Media – Page 2 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

Jim Rooker, Pirates Pitcher 1973-1980, Broadcaster 1981-1993

Jim Rooker:

First, can you let readers know about your books you’ve published – what got you into writing children’s stories and how you got started?

When I was a part-owner of Rooks restaurant in Pittsburgh, my partner and I rotated working at the restaurant so I would fly back and forth from Jacksonville, where I had a second home. I had a three-to-four month year old grandson then and had a soft spot in my heart for him, and kids in general.

I started thinking on what I could do for my kids and grandkids. I was bored on the flight back and thought, maybe I could write a book. I knew I couldn’t write a long and detailed story if it was for a kid, so I thought I come up with a short story, and used my baseball background as something I knew.

I knew kids had an affinity for little things – like Thomas the Train Engine. So I thought of objects to use, and came down to my first object – a baseball.

I told my wife I had an idea and before I even told her what it was she just rolled her eyes at me (laughing). Then I told her my idea and she just said “Okay Rook”. It took a while to get the process going. I was sitting down outside one day and finally got the name down. I wanted to keep it simple and got “Paul the Baseball”. I wanted to get into the mind of the object and tell the story from it’s point of view and get a relationship going.

Now, all three of my books are about objects – a ball, a bat and a mitt. They are easy reading for kids, parents and grandparents. My granddaughter was two and saw the book and immediately wanted me to read it to her. My four year-old grandson says the words before I do. They all rhyme so it makes it easy for them.

How can readers order the books?

They can order them here at: www.mascotbooks.com.

You spent seven years in Detroit’s farm system before being selected in the expansion draft by Kansas City and finding your way in the majors. How difficult was that time in the farm system and how did you remain confident during that time?

Back then, you didn’t have the fast road to the big leagues like you do today. It was a different culture then. We had D-ball all the way through A-ball first. You had to climb the ladder. Maybe you had some special athletes that would start a little higher, college guys, but that was it and we accepted that was the case. You could have a great year but not jump one classification – you had to prove yourself again first – that it wasn’t a fluke. Keep in mind there were less teams then too so there may have been no place for you to go.

I never had the idea to quit though.

What was the roughest part of you and did you incorporate any of that lesson of perseverance into your books?

I was lucky to have been converted to pitcher, really. I was an outfielder in C-ball. I was still learning as an outfielder converted-to-pitcher when I was in Kansas City. It was on the job training.

I wasn’t confident then in my ability – I hadn’t pitched that long. I wasn’t catching on to throwing the ball over the plate consistently.

As for including those lessons in the books…these are for three to five-year olds, so how serious can you really be? You need to catch their attention – these weren’t meant to be teaching books. If I can get to the next set – I envisioned nine books – then I could start into that – teaching things like friendship and teamwork…

You were traded to Pittsburgh in ’73 and had some of your best seasons there. What clicked for you then in Pittsburgh, and why?

In Pittsburgh I got confident as people were telling me I had the ability.. I helped but I doubted myself still. In Winter ball I developed a sinker on my own and that helped me tremendously. When I was behind in the count I could use the sinker instead of relying on my fastball. Now I could strike people out without having to throw the ball over the plate all the time and get hit.

I do often wonder…How did I hang on for so long? How close was I to being released. You never now that….

Especially as a pitcher, there’s clearly a good deal of down time during each week. How did you deal with that downtime?

Normally, pitchers are like kickers. You work once in a while….I always thought it was the best job in baseball – you work once every five days!

But you do have downtime and have to invent things to do to hold your interest. I always sat near Stargell and asked him questions and talked to the trainers and pitching coaches to learn new things. I never bothered the managers though – they were always too busy.

I got more information from hitters than from pitchers. Once I saw Willie hit a three-two slider for a home run in Montreal. The pitch was unhittable – it boggled my mind. It was a low outside slider that he hit down the left field line. I just looked at him – there was no way he could have looked for that pitch.

After things settled down in the dugout I asked him how he did it and that there was no way he knew the pitcher would throw that. He told me he wasn’t thinking about the pitcher. He was thinking about the catcher and knew the catcher would call a slider. Those are the lessons you learn that you can apply to other hitters.

Lenny Green was another good hitter that taught me that the fastball was still the best pitch in baseball. Hitters have a harder time adjusting to a fastball than any other pitch, even if it’s not that fast if you can locate it right. Dave Giusti always use to ask me how I could get a good hitter like Billy Williams out all the time like I did. I told him I pitched him backwards like I was behind in the count….these are the kinds of lessons you learn.

How important was humor to you and the team?

I remember once I cleared out all the cans of Coke out of the big cooler we had in the clubhouse. I found this ugly mask with this crazy hair and crawled into the cooler and sealed myself inside. I don’t know how long I expected to stay inside, but shortly after John Milner opened it up and I reached out and grabbed him. He screamed – I couldn’t ever duplicate the sound he made – and he jumped back in the air and hit the wall behind him so hard he fell on the ground. I was laughing but he threatened me after that with a knife – told me he’d cut my heart out – and chased me around the clubhouse a bit.

It’s a long season – you need to break things up sometimes. Bert Blyleven use to give people hot-foots all the time with matches. He got me once too, which hurt me – I was his compadre and helped him give the hot foots – I was hurt he got me too (laughing).

Despite being a spot starter during the ’79 season, you got the starting nod in game five of the World Series. What was behind that decision and how surprised were you to get the call? And why do you think your performance was so strong that day (only one run in five innings)?

’79 was an uncomfortable year for me. I had nagging injuries but nothing too serious. Towards the end of the year I felt a tweak in my back and they put me on the disable list . I think they just used that as a reason – they wanted to see if they could replace me with anyone else before the playoffs.

Well, when I got healthy I was so happy to start a World Series game! As a kid and a player you always dream about starting in the World Series. People asked me how I could take the pressure. It was no pressure for me – I thought it was the greatest thing! If we lost the series was over – I was the guy responsible for keeping us in it!

Well, I jammed every player I faced. They thought I had a sore arm and would throw the sinker all day. We caught them completely off-guard and I loved every minute of it!

What are your thoughts on today’s Pirates team and front office?

They will probably be better than they were last year in regard to their overall record. So far the pitching is doing a very nice job overall, but to me I think their lack of offense in the long run is going to be of concern. Alvarez seems to be turning things around and they sorely do need the long ball.

Garrett Jones may help in that regard. McCutchen , Walker, Tabata are a good nucleus and with the help from McGehee and others might add a little punch. Time will tell and my fingers are crossed.

Beat ’em Bucs!!!

Last thoughts for readers?

These books – I was proud of my baseball career, but when you come up with an idea and see it in your hands….When I got the books in my hands, I got emotional. I wish my mother were alive – she really would have gotten a charge out of these books.

Jim O’Brien: Penguins Defenseless Against Flyers’ Attack

O’Brien: Penguins defenseless against Flyers’ attack

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

Eddie Johnston had just watched the Pittsburgh Penguins get pummeled by 8-4 in the third game of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the Pens’ third consecutive loss to the Flyers in as many games. The scores were 4-3 in overtime and 8-5 in the first and second games, respectively.

