Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – Page 133 – More than 1,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff, media and more with those that played in the 50’s through today’s current roster.

Rick Moser, Running Back, 1978-1979, 1981-1982

First, can you tell readers what you have been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL and how you got involved in acting?

I guess I’ll start at the beginning with the acting.

Just after Super Bowl XIV (1980) I moved out to California for the off-season. Why spend the winter & spring in Pittsburgh, instead of sunny warm California were my thoughts. Off-season workouts with the team were not mandatory back then. Anyway – one day I got a call to come back to Pittsburgh to play a team member in Rocky Bleier’s movie “Fighting Back”. They paid for first class airfare, hotel and I think it was $150 per day to basically be a Player/Extra in the background. I remember going up to the Director the first morning of shooting and saying “Make me a Star”. Later on in the day the Director asked me if I wanted to play the role of “the Rookie”. My first scene was with Joe Greene in the weight room. My lines were “Hey Joe , who’s that guy Audie Murphy?”. That one sentence made me SAG (Screen Actors Guild) scale pay for the week which was about 2-3 times what the other Extra Players were making plus I got residuals which I still get to this day whenever it shows (rarely). All totaled, I probably made $5,000 over the decades vs. probably $750-$1000 for the other guys.

Continue reading “Rick Moser, Running Back, 1978-1979, 1981-1982”

Gustine’s view of Pittsburgh remains a positive one

Gustine’s view of Pittsburgh remains a positive one By Jim O’Brien

Jim O’Brien column for Pittsburgh Business Times

There is a spectacular view of downtown Pittsburgh from the offices of Frank Gustine Jr. high above his boyhood hometown of Green Tree. Standing by his desk on the seventh floor of Seven Parkway Center, Gustine can see the city skyline – from left to right – Fifth Avenue Place, PPG Place, U.S. Steel Tower One Mellon Centre and even the iconic Cathedral of Learning of the University of Pittsburgh. Directly below is one end of Green Tree and Gustine offers some stories about the neighborhood. He knows the campus well, as one of the last of the school’s three-sport stars in the late ‘60s, and, in his mind, he can still see his father’s famous restaurant on Forbes Avenue, under three of Pitt’s student dormitories, even though it’s now called Hemingway’s. Frank Gustine’s name is familiar to most Pittsburghers because Frank Gustine Sr. was an infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1939-1948) and was good enough to play in three All-Star Games. Later, his father was one of the city’s most popular and respected restaurateurs from 1952 to 1982. “I learned from my father how to interact with people and how to treat them right,” said Gustine Jr. “My father said you had to be honest and have integrity.” He credits Bill Baierl, the late automobile magnate, for helping him establish his own business. When the Pirates departed Oakland in the ‘70s for Three Rivers Stadium on the North Side, Gustine’s remained a popular place for the Pitt community.

Frank Gustine Jr. parlayed his father’s name and his own success in sports at Pitt into a successful business career. When he graduated from Pitt with a bachelor’s degree in economics he did what a lot of athletes did, and sold rings and yearbooks for Balfour and Taylor Publishing for three years. Then he met and impressed Ron Puntil, a vice-president for Oliver Realty, with his engaging demeanor and conversational ease, and got into the commercial real estate business. He’s been at it ever since, except for a two-year hiatus from 2002 to 2004 when he was retired. He soon tired of that life. “I love my wife and I love my children and grandchildren,” says Gustine, “but I love to work and I love people.” So he started up another business, transitioning from The Gustine Co. to FWG Real Estate, headquartered in Seven Parkway Center on Greentree Road. His company owns seven of the eleven buildings at Parkway Center. It’s a mile and a quarter from his boyhood home, an impressive graystone manse on Greentree Road where his younger brother Bobby still lives with his wife Nancy and their six children. Frank Gustine believes the Parkway Center Mall that has closed after losing key tenants will be leveled and give way to new buildings, both commercial and residential. “It will be better,” he said. “I think he missed the challenges of the workplace and the sense of accomplishment,” says his wife, Linda, the lovely mother of their three daughters, and the grandmother of their three granddaughters and, at last, a grandson. Says Frank, “We finally got a boy in the family for me to coach.” Frank has a front-row seat at courtside for Pitt basketball games at the Petersen Events Center where he “helps coach” the Panthers and is a big booster of Jamie Dixon, the head basketball coach. Frank likes the personnel on the Pitt basketball team this year and sees improvement over last season. He remains hopeful that Paul Chryst will rebuild the Pitt football program, and feels that

Joe Jordano has done a great job with the Pitt baseball team, and Rande Stottlemyer with the wresting program. He wants them all to be winners. Standing at the window in his office, Gustine sees a Pittsburgh that is in the midst of Renaissance III, with new buildings coming up downtown, more residences and apartments in the midst of the skyscrapers, and a solid real estate market. There are the usual framed prints of Pittsburgh’s skyline and the political, business and sports icons of the past throughout the FWG Real Estate hallways and lobby. There’s a large photo that shows his father Frank Gustine Sr. with two Hall of Fame Pirates, Honus Wagner and Ralph Kiner. The son is now 65, but retains his boyish smile and his great respect for his parents. “On my father’s tombstone it says ‘HE WAS A TRUE GENTLEMAN.’ ” There was a strong competitive side to his father as well, and his boys inherited that trait. “You might knock us down, but you couldn’t step on us.” Frank Gustine Jr. first gained fame as a star athlete at Canevin High School and then lettered in baseball and football for three years at Pitt, and for his sophomore season in basketball. Freshmen were not eligible for varsity sports in those days. “I met a lot of people through sports,” he says, “and it’s been my meal-ticket ever since.”

