Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – Page 135 – 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.

Andy Simms, Co-Founder, PlayersRep Sports Management

First, can you let readers know how you got started as an agent and how you helped start PlayersRep in 1997?

I was just a 22 year old 1^st year law student with a few ideas really. The long and short of it is simple – I printed up some business cards and made up a brochure for my start up sports agency. I had no connections, potential clients, or much of a clue on what I was doing. I was able to sign a few clients fortunately, and the rest grew from there.

What prompted you to launch your own agency and what were your biggest obstacles starting out?

The biggest obstacles – inexperience, an industry flooded with competition, lack of money and funding for travel and business expenses. That just names a few. But as in any business, obstacles can be overcome. I started on my own because that was really the only option. It’s extremely hard to catch on with an established agent or agency – very few openings and when there are, the opportunity for growth is fairly limited.

What separates you from other agencies/agents and how do you decide on what players to take on? Are there ones you’d turn away – if so, why?

The cliché’ that a business is only as good as its clients proves true in the agent business. Our clients ARE the business. We have to choose wisely. A lot of time and energy is put into studying potential prospects – both on and off the field. We take on a limited number of clients each year which is different than most of our competitors. We have to do a lot of scouting ourselves, studying game film, speaking with MANY people to get background on athletes. We are looking for clients that are a great fit for PlayersRep, of which many are not. And yes, we end up turning away clients.

You are unique in that you take on various roles with clients – from contract work, marketing opportunities, finding clients jobs, tax advice to post-career counseling, and more. What’s the part of the job you enjoy most, and why?

I can eliminate tax advice, financial advice/budgeting and most forms of post career counseling from the competition for most enjoyable part of the job. The reality is each and every aspect of the job is important and necessary. The enjoyment comes from the success. And success starts with a job in the NFL for your client and a contract that pays them as well as possible.

What are the biggest misperceptions players have when entering the contract negotiation process – especially as rookies?

The new labor deal of 2011 brought about changes for the rookies, and all of the NFL really. The rookie contracts are more set than ever before. There is still work to be done on the agent side, especially regarding off-season bonuses, guaranteed language in the contracts, and injury provisions.

With so much discussion on how players handle their post-NFL careers and lives and the difficulties they have in doing so at times, how do you work with your clients to ensure they have a healthy mindset entering their post-NFL years, and how do you go about doing so?

The key to success post NFL playing career is simple. Planning. We encourage our clients to think about and discuss with us their plans for after football. Once we as a firm can understand their post football interests, then we can help guide them into different career paths that interest them. The NFL and NFLPA offer various programs for business education, entrepreneurship, coaching, and broadcasting.

Planning also involves networking throughout the playing career. NFL players meet a lot of people during their careers. We encourage them to stay in touch and follow up with interesting people they meet along the way. No player should ever be left wondering what to do next after they play their last game.

How do you go about selecting the right marketing/endorsement opportunities for players? How do you know when the fit is right?

Our job is to know our clients. We have to have a firm grasp of our client, his interests, and what he wants and doesn’t want to do publicly. Once we have that, it’s about finding the right opportunities and matching those interests up with corporate America. It’s not a science, but we try to evaluate all possibilities and stick to a plan when possible for each client.

From your perspective, what are some of the biggest misperceptions fans have of the role of agents in sports? How do you dispel those?

Our industry is littered with all kinds of people – I understand and accept that. For myself and for the other agents at PlayersRep, we can only control how we conduct ourselves on a day to day basis. I can’t change how our industry is perceived, but I can affect how I am perceived. So I worry about that and nothing more.

With more and more of players’ personal lives – especially legal issues – becoming public, how do you prepare players to protect themselves from these situations and has that become a bigger part of your player preparation?

One of the main jobs of any agent is to protect your client. We protect clients from varying forms of pitfalls and traps. Education, knowledge and planning are the keys. Our clients have to understand the potential for trouble that exists, and they need to know how to avoid that trouble. We encourage our clients to communicate with us regularly, and if they are contacted by anyone, or if they are attached on social media for example, they know to contact me immediately.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Thanks for allowing me to answer some questions about the agent business. Although the agent industry is sometimes perceived negatively, it is a very rewarding, and fun, business to be involved with.

