Steelers – Page 31 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

Donnie Iris – Pittsburgh Rock Icon

Donnie Iris:

First off, can you tell readers what you’ve been up to lately and about your new album and upcoming gigs?

Starting sometime after the first of the year, we will start working on a new CD.

You’ve been a stalwart of Pittsburgh’s music scene for many years. How did you get started and what advice would you give other local musicians who want to make it as well?

I started singing at a very early age. My mother played piano, and she taught me how to sing.

You’ve been a stalwart of Pittsburgh’s music scene for many years. How did you get started and what advice would you give other local musicians who want to make it as well?

My advice to people who would like to get into the music scene would be to work hard and long, whether just singing or playing or writing. And don’t quit.

Many see the life of a musician as all bright lights and glamour, but it’s a tough business. What’s been the most difficult aspect of the music business for you and how have you been able to overcome it and stay active for so long?

The toughest part of the business has been the financial aspect. It sometimes can be very difficult to make a living in music. Many artists give up because they can’t make ends meet just doing music. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to follow my heart and make a living at music, VERY fortunate!

Who influenced you most in terms of your approach to music and how have you been able to use that influence to create your own sound as opposed to just “copying” another’s?

My influences have been varied. People I looked up to and influenced me most were Marvin Gaye, Tony Bennett, The Beatles, and many more.

The Pittsburgh music scene has been growing in prominence but hasn’t launched that huge local artist recently. Is anything missing from the local scene to foster more musical talent?

I think the Pittsburgh music scene is alive and well. Many wonderful artists occupy this area. Whiz Khalifa is a prime example.

On to sports….are you a sports fan – and if so, what teams to you follow most and just how avid a fan are you?

I am a huge Pittsburgh sports fan! Steelers, Pirates, Penguins. It don’t get no better!

Have you had any experiences playing for/around some of the area athletes or hanging out with them? If so, what were those experiences and players like?

I played at Deisel acouple of times and hung with Big Ben, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith. Great guys.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Parting words for my Pittsburghers: We are really lucky to live here! My take is that Pittsburgh is truly a special place.

Mike Bires – Times Online, on the Steelers

Mike Bires – Times Online

Do you think Tomlin feels its too early to consider starting some of the younger players over more established vets? Is the team overvaluing the importance of experience over talent?

The answer to your second question is “no.’ The answser to your first question is that Tomlin will play the players he thinks give the Steelers the best chance to win, regardless if they’re 21 or 36. For example — last year, Maurkice Pouncey started at center at the age of 21. Rookie wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonion Brown had more touches that veteran Antwaan Randle El.

In your opinion, what current starters should be seeing less playing time, if any? And what are the odds of this happening?

Defensive end Aaron Smith, who’ll miss his second straight game Sunday with a sprained foot. It’s time for Ziggy Hood, a first-round pick in the 2009 draft to start. Smith’s body is breaking down. He’s missed so much time the past two years.

Is this team doing enough to adapt it’s schemes to the talents of the players- is there any feeling that players are being fitted into schemes that don’t best utilize their talents?

The schemes aere just fine. They’ve to the Super Bowl twice in the last three years.

One theory (ok, mine) is that Ben’s foot injury actually helped force Arians and Ben to scheme and play smarter – to take what the defense gave the offense rather than relying on Ben’s escapability to make big plays. Any thoughts on this?

No doubt. I also think that Ben knows that given the way health and performance of the O-line in those early games this year, he was an injury waiting to happen. He had to change.

Why do you think this team has been so seemingly uninspired when it comes to Starks. Even before his injury he seemed to be treated like an lesser necessity rather than a key OL component.

The Steelers saw Max Starks at Big Ben’s wedding. He weight 410 pounds. He was coming off a neck injury. He wasn’t ready for training camp. And he was due to make $5.14 million

How do you think Worilds is developing at OLB. Would you start him at OLB over Timmons if healthy? Why/why not?

Worilds has been OK. I would never start Worilds over Timmons. Timmons is close to being great

Who is the heir apparent opposite Ike Taylor. It seems to be a hodge-podge of players there but who’ll be the guy that you think ultimately secures the starting spot long-term?

I think the Steelers have three interesting corner prospects in Keenan Lewis, Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen … Obviously, Lewis is ahead of the two rookies right now … but I know the coaches like both Brown and Allen.

What effect do you see first-year DB coach Lake having so far with the DBs?

I don’t know. Polamalu has already said he appreciates Lake’s expertise. And I will say this, Gay and Lewis are playing better than they did last year.

The AFCN – toughest division in the NFL?

It is right now — no teams has a losing record (Ravens 3-1, Steelers 3-2, Bengals 3-2, Browns 2-2). But don’t dismiss the AFC East even with hapless Miami (0-4). The Bills and Pats are both 4-1, and I’m not counting out the Jets (2-3) just yet. And how about the NFC North with the unbeaten Packers and Lions?

Is coach Tomlin more or less involved in the game day strategy than Cowher used to be? What exact is Tomlin’s role in regards to developing game strategy?

I tend to think Cowher had a little more say. But Tomlin is involved. He lets his coaches coach, but he’s in all the meeting listening and offering his input.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I can’t wait for Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 when the Patriots and Ravens come to town.

Richard Weiss, Publisher – Sports Business Journal/World Congress of Sports

Richard Weiss, Publisher – Sports Business Journal/World Congress of Sports (April 7, 2011):

What have you found to be the most interesting developments your publication has covered over the last year or so?

The sports industry bounces back from the recession. In many cases. Sports sponsorships, for example, Are as big or bigger than ever before; NFL ratings dominated.

The labor issue is front and center on everyone’s radar as is the NBC/Comcast deal/

Can you give readers an understanding of what the World Sports Congress is, how it came into being and what the Sports Business Journal’s affiliation is with the event?

A couple years after having launched Sports Business Journal, my dream was to build a World Economic Forum (Davos) type event for the sports industry. It made sense to expand our franchise and bring together industry leaders to discuss and debate strategically where the sports industry is heading andalso provide networking opportunities for industry leaders across different sports.

All of the people who attend our World Congress have other conferences they attend that are “sport specific” but the World Congress brings together industry executives across various sports.

Who typically attends?

The World Congress is attended by senior management in the sports industry – league commissioners, team owners and president, network heads, top corporate sponsors, facility owners and operators…

What were the biggest takeways you had from this recent event?

Corporate CMOs talked about the value of sports and social media. Some of the biggest marketers in the industry gathered on a panel to talk about why sports continues to provide a worthy marketing platformfor brands.

The panel featured Reliant Energy CMO Karen Jones; Farmers Insurance Exec VP & CMO Kevin Kelso; Subway Senior VP & CMO Tony Pace; and Coca-Cola North America CMO Bea Perez.

The CMOs all weighed in on how important sports are to their respective brands.

“It’s very important for our brand,” Pace said. “We try to be somewhat surgical with what we do in sports. When we focus on athletes, we pick an athlete first and foremost if they’re a Subway fan. Then you have to look at their short-term growth, long-term potential.”