Author Jim O’Brien has a new book called “Immaculate Reflections” about all the Pittsburgh sports teams. His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.

Mullins pans for black & gold in Saxonburg these days

Jim O’Brien: Mullins pans for black & gold in Saxonburg these days

By Jim O’Brien From the Pittsburgh Business Times

Saxonburg is not Pittsburgh, but it suits Gerry “Moon” Mullins just fine. For one thing, he doesn’t have to wear a suit to the office. Every day on Saxonburg’s Main Street is Casual Friday.

“I usually wear a golf shirt, sometimes a sweater, jeans and a baseball cap if it’s cold,” said Mullins, looking at ease behind his big desk. “I’m getting a little thin on top.”

Mullins wore the black and gold uniform of the Pittsburgh Steelers for nine seasons (1972 to 1980). He was a starting offensive guard most of that time and earned four Super Bowl rings. Alas, he was also the first of those Steelers from the four league championship teams to be cut, the last casualty of the 1981 training camp.

Then he was traded to the Cleveland Browns, but he decided he’d had enough. “The body can only withstand so many bumps and bruises,” he said. “I was pretty beaten up by then. And I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh.”

He walks a little gingerly these days. “I’ve got the usual occupational aches and pains,” he said. “But I can’t complain. I’m proud to have played for the Steelers and I’m still a Steeler.”

That was quite a switch from when he first came to a Steelers’ orientation camp in January of 1972. He was a California boy and had played his college ball at Southern Cal. “It was cold and gray when I got here,” he recalled, “and I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.”

He shared a pad with teammates Terry Bradshaw and Mike Wagner in an unfinished apartment building near the Squirrel Hill Tunnels and it was a bleak beginning. But it got better. He went from blocking for O.J. Simpson at USC to blocking for Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier at Three Rivers Stadium.

“I was lucky to be with a team that accomplished some special things,” said Mullins. “People recall us fondly from those teams and it still makes you welcome at most gatherings.”

Mullins took a year off after his football career came to an abrupt halt, and then he got into his “life’s work,” as his coach Chuck Noll always referred to it. Legendary Pirates’ broadcaster Bob Prince, of all people, boosted him as a worthy candidate to a next-door neighbor in Upper St. Clair who was seeking someone he could groom to eventually succeed him as president and owner of Industrial Metals & Minerals Company then located in South Fayette, just over the border from Bridgeville.

Bob Keaney took Mullins under his wings and worked with him for 14 years before turning over the company to Mullins in 1995. “He did a masterful job of preparing me for heading the firm,” said Mullins. He’s been at it ever since. “It’s funny how things work out; it really has been my life’s work.”

Now 63, Mullins has moved the company to Saxonburg, just below Butler, and about a 45-minute drive to Pittsburgh. “I get dressed up in a suit when I have to make business calls,” he said. He sells raw materials to industrial companies. “Saxonburg is Small Town America…a couple of stop signs…and that’s fine with me.”

Mullins says the business isn’t as strong as it used to be, like most companies involved in heavy industry, but he makes a good living. “It’s like playing football,” he said. “You have to be self-motivated. Like football, you’re reluctant to let go. You have to know when to say when.”

He has not tapped into his NFL pension or Social Security, and doesn’t plan to do so until he is 65. “I have a good life out here,” he said. “I live just four miles from my office. Joan is my second wife. She has a good job and we’ve been together for 17 years. Our kids have gone to college and are out on their own.”

His office is a second floor suite in a quaint two-story white building in Dinnerbell Square. “I have to be here to answer the phone and write orders. I’m like a fireman waiting for the alarm to go off and I respond to it.”

There is no Steeler stuff in his office: no trophies, plaques or pictures. “That’s at my home,” he said. Instead, his walls are adorned with antlered deer and elk, mounted game fish and birds, and a collection of colored glass bottles and vases behind his head. He had gone out the day before on the first day of deer hunting in Pennsylvania. He was one of the Steelers from his era that used to shoot clay pigeons at the Millvale Sportsmen’s Club.

He has gone from being a California beach boy to a Pennsylvania outdoorsman.

“I was always kinda laidback, but I’m not afraid to work. I had to work hard at football. I operated out of fear; I didn’t want to incur the wrath of Chuck Noll.”