Jim O’Brien: Larouche lucky to still be in step with Penguins

By Jim O’Brien, Columnnist, Pittsburgh Business Times

Pierre Larouche was one of the greatest scorers in the National Hockey League, as a high-flying forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens. He scored 50 goals in a season twice, once with the Penguins and once with the Canadiens, and had 48 one winter with the Rangers.

He was the first player to score 50 goals for two different teams in the NHL, and the youngest (at 21) to do so until Wayne Gretzky broke his record in 1980. Larouche was the first draft choice of the Penguins in 1974 and scored 53 goals a year later.

Sidney Crosby and Yvgeni Malkin have each scored 50 goals in a season, but only once. Larouche was a gifted player with speed and elusiveness and a deft scoring touch.

Yet on this fall morning, Larouche was moving about the glistening hardwood floors of the family room in his home in Mt. Lebanon like a four-year-old skating on ice for the first time. He put his right hand at the base of his spine and complained, “It’s still stiff. I can’t play golf for awhile.”

He was on the mend from back surgery a few weeks earlier. Larouche pulled up a gray Penguins’ sweatshirt and showed the 10-inch scar just above his buttocks. “I’ll be 57 (on Nov. 16) and Mario is 47, and we were just talking about where the time has gone.”

Mario, of course, is Larouche’s boss, Mario Lemieux, one of the NHL greats and one of the principal owners of the Penguins. If Larouche were wearing a black and white tuxedo, as he does at fund-raising dinners, he could be an extra for the movie “March of the Penguins.”

Larouche says he’s been lucky – his nickname was “Lucky Pierre when he played in the NHL – to still be a part of the Penguins, marching stiffly or when he’s rehabilitated his back and is able to play golf again. That’s his passion along with hockey these days. He has a one stroke handicap at The Club at Nevillewood, and once came close to qualifying for the U.S, Open.

He’s a goodwill ambassador for the Penguins and he’s still on their payroll. I suggested he worked hard during his playing days at being a good guy which led to his present position. “It wasn’t work,” he said. “I learned that from my mother. Everybody is important. She taught me to treat people like I wanted to be treated. That’s easy for me. I think you have to get up awfully early to be a jerk.” He tried selling insurance after he retired as a player, “but that wasn’t me.”

Asked to explain his promotional role for the Penguins, Larouche allowed, “My first and foremost job that I do for Mario and the Penguins is to take care of the corporate sponsors. Whether it be participating in any event or fund-raising effort the team is involved in, or making sure all their needs are met while they are at the games, or just playing a friendly round of golf.

“Along with Mario, I am host to any celebrity or government official, including those from Canada, that attend a Penguins’ game and sit in Mario’s box.

“As part of the All-Time Team, I support the Penguins by doing public relations events and attending community affairs. This can range from going to Children’s Hospital to see the kids or signing autographs at The Regatta. I am humbled by the fans that remember my playing days with the Penguins, and wish to share their memories with me. In brief, I have the best job in the world and definitely the best boss in Mario.”

The NHL was in a lockout and the pre-season schedule had been canceled. Larouche hoped the owners and players could settle on a new contract: “There’s a lot of money out there, and you’d think they could figure out a way to share it equitably.”

Pierre and his wife Cindi and Mario and his wife Nathalie will host a fund-raising dinner – A Night of Hope for Mother’s Hope Foundation that supports children’s care around the world –at the Omni William Penn on Nov. 17. Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang and former Penguin Mark Recchi will appear as well.

Larouche also has a special interest in cancer research because Cindi overcame a cancer scare in 1979, and Mario had two bouts with the Hodgkin’s lymphoma form of cancer, first diagnosed in 1993. The Larouches have no children, yet Pierre will be hosting a golf outing for the 24^th year in New York to raise funds for the prevention of child abuse,

“I’ve been fortunate in my lifetime,” said Larouche. “I like to give back. I’m still Lucky Pierre.”