The Flyers had outscored the Penguins by 20 to 12 in what often looked like a cross between deck hockey and Studio Wrestling. The Penguins scored first in every game, leading by 3-0 at the end of the first period in the opening contest on home ice, and they surrendered those leads.

“That shouldn’t happen, not in the playoffs,” Johnston said when I visited him at his home on Saturday afternoon. I also spoke to him a few minutes after Sunday night’s setback.

Johnston, who is 76, has served the Penguins as a general manager and coach, as a scout and consultant. He officially retired three years ago, but he is still on the payroll and is still available to do whatever he can to contribute to the cause. He’s been there, done that, and no one cares more about the Penguins than Eddie Johnston. He is the Penguins’ answer to the Pirates’ Chuck Tanner.

Johnston and the late manager of the Pirates were the best company and loved to talk about the game.

Eddie Johnston has got a good gig. He’s a terrific golfer – he had a 73 when he was 73 at a country club in West Virginia – and he gets to play golf from time to time with his boss, Mario Lemieux and Pierre Larouche, another ambassador for the Penguins. He’s a real trooper and he fills in where needed. He looks after the team’s Fantasy Camp.

Johnston was wide-eyed, like a deer caught in headlights after Sunday night’s game. He looked like he had been playing goalie for the Penguins the past week.

“You gotta win four!” he said, summoning the best of his fighter instincts that have served him so well most of his 76 years.

“It ain’t over till it’s over.”

By now, it may be over. This was written before Wednesday night’s fourth game in Philadelphia. Or the Penguins might be hanging onto hope to pull this series out of the deepest abyss with a very thin and straggly string.

What’s happened to the Penguins? How did this happen?

Those were the thoughts expressed by the team’s most fervent fans in the aftermath of their favorite team getting overpowered in the playoffs. A month ago, a week ago, there was talk of the Penguins overpowering the opposition with all hands on deck and delivering another Stanley Cup to our city.

Eddie Johnston is one of my favorite hockey people. He is a neighbor of mine in Upper St. Clair. He has lived about two blocks from my home the past 30 some years. It’s about a 150-yard walk from my house to his house. When I take a walk through the neighborhood I often pass his contemporary two-story home.

He and his wife Diane are down-to-earth individuals who will show up for a block party and have a good time and mix well with everyone. They’ve known good times and bad times in the NHL and with the Penguins, in particular, but they stay the course.

He played goalie in the big leagues for 18 seasons and was the last goalie to start every game in a season. He played most of those seasons without wearing a protective mask. “I was never too smart,” he says with a wink.

He says he has 150 to 175 stitches somewhere in that face of his as reminders of those days. You have to look close to see the scars. He pointed to his left ear and said it had be stitched when a flying puck nearly took it off his skull.

Johnston also was a boxer when he was a teenager, even going into prisons and fighting the inmates there for $5 or $10 an outing. He played pro baseball for $125 a week and fast-pitch softball in Canada in his youth.

Bobby Orr, maybe the best player in hockey history, was his best man when he got married. They were teammates on the Boston Bruins. There’s a famous photo of Orr flying through the air after scoring a goal that is displayed in the Johnston’s game room.

When I was covering an Islanders’ game back in the early ‘70s at Nassau Coliseum I was hit in the head by a flying puck as I was walking around the rink during the warm-up session. At first, I thought I had been shot by a rifle or gun. The puck struck me near my right temple. I stumbled forward and grabbed hold of a colleague to keep from falling. There was a blood stain in my hair near my temple.

I was fortunate that the Jets’ team doctor, Dr. James Nicholas, was nearby and checked me over twice during the evening. He was the same doctor who looked after Joe Namath.

I was also in a press row behind one of the goals at Madison Square Garden when a puck came off the ice and ricocheted down my aisle like a heat-seeking missile and caught me in the ankle. In short, it’s no fun to get hit with a flying puck. Johnston smiled at my war stories.

Johnston is a much better interview than either Mario Lemieux or Sidney Crosby, and certainly Evgeni Malkin.

I think those TV interviews with players between periods and the radio sound bites are a waste of time. Hockey players and coaches never say anything that’s the least bit insightful. They all say the same thing. Nothing. That’s why Eddie Johnston is a Hall of Fame hockey guy in my book.

He played several years in the minor leagues, including a stint in Johnstown. He’s played in places Sidney Crosby couldn’t find on a map. He played when you had to have a real job in the off-season just to pay the rent.

Johnston was one of the goalies when there were only six teams in the National Hockey League and each team had only one goalie. “If you got cut they stitched you up right then and there,” he recalled. “You didn’t want to not play because you were afraid of losing your job.”

Here’s the best part. Each city of the Original Six had a backup goalie – one guy — available to either team. Johnston remembers when a reserve goalie named Claude Pronovost, who played for the Montreal Canadiens junior team, came in and played goalie against the hometown Canadiens at the Montreal Forum and shut them out.

Johnston said he didn’t make a total of $50,000 for his first five years playing goalie in the NHL.

I think the Penguins’ best players have failed to come up big in the playoffs, when it counts the most. That includes Crosby, and Malkin, Fleury and Jordan Stahl.

Malkin reminds me of my two granddaughters, who will be eight and four in May, the way he has been skating in the defensive end of the ice in these games. It looks like it’s his first time on skates. Where has he been?

It also stung even more that Max Talbot and Jaromir Jagr, two former Penguins, have played such a strong role in the Flyers’ offense in this series. It would have been nice to have them on our side, which could have happened.

Johnston sits next to his old friend, Jack Riley, for games at the Consol Energy Center. Riley was the original general manager of the Penguins, and still attends every home game. Riley and Johnston compare notes on the game, and share some of their thoughts when asked by the brass.

Johnston told me he remarked to Riley that the Penguins needed another goal fast at some point in the first two games even when the home team had the lead. “After seeing as many games as we’ve seen through the years,” Johnston said, “you can sense a change in the momentum, a shift in the way things are going.

“The Flyers have skated faster, hit more often, and just outworked us in every way. They have killed us on special teams, scoring power play goals or short-handed goals. That shouldn’t happen in the playoffs.”

When people asked me what happened to the Penguins, after they lost the first two games at home after taking an early lead, I responded the way I do to most inquiries of that kind.

I say that too many fans forget there is another team on the field, or on the ice in this case.

The Flyers have fought back from adversity. They have not given up. Their youngest players are showing great resilience, great effort. The Flyers wouldn’t accept defeat. Their fans are more vocal and more hostile than our fans, but I can live with that, especially since I live in Pittsburgh. Philly fans, in all sports, are over the top. The TV announcers said the Flyers played smarter than the Penguins.

“You have to give the Flyers credit,” said Johnston. “They have never stopped forcing the action. They keep coming.”

Pierre McGuire, one of the TV analysts, described the activity in Game 3 as “the most barbaric” he’d seen in some time.