Author Jim O’Brien has a new book out,” Immaculate Reflections: A Pittsburgh View of Sports.” His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Melissa Jacobs, Managing Editor, The Football Girl

Melissa Jacobs, Managing Editor, The Football Girl:

First, can you tell readers how the idea of The Football Girl blog got started – and what made you decide to use this medium to reach out to readers?

I started TFG in ate 2009 because I wanted to provide an editorial outlet to the swelling number of female NFL fans out there. The NFL had already ratcheted up their efforts to reach female fans on the marketing end with a new apparel line, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a slew of Football 101 activities. At TFG we aim to provide a comfortable home for female fans and informative, entertaining content for fans of all levels, regardless of gender.

The web is simply the best place for eyeballs. It provides an opportunity to evolve as the game evolves. And quite frankly, the options of creativity are endless. That is the appeal of the web vs. other mediums.

How do you differ from other football blogs in terms of your content offerings? What makes you unique?

TFG is unique because we are not only a cornucopia of NFL content but we have unique features you won’t find anywhere else. For example, our media columnist’s Positively Gruden is a fun list of top Grudenisms after every MNF game, with sharp commentary. We have a fantasy ethicist, a female handicapper, and sprinkle in a plethora of unique voices and information. We also have a good number of player interviews – in fact, we launched the site with an in-depth Barry Sanders interview. In the past couple of years, we’ve interviewed Rob Gronkowski, Ryan Mathews, Arian Foster, Jason Pierre-Paul, Greg Jennings and many others. And of course most robust NFL sites aren’t run by women.

What types of content/issues do you find your readers focusing most each week – what features gain the most attention, and why?

Right now, fantasy rules all. People search for waiver advice and start/sit suggestions more than anything else related to football. Perhaps if Tim Tebow was a starter again that would change but right now, fantasy is king.

What team(s) do you personally follow and how difficult is it for you to remain objective as a fan?

I am a die-hard 49ers fan. And yes, it is incredibly difficult to remain objective. But as the site has started to grown, I know I have needed to taper down my “Alex Smith doesn’t get enough credit” pieces. In fact, this season I decided to throw my 49ers fandom into a fun weekly YouTube show with a fellow 49ers fan, Bonnie-Jill Laflin. We interview a different 49er every week, but we most dissect the games in ridiculous, fan-girl fashion.

What have been the stories/interviews that you’ve been most proud of to date – and which have moved you the most?

Two come to mind. The first was an exclusive interview I got with Javon Walker after he was done with the Raiders. He became very disgruntled after I read him a comment from a message board calling him Bernie Madoff. He insisted he was not Madoff and that he actually offered to pay back his salary to Al Davis. This story made a gazillion outlets including Pro Football Talk and wound up on the home page of Yahoo!.

And I spent the afternoon calling outlets to inform them my site was thefootballgirl.com and not footballgirl.com as many had published.

The second was an in-depth piece on the UFL this off season. I interviewed key players and coaches and was able to put to together an informative piece that portrayed not only the UFL woes, but what it’s like for some of the players still holding onto the dream. Long form journalism is something I’d like to incorporate more on the site. Why can’t there be more hours in the day!

You have a robust website – with a number of contributors, apparel, news and features and more. How did you build this site up over time – this is not your “day job” correct?

It actually is my primary day job now – and my night job. I have been a contributor to espnW the past couple years, which has been invaluable in terms of helping my writing, showing me a different mindset and helping to pay the TFG bills along the way.

I had a background as booker and producer at ESPN so that helped in terms of credibility and contacts when we launched the site. The Barry Sanders interview definitely helped garner some promotion. And from there on I started to get a bevy of really interesting people, particularly women, who wanted to be involved. Some write regularly and some are one-timers, but it’s an exciting community.

Were you concerned that a site for female fans could be construed as patronizing to women – did/do you get any “heat” from female fans?

I was very much concerned. I also didn’t want a product that was pink and focused on the 100 stuff. That stuff has been tried and failed. So no, we don’t get heat from women. If anything, we get requests for more educational stuff. We have plenty and will continue to grow these sections. But we won’t be shifted the balance of the site any time in the near future.

You have a strong following of male readers as well, correct? How do you divine the line between being a football site for women and still being “manly” enough for men as well?

I had to make a decision at the beginning. Do I go all in women or not? I decided the latter because I see no purpose in segregating football audiences. Plus I would have no fun writing only beginner content. Our male audience is definitely strong and I hope our little site has helped garner more respect for female fans everywhere. We certainly have some female-oriented features such as our Featured Football Girl, but why wouldn’t any football fan want to read good stories from the Steelers orthopedic surgeon who happens to be female?

What’s next for you and the website – anything new on the horizon?

My time with espnW is winding down and I’m focused on growing TFG this season While still a startup, our traffic is climbing and it’s definitely time to start looking at more business opportunities.

Any thoughts on writing a book for female fans – relating your knowledge and experiences?