Pittsburgh sports author Jim O’Brien has a new book out called “Immaculate Reflections.” Check his website at www.jimobriensportsauthor.com. His e-mail address is jimmyo64@gmail.com

Sydney Thornton, Steelers Running Back, 1977-1982

First, how is your health – you had suffered a stroke around five years ago correct?

I suffered a massive stroke about five years ago yes. Since then I have been on a steady course of rehabilitation and am keeping the faith. I’m trying to stay up and positive.

Has the NFL helped at all in terms of financial assistance?

The NFL? No…But one former teammate was at my side and helped me to learn how to go about things when I had no idea. Rocky {Bleier} stood by me and relieved me of the problems I had worrying about money and making sure bills got paid. He was down here at the time for a speaking engagement. He fulfilled that obligation then, without asking me, came to the hospital and was there for me like a knight in shining armor.

Continue reading “Sydney Thornton, Steelers Running Back, 1977-1982”

What Have You Done Now, Eugene? The Story of Gene Mingo

FORMER DENVER BRONCO AND STEELERS GREAT FINALLY GETS TO TELL HIS STORY

Emporia, Kansas– Football fans, and especially those who are fond of the early days of professional football, will be interested in a new book hitting the shelves this week nation-wide. Entitled What Have You Done Now, Eugene? The Story of Gene Mingo #21, the memoir relates the roller-coaster life and career of America’s first African-American place kicker and holder of many Denver Bronco records that have not been broken in over fifty years.

The life story of Gene Mingo was co-authored by Gene Mingo and Glen and Carol Strickland, who have been friends with Mingo since the 1970s when they lived in Denver and developed a close friendship with Gene and his wife Sally. They have stayed close and decided that Gene’s story is one of inspiration, success, and frustration as he fought his way through the beginnings of the American Football League after dropping out of high school and facing many personal tragedies while growing up in Akron, Ohio.

The Stricklands agreed that they wanted to help Mingo tell his story and started gathering information, doing interviews, collecting photos, and writing the narrative almost three years ago. “It took longer than we ever imagined because of the research that was required. We wanted to make this a book that would pay tribute to this great man but that would also tell the true story of someone who has never received the acclaim that he so richly deserves,” explains Glen Strickland. Gene shared many stories that were very personal to him. “I think we asked some tough questions, especially when we were writing about his downfall with drugs and his arrest. He was very open and honest with us, and we tried to put his words into a running narrative that will engage readers of all ages,” adds Carol Strickland.

Gene Mingo observes, “It’s great to see my story in print after all these years. I hope that my life can be an inspiration to some of today’s young people. It would be great if they could learn from my mistakes rather than from their own.”

The book can currently be ordered online from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, as well as from the publisher IUniverse. It is available in soft cover as well as hard cover. Book signings will be scheduled in various Kansas and Colorado cities in the next few months. The website for the book is //www.whathaveyoudonenoweugene.com/

Kevin Guilfoile, Author, A Drive Into the Gap

First, can you let readers know what brought you to write this book and how difficult was it for you to write something so personal?

Before I became a novelist, I was a creative director at Coudal Partners, which publishes the popular Field Notes Brand memo books. When I worked there, I told lots of baseball stories, both from my father’s days as an executive with the Pirates, Yankees, and the Baseball Hall of Fame, and also from my own brief career in baseball PR (with the Bucs and the Astros). When they decided to come out with a baseball-themed edition of Field Notes, they asked me if I would write a short essay and include some of these stories.

That seemed simple enough. But there was one story that was unfinished. It was the story of this peculiar Roberto Clemente bat that had been in my bedroom growing up in Cooperstown. For the last twenty years I had reason to believe that it–and not the bat in the Baseball Hall of Fame–might be Roberto’s real 3,000th hit bat. I decided to chase this story down and find out the truth. But the truth ended up being much wilder than I had expected, with lots of twists and turns along the way. So the essay became a book about baseball. About memory. About my father and his current struggle with Alzheimer’s. And it’s also a detective story about one of the 20th Century’s most iconic pieces of baseball memorabilia.

Parts of it were difficult to write. But somehow using baseball as a metaphor made it a little bit easier. This is a book about memory and stories. And the memories and stories I have of my father are all good.