“This game is getting out of control.”

When the cameras showed close-ups of the Penguins on the bench in the late going, McGuire observed, “That’s the thousand yard stare,” he said of the look in the eyes of the Penguins. “It says the other guys have our number.”

Personally, I think too many fans dismissed the fact that the Flyers had the Penguins’ number most of the season, and especially at the Consol Energy Center. In truth, there was no home ice advantage, not against the Flyers.

Poor Marc-Andre Fleury. He hasn’t gotten much help from his defensemen, but he’s looked like a pee wee goalie in all of his outings so far. He was left exposed too often and he failed to make the big stops that turn the tide.

A neighbor and friend of mine, Ken Codeluppi, has season tickets behind one of the goal cages at Consol Energy Center. I’ve never sat in a seat so close to a goalie. It’s at the end that Fleury defends twice each home game.

Pucks often strike the plexi-glass behind that cage and I found myself ducking a half dozen times, much to the amusement of those around me. Hey, I see a puck heading toward my face, I am going to flinch and duck. I can’t trust that plexi-glass. I guess if you sit there all the time you know you’re safe.

But you can also see from that vantage point what a difficult job it is to be a goal-keeper in the National Hockey League.

There are many times when the goalie can’t see the puck because it’s blocked from his view by the skaters, his own teammates as often as the opposition.

“I hated it when my guys went down to block a puck,” Johnston said. “Then I didn’t know where it was, or it could ricochet off them and catch me in the mush.”

You have to love a guy who talks that way.

I would never allow my child to be a goalie, in hockey, soccer or lacrosse, maybe even water polo.

I asked Johnston how he became a goalie. “I played with all my big brothers when I was a kid in Montreal,” he said, “and they just put me in there. Somebody had to mind the nets. And I guess I wasn’t too smart.”

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

Rum Bunter Blog

Rum Bunter Blog:

First, can you let readers know about RumBunter – what inspired the idea (and the name) and how you developed your unique approach in your coverage of the Pirates?

We wanted an original name. Nobody has ever guessed what it means which I think is really cool. We’ve had a bunch of people ask about it, and some have even ridiculed it a bit, cough John Perotto, but that just adds to the fun of the blog. The Pirates are our team and we wanted to create something that fans could stop in and maybe laugh a bit and at the same time learn something too.

What should readers expect in 2012 from RumBunter?

It’s an election year, so more moaning and groaning than ever before. Seriously, we have no idea, however we do have a much more talented roster than ever before.

We were lucky enough to land two great writers recently. Both come from well established blogs within the Pittsburgh sports scene. Jon Anderson from mceffect.com and Jeff Snedden from steelworldorder.com. Kurt Evans will be cranking a record number of photoshops when the regular season starts. C. Fortwo and A. Pendl have been tremendous in getting the highest level of guests for the RumBunter Podcast Show.

There seem to be an inordinate number of Pirates blogs compared to other Pittsburgh sports teams. How have you been able to differentiate yourself from other Pirates/baseball blogs – what do you think makes your blog a “destination site” for fans?

If RumBunter were a newspaper, we are the comics section. That is always the best part, so that is what we want to be. Sure there are somewhat serious posts, but baseball is still a game. Let’s have some fun.

What have been your favorite and most interesting stories you’ve covered so far, and why?

When the Pirates were winning ballgames in the first four months of the 2011 season, it was by far the best story imaginable. Hands down. It was a blast.

Have you had the opportunity to meet any of the players? if so, who and how did that go – and if not, who would you most like to meet and have a beer with, and why?

Yes, we’ve met most of the players and it has been enjoyable. We’ve been fortunate in that regard. We still haven’t met AJ Burnett. Having a beer with him would seem like a really good time. It might need to be a few beers, actually.

How important was the McCutchen signing for your perspective – and do you think this plus the Burnett trade starts to finally make this team more attractive to other free agents?

Signing McCutchen was absolutely a must for the organization. It makes the organization legit. AJ Burnett having success will make the team attractive for free agents a little bit, but Erik Bedard, a lefty in PNC Park performing well could open the door even further.

Who do you think will be the biggest surprise/breakout players in 2012 for the Pirates?

I have been on a jinx stretch during the first part of spring training, so I must be very careful in my selections. I mentioned a lefty in the question above, that is one and on offense El Toro will surprise.

Do you get the sense of a renewed optimism on the team for 2012? What should fans realistically expect from the Pirates in 2012? And is that enough of a jump from 2011?

I worry about the insanely challenging schedule in April. It appears that Clint Hurdle is pushing the team to focus early on which will be very important, but I am not sure it will be enough.

I believe fans can expect a more sound defensive team which will keep them in more games. The team will be more competitive, without a doubt.

The question I have is will the offense be enough? The pitching was very strong in the beginning of 2011, if the offense could have been better the team would have won even more games, so the balance will be key.

Who are the Pirates prospects you are most excited about seeing in the next couple of years in the majors?

In the immediate future: Kyle McPherson. Starling Marte. Justin Wilson. Rudy Owens. Tony Sanchez.

In the distant future: Josh Bell. Jameson Taillon. Gerrit Cole. Josh Poytress. Robbie Grossman.

The talent is in the system. We are really looking for some big years from the 2009 draft class. The pitching talent in that 2009 class should really take a step forward this year. When that happens the entire Pirates organization makes a big shift inside the top ten farm systems in baseball. A move like that can open up some serious trade partners to fill some offensive holes the Pirates have.

If you had one day to take over as GM of the Pirates, what do you do, and why?

Kick a few kids in the ass from some of our more recent draft classes. Especially a few from the 2009 class. The team is starting to look better and perform better, but it really needs quite a few more prospects to turn the corner to be a solid team.

I would want a copy of the internal valuation system and how it was developed. Great question.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Thank you for reading the blog. God bless all of you. This losing has to end sooner or later. (Right??)

Pensblog

Pensblog:

First, can you let readers know about The PensBlog – what inspired the idea and how you developed your unique approach in your coverage of the penguins?

Honestly, we started blogging because there was basically no coverage of the Penguins back in 2006. We wanted to get info out there. Our approach is just how we and all of our friends have always watched games.

What should readers expect in 2012 from The PensBlog?

Nothing really. We just try to provide info, links, live streams, and whatever else. And we just try to be honest. Expecting anything from us would be a huge mistake.

You have a cult-like following among some Penguins fans. How do you differentiate yourself from other Penguins/hockey blogs – what do you think makes the blog a “destination site” for fans?

We have no clue. We’ve been Penguins fans in good times and bad. And there are a lot of people that are the same. It is amazing how similar Penguin fans are.

What’s been your favorite and most interesting stories you’ve covered so far. and why?

There are so many. The two runs to the Stanley Cup were great to be a part of, and we are lucky to have been running the blog during all of that. Going through all of the stages from the Penguins possibly moving, to them getting a new arena, and then seeing the new arena built has been amazing, too.

You sometimes have to sit back and realize how close the Pens were to leaving the city.

