching can turn on a dime.

I think Pirates’ fans who want to discuss the playoffs and the World Series before July has even ended, with so many games in August and September and even at the beginning of October, are just setting them up for serious disappointment. It would be nice if they could win their division, but don’t count on it. There are many games still to be played. And just because an opposing team has a poorer record does not mean the Pirates will prevail. That’s baseball; that’s sports.

Here’s my suggestion: just enjoy the games as they are played, and be enough of a baseball fan to be able to deal with a defeat here and there, because it’s going to happen. A team that can win five straight can also lose five straight. Or more.

The same goes for the Steelers.

How do I think they will do this year?

I think they will be a contender. I think they will be in the mix. They still have enough key players back to be in the running. The Steelers don’t have to win the Super Bowl to have a great season, at least not in my mind. They have a first-rate coach in Mike Tomlin and great players showing the way on both sides of the ball in Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu and strong supporting casts, with or without Mike Wallace.

Like the Pirates, I think they will provide us with some great games, some victories to make our day, and that there will be days they will disappoint us because they did not play well, or they did not win the game.

The same goes for the Penguins. Why does the Stanley Cup come into the conversation at the start of every season? Or already this summer?

Pittsburgh sports fans are more spoiled than most sports fans because we have enjoyed so much success in sports in this region, more so than most cities in this country. We have enjoyed more than our share of championships.

Sports are an outlet, entertainment to take our minds off some of the stories that fill the front pages of our daily newspapers each and every day. It’s a pastime.

I’ve been following sports for a long time. I first got interested in the Olympic Games when I was 14 and became the sports editor of the bi-weekly newspaper in my hometown – The Hazelwood Envoy.

The gold medalist in the shot put that summer was named Parry O’Brien from Southern California. That caught my attention understandably. I became a big fan of track & field.

I learned that there was a man in my hometown named Herb Douglas Jr. who had won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. We later became friends. Herb celebrated his 90^th birthday here in Pittsburgh in mid-March and he is in London for the next seven days, sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh, his alma mater, to witness these Olympic Games.

I will be especially interested in watching track & field, basketball, swimming and gymnastics.

I will be rooting for Swin Cash of McKeesport, the oldest player at 32 on our women’s basketball team, to contribute to a gold medal effort. I recall having lunch with Swin at an Eat’n Park Restaurant on Lyle Boulevard in McKeesport when she was a star player at the University of Connecticut.

I recall seeing Swin Cash honored at the Heinz History Center and looking so beautiful posing for pictures with the likes of Herb Douglas and the late “Bullet Bill” Dudley, a Steelers’ star in the ‘40s.

Swin Cash keeps coming back to McKeesport and lends her presence and her money to help make things better in the projects where she grew up. There have been killings in her old neighborhood and she knows the families of some of the victims.

Whether there is violence in McKeesport, or Aurora, Colorado or in so many countries in Europe and Asia and Africa, it makes one realize how lucky we are to have some relief, or an outlet, to have fun with our games, with our sports.

It’s fun to argue about sports, and to make comparisons and contrasts. I see where Kobe Bryant is bragging that this edition of the men’s basketball team would beat The Dream Team that represented the U.S.A. when Michael Jordan was the team’s star.

I go back to that 1960 men’s basketball team that is now overlooked, but had enough great players to beat any team at any time. You can’t play ten or twelve players at the same time and I think we’d be better off with some lesser talents who recognize that they are role players, and contribute in ways that are more difficult to measure.

Our 1960 team included Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Walt Bellamy and Jerry Lucas – who are all in the Basketball Hall of Fame – and such other stars as Terry Dischinger, Bob Boozer, Darrell Imhoff and Adam Smith. They went 8-0 and outscored their opponents by 42.4 points per game.

Pirates’ broadcaster Steve Blass has been reminding us during each game of what fun it is to be at PNCPark these days. The Pirates and their fans have suffered through 19 straight losing seasons, the most of any team in professional sports, and that’s why this is so sweet.

I hear the Pirates’ broadcasters using phrases such as “can of corn” to describe a pop fly in the outfield, and it brings Bob Prince to mind. Prince used that phrase when he was “the voice of the Pirates,” and it brings back memories of better days at the ballpark.