How did you get started as a writer, and how much of a departure from your normal writing style was this book?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. In the late 90s, while I was working with Coudal Partners, I started writing, mostly humor, for places like McSweeney’s and Modern Humorist and then later for The New Republic and Salon and The New York Times Magazine. Eventually I sold my first novel, CAST OF SHADOWS, and became a writer (and a dad) full-time.

I had written shorter investigative, non-fiction pieces (including a series on the internet about an infamous Chicago murder a few years back) but this was the first longer piece of non-fiction I’d attempted. The hardest part for me was not ascribing motives to people. When you write a novel you can invent movies for all the characters. In fact you have to. In this case, when I found out somebody did something, it was very tempting to make the leap and try to guess why they did it. I had to remind myself that I really have no idea.

And of course, this time, when I started writing I had no idea how it was going to end.

How can readers purchase the book?

You can read the first chapter and see a short film trailer for the book at //adriveintothegap.com. You can buy a physical copy either with or without a set of limited edition Day Game memo books at the Field Notes site //fieldnotesbrand.com/daygame/. You can also purchase an ebook at the Kindle and iTunes stores.

In researching and writing the book, what surprised you most about what you took away from the writing of the book?

Every day was a different surprise while I was writing it. Tracing the forgotten and hidden history of this bat was a thrill. Talking to people who knew my dad, and listening to their memories of him, was really exciting and gratifying. My sons are too young to have known my father the way the rest of us do, and hopefully this book will be a way for them to see a bit of who he really was.

How did you father become the Pirates public relations director in the 70’s, and as a child, did you appreciate the responsibility/excitement of his role?

My dad had been the assistant public relations director of the New York Yankees throughout the 1960s, and he was hired by the Pirates in 1970. It was really an exciting life for a kid. I spent practically all summer at Three Rivers Stadium. We’d move to Bradenton for spring training–I’d even go to school down there for six weeks of the year. But I don’t know if I appreciated how special it was. I just didn’t know any different. I can certainly appreciate it now.

Your father now suffers from Alzheimers. How difficult was it for you to gather some of those experience he had and how were you able to do so?

A few years ago, at the encouragement of his brother, my father began writing many of his baseball baseball stories. I didn’t even know he was doing it. His father had Alzheimer’s and he always feared that it would happen to him, so I think at least part of the reason was to save those stories for a time when he was no longer able to tell them.

What about the game of baseball do you think makes it most unique from other sports, and what about it helped being you and your father closer together?

I always had a close relationship with my parents, but we all go through those periods as a teenager where we are embarrassed by our dependence on them and want to distance ourselves. And so there were a couple of years there where I’m sure I was a rude little punk. Even so, baseball was something Dad and I could always talk about. Even now some of the times I feel the saddest about my father’s condition is when something happens in baseball–a perfect game or a change in the rules or a winning streak by the Pirates or this summer when Ron Santo was inducted into the Hall of Fame (my father grew up a Cubs fan in Wisconsin) and my instinct is to call him and talk about it but then I remember that he can’t really have that conversation any more.

I have been to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Major League Baseball games. My father has been to thousands. But because he was always working in the press box (or I was) I think I’ve only been to four where I sat with my father. There was a Milwaukee Brewers game when I was in, like, first grade. Games Three and Four of the 1986 World Series at Fenway. And Game One of the 1993 ALCS between the White Sox and Blue Jays at Comiskey.

Quality instead of quantity, I guess. And I remember all of them vividly.

Who were some of the players you remember most from those days – especially through your father’s comments and writings – and what about them made them so memorable to your father and you?

There was no one my father admired more than Roberto. We actually had an oil painting of Clemente hanging over the television in our living room. Dad was very close to Mantle, as well, even though personality wise they couldn’t have been farther apart. He loved Bob Prince. He loved being around the game. He loved that you went to work and you won or lost every day. He loved the outsized characters. He loved the pranks and practical jokes, which are a constant threat around the ballpark. He had great friends in the clubhouse and in the press box.

How do you – and do you think your father – see the game as having changed since your father’s time with the Pirates? And is it for the better?