Have you had the opportunity to meet any of the players? if so, who and how did that go – and if not, who would you most like to meet and have a beer with, and why?

We really haven’t met any of the players, and that is for the better we feel. I am not sure we’d even like to have a beer with any of
them, either. They’re just guys playing sports for a living.

The Penguins organization puts out quite a bit of it’s own content on a daily basis. What are your thoughts on this – is this a good thing,from your perspective?

It definitely is a good thing. People are always looking for news. But sometimes you have to question the content because there is no chance of ever hearing anything negative. Not that there is anything negative, but sometimes it’s hard to trust the content when it comes from a biased source.

People on the Internet aren’t dumb. Collectively, they can see through any and all smoke and mirrors.

Have you noticed the Penguins loosening up at all in their policy of not working with blogs. If so, how?

Yes. The Pens handle bloggers very well. They’ve given us press passes several times, although we no longer partake in it.

Fighting in the NHL. Yes…or no? And why?

Yes. Because it wouldn’t be hockey without it. The frustrations have to come to a head like that. If not, you’d see horrific injuries from
slashes and whatnot.

If the guys at The PensBlog had one day to take over as GM of the Penguins, what do you do, and why?

We’d probably go on message boards and plant rumors and watch the Internet destroy itself.

Who are the Penguins prospects you are most excited about seeing in the next couple of years in the NHL?

Simon Despres is going to be a monster. Really excited about what he can do.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Just a big thank-you to anyone who has visited the blog at one time or another. We think of anyone that reads our blog as our friends. We’ve met some great people because of the blog, too. Even after five years of keeping up with the blog, it’s still a lot of fun.

Virginia Montanez – That’s Church Blog

Virginia Montanez – That’s Church Blog:

First, can you tell readers about your blog That’s Church – what you cover, what inspired you to start the blog and what readers should expect in 2012?

I started my blog on a whim, really. Back in 2006, I just wanted a place to put down my thoughts about Pittsburgh, so I started The Burgh Blog thinking it wouldn’t ever become anything. Little did I know.

I mostly like to draw attention to the things that make Pittsburgh great, the news stories that make Pittsburgh quirky, and the sports teams that make Pittsburgh rabid. I’ve been doing that since 2006, and 2012 will be much the same.

“That’s Church” – ok … are you a Snoop Dogg or Monk fan – and is Snoop Dogg being a Steelers fan a good or bad thing?

I’m not really a Snoop Dogg fan, but I am a huge Monk fan. It was my sister, however, who drew my attention to the fact that Snoop Dogg used “That’s church” in a Monk episode. She used the phrase in a family email and I just stole it and made it my own.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing that Snoop is a Steelers fan, but let’s remember he’s been spotted in a Patriots jersey and has attended Ravens camp, too. I just don’t see how you can be a Steelers fan AND a Patriots and Ravens fan. Not possible!

You also write for Pittsburgh Magazine. What stories of yours are you most proud of so far, and why?

I’m most proud of my column about my experience flying home one Christmas with my children, and how Pittsburghers made the trip much more bearable. I’m also proud of my letter to Roberto Clemente. I wish more than anything that he could read it.

If you could ask any Steelers and Penguins player one question each, who would you interview, what would you ask them, and why?

First, can I add in the Buccos? I realize they suck, but I’m a huge fan. If I could, I would ask Andrew McCutchen and Mike Wallace if they would agree to a foot race to settle once and for all who is the fastest runner. My money is on Andrew.

As for the Penguins, I’d probably ask Matt Cooke about how he felt about his reputation as a dirty player and what was the single biggest thing he did or change he made that allowed him to alter his game to fix that reputation.

You have covered Pittsburgh extensively, expressing a deep appreciation for the city and it’s sports teams. From your point of view though, does Pittsburgh place too much of it’s identity in the hands of it’s sports teams? Why/why not?

Maybe there was a time when we did, but I don’t believe we as a collective whole do that any longer. We have way too much to be proud of and to identify ourselves with outside of sports.

We have technology and world-class education and a vibrant, active outdoors lifestyle. We’re greener than we ever were, more Hollywood than we ever were, smarter than we ever were, and more innovative than we ever were. I think now more than ever, when you tell someone you’re from Pittsburgh, their brain might first call up the image of one of our sports teams, but then I think they’ll go to all the OTHER wonderful things they’ve heard about us lately.

What makes Pittsburgh special?

We’re a little big city made up of true neighbors that value our blue collar past in such a way that we continually “keep it real” no matter how successful we become or how many accolades we garner as a city.

It’s like when you meet a famous person and you’re worried he’ll be pretentious or standoffish, and you fret about putting your elbows on the table or saying the wrong thing, and then you get to know him and he’s the most down to earth, normal, unaffected person you could ever meet. THAT’S what Pittsburgh is.

What’s next for you? Are you looking to further parlay your writing career/blog to radio or other media?

I’m a writer. I use my words … my written words … to profess my love for the city. I don’t particularly have much desire to branch out into other media. I’m shy. I’m not exactly the most extroverted girl you’ll ever meet, so, no, I think I’d like very much to just stay a writer.

What Pittsburgh athletes have you met (if any) – and how was that experience? If you haven’t met any, which would you most like to hang out and have a beer with, and why?

Well, I met Mario Lemieux at a fundraiser and chatted with him for a short bit and the experience sort of blew my mind. He was tall and gentle and kind and soft-spoken and perfectly normal. I don’t remember what exactly I said to him, but whatever it was, I know I sounded flustered and ridiculous and probably a bit worshipful, and that’s fine with me.

He’s a Pittsburgh icon and if I ever meet him again, I will probably be just as awkward. He fries my brain or something.

If you could be the GM of one Pittsburgh team for a day, what team would you choose and what would you do as GM?

Oh, man. I’d choose the Buccos, of course. But honestly, what can you possibly do in one day to fix twenty years of losing? I’d probably bring a priest, a voodoo doctor, a scientist, a witch and Anthony Robbins with me to see if they could maybe put their heads together and figure out a way to remove the curse that has clearly been a pox upon our team since that day Sid Bream destroyed our 1992 World Series dream.

I’m pretty sure it all started there.

Dale Lolley on the Steelers

Dale Lolley:

First, can you let readers know what to expect from Dale Lolley in 2012? Any changes to the blog or your assignments?

No changes for me this season. I’ll be starting my 20th year of covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, which can be accessed on the net at observer-reporter.com. Fans can also find my thoughts at nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com, or on Twitter at @fdlolleyor. I’ll also still be an occasional host on ESPN 970-AM.

Another “turbulent” offseason. Or is this just the norm for most teams and do fans expect more “regularity” than is fair in today’s NFL?

Change is always going to be the norm in today’s NFL. The Steelers are undergoing a little more than usual this year because of the coordinator change, but retirements and cap issues always seem to crop up. It’s all part of the game in the free agent era.

Are the Steelers too private? In today’s information age, does the secrecy just lead to more versus less speculation and sometimes even appearances of deception?