I think it’s unrealistic to expect our teams to come out on top all the time. It doesn’t work that way.

Save your prayers for the real problems in the world or in your neighborhood, and simply root for the home teams to prevail. Don’t damn them when they don’t play up to your expectations.

Just enjoy the games.

Sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien has a series of “Pittsburgh Proud” books at area bookstores. His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Chuck Finder, Author, the Steelers Encyclopedia

Chuck Finder

First, can you tell readers about your new book – the Steelers Encyclopedia. What inspired you to write the book and how it differs from other Steelers books?

It wasn’t so much an epiphany or lightning bolt from above. Rather, about a month after I took a voluntary buyout from half my life as a newspaper wretch, a call came from a publisher: “How’d you like to write a Steelers book?” It’s an idea that knocked around my cranium for years. But I held back, wanting to wade into the deep end of the sports-book pool with a craft more seaworthy than a ducky innertube (nothing against them, so long as you’re under the age of five).

These publishers found a niche with an Encyclopedia-style book, and that concept struck a chord with me. It allowed a laser focus on the coaches, the players, the Rooneys, the important moments and the few people who comprised the down-then-up arc of the Pirates/Steelers franchise. Moreover – and here’s where this book differs from the rest – this broad approach allowed for nearly 100 different voices and 150 rare photographs. From Hall of Famers to assistant coaches to trainers to media, from Joe Greene to the virtual Joe Blow, men with roles big and little in the 80-year history were given the ability to show their faces and share their oral histories. It’s a fun ride. It’s a fun read, I hope.

How can readers order the book?

It comes out Sept. 8, but you can preorder already via online sales:

+ Amazon at //www.amazon.com/Steelers-Encyclopedia-Chuck-Finder/dp/143990832X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341545144&sr=1-1&keywords=%22Steelers+Encyclopedia%22

+ Barnes and Noble at //www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-steelers-encyclopedia-chuck-finder/1109647411?ean=9781439908327

+ And here is the publisher’s page //www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2194_reg.html

Come September, it will be in bookstores throughout the Western Pennsylvania and, so we hope, anywhere Steelers fans shop. Make sure you ask for it!

How has your experience as a sportswriter and columnist for the Post-Gazette affected the way you approached the book – and did that experience make it in any way more challenging for you to come up with a different approach?

Actually, it felt as if that quarter-century of background and experience prepared me to write a better book on a familiar subject. Even beyond than that work experience, I was fortunate to grow up as a family friend of the Steel Curtain’s backup, Steve Furness. From an early age, I got to meet teammates and hear stories from behind the ‘70s scenes. So when it came time so many years later to call on folks I’ve known for so long, it seemed like renewing old acquaintances and them launching into, “Here’s one you never heard…..” Out poured stories that few outside of the team circle ever heard. Like when Gary Dunn prefaced one tale, “Here’s one you can retire on.” (If only that were true!)

Long answer short, my experience and familiarity allowed me to hold intimate conversations. My career as a journalist gave me the diligence and the doggedness to interview so many, to double- and triple-check stories, to back up statistics and to pore through accounts from a variety of different Pittsburgh media sources. Combined, those factors made the fresh approach – oral histories and hardly-seen photos – flow almost seamlessly together.

In researching the book, what are some of the biggest perceptions about the team that were debunked from the 100+ interviews you conducted?

Not sure if anything was debunked, but instead it was reinforced: somewhere between great fortune, divine providence and overdue karma came together this amazing amalgamation. Talent met character met camaraderie met fortitude met intelligence. These folks take you inside the draft room, inside the trainer’s room, inside the meeting room, inside the weight room, inside the locker room, through the tunnel, onto the practice field, into the game, to the Super Bowl. . . and on the raucous bus afterward. In quite a few occasions, they simply collided with dumb luck.

For example, take the John Stallworth story. Bill Nunn pulled some shenanigans in scouting Stallworth, then played poker on draft day: There was war-room sentiment to take Stallworth in the second round rather than Jack Lambert, but Nunn calmly convinced them that Stallworth would last until the fourth round (they had no third-rounder, remember). Later, on the practice field, Chuck Noll suggested that Stallworth shed his glasses for contacts. And from there Stallworth competed with Lynn Swann for Terry Bradshaw’s attention and passes. It all worked – the three each became Hall of Famers. Oh, and Stallworth owns a piece of the club now, too.