Kelso provided a different perspective, since Farmers is relatively new to the sports marketplace but made a huge splash earlier this year by agreeing to a $600 million to $700 million naming-rights agreement for AEG’s proposed events center/NFL stadium in downtown L.A. “Sports marketing is a new area for us to participate in,” Kelso said. “It’s been very high-profile for us.” On MLB’s Opening Day, Perez recalled some Coca-Cola history to describe how important sports has been for her brand. “The reason why Coca-Cola went into bottles,” Perez said, “is two gentlemen came to us … and said, ‘We’d really like to be able to drink Coca-Cola at a baseball game.’” She added, “It’s a big part of the fabric of our brand, the DNA.”

WE ARE FARMERS: Kelso took conference attendees a little deeper into Farmers Insurance’s thoughts behind the L.A. stadium agreement. “Just the strength of the announcement really was a powerful thing for us,” said Kelso. He noted that the California-based firm already has seen $3.8 million worth of ad equivalency value just in media from the January announcement, adding that Farmers does not actually pay AEG until it is clear the stadium is going to be built. “One of our goals for the Farmers Field deal, for sure, was to put the brand on
the national stage and let people know who we are,” Kelso said.

On a similar note, Jones discussed the competition Reliant faces in Texas, since the state deregulated the energy industry 10 years ago, which has led to more than 60 companies competing for consumers. “Three things we love in Texas: trucks, our big hair and sports,” said Jones, who also expounded on the various ways Reliant uses its partnership with the Texans to reach fans on Sundays at Reliant Stadium.

The marketers touched on the power of social media, a big theme throughout the two-day conference. “If you view digital and social media as part of the conversation,” Pace said, “you have to continue to push stuff out there.” Pace specifically highlighted endorser Apolo Anton Ohno’s activity on Twitter as a great plus for the Subway brand.

Perez agreed with her Subway counterpart about the importance of social media, while acknowledging that Coca-Cola hasn’t quite figure it out yet. “We believe that will drive purchase, that will drive transactions,” she said. “Today, can I show you a spreadsheet that shows it translates to sales? No, I can’t. … But we believe this is a space we will continue to learn from, and will be important to our business.”

Kelso said social media is a way for Farmers to stand out in the crowded insurance space. “We are doing a lot of things in social media,” he said. “It’s a great place for us to engage with people. I think we’re all trying to figure out what to do with it. … In terms of just promoting it, updating the brand, all that’s working.”

The NFL lockout is forcing corporate marketers to spend twice as much time developing activation plans for the 2011 season, a panel of sponsorship executives said during a session titled, “Sponsorship Value and Innovation: The New Realities of Sports Marketing.”

Marketers are developing both regular and contingency activation plans for the NFL season. It’s an effort that Jeff Dubiel, Pepsi vice president of sports marketing, called duplicative. “It’s extra resources and extra time,” Dubiel said. It is also an effort that could hurt the return on Pepsi’s activation because it has had to water down its NFL-themed retail displays so that they can be switched from an authentic NFL display to a local college football team. Dubiel said, “It dumbs down the authenticity of the program we’re trying to deliver.”

Gillette and Proctor & Gamble are in a similar situation and have reached a pivotal point in NFL activation plans, said Global Sports Marketing Director Greg Via. The company has developed both NFL and non-NFL-related point-of-sale displays, and retailers will make a decision this May as to which one to feature.

Similarly, Visa has been speaking to its member banks to keep them abreast of the NFL’s situation so that they can determine which marketing materials they choose to use this season. Lynch: “Our plans and our hope is that we’re all systems go. …Everyone is hoping like hell it’s going to be reconciled in time. It’s that powerful a property that we are planning as if things are going to happen.”

Anheuser-Busch, which is starting the first year of a six-year deal valued at more than $1 billion, will test the public appetite for the NFL during the lockout by launching a Bud Light promotion against the upcoming NFL Draft.

A-B VP of Media, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Mark Wright said, “We’re all guns ablazing.”

The ever-elusive ROI: Marketers are still struggling to measure return-on-investment effectively, but the recent recession helped them unearth some formulas that work for their brands.

Pepsi has begun measuring a sponsorship’s effect on brand health, how it delivers against key objectives, and whether it is using all of the assets delivered in a sponsorship contract. Dubiel: “We have a disciplined audit process where a couple of times a year we’re going to report out – yes we got it, down to the picture at an NFL stadium. It forces everyone to think a lot harder about the returns and what we’ve signed up for.”

Lynch said that since Visa went public in 2008, the company’s management has been increasingly insistent that he show the value of a sponsorship. Lynch: “I can’t talk to my management now without talking numbers first. …As a global company, are we making money off this investment or not? If we’re not making money, we won’t be renewing this deal.”

P&G’s marketing objectives increasingly focus on what the results of a promotion are at retail, so it has pushed its agency partners to be more creative in designing programs that help move products.

Via said, “We don’t have a good handle on it at all. We know when we run a commercial and that commercial is tied to a property and tied to retail activation and shelf space, we can say, ‘OK. We sold product off that.’ And that’s the best way we’ve found.”

A Champions panel offered reflections, advice on the sports business.

In addition to introducing them during a lunch session yesterday, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily honored this year’s class of “The Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business,” during a panel discussion at the end of the day.

The five recipients — former WNBA and USA Basketball President Val Ackerman; former PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman; IMG Media Exec VP Barry Frank; ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen; and Premier Partnerships Chairman Alan Rothenberg — reflected on their years in sports and how the industry has evolved.

Each panelist addressed their many accomplishments, and what made them successful. Beman said, “If you play golf, you know you fail more than you win. … I think I was successful because I wasn’t afraid to fail. I wasn’t afraid to advance an idea that might be difficult.”

Rasmussen also cited not fearing failure. “I never really accepted no for an answer,” Rasmussen said. “I was never afraid to fail. In fact, ESPN got started because I got fired from my job at the Whalers.” He added, “You really have to trust your instincts, your passion, your energy.”

Frank recalled his early days in sports business. “A large part of my success was due to that I wouldn’t quit,” he said. “The first big deal I made was for the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, and I knew there was big money there. … I made about four trips out to Calgary to convince (the IOC) that I could get them more money than they could get themselves.” Rothenberg chimed in, “It’s the ability to seize an opportunity that’s
in front of you, then work energetically. … You build a reputation over time as a person who can accomplish great things.”

The panelists engaged in a good back-and-forth about what the future may hold for ESPN. Rasmussen, understandably not wanting to seem too biased, suggested that even the new NBC Sports conglomerate will not be able to challenge ESPN. Frank took it a step further, declaring that no one will unseat ESPN from its chair atop the sports media landscape. “That’s not my opinion,” he added. “It’s a fact.”

In addition to recalling their careers in sports business, the panelists also discussed what’s ahead for the industry. Frank and Rasmussen agreed that college sports could experience a rebirth in the coming years. “With production equipments costs coming down,” Rasmussen said, “technology improving every hour on the hour, even the smaller colleges are going to figure out how to produce games.”

Looking at the current sports landscape, the panelists were asked about which league they would like to run today. Beman said, “I think everyone would like to run the PGA Tour. … There are challenges, but not the problems other sports have.” Frank took a different angle on the question, mentioning the biggest league in North America. “There’s only one league to run today if you want to be powerful, and that’s the NFL,” he said.

Rasmussen provoked laughter from the audience when he said, “Is Bud Selig retiring soon? I don’t want all the problems he has, but it’s a fun job.” The five didn’t bite much when asked about regrets and mistakes in their careers, though Ackerman chimed in with what she deemed a smaller issue. “I regret that I don’t speak any language other than English,” she said. “I function now a little in the international world … and the ability not to be able to converse with people in the downtime — I try to cough up a few pleasantries — I regret that.”