The Steelers are actually one of the more open franchises in the league. They have practices that are open to the local media every day. Many teams only allow the media to come in and watch the team stretch, which doesn’t really tell you who is practicing and who isn’t. In terms of protecting information, that’s the norm. Nobody wants an opponent to have a competitive advantage. And some things just have to stay in house. It’s pretty much par for the course with any pro franchise.

You want secretive and controlling, look at the colleges.

Where do the offensive fixes need to start? With o-line, Ben or gameplan – and how?

I think it’s a matter of tweaking both. I’ve long been a proponent of getting Ben to check down more. I’m not saying he needs to become Kent Graham, but if you watch Drew Brees, he uses his backs as well as anyone and still wings it downfield at times. It’s why he completes 70 percent of his passes.

And those checkdowns will make the offensive line look a lot better.

Where do the defensive fixes start? With a better pass rush, corner play or better gameplan?

Keep James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley on the field together at the same time and the defense will be fine.

Is there any reason to make anything out of the fact Ben and Haley had not spoken? And who does that fall on in your opinion?

At this point, they have now spoken, so that crisis is averted. Too much was made of the whole thing. Other players seemed to find Haley just fine.

Roethlisberger was just being pig-headed by not wanting to make the first move. If he wanted to talk to Haley so much, all he had to do was go find him.

When the 2012 season starts, which key 2011 Steelers won’t be on the roster, in your opinion?

William Gay will likely be elsewhere. Too many teams have holes in their secondary not to take a look at somebody who has played solid football the last couple of seasons – I know, the haters won’t admit it, but he did. Max Starks will also likely be gone. Larry Foote will likely be let go since the Steelers like what Sylvesterter Stevenson provides.

And finally, I don’t see Hines Ward back in 2012. The Steelers worked too hard to get him his 1,000 receptions for me to believe that they will be bringing him back again.

Injuries have consistently had such a big impact on the team over many years now. Has the team looked more closely at why, and do you think their physical style of play has anything to do with this?

Look at any team and injuries are going to play a factor. Heck, in the Steelers’ recent Super Bowl runs, you’d have a hard time convincing many people outside of Pittsburgh that the Steelers were the best team. But in many cases, they were the team that stayed the most healthy at key positions.

Who are some of the biggest characters on this Steelers team and why makes them so? Any examples?

I remember sitting on a bus next to rookie Emmanuel Sanders on the way to the practice at Latrobe High School and listening to he and Crezdon Butler work on their Mike Tomlin impersonation. That’s ballsy for a rookie, but Sanders is a character.

Brett Keisel is somebody who’s not afraid to play around with the media. And obviously, his beard has a character of its own. The aforementioned Larry Foote is somebody his teammates love. He’s always quick with a joke and is good at keeping everyone loose.

What young players do you see stepping up to fill leadership roles this season as veterans are released/sign elsewhere?

Antonio Brown’s work ethic has to rub off on the players around him. Nobody wants to look like they’re slacking off when somebody is busting it like Brown does. Maurkice Pouncey will also need to become even more of a leader than he already is on the offensive line with Starks likely gone.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Don’t get too concerned about this offseason. The Steelers will keep a low profile in free agency once again and will somehow still put a team on the field in 2012 that will win 10 to 12 games. It’s just what they do. The front office does an excellent job of restocking the team through the draft and always finds a way to stay competitive.

Joe Starkey on the Steelers

Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribine-Review on the Steelers:

First, can you tell readers about your work – how it’s going and what should readers expect in 2012?

I’m doing two columns a week for Trib and fielding angry callers’ rants 2-6 p.m. daily on 93.7 The Fan. Hopefully, both will continue into foreseeable future!

What are your thoughts on Mike Tomlin’s involvement (or supposed lack thereof) in the Haley hiring? How involved was Tomlin in Haley’s hire and why was he reluctant to let Arians go?

I believe that Mike Tomlin had autonomy in choosing his new offensive coordinator. I also believe that left to his own devices, he would have kept Arians but that he wasn’t willing to go to the mat to keep him around.

Nobody has the cold, hard facts in how the Arians firing went down, and the Steelers have not shed any light on it. My sense is that Art Rooney II wanted to see a change and that Tomlin said OK and went about finding a replacement. I do not believe it made Tomlin look weak or will affect his status with the franchise. I think he’ll be re-signed as coach and be here for a long time. But, again, I believe he would have kept Arians here if not for a nudge from above.

From your perspective, what are the first things Haley can do to make “easy fixes” to the offense, and do you think he and Ben will have any issues agreeing on those fixes?

Can Haley give Ben short fields to work with, replace Kemoeatu, make sure a competent left tackle is in place and prevent Ben from another high-ankle sprain? Those are the major fixes I’m looking at (Max Starks did a great job, by the way, and the Steelers got lucky that he was ready to play after not practicing for nearly a year, but, really, that was their best idea a quarter of the way into the season, was to pull a guy off a couch in Arizona?).

Everybody is fixated on shorter passes and getting rid of the ball quicker. Did they ever think that defensive coordinators might be thinking about that, too, and might want to take away those options? “Just do what you did against the Titans and New England!” Oh, OK, we’ll just recreate those games. Never mind that Tennessee had maybe the worst pass rush in pro football and that New England’s wasn’t appreciably better. Ben picked those teams apart with short passes, proving that when that option is available, he is more than willing and able to play that kind of game.

That option isn’t always available. Take the KC game, for example. Tamba Hali ruined Starks. Leaks all over the place. Ben was under seige on nearly every drop back. If you’re the defensive coordinator, might you be saying, “Hey, let’s take away his short outlets because we’re beating them silly up front. By the time an intermediate route comes open, he’s done.” Yes, they might say that. A running game helps there, too, but not if you can’t block anybody. Thus, you had a game where Ben played miraculously just to stay alive.

Go back and watch that game, if you taped it. He was phenomenal. He was a one-man offense. I don’t know if any QB in league wins that game that night with that O line in front of him.

Or maybe Haley can just recreate New England and Tennessee 16 times next season. Can’t be that hard!! Please excuse the rant.

Why do you think there was so much media confusion on the Tomlin-Arians-Rooney-Haley issues? So many seemed to report on the events with different interpretations of the “who’s and why’s”…

When an organization blatantly lies and refuses to clear up the confusion, it opens itself up to speculation and interpretations. The Steelers invited the speculation through their actions. They fired Bruce Arians and tried to cover it up as a “retirement.” He was working for the Colts eight days later.

The part of the story that people got right was this: Bruce Arians didn’t retire. That was known and reported immediately. He was fired. Maybe some of the speculation got out of control, but again, columnists especially are free to speculate all they like.

Is Coach Tomlin too “hands off” when it comes to team direction/strategy – and is this a pivotal season for him considering his contract status and the large number of changes to personnel and coaches – to see how he handles these changes?