I may go that route in the off-season. But I would have it mirror the type of content that is on the site. Kind of like a guide book for the NFL with all the basics but lots of extras like defensive coordinators to know, or Jewish NFL players.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I hope you can check out the site and would love to hear your feedback.

Jim Paek, Penguins Defenseman, 1990-1993

Jim Paek:

First, can you let readers know about your coaching job with Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL- how you got started and what you like most as a coach?

Towards the end of my career I knew I wanted to stay involved in the game. I loved teaching and wanted to pass on my teachings to younger players. That was my thought process to getting involved in coaching.

I got a coaching job right after I retired from the game and then signed on with Grand Rapids and have been here since.

As a coach, who are some of the players and coaches that most influenced your coaching style today, and how so?

It’s a lot different than being a player. As a player you worry about yourself. As a coach you worry about twenty-five players. But I enjoy being a part of the game. And being in the AHL, seeing a player in Detroit that came through the system is a shot in the arm, knowing I had something to do with their success. It feels good seeing guys like Helms and Abdicator have success and sign on for big money.

I was fortunate to have real good coaches throughout my career, even as a kid. I have always taken what fits my personality and used it to create a good formula for myself.

Bob Johnson was a fantastic man – as a coach and person. My junior coach – same thing. I jokingly give him crap now for getting me into coaching (laughing). It’s what they taught me as a person – that translates to being a good coach.

Scotty Bowman was great behind the bench – he was always able to deflect distractions. And Rick Lee was direct as a coach. He told you the way it was. Players want that – especially at the NHL level. Don’t beat around the bush – just tell me what I need to do…

You read today about the struggles many NFL players face in transitioning from football to a post-sports career. Is the problem as prominent with NHL players?

It’s funny because I just had a conversation with the coach on this yesterday. I don’t have any definite conclusions – it depends on the individual I think. We live in a fantasy world as a player. We’re treated so well, make lots of money. It’s not 9-5… It’s a fantasy – being in the limelight and being respected because of our talent.

But what happens when it’s all gone. It’s a tough transition.

It goes to how you are raised, ultimately. If you were raised to be grounded – with morals. Some are more fortunate and some get distracted in life.

And people will try to help you outside of hockey. The NHLPA has programs to help with the transition. The league does a lot, but how much is enough? There’s enough out there – you should be adult and go look for it. At the end of the day it really does fall back on how you were raised. I thank my parents immensely for their support and beliefs. We’re a product of our parents.

You were drafted by the Penguins in ’85 and started with the Penguins in ’90. Who helped you adjust to the NHL – both on and off the ice – as a rookie? And how did they do so – any examples?

That’s the importance of veterans. I had great teammates. They had me over for dinner and helped me – guys like Larry Murphy and Troy Loney. They’d tell you to do this or don’t do that.

That’s vital for kids – to be surrounded by veterans. And we haf a great bunch of guys on those Pens teams. That helps you adapt. Again, we live in a fantasy world. You’re twenty years-old, making incredible money and you want to live it up. But careers don’t last forever. You start preparing now, but live the life. I tell people to play as long as they can – there’s no other lifestyle like this. Play until they take you out!

Why defense?

I couldn’t skate (laughing)! They stuck me back there because I couldn’t skate. Now, it’s all changed. But it stuck with me.

You won to Stanley Cups very early in your career with the Penguins. Were you able to fully appreciate the rarity of doing so and what was the team’s mindset going into the first cup series?

My first few years of winning championships and having success – I was like, “Great! This is easy – bring on the next one!”

But it took me ten years to win another one. Once you taste it and see how long it takes, you appreciate it more. It takes chemistry. That was a special time – it takes everything to go just right.

How important is it from your perspective on being both the first Korean-born hockey player to ever play in the NHL and the first of Korean descent to have his name engraved on the Cup?

It was a great honor to have that. Being born Korean and to be first was a real honor. The Korean community in Toronto and in Korea too – where they really aren’t big on hockey normally – the way they received me was fantastic. I appreciated that a lot. But it’s a dream to win the Stanley Cup as a hockey player, not as a Korean. I was a hockey player striving for the Cup.

Who were some of the biggest characters on that Penguins team and what made them so? Any examples of the hijinks/personalities on that team?

Kevin Stevens had that loud voice. The whole team had that chemistry. The role players, skill players, characters and hard workers…

Any hijinks happen to you you can share?

Ok – this is going to embarrass myself! A lot happened to me. Bryan Trottier was the biggest character – he used to sit beside you and tell you stories. He didn’t care if you were a veteran or a rookie.

Well, in training camp, we were there when DeBartolo also owned the NFL 49’ers. One year he took us all to see the 49’ers facility. We’re all on the bus and all of us fell asleep afterwards after a long day. Everyone got up, but Bryan told everyone not to worry about me, to let me get some sleep. Well, I woke up, startled. No one was on the bus – it had gone back to the depot with me still on it (laughing)! Panic set in, but the bus driver finally took me back to the hotel.

And even though it happened to me, that’s the kind of stuff that helps a team. It lightens the mood.