Hindsight and maturity allows many of the significant people of those ‘70s Steelers to talk about the rise of those players, those coaches. I found it to be a fascinating look inside a club I heretofore thought I knew pretty well. . . and I thought wrongly.

Who were some of the biggest characters you interviewed, and what made them so? Any examples?

So many characters have crossed the thresholds at Forbes Field, Pitt Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium and Heinz Field – Lord, how I wished Bobby Layne, Johnny Blood McNally and Bullet Bill Dudley were still around to take out for a brew. So many people whom you might not expect suddenly were outspoken, such as Dick Hoak’s recollections of the South Park training facilities or Troy Polamalu’s personal pick for his favorite coach of all-time.

Every person interviewed will have a story or quote to make readers laugh, think, drop their jaw. But my personal favorite was 95-year-old Chuck Cherundolo, a star center in the 1940s and a coach thereafter. The delight that Buck O’Neil brought to Ken Burns’ baseball documentaries (certainly on a grander scale), Cherundolo brought the same sheer joy to this Steelers history. Through his thick glasses, you could almost see him replaying moments in his eyes. Bullet Bill Dudley, he growled? Not that fast. Is Bill still alive? (No.) Walt Kiesling, he still living? He’s gone, too? I guess when you get to be 94, they’re all gone.”

What interviews stand out to you the most, and why?

Beyond Chuck Cherundolo (about whom so many older players raved and asked for his address) and Hoak and Polamalu, some open and honest and incisive and funny tales came in particular from Joe Greene, Andy Russell, Larry Brown, Mike Wagner, Gary Dunn (he had me howling), Jon Kolb (he has a great line about the Immaculate Reception), Frenchy Fuqua (speaking of), John Stallworth, Jack Ham (now he has quite the story to tell), Ralph Berlin (he misses the players’ poker games), many of the Rooneys… even Bill Cowher had a good crack about playing racquetball with Kevin Colbert.

Who knows, this might be the last book where Hines Ward, Aaron Smith and James Farrior talk together. I don’t want to give too much away quite yet, but they just were so at ease talking about their days that their words prove both entertaining and informative.

In speaking with many of the older players – the pre-70’s Steelers – do you think the post-NFL adjustment was easier for them versus the more modern day players because they had to create non-football careers and non-football for themselves while they were still playing since they got paid so much less?

There was little adjustment in those days. People tend to forget, but the NFL wasn’t a big deal until the 1970s… and even then it wasn’t as monolithic as it is today. Franco Harris rode a PAT bus to work his Rookie of the Year season, for goodness sakes. In the decades preceding, players HAD to make a living outside of football.

Tim Rooney Sr. remembered marriage being a barrier – some guys had to retire from the NFL so they could make a real living somewhere else and support their brides. Ernie Stautner, one of the toughest Steelers ever? He owned a drive-in theater in Lake Placid, N.Y. His business was so successful, he was allowed to report to camp late because it was still the high-season at the drive-in.

Who were some of the more under-appreciated players and coaches in Steelers history, from your perspective?

Wow, talk about an idea for a book!

As for coaches, I’m not sure Bud Carson receives as much credit. Several players loved telling how he could change gameplans in the tunnel before the game. And how they reveled in telling famed 49ers coach Bill Walsh how Carson solved Walsh’s offense all those years. The under-appreciated players could be summed up thusly: The Steelers historic line of centers doesn’t begin and end with Ray Mansfield (who came to the Steelers as a defensive player), Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Maurkice Pouncey. No, Cherundolo and his replacement Bill Walsh (not the 49ers coach) were two of the best linemen in their day, let alone centers.

As a sportswriter and now author, you get to talk with players and see them outside of the on-field, game-time environment. How different is the perception that fans have of players from reality, and how much do you think that frustrates the players?

Some relish their roles and personnas, others spend careers – if not lifetimes – trying to avoid perceptions… or misconceptions. The intrusive, 24-7-365 nature of this society and media, and that includes social media, plays a role in that. Little is perceived to be either private or off-limits anymore. For some players, Pittsburgh actually is a haven: most fans give them their space, allow them to breathe and act for what to them is normally. Otherwise, a beard would never have its own Facebook.