The bosses I respect most are the ones who are secure enough in themselves to let the people under them do their jobs without constant tinkering and interference. That is Mike Tomlin. And that is not to say he’s totally hands-off when it comes to strategy. Obviously, he’s helping form game plans and such. But he gives his coordinators and coaches autonomy — and he has done a good job of making changes.

I thought, for example, he made the right calls in switching O line coach and especially special teams coaches a few years ago. If you’re confident in your ability to find the right people, find them and let them do their jobs. As for this being a pivotal season, no, I don’t see it that way for Tomlin. I expect him to be signed to a longer-term deal by the season opener. I believe the Steelers are confident they found their man when they hired Tomlin. His record proves it. One season, no matter how it goes, won’t change it.

What young players do you see stepping up in 2012 – especially in the secondary?

I liked what I saw from Cortez Allen and Keenan Lewis. Those are the guys, especially if William Gay leaves. Up front, it’s hard to tell sometimes how linemen are progressing in this defensive system. Everybody wants to see big plays, but the linebackers are paid for those. The linemen are paid to tie up blockers and fulfill inglorious responsibilities so that the linebackers can make plays.

On offense, I like the idea of Weslye Saunders becoming a bigger part of the offense. His teammates see the talent. I expect we all might see it next season — and here’s hoping his suspension is lifted, given that it appears it was medication for ADD.

In all of the offensive discussions, what has been lost recently are the struggles of the defense. They were good statistically, but seemed to break down in key moments. Any thoughts on how LeBeau is addressing this issue and what the solution(s) may be?

Good health, for starters, but you are right: The defense has been given a free pass amid all this drama regarding the offense (building up to a second rant here) …. Yes, the rankings were great. Didn’t give up a lot of points. But when big games were on the line, they failed. 92 yards against Baltimore, without a hint of resistance …. A 6-week drive against Houston. …. Tebow. …. This defense rarely gave the offense a short field, couldn’t get to the quarterback consistently, set a franchise low for fumble recoveries. In short, it didn’t make the “splash plays” that have defined the unit in the past.

And a Steelers defense that just bends and doesn’t break and doesn’t turn games around with big plays isn’t really a Steelers defense, after all. That said, a healthy Woodley and Harrison make a Worilds of difference (thank you, I’ll be here all week).

Are people forgetting the job McLendon has done at NT in Hampton’s stead? Can he be the next starting NT? And conversely – has Hood disappointed?

I refer to above paragraph about the role of D linemen in this defense. The NFL, too, has reached the point where nose tackles aren’t on the field very much, but if you ask McLendon’s teammates and coaches, they’ll tell you he did an adequate job. If Hampton takes a pay cut, I keep him, because I love his leadership and I think he can still play a bit.

Hood is an interesting question. Again, I think people who want to see Bruce Smith are going to be disappointed. Hood isn’t going to be all over the field making plays. That’s Harrison and Woodley’s job and why they got, what, $150 million to make them? If the Steelers are stopping the run, you can be sure that Hood is doing his job.

How do you see the possible loss of Hines Ward (and others like Aaron Smith and Hampton) affecting this team? What are your personal thoughts on Ward how the team would handle the loss in terms of locker room leadership?

I look at Hines as a leader in the way he approaches the game. Incredible player, one of the best and toughest I’ve ever seen. But I do think it’s time to move on. I’m just not sure he can be helpful on the field anymore. I mean, they literally had to invent plays behind the line of scrimmage to get him to 1,000 catches. I think his influence is imbedded in these young receivers, though. Hopefully, they learned their lessons well. And that said, I still believe there is a chance he will be back.

As for Smith or other veteran leaders, it’s a great question: How does the loss of such incredible leadership affect a team? I wish I had the answer. Fact is, nobody does. Younger players who haven’t necessarily been leaders will have to take the baton. Woodley’s a good example. Tomlin has refused to label him a leader in the past. I didn’t sense any disrespect there but rather just Tomlin making sure a guy waited his turn. Now, it might just be time for Woodley and others to help take the leadership mantle.

It’s early – but where is this draft looking strongest and is it a good draft for addressing the team’s needs?

Yes, it’s early. There are people who get paid to analyze football players running around in shorts. I’ll let them analyze the strength of the draft. I know this: The Steelers, as always, are in position take the best player on their board (other than a QB, of course). … And they have been very good in first rounds under Kevin Colbert.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb (ATTENTION READERS: readers who can attribute that quote will be treated to a free cup of coffee by Joe himself – but NO CHEATING – you cannot use Google!).

Wayne Gandy, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1999-2002

First, can you let readers know about your new broadcasting career – how you got started, how it’s going and where you’d like to take it?

The show is called SportsJoc with Wayne Gandy (//www.TheSportsJoc.com) and we’re out of Atlanta. We’re hoping to by syndicated by the end of 2012. That’s the promised land. I’m also talking to Steven Spielberg about a movie in 2014.

Have you spoken to any other former Steelers like Wolfley, Ilkin or Nelson to get advice? If so, how have they helped you?

No, I haven’t spoken to anybody in the Steelers organization about doing radio broadcasts. I actually didn’t know I had a gift to do this. My mom had me in the choir when I was a teenager and that helped me get rid of my stage fright. Now I’m ready to run my mouth. It’s a great task and very challenging. With my football background and love of sports, it’s a natural fit.

Continue reading “Wayne Gandy, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1999-2002”

Jim O’Brien: When Duquesne, Pitt and Carnegie Tech Were in Bowl Games

When Duquesne, Pitt and Carnegie Tech Were in Bowl Games:

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

There was a time when Duquesne, Carnegie Tech and Pitt all played in college football bowl games, and were among the nation’s outstanding teams. Even then Pittsburgh could lay claim to the title of “City of Champions.”

This was back in the late ‘30s, before I was on the beat, before I was even born (1942), so I had to look up most of the scant information remaining from those halcyon days.

Carnegie Tech, now known as Carnegie Mellon University, was so good once upon a time that they defeated Notre Dame 19-0 at Forbes Field, Notre Dame’s legendary coach Knute Rockne had so little regard for Tech that he wasn’t even on the sideline that day. He instead was scouting a future opponent, thought to be a much better ballclub than the Tartans.

That occurred on November 27, 1926 and I knew about that upset because my mother, then a 19-year-old Mary Burns, was at the game and had a program to prove it. I wish I still had that program. It would be worth something. That Tech victory has been rated the fourth greatest upset in college football history by ESPN.

This column can serve as a history lesson for most Pittsburgh football fans. Some people dismiss talk of the past, saying it was before their time. But the Civil War was before my time and I still find it fascinating to read the stories of our country’s deadliest war.

Tech’s teams in 1938 and 1939 were nationally ranked. Following the 1938 season, the Tartans played in the Sugar Bowl where they lost to the No. 1 rated Texas Christian University or TCU team by the score of 15-7. Tech was ranked as high as No. 6 in 1938.

Their star player was quarterback Howard Harpster. I met him at a Curbstone Coaches Luncheon at the Roosevelt Hotel during my student days at Pitt in the early ‘60s. I know his son-in-law Dick Swanson, one of Pitt’s most ardent athletic boosters.