You were traded in ’93 to Los Angeles. How difficult was that for you and in general for players, when most have to deal with a lot of movement between the minors and pros and between teams?

I wasn’t used to that – I was in the Penguins organization for so many years before the trade. It was difficult – but also exciting. The other team wanted me – that was exciting.

I was always told to bleed and sweat for your team. Team loyalty. So that wasn’t there anymore – you don’t have that now. So that was hard – it was a hard transition.

But, I got traded many times after that. And I got it to a system where I could pack my things in twenty minutes (laughing). It’s all part of the growth and maturity of a person.

What are your favorite memories of your time in Pittsburgh?

I have so many great memories. I was just recently there for the 20th anniversary a short while ago. At the end of the night, Wendell Young asked me if I ever talked about hockey. And we didn’t. It was all about the stuff you did off the ice.

The memories of the people outside of the game. The guys in the dressing room, friends on the team, friends and fans in the city. It was fantastic how the fans received me in Pittsburgh. Those are all great memories. And it call comes back to you – those little stories that mean so much…..

Andrew Bondarowicz, National Association of Sports Agents & Athlete Representatives

Andrew Bondarowicz, National Association of Sports Agents & Athlete Representatives:

First, can you let readers know about the National Association of Sports Agents & Athlete Representatives – what inspired you to launch the association and how you went about doing so?

I have been formally certified as a contract advisor since 2005. Every year, I have seen more and more grumbling within the agent community about the players associations, regulation, player-related issues and other concerns of my colleagues. Whenever, there is an NCAA player scandal, it is inevitable that someone is going to blame an unscrupulous? agent. Fans love to blame agents when their favorite player leaves town for another team. Rarely, does anyone else get criticized. Yet, so much of what sports agents do goes unseen. The notion to launch NASAAR has been kicking around for several years, almost every profession has a professional trade association to work on of collective interest and considering how many public agents deal with players, payers unions, NCAA, state regulators, colleges, etc., it only makes sense to bring agents together to provide a unified organization to work on these issues. Prior to getting into the player representation, I had the opportunity to work both on staff and in leadership for several trade associations and saw firsthand what the benefits to an industry can be and knew that is it something the was really needed in this industry as well.

What do you think separates this association from others that cater to sports agents?

The problem is there no others that really serve this role for agents. For example the Sports Lawyers Association-a great organization- is a non-profit educational association that brings together team officials, law professions, agents, media lawyers, etc. for discussion on sports related issues broadly. Only a small percentage of SLA business involves agents and agent issues. Secondly, not all agents are lawyers. The players’ unions have the ability to certify agents to represent players in contract negotiations, but they are not really regulators themselves outside of the scope of their respective CBAs and they are very careful to define their scope. They let it be known that they represent the players, not the agents. So, NASAAR fills a unique niche in working on behalf of agents to address issues of collective importance with other constituencies.

Is this for all sports agents – and if so, how will you address the variance in issues agents experience between the various sports and pro versus collegiate levels?

There are undoubtedly issues specific to particular sports, but there are also a ton of issues of common importance. Issues such as state regulation affect all agents. NCAA concerns affect many agents. The lack of uniformity in enforcement is a concern to agents. How players associations discipline agents and who they choose to discipline is a concern to all agents. Sharing what works from one players association to another can benefit everyone. For example, MLBPA is the first major players’ association to recognize non-certified recruiters in their regulations ? that?s something that needs to be discussed with all players associations too. On a different note, what if college student-athletes were allowed to have an?agent? Well, the concept should not be that far off. A trade association is the best place to discuss these issues and come up with the ideas and plans to make them work.

What are some of the biggest pain points you are looking to address in the agents community – what do you see as some of the biggest concerns and needs agents have now in regards to their day-to-day jobs?

State regulation is a big problem. It can cost upwards of $15,000 a year to license nationwide, yet enforcement of the rules is very, very haphazard. One idea is to move to a national regulatory model and possibly a self-regulatory environment similar to parts of the financial industry. The NCAA is in a very tricky position in dealing with student-athlete and agent issues ? NASAAR wants to have a role in ensuring that changes to the rules will be rationalized and have a likelihood of success ? not just more bureaucracy. We hope to establish a national database to track registration, issues, complaints, etc. so that information is broadly available. For day to day issues, it helps to network with colleagues; meet service providers such as trainers, financial advisors, trainers, etc. to help us service clients better. There are many areas where an organization such as NASAAR can make a big impact.

What are some of the biggest regulatory issues on your radar right now?

Aligning state laws into a more consistent system is a big priority. Rationalizing costs, requirements, paperwork, etc. is also a short-term goal. Developing a national regulatory scheme or self-regulatory environment is a long term goal. Improving the consistency of enforcement at the NCAA, state, and players association levels is another objective. Working with the NCAA, conferences and schools to make the system better is also a key priority.

Will one of the association’s missions be to address the image some have of the need for increased ethics and regulations in the agent community? How accurate is that viewpoint/need, from your perspective?