What’s next for you – another book on the horizon? Or did you want to get back into sportswriting?

This was my first solo book project, and it was a lonnnng, draining process. But it was, and is, enjoyable, fulfilling and, if people like the book as much as I hope they will, rewarding. I’d love to do it all again. The future for me is, well, filled with unwritten chapters.

After I left sports writing, several roads opened: this book, some online work with CBSSports.com, some free-lance writing, teaching opportunities, and a new career in media relations. Hey, I still got two boys, a wife, a father and a mother-in-law, three dogs and two snakes to look after. The heck with a plate, that’s a full buffet in front of me.

Any last thoughts for readers?

The same as the Steelers quiz on your website – and many of those answers are found in “The Steelers Encyclopedia” – there is so much more to learn about this franchise. I spent twenty-five years around them, inside the locker room, and for years before that I knew many of them off the field. And in compiling this book I found out: You think you may know a team, but you really don’t.

Feel free to pass the time until September with blogs about the book every Friday on my immodestly named site, ChuckFinder.com (hey, it was available!). Once the season arrives, here’s hoping fans get an enjoyable season from the team and an entertaining education from “The Steelers Encyclopedia.”

John Mehno: The Best Pittsburgh Sports Arguments book

John Mehno:

First, I know the book has been out a while, but can you tell readers what inspired you to write The Best Pittsburgh Sports Arguments book?

I was approached by the publisher, Sourcebooks. They had done books on New York, Chicago and Boston and were expanding the series. Pittsburgh was one of the choices for the next wave. I’ve done three books, but this was the most enjoyable working experience. It was like writing 100 columns.

How can readers purchase the book?

I don’t know how many book stores are still around these days, but I’m told some of them have it. Amazon has a Kindle edition available. Barnes and Noble online has a Nook version for sale.

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

I had forgotten how dreary the Steelers were in the second half of Chuck Noll’s career. They had an incredible six years of drafting (1969-74) that translated into six exceptional years on the field (1974-79). After that, though, they were barely .500. The organization was rejuvenated when Bill Cowher and Tom Donahoe came in with fresh ideas.

Looking back on Forbes Field, it wasn’t necessarily the field of dreams of everyone’s memory. It was cramped and dirty, parking was scarce, and the legendary left field bleachers were a miserable fan experience.

The Penguins’ success of the early ’90s was built on the failure throughout the 1980s that consistently got them top draft picks. I don’t know if Penguins fans appreciate how important Edward DeBartolo Sr. was because he let Eddie Johnston tear it down and start over. Instead of building a team just to make the playoffs, they were finally building to compete for championships.

You currently cover the Pirates for the Altoona Mirror. How did you get started as a sports journalist and what are some of your favorite experiences to date?

I actually started when I was 14, writing (badly but enthusiastically) for pro wrestling magazines. That led to a job with wrestling promoter Gene Dargan, writing press releases while I was in high school and college. Wrestling was a very odd business, completely dishonest and understandably secretive. It was a unique experience to be a teenaged fly on the wall amid Bruno Sammartino, Professor Tanaka, Killer Kowalski, George Steele and Baron Scicluna. Most of them were nice people when they weren’t in character.

I also did some freelance pop culture writing for a short-lived Rolling Stone competitor called Zoo World. College and I were incompatible, so I left after two years and was able to hook on in 1974 with Steel City Sports, a local sports weekly. It became Score Pittsburgh and eventually went out of business. I still have an impressive collection of uncashed paychecks that bounced back from the bank.

Being around the press box led to other opportunities. I did thousands of assignments for Associated Press over 25 years and also worked for UPI when it existed. I was the Pirates correspondent for The Sporting News for 12 years, did Pirates notes for several years for USA Today. I’ve written a Sunday column for many years for the Beaver County Times and do a weekend column that’s on the Uniontown Herald-Standard website. I’ve done hockey for the Washington Observer-Reporter and have been a contributor to Pittsburgh Sports Report. I provide Pirates, Steelers and Penguins coverage for the Mirror, and also write two columns a week and a blog for them.