Pitt’s 1936 team went 8-1-1 and defeated Washington, 21-0, in the Rose Bowl. Pitt’s 1937 team posted a 9-0-1 record, with the third consecutive scoreless tie with Fordham the only blemish on their schedule. Those were the days of Marshall Goldberg and “The Dream Backfield.”

This is the 75^th anniversary of Duquesne’s appearance in the 1937 Orange Bowl, where they defeated Mississippi State, 13-12. This anniversary was pointed out to me by Marilyn Schiavoni, the managing editor and publisher of The Valley Mirror

Her uncle or whatever played for the Dukes in those days. (Marilyn: Add whatever else is relevant, like where he came from and what position he played.)

Duquesne won on a last-ditch pass from Boyd Brumbaugh to Ernie Hefferle. It was a 72-yard touchdown strike and it was reported that the pass was in the air for 69 of those yards.

That same Duquesne team defeated the Rose Bowl-bound Pitt team by 7-0 during that 1936 season. Clipper Smith was the coach of the Dukes and their center Mike Basrak was the first Duquesne player to be a first-team All-American. Basrak played for the Steelers in 1937 and 1938.

I know I was introduced to Boyd Brumbaugh at a Curbstone Coaches Football Luncheon where I also met Howard Harpster. Brumbaugh’s daughter bought a book from me at South Hills Village about ten or twelve years ago and told me some stories of her dad’s sports exploits.

I have a personal history with Hefferle, who caught Brumbaugh’s bomb for the game-winner. Brumbaugh, by the way, was a halfback on that Dukes’ team.

Hefferle hailed from Herminie, Pa., near Irwin. He coached the ends when I was at Pitt, and they included some great ones such as Mike Ditka of Aliquippa, Joe Walton of Beaver Falls and Mean John Paluck of Swoyersville who all went on to star in the NFL.

When I went to Miami in 1969 to cover the Miami Dolphins in their final season in the AFL, writing for The Miami News, I was reunited with Hefferle, who was the Dolphins’ offensive line coach. He was a decent and fair fellow and had attributes I later associated with Chuck Noll when he coached the Steelers. In short, he was a class act. Hefferle helped me crack the ice with the coaching staff of the Dolphins, headed by George Wilson.

Notice that Carnegie Tech played in the Sugar Bowl, Pitt in the Rose Bowl and Duquesne in the Orange Bowl. Those were elite bowls for years and especially in the late ‘30s when there were only five or six bowl games.

There were 35 bowl games this season. It seems like there is a bowl game on TV every day. West Virginia and Penn State have already played in bowl games, and Pitt will be playing in one this coming Saturday.

The Panthers are matched with Southern Methodist University or SMU in the Compass Bowl. It’s the second straight year Pitt has played in this post-season bowl game in Birmingham, Alabama.

Somehow the Compass Bowl doesn’t have the same ring as the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl or the Orange Bowl.

But it could be worse. Among the 35 bowl games on this year’s schedule were the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, the TicketCity Bowl, the Go-Daddy.Com Bowl, the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl and Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, and the infamous Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Yes, there are too many bowl games these days, with whatever names money can buy, and it permits teams such as Pitt to get in with mediocre 6-6 records. When I was a senior at Pitt in 1963, the Panthers posted a 9-1 record and did not get into a bowl game.

Back in the late ‘30s, college football ruled in Pittsburgh. The sports pages were dominated by Duquesne, Pitt and Carnegie Tech, and the Steelers were dealt with in a few paragraphs.

The best example of the difference between the status of the collegians and the pros in those days comes in the case of Aldo “Buff” Donelli, a football and soccer star out of Morgan, Pa., in Bridgeville’s backyard.

In 1941, Donelli was the head coach simultaneously of Duquesne University and the Steelers. Elmer Layden was the NFL commissioner at the time. He had been a member of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame in his playing days and had coached at Duquesne before moving on to Notre Dame as the coach.

He told Donelli he had to make a choice. He could coach at Duquesne or with the Steelers, but he couldn’t do both. Donelli chose to stay with Duquesne. Of course, the Steelers were in the midst of a 1-9-1 record in 1941.

I learned something else about Carnegie Tech that I didn’t know before when I was doing research for this column.

In 1954, Tech went undefeated except for one tie. They were invited to play in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas when bowl participation was truly for elite teams. The players on that Tech team voted to play in the post-season game, but the school administration ruled against it, saying it wanted to uphold its academic reputation. Playing in a bowl game was beneath the dignity of the Tech hierarchy.

Tech and Duquesne both gave up big-time football in the ‘40s because they could not afford the financial outlay necessary to compete on a national basis and, again in Tech’s case, they thought it better to maintain its academic reputation.

How about that, sports fans?

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien will be signing his books this weekend as a featured attraction at the Pittsburgh Remodeling Show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from Friday through Sunday.

Christina Rivers, Independent Journalist Covering the Steelers

Christina Rivers, independent journalist covering the Steelers for Examiner.com and SteelersDepot.com

First, can you let readers know how you got started as a writer – what got you involved in sportswriting?

I have been a writer since I was young. My grandmother, Gloria Elaine Richardson, was a writer and poet. She published several things, and she was always introducing me to books, writing and creative outlets like art work.

I have been an athlete nearly my entire life. I was a student athlete from grade school through college. I studied sports medicine (Exercise Physiology and Psychology with an emphasis in sports psychology) at Brigham Young University (from 1990-1993). After three years, I was drawn to another calling. I went to college and became a medic and worked for a private ambulance company, then in two major medical centers. My medical career stalled in 2003 when I became seriously ill and could no longer work in the field.

I decided that I wasn’t going to just let my new handicaps become just that, handicaps. I went back to what I loved. I re-opened my graphic arts business and I started writing. At first, I was covering local news in Iowa. Then my breakthrough to sportswriting happened.

I wrote a piece about Troy Polamalu for Examiner.com, and they enjoyed it enough that they asked me to sign on as the Pittsburgh Steelers Examiner in Pittsburgh. I have been a die-hard Steelers fan since I was about five. It’s a funny story, but one worth telling another time.

I have been covering the Steelers for Examiner.com for almost two years now, and I can say it has been absolutely my dream to be able to meet not only fans, but people involved with the team directly. Just recently, I joined the writing staff at Steelers Depot as well, and that is additional joy.

Who have been some of the most interesting interviews you’ve had, and what made them so?

I don’t generally conduct interviews with the players. I do interact with them through social media however. Erin Cox runs Ben Roethlisberger’s website, Facebook and twitter account. She contacted me regarding an article I wrote, and it has been a great experience to get to know her and Ben through her.

I think one of the best times with a player using social media was a live chat with rookie tight end Weslye Saunders. He’s funny, personable, and I really expect him to be a breakout player for the Steelers soon. One of the favorite interviews I have conducted is with Max Starks, a high school senior, who runs ProInterviews.com. He is very mature for his age. He has his own business doing interviews with pro football players from all teams.