Beman joked, “I don’t have too many regrets as commissioner. I’m a little upset I didn’t make one more birdie in the U.S. Open in 1969. I might not have had to take the job as commissioner.”

The panelists were asked, “What advice do you give to young people wanting to get into the sports business industry?”

Rothenberg: “Knock on every door. Take the first and best opportunity you’re given. Then do a phenomenal job.”

Rasmussen: “Go to the local radio station, go to the local TV station. Make a pest of yourself if you have to, just get yourself in the door.”

Frank: “The job you want to take, for your first job, is anything that has upward mobility as a possibility.”

Beman: “I agree with Barry. You have to want to be in the sports business bad enough to start at the bottom. Jim Nantz is the perfect example — he started as a runner.”

Ackerman: “You have to pick a specialty. If you want to work in PR, there’s this skill set and this career path. If you want to work in marketing, there’s this skill set and this career path. … Your attitude has to be: no job is too small.”

What sense do you have of the bigger issues the various leagues and teams are concerned about over the next couple of years?

Labor, labor, labor!!!

Many leagues are looking to grow internationally – how are leagues working internally and externally to do so?

All the leagues continue to explore international, the NBA leads the pack…

Technology is rapidly changing the way sports are being played. What is your sense of how they plan to utilize those technologies in the near future without “overusing” them to the point they turn fans off to the actual sport?

A huge revenue driver for teams; most are using technology to enhance the fan experience with state of the art video-boards, concessions technology to allow fans to avoid waiting in lines, ticketing technology that allows teams to get the maximum amount for tickets at various points in time, leading up to a game without being stuck with unsold tickets…

How was the economic downturn addressed at this event – do you get a sense teams are feeling better about the economic climate?

The overall buzz was that the economic downturn is behind us…

What is the buzz about the NFL lockout?

Most agree that agreement will be reached before regular season games…

With the various new forms of media growing in importance (blogs, twitter, etc,.) how are you seeing sports teams addressing the need to work with these “non-traditional” but essential media outlets and how does this event address this issue?

For the most part, teams, leagues and other properties, as well as other companies playing in the sports space are embracing social media, some more quickly than others.

All agree that social media is powerful; all agree that social media communication must be authentic; all agree that they continue to grapple with how to monetize social media. But all know and understand that they have to embrace it and experiment with it.

Willie Williams, Steelers Cornerback, 1993-1996, 2004-2005

First, can you let readers know about your training business – who you train and how.

My company, XPRO Training Consultants provides speed, agility, endurance and skill development training for middle and high school athletes in all sports. Our major sports are lacrosse, football and track & field. We are starting to get college athletes as well through word of mouth.

How did you get started in this business?

It all started when my oldest son, Dominique, who is currently a junior in high school, wanted to play football at the age of eight. I said ok, we have to get you in shape. I took him out to the track and put him through some interval training and speed drills. The next day he invited some of his teammates. The amount of kids grew at every session and I’ve been going at it ever since. I didn’t officially launch my business to the public until January 2009.

Continue reading “Willie Williams, Steelers Cornerback, 1993-1996, 2004-2005”

Jerry DiPaola – On 1994-2004 Steelers and Pitt Panthers

Jerry DiPaola, Trib Total Media, On 1994-2004 Steelers and Pitt Panthers (April 27, 2011)

Steelers:

Who have been some of the most interesting characters on the Steelers teams you covered from 1994-2004, and what made them so? Any examples?

One of my all-time favorite Steelers is a guy who spent only a few years here, running back Duce Staley. Very interesting guy, who abruptly ended an interview one day, and gave you enough time to write a book the next.

One day, I arrived late to his locker stall after a game and by that time Duce had had enough. He saw I was disappointed, but he was through for the day and wouldn’t give me even a brief comment. The next day, a Steelers PR guy summons me and says Duce wants to see me in the cafeteria. He saw I had been shut out the day before and wanted to make amends. We talked for an hour, just the two of us. I thought that was a great thing for him to do, and something most athletes never would consider in similar circumstances.

Another good guy is Duval Love, an offensive linemen from the 1990s. Duval was near the end of his career when I wrote he was in danger of getting cut. The next day at training camp, a Steelers PR guy said, “Jerry, Duval wants to talk to you.” I met him in a meeting room in one of the St. Vincent College dormitories after practice and when he walked in and saw me sitting there waiting for him, he said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hit you.”

We talked for an hour and he told me how hurt he was by what I wrote and we ironed out our differences.

There also have been many, many standup guys, including Jerome Bettis, Kordell Stewart (one of the nicest guys on the team), Jim Sweeney, Dermontti Dawson and Mike Tomczak. Joey Porter was another favorite because he just didn’t know how to shut up. Gotta love those kinds of guys.

No one tops Dan Rooney for cooperation, however. And I don’t think I’ve ever interviewed anyone smarter than Tom Donahoe and Kevin Colbert.

The Steelers came so close to so many Super Bowl wins and appearances in the 90’s. How did Cowher and the team handle those frustrations? How did Coach Cowher and the team pull through those too-frequent failures to win it all when they were consistently so close? Who else led the team through these frustrations?

Bill Cowher had a special talent for keeping a team focused, no matter what was happening around it and what had happened the day before, the week before or the season before. He put a chip on his shoulder when things were going bad and just dared anyone — the other team, the fans, the media — to knock it off.

The Steelers were very talented while he was coach and he knew it, but he never let the disappointment of a bitter defeat get in the way of his goal.

The Steelers lost AFC Championship games for many reasons, including special teams failures, the inability to make a big play at the right time and the fact that the Patriots and Broncos were just better. But they never lost because Cowher didn’t have them ready to play.

Cowher also had a lot of good leaders on his teams, including Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake, Bettis, Dawson and Hines Ward. Men with strong wills and good heads on their shoulders.

Did you ever get a sense from players that they felt the team too often played “not-to-lose” instead of “to win”? Were there ever any vocalized issues with the offensive strategies among players?

Playing not-to-lose is not how I would characterize the way Cowher coached. Before the loss to the Chargers in the AFC Championship Game after the 1994 season, Cowher had found a way to win that worked and was of no mind to stray from it in a big game. To me, that is a sensible way of doing things. The problem was that the Chargers hit one or two more big plays than the Steelers did.

A decade later, Cowher finally had a quarterback he trusted to make big plays and he opened up the offense for Ben Roethlisberger in the playoffs. Cowher trusted Ben more than he did Neil O’Donnell, for obvious reasons.

Ben is a great quarterback; O’Donnell was a good one, on his best days.

I truly can’t remember anyone vocalizing their complaints about the offense.

What memories stand out to you most about those teams? Any experiences/inside stories that would give readers a good feel for the locker room antics or player relationships?

I was once in the middle of a locker room fight. It was during spring drills in 2000, the final year at Three Rivers Stadium. One day, linebacker Earl Holmes gave running back Richard Huntley a shove as Huntley ran through the line n a non-contact drill. Huntley turned and threw the ball at Holmes. OK. That was no big deal.