I’ve had bylines in the Washington Post, New York Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times and Dallas Morning News, as well as the Post-Gazette and Tribune Review.

I’ve done radio news reporting and talk shows along the way, and spent one mostly unhappy year as Carnegie-Mellon’s sports information director.

Everything is different when you get behind the curtain and see how things really operate. But I still enjoy sports, and part of this job is getting to know people and sharing stories and information. Bobby Cox, the former Braves manager, said that being around the ballpark keeps people young. It’s a unique environment, and any student of abnormal psychology finds the press box fascinating.

What was your most difficult story/interview so far, and what made it so?

There are always a few people who go out of their way to be difficult. Dave Parker and John Candelaria filled that role on the old Pirates. Going way back, Richie Zisk was unpleasant. Pete Vuckovich worked at being miserable. Greg Lloyd had a scary amount of rage. Tom Barrasso built up resentment toward the media, which was unfortunate because he was always an interesting interview.

In the course of writing a sports media column, I managed to upset Sam Nover and Milo Hamilton. On rare occasions, the degree of difficulty is subtle. Mario Lemieux was often very politely uncooperative to the media.

On to the Pirates…who are some of the Pirates’ picks in this year’s draft you are most excited about, and what surprised you most about the draft?

I have no idea. I claim no expertise in college and high school baseball.

Do the Pirates over-rate their prospects? There have been a few mentions of the front office overvaluing some of their prospects and that this is standing in the way of some trades?

When an organization drafts a player, they obviously see value in his talent. Sometimes other organizations don’t share that opinion. The bigger danger is giving up on players in the organization. The Cam Bonifay regime paid a sizable signing bonus to Chris Young. When the Littlefield group took over, they couldn’t see any potential in Young and gave him away in an inconsequential trade. He had five pretty solid seasons for the Padres. He was pitching for San Diego at an affordable price when the Pirates had Mark Redman and Victor Santos in their rotation.

The Pirates gave away Jay Buhner in a stupid trade when he was a Class A player. He had a 15-year major league career. They lost Bobby Bonilla and Bip Roberts as Rule 5 players. Syd Thrift was able to make a trade to get Bonilla back.

The pitching seems to be slipping as of late. A minor blip, or cause for concern?

It’s a cause for concern. Pitchers wear down as the innings pile up. The Pirates had four starters who couldn’t finish the season last year. It’s a concern for both the rotation and the bullpen.

Looking at the team’s personalities – who are the locker room leaders on the team and who are the real mentors of the young guys on the squad?

A.J. Burnett and Rod Barajas have had a positive impact.

How much does humor play a part on this team and who are the guys you see that keep the team loose, and how so?

This group gets along very well. You don’t need to be close to be successful, as the teams of the early 1990s showed. But it’s positive. They’re having fun with the Zoltan thing, which spread to the fans. A lot of things players find funny don’t really translate outside the clubhouse.

What makes this team better than 2012’s team that collapsed in the second half of the season?

They should benefit from last year’s experience. The top of the rotation is better this year, but the endurance of the pitching staff is something to watch.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Settle down. It’s sports. Believe it or not, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin know more about football than you do, and they have a bigger stake in wanting the Steelers to succeed than you do.

Referees and network announcers don’t hate Pittsburgh. Don’t obsess over games. Don’t listen to sports talk shows for more than 20 minutes at a time. Some of them will melt your brain. For heaven’s sake, stop saying, “Thanks for taking my call.” It’s what they do. Enjoy sports, but try to keep them in perspective.

Rian Wallace, Steelers Linebacker, 2005-2006

First, can you let readers know about Goals Over Obstacles – what the organization’s mission is and how it got started?

I started a traditional Spring camp for kids in the offseason when I was playing in Pittsburgh. This was to help kids to accomplish their dreams – to inspire them. I brought in a number of people to inspire them – Casey Hampton, Farrior, Joey Porter…the guys all came in to support the mission.

We teach kids goal-setting. Whether it’s to be doctors, lawyers…they learn to overcome obstacles. I’m living proof that the one in a million chance is your to be had, Don’t let the odds defy you.

Continue reading “Rian Wallace, Steelers Linebacker, 2005-2006”