Absolutely. Agents often get a bad wrap and we have an image problem. You always hear about unscrupulous agents but never about unscrupulous players or unscrupulous coaches! Yet, there is not a single agent that would be willing put themselves at risk of a violation if it was not going to curry favor with a potential client. For example, there are almost 900 NFLPA certified agents out there and if a student-athlete is asking for money, someone is going to give it to him.

Unfortunately, student-athletes do not fear losing eligibility enough – what’s the risk forcing a player to go pro and earn millions sooner? I think the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo cases were perfect examples of what’s wrong with the system. Without going into the details of the case, USC lost millions in the process, agents was disciplined, and the players essentially gets off making millions as high draft picks. USC, in my eyes, had an opportunity to send a strong message to student-athletes as well as agents. Instead, they sent the wrong message and I think it has gotten much worse since then.

If we agree that the system is broken and needs to be fixed, we have to address all of the pieces, not single out the weakest link (agents) in the process. We need to look at this the same way as political corruption and bribery. That’s not to say that all agents are model citizens either, but there is a lot to be done in this area.

What tools can you help develop for agents to make their jobs easier?

There are several that have already been discussed. One is to create a national agent registry to alleviate some of the pain points in registering in multiple jurisdictions each with its own forms, requirements, etc. This would also provide basis for establishing a universal database that can be used by a variety of constituencies including schools, the NCAA, players associations, agents, etc. It would also be useful to players seeking out information on agents because today it is pretty much only word of mouth. In the short term, just reducing paperwork requirements is a big win for the industry. There have been requests from agents to look into professional liability coverage and/or bonding issues, which are required by various states and players associations. Helping agents to connect is another benefit. The gap between large and small agencies is growing and some consolidation within the industry will be needed NASAAR will be a great resource for fostering dialogue within the industry.

From your perspective, what are some of the biggest misperceptions fans have of the role of agents in sports?

The role of the agent can be extremely broad from client to client. Some clients only want the agent to handle their player contracts. In other cases, agents are managing almost everything for a professional player from marketing to paying bills to training. Each client relationship is different and can extend well beyond the contract. So, while agents help players make decisions, it is hard to tell from the outside what the motivations are ? is it more money? Is it to play in a certain location or for a certain coach? Is it for family reasons? Agents have a role in the process, but it is most often to help the player decide the right decisions for himself. So, next time your favorite player decides to go play for your biggest rival, give the agent a break!

What are some of the key metrics and benchmarks you find agents using to measure their performance?

Until now, the only real benchmarks are: Who do you represent? How many players do you represent? Or how much money have you made for your clients? They are all relatively hollow figures because they don?t really express the overall value that an agent brings to a client. A first round draft pick will always have a bigger contract than a late rounder, yet the work effort to represent that player can be drastically different. A first round pick is often looking for different things from an agency or has different motivations from a late rounder as well. Experience is always a useful benchmark because you can never really negate experience, but I also said to potential clients, It is not who I represent, but rather how well do I represent them! The agency business is difficult to benchmark for that reason, so metrics can be very tricky and easily manipulated.

Much of an association/community’s value is on the ability of members to share experiences and successes/failures. How will you foster this in your association and at the same time ensure that confidentiality is maintained to keep the agent-client relationship “sacrosanct?

The agency business is extremely competitive and agents are naturally skeptical about everyone. NASAAR’s biggest challenge is probably getting agents to buy in initially. The good thing is that there is a lot of work to be done. NASAAR?s initial focus will be on big picture initiatives and some small quick hits that we can get people to rally around. As we establish more credibility within the ranks, I think you will see a greater openness within the organization. I don?t see confidentiality being an issue. The funny thing about the industry is there really are not that many secrets ? people talk and everyone has a pretty good idea of what is going on with their rivals. I think war stories are great teachers and you have many agents who would be willing to share their experiences for the benefit of the industry. After all, you continue to build your stature by gaining the respect and admiration of your colleagues.

What equates to success for you year one?

While I think that NASAAR will eventually become a very important organization over time, it is important to keep things in perspective and set attainable goals in the first year. We would like to build a strong membership base that will provide a range of opinions and bring a variety of experience and backgrounds to our working committees. We would like to establish strong working relationships with the players? associations, NCAA, and state regulators so that NASAAR becomes a part of the discussion on key issues. I think it is important to define the key issues and pain points within the industry to help set a comprehensive agenda for the future. We will be establishing an annual conference to bring members together, build relationships, and help develop leaders within the organization. We would like to build out a dedicated staff and stage a membership conference. Year one will be foundational, but I can say I would be disappointed if we did not make an impact.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Having worked both in the trade association and agent businesses, I think formulating NASAAR is a big challenge. It is a very decentralized business and not the most open one. Yet, I do see a very important role for NASAAR to play and I think we will continue to win support as we move forward. I have been fortunate to experience many successes in the agency business, yet my passion has definitely shifted to making NASAAR a reality and working for the benefit of the industry.