But when three of us were circling Huntley after practice to ask him about the encounter, poor Richard’s eyes got as big as saucers because behind us was Earl, looking for restitution. Earl pushed me out the way and started going after Richard. Several players jumped in and a melee ensued right there in the locker room. Running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala tried to be a peacemaker and ended up with a black eye and at one point linebacker Jason Gildon raised a stool and started swinging it over his head while shouting, “You want some, I got some.” Whatever that means.

But that was the extent of it. No one really got hurt. Someone ran down the hall to get Cowher and when he arrived, that was the end of that.

But it did make for an interesting story in the next day’s paper.

You covered the Steelers after Roethlisberger’s rookie season. What was Ben like as a rookie – any indications of who he was as a person then and of just how good he could be on the field? How did other players react to him? How did he react to the veterans/team leaders?

I became the Trib’s high school sports editor, a position I held until 2010. I am now a general assignment writer with a lot of college football and Pittsburgh Power responsibilities.

From what I could tell, Ben had a lot of friends on the team. I remember he and Bettis making plans for a big night out n New York after a Giants game, limo, dinner, things like that.

There were several indications of how good he could be — the Steelers won a lot of games with him at quarterback, and he made a lot of big plays to make that happen. And that was in his rookie year.

Who were the locker-room leaders on those team and what players kept the team loose? How did they do so? Were there ever rifts in the locker room that you were aware of and who were the “cliques.”

Bettis was a great leader because everyone respected him. He would engage in lots of locker-room banter and was truly one of the guys, but everyone knew he was different. His shoulders were the broadest and he didn’t mind carrying the team. A true professional.

Joey Porter and Lee Flowers were other very vocal team leaders, who backed up what they were saying on the field.

Pitt Panthers:

How has the new coaching staff looked so far? Is the team adjusting as well as it needs to yet and how is the coaching staff doing in preparing this team?

Todd Graham is a good man and, I think, he will be a good coach at Pitt. He means what he says and is honest and sincere about his beliefs. Players recognize that and will play hard for him. But they also adored Dave Wannstedt and played hard for him, and it didn’t matter.

Wannstedt was forced out because he couldn’t win enough big games. Graham will be judged like any coach — on how many Ws he earns.

I believe the team will adjust to the new coaching staff and its new ideas, but it might take a season or two. I still think they can win enough games to get to a BCS game this season because the Big East just isn’t especially challenging, and there is a lot of talent on both the offense and defensive lines.

Is Graham as good of a coach as he is a salesman?

I don’t know yet until we get deep into the season. He looks to be a good coach, and his staff is very professional and very energetic. But it’s too hard to tell by watching practice for an hour a day.

How is this season’s recruiting class and how much of an impact has Graham been able to have on it considering his late arrival? What players should excite fans the most?

There are a lot of speed guys in the 2011 recruiting class, and I will be interested in seeing the running backs — all five of them. Pitt needs depth at that position, and Graham may have to lean on his freshmen to find it.

Graham did the best he could to salvage the class, and I know for a fact that he and his coaches worked hard to keep it together. It doesn’t look great on paper, but let’s see how these players actually perform in games before judging the class.

Can Sunseri be an elite Big East QB and run Graham’s hi-octane offense successfully?

Yes and yes.

It’s the Big East, after all. Tino doesn’t have to be Dan Marino.

That said, Tino is a smart kid with a lot of heart and a good arm. He wants to win and, I think, he will win. There will
be growing pains, and the fans must be patient. But Tino has a good chance of succeeding because he wants it so desperately.

What are going to be the strengths and weaknesses of this team?

Depth could be a problem at running back, wide receiver and in the secondary. But the starters are good enough, if they stay healthy.

The defensive line can be very good, maybe even elite, in time. I am eager to see Tyrone Ezell, freshman K.K. Mosley-Smith and Aaron Donald develop over the next few years, but seniors Chas Alecxih and Myles Caragein are also excellent.

Who are the locker-room leaders on this team and what players keep the team loose?

Wide receiver Cameron Saddler will keep the team loose because of his outgoing and fun-loving personality. Tino Sunseri will be the leader because if he isn’t, Graham doesn’t want him as the starting quarterback.

Anthony Villiotti – DraftMetrics

Anthony Villiotti – DraftMetrics (May 12, 2011):

First, can you tell readers about your website, how you got started and what we should expect in the weeks ahead?

DraftMetrics covers the gamut of NFL player acquisition activities. Most of the coverage is on the draft, but trades, free agent signings and other activities are covered as well. I have been interested in the draft since the late 1960s, first as a “draftnik” and then as someone interested in studying the outcomes of the draft.

I published a study in the late 1980s called The NFL Draft: A Historical Perspective that I sold to a number of NFL teams and fans. In late 2009 I decided to pick this study back up again and in the spring of 2010 I published DRAFTMETRICS which was purchased by several NFL teams, player agents and fans. As I was writing DRAFTMETRICS it seemed that a website would be a better way to present my information since it allowed for continual updating and addition of information.

As far as what to expect in the weeks ahead, my main priority is going to be revising my website to make it more user friendly. After that I will probably ignore the draft for a little awhile and do more research and articles on the general issue of how NFL teams are built.

In examining the NFL draft over the past 2+ decades, what are some of the most frequent mistakes teams make in your opinion?

There is no data to support this so it’s just my opinion but I think the two biggest mistakes that teams make are to place too much value on post-season activities and to reach for players. A guy has four years of game action on tape that is sometimes wiped out by one offseason workout session.

Reaching is understandable if you have a need at a particular position but it leads to mistakes.

On the Steelers specifically, what have they done well over the past few seasons in the draft? What area of the draft do you think the Steelers could improve on?

It’s really hard to be overly critical of anything the Steelers have done in the draft.

What they have done best, though, in recent years is to “hit” with their first round draft choice even though they typically draft later in the round. The jury is still a bit out on Ziggy Hood, though he did look promising in 2010, but otherwise you have to go back to Kendall Simmons in 2002 for someone who was somewhat disappointing,

Even Simmons was not a terrible pick since he started 83 NFL games. This shouldn’t be taken for granted. Based on research DRAFTMETRICS has done, only about 62% of first round draft choices become five-year starters in the NFL. The Steelers look on track to bat 100% with their recent choices.

If I had any criticism of the Steelers regarding the draft it’s that I think they tend to undervalue the cornerback position in the draft room. In the last ten years they’ve selected only one cornerback (the ill-fated selection of Richard Colclough in 2004) with a pick in the top 50 of the draft and only three (Bryant McFadden at #62 in 2005 and Curtis Brown this year at #95) in the top 100 picks.

In short, though, it’s really hard to criticize anything the Steelers have done regarding the draft. They pretty serve as the model for the rest of the NFL when it comes to the draft.

Do you see a difference in how Tomlin has approached the draft versus Cowher? If so, how?

I really don’t see any difference in approach. Kevin Colbert is the common denominator with both coaches and the Steelers draft philosophy is well established. I doubt Tomlin would have been hired if he didn’t buy into the Steelers philosophy.

How does the Steelers’ draft approach differ from that of most teams (if in fact it does)?

I don’t think the draft approach is much different than anyone else. The stability in the organization just allows them to have a clear profile of the kind of players that fit the system.

Plus, they are patient and let the players develop in their system. According to Art Rooney II, maybe they’re even a little too patient. Over the last 20 years only the New York Giants have had fewer draft choices start as rookies than the Steelers.