What are the plans for your site?

I have my own web site that is being worked on, but my sportswriting is done for Examiner.com and SteelersDepot.com right now. I don’t have plans to change that anytime soon. My intention is to create the best Steelers coverage for both of those media outlets as an independently contracted writer. In the future, that may change. As for my NFL artwork, that will all be placed on my personal website for people to purchase at a later date.

Have you had the opportunity to meet any of those players in person – how was that experience if so?

I haven’t met any of the current Steelers players in person yet. I would love to, but right now I am sticking to contact with them through social media like Facebook, Tout, live chats and Twitter.

In the past, I corresponded with retired Steelers kicker Craig Colquitt. It was a great experience because he wrote me back and introduced me to his son, Dustin. I had asked if he’d ever had a kick blocked while he played in the NFL and was surprised to find out he never had. I understand Dustin and another son are now playing in the NFL – that’s great. Following in their father’s footsteps. Their family is a big University of Tennessee backers and alumnus, so go Vols!

What would surprise fans most about the players you’ve covered so far?

I think that fans are surprised when they find out who I have contact with the most. I got a tweet from a player one night, and the friends I was with were like “who’s that?” When I told them, one of my friends said, “Yeah, I follow him on Twitter too.” I laughed and said, “Yes, but do you get direct tweets from him?” I think a lot of people have this idea that if you’re not a native of the ‘Burgh then there is no way you can understand the city, the people or the team.

I think what I cover, who I cover…it shows that there is a stronger connection than people give me credit for. In the future, I hope to have more access, but anyone will tell you that working with PR and agents to get interviews with players isn’t always easy. I find that social networking makes it more personal for the players to be able to reach out…and I try not to be up in their faces like a lot of media types. I know they have personal lives and they don’t want cameras or people begging for sound bites all the time.

I have written several articles dedicated to a certain player – the most recent on Roethlisberger overcoming his ankle injury against Cleveland to lead the Steelers to a win. I know that athletes like those kind of articles a lot better than ones that have headlines about how many mistakes they’ve made personally on or off the field.

What has been the hardest issue for you to cover personally and why?

Probably the two hardest issues for me to cover has been fines against James Harrison and players who ‘go rogue’ so to speak. For example, it’s pretty hard not to be an outsider and look in and see why James Harrison feels that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is targeting him. He was pretty verbal this week about a hit that another team’s player took on a quarterback … and how there was no fine handed out. I think there is some legitimacy for his complaints.

There is also legitimacy for the league saying that if he continues to play the way he has been – he’s going to keep getting fined and/or suspended. I think it is a lot like Suh of the Detroit Lions. Whether they like it or not, the league is going to pick people as examples. It isn’t necessarily fair or just, but football isn’t really a fair or just game. That’s why they need refs on the field, and even they don’t always make the correct calls.

After Hines Ward won Dancing With the Stars, he was charged with drunk driving. Although there hasn’t been any follow-up news as to whether or not he was convicted, it’s hard to keep telling people about his charitable works (which are many) and in the next sentence say, “Oh, and he was allegedly driving drunk”. I try not to overreact like the main stream media when a player Tweets frustration (ie. Rashard Mendenhall over the death of Osama bin Laden) or gets attacked for expressing their opinions. To me, they have as much of a right to express their feelings as I do – we’re all human. Whether people get it or not, players are people with private lives off that football field. I try to give them privacy and respect in that area.

Check out this article: //www.examiner.com/pittsburgh-steelers-in-pittsburgh/the-nfl-should-be-embarrassed-by-the-sunday-night-game-between-steelers-ravens

I rarely write opinion pieces, but this one struck a chord in a major way – especially with Steelers fans. Even some Ravens fans participated in helping me with the piece. Do I like writing about negative things? No. I wrote the article because I truly felt the NFL had done a terrible job and it needed to be brought to light. That article had one of the largest responses of any I’ve written for Examiner.com.

What has been the most interesting story for you to write and why?

I think one of the most interesting stories I’ve written was after I read ESPN ‘The Magazine’s’ Boston Issue.

//www.examiner.com/pittsburgh-steelers-in-pittsburgh/speaking-truth-and-loyalty-as-a-steelers-fan

I compete every day with big media outlets like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. I get tired of the trash they put out there many times about players and call ‘news’. Sometimes they actually do a great story about a player or team, but they are far and few between in my opinion. Most of the time their articles and editorial schedule are driven on a similar one to TMZ and Entertainment Tonight (if you know what I mean). Trends, what’s hot, what’s not.

When I read the Boston issue…well, you can take a look at it … I realized that I should cover a story about the City of Pittsburgh, the fans of the Steelers (but also the other PGH teams as well — although mainly the Steelers because that is who I cover)…how Boston fans may rail against their teams, but how many of them travel across the country on a Monday to watch their NFL team play in such force (massive fan-base) as the Steelers fans? I enjoyed covering the angle of true sports fans, not fair-weathered ones.

Otherwise, I would say that my most interesting stories have been about the players themselves, as people. I recently wrote one about Max Starks coming back from injury and receiving the (@19th Annual Arthur J. Rooney, Sr. Courage House Luncheon) Ed Block Courage Award as voted by his teammates. It was great that Max got that recognition, especially after he’d been cut from the team and then re-signed to fill a hole in the offensive line emergently.

//www.examiner.com/pittsburgh-steelers-in-pittsburgh/steelers-offensive-tackle-max-starks-to-be-honored-for-philanthropy

What’s your dream story or interview?

I have two actually. First and foremost would be to do an article with all of the sons of Art Rooney, ‘The Chief’…get them all in one room and really let them talk about the evolution of the team in their lives. Throw in the kids and grandkids – it’d be too much. I want those men to be in that room releasing the ghost of players and teams past so I can capture it.

I’ve always been a big Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris fan. Who isn’t a fan of the World-Champion Steelers in the 1970s? Well, a true dream interview would be to get all of the Hall of Fame Steelers players together in Canton and not only see their items there, but to talk about why they think they were enshrined, what their favorite aspects of being a player and a member of the Steelers was, etc.

I would love them all to get together in a reunion of sorts and just let the memories flow. Those guys are way too often forgotten. I am hoping that Donnie Shell gets inducted this year for sure.

What’s your ultimate goal as a writer?

A lot of people would tell you they write for the money. If that’s the case, they’re lying. People who love to write know that you aren’t going to become a billionaire writing, unless you’re lucky and some company publishes your collection of short stories and puts it on the New York Times Best Seller list. Sports writers can write books, and many have. There are a ton of great books out there about the Steelers in fact.

My ultimate goal as a sports writer is to reach those who read my material in ways that keep them coming back for more. It isn’t dissimilar to an author writing a series of books (ie. C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia), except that I want to dig deeper and provide information that you can’t just get from a Google search online. I am not trying to become the Wikipedia of Steelers information, if you know what I mean. I want content that resonates.

BTW – yes, I am writing a novel. Is it about sports? No, it’s a thriller!