Mike Logan, Steelers Safety, 2001-2006

First, can you let readers know about your coaching job – what you like most about the job and how you chose to take it?

I coach High School football at University Prep. Prep is a city league school located in the Hill District. I enjoy mentoring kids. I tell my players that I’m a life skills teacher who understands football.

I want these kids to have success off the field as well as on it. I want to help these kids understand that they have a purpose in life bigger than being an outstanding athlete. These kids are resilient. They don’t have all the resources that bigger schools have available to them, but they press on.

Continue reading “Mike Logan, Steelers Safety, 2001-2006”

Todd Kalis, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1994, Current President of the NFL Alumni Association’s Pittsburgh Chapter

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since football and how you got started in the various ventures you’ve worked in?

I’ve held various sales and marketing positions since leaving the game, both at the local and national level. I also got involved with the NFL Alumni Association which is a 5013c charitable organization. I’ve been president of the Pittsburgh chapter for the past twelve years.

I also wrote a book two years ago – called Pigskin Dreams. It’s about the childhood of twenty-two NFL Hall of Fame players and who influenced the development of their character, co-written with Dr. Stephen Below. I personally conducted all the interviews and highlight twenty-two in the first book. These players were the foundation of the NFL, Ditka, Dorsett, Unitas, Butkus, Csonka, etc…Bob Costas, Art Rooney and Roger Goodell all contributed jacket quotes.

Continue reading “Todd Kalis, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1994, Current President of the NFL Alumni Association’s Pittsburgh Chapter”

Wes Lyons, WVU/Steelers (2011) Wide Receiver

First, can you tell readers about your book – what inspired you to write it and what the biggest issues you wanted to discuss?

“The Pursuit with Patience” is about the journey of my life. I really want people to understand the journey that athletes endure, both the positive and negative. My book describes what I did to overcome the obstacles of my life. The purpose of this book was to do the following:

To provide a positive influence in lives and be a role model
To help the youth understand the importance of education
To help motivate the youth to read
To be an inspirational voice
To amplify the significance of goal setting
To promote strategic thinking to overcome challenges

You wrote the book at a young age, relatively speaking. What message would you like to relay to athletes who like yourself have been or will be trying to find their place in professional sports?

My advice would be to move forward and keep pushing. “The Pursuit with Patience” discusses the importance of resilience and having a positive attitude. As an athlete trying to make a professional career in sports, you cannot wait for an opportunity to present itself to you. The opportunity often arises when you go above and beyond what is asked of you to get noticed.

Continue reading “Wes Lyons, WVU/Steelers (2011) Wide Receiver”

Jeffrey Dobin, Agent. Athlete Advocates

Jeffrey Dobin, Athlete Advocates

First, can you let readers know how you and your firm got involved in sports law – was this an intended focus for you all along?

My firm was created with the purpose to provide top caliber legal services to athletes. I made the decision to pursue law school while interning for RealGM, a company that tracks player trades and transactions, and also sells proprietary salary cap software to NBA teams.

After speaking with one of their founders who was an attorney, as well as numerous NBA general managers who had also previously practiced law, I realized a law degree would help me stand out and provide a competitive advantage in sports and business.

You recently started Athlete Advocates – what differentiates you from other agencies?

In September of 2010, Ryan Scarpa and I officially opened the doors at Athlete Advocates. However, we had been preparing for years for that moment. Since 2007 we had been growing our industry knowledge and experience to be able to provide our clients with top caliber representation from two attorneys and agents.

What differentiates us is our unique approach and willingness to connect and interact with athletes that most agents cannot. Our attention to detail, and most importantly, personal service distinguishes our firm from “large scale” agencies. It is this personal service and true relationships we form with players and their families that allows us to compete for top talent.

There are no off-hours at Athlete Advocates.

In addition to this level of service, Ryan’s understanding of the game provides a huge advantage for us. The fact that he played on both sides of the ball at Hofstra University with roughly ten NFL players allows him to understand the game in a way that most agents wish they could. His relationships with coaches, executives and athletes across the country are a big help to our company.

Your expertise, in part, is with salary cap management from the agent’s perspective. How are you able to put that know-how to use for your client and how are you able to get on each team’s cap situation?

I pride myself on the numbers and business side of the game. I have a firm grasp of the new CBA, and have met with team executives, and studied hundreds of contracts.

Because of the new CBA, rookie salary pool and various loopholes, contracts can become complicated. By understanding past contracts and current trends, we can predict which teams’ financial resources will be allocated for specific starting and back-up positions. By analyzing the data we collect and speaking regularly with scouts and team personnel, we have a solid understanding of the “needs and wants” of each team.

The database and system we have created over the years is extensive, and provides accurate estimates on many aspects of the game. We have an accurate projection before the draft of how many athletes at each position will be drafted, and the amount of income each draft pick will earn in salary.

Your agency also gets involved with draft preparation. What are your thoughts on the concerns that there’s too much emphasis now on combine numbers versus actual on-field play and how it affects your less-heralded clients?