You’ve done a lot of research on team building and what works best. Have you found trends on whether teams find more success when built through the draft or through free agency? What do you think makes one approach better than the other? In your analyses, do you find that teams that trade down for more draft picks (as has been the trend of New England lately) find more or less success overall than teams that trade up or stand still?

I think building through the draft has proven to be the most effective way to build a team. There are a lot of different ways to approach this issue. One very simple way is to look at the teams who used the most draft choices versus the teams that used the least and see how they fared on the field.

The five teams with the most draft choices, in order, were the Patriots, Titans, Packers, Steelers and Eagles. These teams have a total of 943 draft selections over the last 20 years and a total of 943 wins (no typo, same number of wins as draft choices).

The five teams with the fewest number of draft choices were the Redskins, Saints, Lions, Raiders and Jets. These teams had a total of 739 draft choices and only 713 wins in the 20 year period. So there does seem to be a positive correlation between the number of draft choices and a team’s success.

The other interesting thing to note is that the second group of teams actually had more draft choices, by a very small amount, in the first 28 draft selections than did the more successful teams. So it could be argued that the accumulation of later choices really made the difference. I will be studying this issue in more detail later this year.

So why is it better to build through the draft? I think it’s due to the salary structure of NFL and its salary cap. With the cap, nobody can be the New York Yankees and bury their mistakes. Despite some of the big salaries paid to early first rounders, it is simply cheaper to get talent in the draft than it is through the free agent market.

More and more small school players seem to be making NFL squads and getting drafted. Why do you think this is and how does it change the way teams approach the draft?

Actually, I’m not sure that is the case, at least on the drafted side.

90% of the players drafted over the last 10 years have come from BCS schools, compared to 85% for the years from 1996-2000. Football Championship Series schools (aka Division 1-A) have seen their percentage of players drafted drop from 9% in 1996-2000 to 7% in 2006-2010. Division 2 and 3 schools have had their percentage drop from 5% in 1996-2000 to 3% in 2006-2010.

This is contrary to what would seem to be logical, though. With the decrease in college football scholarships at the D-1 level over the years, you would expect a higher level of talent at the other levels of college football. For whatever reason, that has not been reflected in the draft.

As far as players making in the NFL, I don’t have that broken out right now, but I will make a point of addressing that in the future.

The days of the true, undiscovered sleeper seem to be over.

The ease of filming (I know, showing my age) and access to video makes it hard to hide anyone. So I think all teams do a thorough job of scouting at all levels of football.

Any correlation between the size of a team’s scouting department and their draft success? Do teams that invest more in the draft process actually draft better?

That’s a very good question, but one I have not thought to study. Sounds like a summer project!!

In looking at Pittsburgh’s 2011 draft, what players excite you most and why? What was the best value pick? Conversely, do you see any of these picks as being reaches or just poorer selections?

It was a little bit of a funny year for the Steelers draft.

There was no one that I thought they really stretched to grab (Cortez Allen is probably the closet to that) and no one I thought they got a great bargain on. I’m somewhat excited about Cameron Heyward, because I think he is the perfect fit for the Steelers defensive scheme, but he isn’t a flashy player who is likely to stand out on day one.

I’m most intrigued by Baron Batch and think he has a real shot to be a contributor on this team as a third down back. He essentially played like a third down back all the time at Texas Tech and he is a really easy guy to root for.

I was not too excited about Marcus Gilbert. Nothing concrete about my feelings, just think he went a little higher than he could have and that there may have been a better value out there at the time. There is a question in my mind if he will match up well with quick edge rushers. He is said to be best friends with Markice Pouncey, though, so maybe some of talent will rub off.

Any last thoughts for readers?

The thing I have found most intriguing in my research is where the talent drop-offs are in the draft. I have divided the draft into seven “Value Groups”. All the choices in each Value Group have had about the same rate of success in their post-draft years. The Value Groups are as follows:

 Value Group 1 Selections 1-13

 Value Group 2 Selections 14-28

 Value Group 3 Selections 29-48

 Value Group 4 Selections 49-74

 Value Group 5 Selections 75-114

 Value Group 6 Selections 115-200

 Value Group 7 Selections 201 and after

The Value Groups mean, for example, that players selected with the 13th choice have done about as well as players selected 1st.

Aaron Schatz – Football Outsiders

Aaron Schatz, Football Outsiders (May 5, 2011)

First, can you tell readers about your site – your focus, how it got started and what readers should expect over the coming weeks/months?

Hey. We consider Football Outsiders to be the site for the intelligent football fan. (The place where nobody writes MY TEAM RULEZZZZZZ with six Z’s.)

It started with advanced statistics for the NFL, similar to what folks like Bill James and Baseball Prospectus had been doing for baseball, and that’s still the centerpiece of our work. However, we also do tape study, write humor and fantasy football columns, and last year we added a weekly column about offensive line technique. We also have been expanding our coverage of college football over the last couple years with new writers and new metrics. And of course we have discussion threads on all our articles, and they get pretty active and interesting. With, as noted earlier, a limited number of “Z’s.”

I got started as just a normal fan who just had some questions about the game, and I ended up putting together some numbers so I could answer them. Once I had some numbers, I created some new metrics and we ended up putting a website together.

We got lucky in the timing, because this was right after Michael Lewis had written Moneyball and everyone went out there on the Internet looking for “the Moneyball of ____.” If you looked for the Moneyball of football, there we were. Once we had been publicized to people, my readership grew and really good writers started coming out of the woodwork, guys who had been waiting years to write for a site like this.

Over the next few weeks or months, readers should expect… more of the same stuff they always love! I don’t really have anything fascinating and new to report. We’re mostly sitting around right now trying to figure out how on earth to write our usual preseason book when there hasn’t been any free agency yet.

We’ll still get Football Outsiders Almanac 2011 out there, we’re just not sure when.

By your metrics who would you have tagged – Lamarr Woodley or Ike Taylor. And why?

From a business point of view, I would have tagged Taylor, and here’s why: When it was time to lay out franchise tags, it seemed likely that there would be some kind of labor impasse. The most likely result of a labor impasse would be to continue the free agency rules of 2010 if there is some sort of court decision that ends the lockout and forces the owners to start the league year without a new CBA.

Lamarr Woodley has four years of experience, which means under those rules he would not need to be Franchised, he would be a restricted free agent. The same would be true if they had negotiated a new CBA and had the rules say that you needed either five or six years for unrestricted free agency.

However, if we were working under the old rules where you COULD get unrestricted free agency after four years, then I would have tagged Woodley. He’s younger and still may be growing as a player.

Taylor, on the other hand, isn’t getting any better. He’s a good cornerback, but not a great one. And when you play primarily zone coverage — the Steelers mostly play Cover-3 behind those blitzes they run — your pass rushers are more important than your cornerbacks. (At least, I think so; if you look at this year’s New England draft, Bill Belichick seems to disagree with me.)

Which teams have more success in the NFL over the past few years – teams that run much more than pass or vice-versa – and why?

Passing is more successful than rushing, period. You need to have some balance, of course… that keeps the defense on its toes, it allows for play-action, it lets you convert short yardage — but in general, passing is more efficient and the best teams are those that pass best and stop the pass best.

What’s the best indicator of a successful quarterback? Yards-per-attempt, completion rate ….another?

If you are talking about standard stats, the answer is net yards per attempt — passing yards minus sack yards, divided by sacks plus attempts.

What’s most over-rated and overpaid position in NFL in your opinion – and why?

Oh, that’s easy, running back.

The last few years have shown that there are only a handful of running backs who excel to such a level that it is worth paying them big money, and even then, running backs wear out much faster than players at most other positions.

The difference between a good running back and an average running back isn’t that wide, and the success of the running game has a lot to do with other players, the linemen, rather than the running backs. Look at how many teams have been able to put together successful backfields without spending a lot of money — the Patriots, the Packers, the Broncos for all those years.

Conversely. What’s most Under-rated and underpaid position?

I would say probably nickelback. Last year, teams actually used three or four wide receivers more often than they used two wide receivers. You really need to have three starting-quality cornerbacks in today’s game, and it is worth paying a third cornerback to get a good one.

In your estimation, how successful are pass defenses that rely on blitzing? Do pass blitzes create more positives than negatives throughout the course of a game for a defense?

Yes, I think so. I think the worst strategy is to spend a lot of time rushing four, to be honest. If I were a defensive coordinator, I would alternate blitzes with heavy coverage plays that rushed only three.

How important is time of possession? Do teams that win the time of possession battle usually win more often than lose – and is that changing with NFL rules making it easier for pass-oriented offenses?

Honestly, it’s not that important. What’s important is to score more points, and to gain more yards which leads to advantageous field position which in turn usually leads to scoring more points.

If you convert first downs, you’ll hold on to the ball longer, so of course a team which converts a lot of first downs will have good time of possession. But what’s important there isn’t the actual time of possession, it’s the process of converting first downs and getting four more opportunities to advance the ball and try to score.

How important is it really for teams to have big plays (40 yard or more gains) in games? Are big plays as important for example as turnovers or do teams win consistently without them?

To be honest, big plays are similar to turnovers in that both are examples of plays that are highly random even though there is some skill involved and talented teams will generally have more than less talented teams. You can win consistently without big plays if you are constantly matriculating the ball down the field and converting first downs to move the chains.

Ken Crippen – Pro Football Researchers Association

Ken Crippen, Pro Football Researchers Association (June 29, 2011):

First, can you tell us a bit about the Pro Football Researchers Association – how it got started and it’s “mission”?

The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to pro football history. We were incorporated in 1979 and currently have over 400 members in 11 countries.

What is a Pro Football Researcher exactly – and why devote an organization to this niche?

A pro football researcher is anyone dedicated to researching or writing about any aspect of pro football history.

How is the organization funded and run?

We are a membership-based organization run by both elected officials and appointed officials. These officials make up the board of directors.

How much research is done/sponsored by the association itself – or is the work done strictly by members?

The work is done by the membership and shared with the membership.

How is the research conducted – and how do the researchers decide on what history to go after in its research agenda?

Research subjects are chosen by the researcher. Any topic that is of interest to the researcher.

What part does oral history play in research and how do researchers go about collecting this?

Oral history is an important part of football history. We want to capture the stories and game accounts first-hand from the players. As the stories get passed down from generation to generation, the quality of the accounts declines.

You get into very specific areas of research – from social movements, gamebooks, uniforms, pre-NFL leagues, etc. How do you focus on each niche and what are some of the more interesting findings across these niches?

The focus on each niche depends on the interest of the researchers doing the work. For example, the uniforms committee has provided graphical representations of all team uniforms from 1933 through 1958.

The social movements committee has focused on racial integration within pro football. The pre-NFL committee has discovered previously unknown teams.

What is some of the more interesting research done on Steelers teams via your association or it’s members?

Matt Algeo’s book “Last Team Standing” on the Steagles was interesting. We have also written on the swapping of franchises between the Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. We have also covered various players and moments from their Super Bowl championships in the 1970s.

How can that research be seen by fans?

The best way to see the research is by visiting our website: www.profootballresearchers.org or by becoming a member to receive our bi-monthly magazine “The Coffin Corner.” Instructions on how to become a member are located on our website.

You have developed your own Hall of Very Good for football researchers – can you tell readers more about this – who is nominated, by whom and how it’s voted on?

The Hall of Very Good was started in 2003 and was designed to honor players who had excellent careers, but were not in the Hall of Fame.

However, some of our inductees have gone on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Each year, our membership submits five names for consideration for that year’s class. Once those names are received, a committee of nine whittles it down to the top twenty players. From there, the twenty names are submitted to our membership for a vote. The top vote-getters will be inducted into the class for that year, with a minimum and maximum class size, as well as a minimum percentage of the votes received.

Any other thoughts for readers?

Visit our website (www.profootballresearchers.org) to learn more about the PFRA.

Warren Anderson – Rehab Plus/MakePlays

Warren Anderson, President – Rehab Plus/Makeplays.com (April 1, 2011):

First, can you let readers know how you got started in sports training and offer any advice for those that would like to do the same?

To make a long story short, I was coaching in the old USFL, starting in 1983 with the Chicago Blitz and Hall of Fame coach George Allen, the next year they moved our franchise to Arizona. In 1985 we became the Arizona Outlaws and were coached by Western PA native and ex-Arizona State coach Frank Kush.

When the league went under in 1985 I started working in physical therapy with Coach Kush’s brother Steve. At the same time Coach Allen’s son Bruce became a sports agent and I began working with him as well. Bruce (currently the GM with the Washington Redskins) and I started the first NFL combine training camp in 1985 as a way to add a competitive advantage for agent services. We kind of merged all our services into a physical therapy/sports training facility and moved forward. In 1988 I opened my own
physical therapy/sports training facility, and we’ve grown and diversified over the years.

You focus a lot on combine training for players looking to get into the NFL. While so much emphasis is on physical training, how do you prepare players mentally for the litany of Questions and pressures that occur at the combine and in the NFL?

The combine was originally created to bring the top prospects together at one spot and conduct medical exams and physicals. It quickly morphed into all the physical testing, i.e. “measurables” and interviews and position drills. etc.

Today the combine is another venue for the league to broadcast, hype, “sell their product”. That being said, for most coaches and gm’s the combine is their first opportunity to see the new prospects “on the hoof”, get to meet with them, watch them move around and do some athletic things. Still today, the medical exams remain one of the most important aspects of the combine.

The interview process has taken on added importance and most prospects will be well versed on this component as well as the physical testing component. The combine is an intense, pressure filled event for the players, and, given these circumstances, allows teams to observe how the player handles the environment. We just want to have our players thoroughly prepared for every component and understand they may have to “adjust on the run”.

For example if a team wants to send a player off for an MRI it may alter his schedule some, and the player has to adapt to that. We like to use the adage “be intense but not tense” when dealing with all the pressures of the combine.

Do players often find the mental aspect of the game and combine more difficult than the physical demands of the game, in your opinion? How do you work with them to improve their mental approach to the game? What techniques do you use?

In regards to the combine, the mental pressures are definitely more of a concern to players.

Candidly, most of the players in this era have been doing all the “measurables” since they were attending high school combines. The tests like the short shuttle and 3 cone are learned skills that aren’t that difficult. Speed can be improved, but at the end of the day, the evaluations are going to go back to game tape.