Just like SAT scores are a strong indicator of college success, Combine numbers offer insight on how an athlete will fair at the professional level. With that being said, Combine times and measurements only play a small role in the overall draft process.

It is a common misconception of fans that Combine results will dictate draft results. Most of the opinions of scouts and team personnel regarding players are already formed during the course of their college careers. The Combine either confirms what they already know, or moves players slightly up or down in their rankings. Of course, there is always the exception to the rule; a horrible 40 time can be the difference from being a 5th round pick to going undrafted. With that being said, Combine statistics are important for better or worse, so we take our clients training for the combine very seriously.

For those two to three months leading up to the combine, Athlete Advocates clients receive elite training to ensure their highest times and numbers are recorded at the Combine.

One of the biggest issues we see with today’s players is how they adjust to life after football. How do you make that a priority for your clients before they are on the verge of retirement?

Playing football only provides income for a short part of an athlete’s life. Putting it into perspective, a player will usually live more than half of his life after retiring from the game. We make it a priority early on to assist a client in preparing for life after football. We offer advice, set up off-season internships for clients in various fields, and coordinate their enrollment in broadcast boot camps, coaching opportunities, etc. We believe in a proactive approach and genuinely want our friends and clients to succeed in life, not just in sport.

Do you represent any Pittsburgh athletes and have you worked with the Steelers organization?

It’s funny you ask.

We actually don’t represent any Pittsburgh athletes but Ryan did play at Hofstra with your very own, Willie Colon. At this past Combine Ryan and I set up meetings with dozens of individuals. Ryan had the opportunity to speak with Coach Tomlin who is always enthusiastic and confident about life, and his team. We are hopeful that a client will be drafted or sign as a free agent with the Steelers soon! I have always been a fan of their philosophy and winning culture!

You also help clients with charitable endeavors. What have been some of the more unique events you’ve put on to date?

We’ve had some tremendous experiences working with athletes. One of my favorite athletes to work with is Vince WIlfork of the New England Patriots. His father passed away from Diabetes when he was playing football at Miami. His wife, Bianca, plays a huge role in running the foundation which raises money for Diabetes research. While some athletes go through the motions in their charity work, Vince and Bianca are very passionate about their non-profit foundation.

What are some of the biggest misperceptions clients have when they first start working with an agent, and how do you handle those?

Every client is different but one of the most important aspects of being an agent is setting clear goals, timelines and ALWAYS keeping in constant communication. Some clients only want assistance in negotiating contracts and managing their football careers. Some on the other hand, need help preparing for all that life will throw at them. Many athletes go through a series of “firsts” that they didn’t see coming.

We try to ease the transition and help our clients become independent and self-sufficient. We make it a point to inquire as to how involved a specific client wants us to be in their business and personal lives. After gaining a clear understanding of their interests, we are then able to serve them zealously.

Likewise, what are some of the biggest misperceptions fans have about agents and the work you do?

Many fans and students think being an agent is always glamorous. Although it is and I truly enjoy every day of work, there are many aspects of the business, which are not glamorous. Just like with any job, there is a ton of work done behind the scenes. For every hour spent negotiating a contract, I spend thousands of hours on the road traveling to games, contacting teams to promote our clients, meeting with clients, scouting new clients, making phone calls and crunching numbers. The work can be tedious and boring at times.

However, meeting with clients and their families, helping them achieve their goals, and calling them with good news… have provided for some of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had!

What are the most frustrating – and rewarding – aspects of your job?

I might meet with ten clients but only sign a handful of them. That can be frustrating. To get those ten meetings I may have had to meet with 30 other people first. Family members, friends and coaches usually provide an initial layer of protection and privacy for the athlete. To get those 30 meetings I may have had to make 100 phone calls. For every successful phone call or meeting there are dozens of rejections. That’s part of the nature of the business.

Ryan and I have driven five hours to meet with athletes, or flown across the country for a final interview with a potential client, only to find out upon arrival that the decision has already been made and he has signed with Agency X. That’s not only frustrating, its expensive too. Tough times like that make it even more rewarding when things go right!

Over the last few years, many things have been bouncing our way. Fortunately, we are prepared for each opportunity we create and each successful milestone is more rewarding than the last! In our career thus far, it is clear that to attract top talent and compete with large scale agencies, personal service and attention is key. We therefore limit the number of players we recruit and ultimately sign, so that there is no shortfall in quality.

In this business, reputation will follow you everywhere, and we want our clients to feel confident they are receiving representation that is second to none.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I feel honored to have been contacted and thank Ron for taking the time to conduct this interview. I am truly blessed to have a talented, industrious and intelligent lawyer on my side in Ryan Scarpa, and am thankful each day I get to work in a field I am so passionate about.

I encourage every person, young or old, to pursue their dreams and reach their goals. While some people are miserable going to work each day, I feel the opposite. I love what I do and appreciate our clients for believing in the Athlete Advocates team and giving us the opportunity to work on their behalf!