The evaluation BEGINS with the tape and ENDS with the tape, all the other things help fill in the blanks. In my opinion, one of the biggest misconception players have is that if they blow away all the combine tests they’re going to be a high pick. We’ve had kids call us before the season wanting to know about getting ready for the combine, we just tell them they better worry about making plays on the field because that is going to get them drafted well before what they look like running around in their underwear.

Continuing on with preparing players mentally/psychologically for the NFL game and combine – how much do you alter your techniques and approach depending on the position an athlete plays- and how so?

In recent years, more facilities and agents are bringing in position coaches to work with prospects preparing for the draft. In my opinion, this is one of the smartest thing a young prospect can have available to him.

After the draft, all these rookies are going to have to perform on the field, and understand it is their ability to make plays and DO THEIR JOB that coaches care about. We’re very fortunate to work with some great coaches.

Rod Dowhower, who was an OC and QB coach for 25 years in the NFL, is unbelievably good in working with young QBs. An old Pittsburgh Steeler, Andre Hastings, works with wide receivers. Dre is a wealth of knowledge that is put from a players perspective. Dre has no patience for anything less than 100% and he’ll let them know.

Doug Plank, a Western PA guy who played with the Chicago Bears ( the 46 defense was named after him) and has coached most recently with the Jets, is fabulous with secondary players. Position coaches like this can prepare the player for what he will incur at the combine, but more importantly, have an understanding of what it takes to play in the National Football League.

What do you find are the biggest misperceptions most of these players have when they first start working with you?

As I stated earlier, I think the biggest misconception is that how they perform in the “measurables” will make or break their draft status. Especially offensive lineman. We always use the saying “you gotta know who you are”.

A kid with a late round or free agent grade, for example, has to understand that the measurables may have more relevance to him because, if he tests well it is an impetus to go back and look at some more tape, Again, the game tape is the critical factor.

What’s the toughest adjustment for college players coming into the NFL – both physically and psychologically?

In my opinion, the biggest adjustment for young guys is to understand the National Football League is all business. “No more marching bands or cheeleaders”.

You better have a thorough understanding going in you are trying to take someone’s job and livelihood away from them and the body of work you produce on a daily basis will be evaluated and scrutinized. I think the complexity of the NFL game is different for some players, and they have to understand they must have the ability to process information quickly then translate that information into physical execution.

The length of the season is tough on young guys too, when they’re used to their college season ending, the NFL is just starting to kick into high gear.

Is there a worry on your part that the pre-combine preparation you give to players won’t “stick” once their training with you ends? How do you help prevent that from happening?

Working with prospects prior to the draft, you just try and educate them on the process. From bowl games (senior bowl, etc.) to the combine, to pro day, to visits with teams, to the draft, then you get to your team and the real work starts.

You better keep yourself in great physical condition all the way through, keep working on your skills, until you get to a team. The team you end up with will train you and coach you the way they see fit.

Have you worked with athletes that are resistant to the process or your specific techniques? How do you handle those circumstances if so?

Through the years we really haven’t had any players that were resistant to anything. All the kids we’ve been fortunate enough to work with just want to get better and insure themselves they’ve done everything possible to give themselves the best chance to play in the National Football League.

What do you think would surprise readers most about the athletes and pre-combine process?

With the NFL Network and all the media coverage I don’t know if too much would surprise your readers.

One thing I have found kind of disturbing is some players go to facilities with the sole purpose of improving their 40 or whatever, and neglect their position skill work. We’ve had a number of quarterbacks in recent years, and quarterbacks are basically evaluated on their ability to throw the football effectively.

Especially with QB’s who have played in a spread type offense, their ability to learn the proper footwork in the 3,5,7 step drops, for example, are of much more relevance than what their broad jump, for example, is.

For Pittsburgh fans here – have you worked with any Pitt players and/or players that have gone on to become Steelers? If so, who, and without getting into any issues of confidentiality, how were they to work with?

We have a long and very fond relationship with Pittsburgh.

Starting back in the 80’s we had Pitt players like Tony Woods (DE), Craig “Ironhead” Heyward (RB), Alex Van Pelt (QB) , Bob Buckowski (DE) to name a few. One of my real good buddies is Eric Metz who is from Monroeville and is a prominent NFL agent.

I mentioned Andre Hastings, former Steeler WR who resides out here in Phoenix and helps us out with football training. Dre also has a real successful dog training business which is really his passion. Back in 2001 we worked a project at UPMC in conjunction with SFX sports to do some combine training. That was a ton of fun and we had some good players in Pittsburgh training with us, Deuce McAllister , Justin Smith, Chris Chambers, Matt Light to name a few.

Brett Kiesel who presently plays with the Steelers trained with us. What a great guy. Brett had a great story coming out, you just knew he was a tough guy that wouldn’t be denied, plus he had really good athletic ability. Jeff Otah who played at Pitt and is currently with the Carolina Panthers is out here in Phoenix rehabbing a shoulder with us. Jeff is getting in a ton of strength and conditioning work at the same time. He’s working real hard and looking forward to getting back on the field next year.

On a sad note, one of my good buddies was Tony Brown, who played OT at Pitt in the 80’s. Tony passed away from cancer last June. He was one of a kind.

Last thoughts?

Young high school players keep working on your skill sets as well as your strength,speed, re-direction skills, etc. Be an athlete. And if you’d like, feel free to drop a note to our website: www.makeplays.com.

Thanks Ron.

Jim Wexell

Jim Wexell Interview (January 29, 2011):

Where can fans find you – online, in print and elsewhere?

I’m at SteelCityInsider.net.

Tell us about the books you’ve written – what have been your biggest takeaways from the books you wrote – what are some of the biggest things you learned and/or realized because you wrote these books?

I’ve written three books: Tales From Behind the Steel Curtain, Men of Steel, and Steeler Nation. The first two were for a publishing house that has since gone bankrupt and left a trail of I.O.U.s. Someone told me he bought one of them at Amazon for $70. Are you kidding me? Anyway, another publishing house is buying them and yhey’ll be made available at regular rates again.

I did Steeler Nation myself and it worked out. I had all the control and, frankly, made more money. I’m not telling you this to brag, I’m just taking a long time getting to the most important thing I’ve learned: If you think you can market it yourself on the Net, do it.

A photographer and I thought we had an agreement with Hines Ward to do his biography. Later, we found out Hines hired a writer from New York to do it. I heard Hines talking about it on the radio and so I asked him about it the next day. He said his agent hired the writer, that he thought it would be best for Hines to go with the people who did Bettis’s book, and that they’d be able to find a publishing house easier with this writer. I told Hines that sounds fine, but now he’ll be paying his agent, his writer, and his publishing house and to watch that he’s not left with a trail of IOUs some day.

I told him to watch out for this and that, told him he could’ve marketed it himself on the Net just as easily, and he said, “Man, we should sit down some day and go over this.” I told him he didn’t need to be adding me to his growing payroll. But my point is that I’ve learned this: Don’t let people steal your money!

As far as what I’ve learned about the Steelers, from my road trip book, I’ve learned about their families. I’ve become interested in them as people. Now when they see me coming in the locker room they don’t say, “Oh, what does this guy want from me now?” Because a lot of times we’re just shooting the breeze, whether it’s their brother, mother, or how their college football team did over the weekend. So that’s a tip for aspiring reporters to go along with the previous tip for aspiring authors. I feel bad for the 99 percent reading this who just want to know something about the dang team.

What would surprise fans most about this Steelers team?

And here’s where I don’t have anything for you. I would be surprised if Steelers fans can still be surprised. Since this is a Net interview, I’m sure these readers are the most-informed fans of this team. I’m sure they know everything that I do. I’ll hope to provide something in the coming questions.

What are some of the most memorable players and coaches you experienced covering the Steelers – and what made them so? Any experiences you can relate about those players?

I’ve covered them since 1995 and since 1998 I’ve been sharing my experiences every day. I really wouldn’t know where to begin to answer those questions.

To me, Anthony Madison is just as memorable as Greg Lloyd. I still think I see Corey Holliday in the cafeteria every day. Um, one image just flashed into my mind, was the way rookie Aaron Smith used to watch the media and team interact. He sat there alone, a mid-round rookie without any attention, and he was an eagle-eye. He’s since become a team spokesman with whom I have a great relationship.

I think about him when I see people like Jonathan Dwyer doing the same thing as a mid-round rookie these days. You have to be nice to begin relationships with even the most uninteresting rookie, because you never know who they’ll grow up to become.

What are some of the most memorable experiences you had covering the Steelers – and what made them so?

I feel like James Harrison trying to dodge these questions because I don’t have the quick-twitch memory that so many of today’s best sportswriters have. Man, I could sit down with Vic Ketchman and listen to his detailed memories of the 70s Steelers for hours. Ed Bouchette’s the same way. Gerry Dulac. Dale Lolley. These are sharp people.

I’m not nearly in that realm, and that’s why I’m glad I’ve kept all my daily notes and quotes. My first day with Harrison was memorable. I asked him about Jack Lambert and the Kent State connection and Harrison, on his first day of spring camp as a rookie, blasted Lambert for never having come around. “You’re supposed to be this all-time great, but you never came around and blah, blah, blah …” Anyway, I asked James recently if he’s ever heard from, or met, any of the 70s linebackers. He told me he received a letter from Lambert after Harrison’s wrecked the Ravens in his great 2007 game, and he told me the letter meant a lot ot him. I was happy for James and for Lambert, who remains a literary idol of mine because of his prolific letter writing. It’s so old school and very cool and courteous and smart. I’ve got to write more letters to people when they do great things. I’ve got to be more like Jack Lambert.

We heard Tomlin speak out recently about media members revealing “in house” information. How do you draw the line between what you report on and what you decide not to report on?

My readers have been good about this. They understand I can’t report tactical information gleaned from practice, whether it be position changes, injury replacements, interesting plays, whatever. You know something can help the opposition when you see it. That I don’t — even in message board interaction — exploit this in order to get more subscribers, I think, is appreciated by the readers I already have. They appreciate that I’m not going to become sensationalistic to make sales; and I appreciate that they re-subscribe year after year so that I have a base that I can count on to eat. And I really don’t need to eat steak. I’m happy with salami sandwiches and the best office in the world — the press box.

Getting to the Green Bay game – how does this defense attack that explosive Green Bay offense – especially one that performs so well in a dome?

Hmmm. You think I’m smart, do you?

First, stop the run. I like what James Starks has brought to GB, but I believe he’s got a fumble in him with that large strike zone. He hasn’t done it yet, so that means he’s due. But don’t believe this team will Brady you with 40 consecutive passes. Play that run and look for blitz opportunities when they’re “behind the chains.” And keep sprinkling in that press man that seems to have become so useful since the Brady disaster at mid-season. Just keep doing what they’ve been doing.

On offense, what do you see as the biggest vulnerability of the Green Bay defense and how do you think the Steelers attack it?

I may have watched them twice this year. I usually ask these questions. By the numbers, they’re average against the run, but with Raji coming on strong (vs. a backup) and the Steelers having been so average with their run game, and their lack of patience with it, that won’t be the edge. I think it could be the short underneath stuff to all of those speed guys, and I’m including Heath Miller, an athletic TE. The Packers’ WRs may have the better reputation and numbers, but these Steelers WR are coming on, and they are fast — Mendenhall included.

How important is the fact that many of the Steelers players and coaches have been to the SB before – is that a decidedly large advantage or overplayed? And why?

Absolutely. Here’s another long, bore-ass story about myself: On Monday morning, before I even knew whether my wife and daughter would get tickets, I bought them airfare. I saved about $400 by doing that right away. On Tuesday, I e-mailed the league to confirm my media credential. They did not have it, so we began a 2-day process to get the paperwork done on that. On Wednesday, I called the hotel to confirm my reservation. They did not have that, so we began what’s now been a 4-day process to slash through that mound of paperwork. On Thursday, my 2 tickets were confirmed, so the airfare didn’t go for naught. Now, had I not covered 3 Super Bowls previously, I would’ve assumed all would’ve been taken care of. And next week I’d be living on some street in Forth Worth, and a couple grand to the bad. That’s just my story.

Think of that and add game preparations to the list. Experience is huge.

Who or what do you see being the “surprise” difference-maker in this game – for both teams – and why?

I’m worried about Andrew Quarless, the rookie TE from Penn State. I thought he was such a good player at PSU but knew he had too much baggage for the Steelers to draft this year.

And that gets me into another topic: It’s really pissing me off how lousy journalists are shaping the facts and ripping the Steelers as some kind of hypocrites because they project themselves as “a paragon of virtue” but yet are as dirty as the rest, and these hacks are shaping the myths surrounding Ben, Harrison, Hines etc. to their liking.

Well, the draft is the lifeblood of this team. And all of your readers know they’ve hurt themselves by consistently down-grading prospects who’ve been in trouble. At the Senior Bowl, Phil Taylor was the best player on the field. He was a man amongst boys.

Do you think the Steelers will get him? Not a chance. He was kicked out of Penn State and may as well have been kicked off the Steelers’ draft board. But the point is the draft is their lifeline and they do their best to draft good people (and it’s not for some altruistic aim that will surely please their owner; it’s because good people make for good teams, as evidenced). But anyway, because of Andrew Quarless, I can prove that the Steelers are indeed a paragon of virtue and screw anyone who has an agenda coming into their story or talk show and uses these myths as vindication

Whew. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. As for your question, I see no surprises from the Steelers. I think it’s Ben’s MVP trophy to win or lose.

A recent ESPN report says LeBeau could go to AZ next season when his contract expires – any accuracy there? What are your thoughts?

No. Arizona’s waiting on Keith Butler. The Steelers, intelligently, want to make sure LeBeau re-ups before giving Butler the OK to head west.

Its early, but still, what are the main priorities for this team in the offseason?

Forget about free agency because of the lockout. In the draft, it’s value, value, value. Any idiot like me can say they need another O-lineman or another cornerback, but as long as either position presents value they will remain the annual contender they’ve become.

Pittsburgh has a new football team in the Pittsburgh Power – what do they have to do to win over Pittsburgh fans? What are your thoughts about this new team?

We who live in Pittsburgh will give our pocketbooks a rest until next September. Any new league needs to serve as some type of minor-league team for the Steelers for the discerning fan in these parts.

Any last thoughts for Pittsburgh Sports Daily Bulletin readers?

Sorry for going so long on some of these. As I said, there’s really not much more that can be known about the Steelers. Hope I didn’t bore you by talking so much about myself. Take care.