I think one of the great things about baseball is that, apart from the money and the microscopic scrutiny from 24 hour sports radio and television- it really hasn’t changed that much. I like football and basketball, but the games they play today are entirely different from the ones played by Dick Butkus and Jerry West. DiMaggio would need to get up to speed with today’s conditioning, for sure. But he’d know exactly how to play the game

There was a steroid era, just as there was once a Dead Ball era, but the game abides.

Is the game better? It’s easy to get nostalgic, but I think it is. Think about this: On September 30, 1972, Roberto was sitting on 2,999 hits. It was a Saturday. The weather was fine. The Pirates were the defending World Series champions. They were in first place and headed for the playoffs. Possibly the biggest star in a century of Pirates baseball was about to do something that only 10 people in the history of the game had ever done. But the game wasn’t on TV and barely 13,000 fans came to watch it in a stadium that held more than four times that.

That would never happen today. Never. PNC Park would be packed. Tickets would sell online for thousands of dollars.

Maybe that makes the fans better, but same difference. The game is better because the fans say it is.

Has the sport gotten too mired in statistics and numbers, in your opinion?

I like the statistics. I like the math. I like that you can try to come up with a formula that let’s you imagine what would happen if Roger Clemens faced Honus Wagner. Most of all, I like that you can argue about it all to no end.

You see the team today and it’s back in the playoff hunt. How much is your father aware of the success of this year’s team, and what do you think your father would say about the makeup of the team and organization in general right now?

If you ask him if he’s been following it he’ll say he has, but I know there’s no way that’s true. He can’t really follow a baseball game anymore. He’d love watching McCutchen, obviously. What would he say about the organization? I don’t know. But I know if he thought anything negative he wouldn’t say anything about it to you. Or to anyone else publicly. He was a front office man through and through.

What’s next for you in your writing career?

I’m working on my third novel, which is currently titled NEVERMORE. I hope to finish it later this year.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I was lucky enough to live in Pittsburgh during one of the golden eras of Pirates baseball. Then I left in 1979 and after that it was not so good for awhile. In 1992 I was working for the Houston Astros. Larry Dierker (then an Astros broadcaster and soon to be an Astros manager) knew I was a Pirates fan, so he asked me over to his house to help him set up his new Macintosh computer and watch Game 7 of the NLCS between the Pirates and Braves. And so, like most Pirates fans over 30, I have that indelible memory of where I was–sitting on Larry Dierker’s couch–when Sid Bream, once one of our own, came chugging around third, long arms furiously pumping, to beat Barry Bonds’ throw, sending the Braves to the World Series and the Bucs into a two decade funk.

I’m really loving this season. And, with fingers crossed, I’m terrifically happy for Pittsburgh.

RIP Beano Cook: 2011 PSDB Interview with Beano Cook

Beano Cook (September 26, 2011):

First, can you let readers know how you got started as a broadcaster and what experiences helped you along the way?

I got into broadcasting by luck. Roone Arledge, then president of ABC Sports, hired me to be in the studio for the Scoreboard show and for any studio work for college football games starting in 1982.

My experience led me to a gain a lot of knowledge about football. It was not that I was more knowledgeable than everyone else, but enough in the opinion of Roone Arledge to get me into the studio.

Who influenced you most as you began your career?

One person was Roy McHugh, who, at the time I met him, was on the sports staff of the Pittsburgh Press. Roy later became sports editor. He taught me a lot about journalism. I never got a Master’s in Journalism, but for me, what I learned from Roy McHugh was better. I would say hanging around and asking questions, listening to the answers, and remembering them was a great asset.

You’ve started a relatively new blog. Can you tell readers about this new endeavor and what you look to achieve with this?

I started the Blog, www.Beano-Cook.com in 2010. I’ve lived a long time and some of my observations, pet peeves, and opinions are what I share. For example, politicians are one of the biggest threats to the welfare of this country. If you look at Congress, it’s obvious we don’t hire the best and the brightest.

I write only one column a month. I don’t have the talent to do more than that.

I don’t write about sports. Whether anyone reads it, I don’t know. But I hope it’s interesting. I enjoy writing it and sharing what I hope contains some truth, a little wisdom, and a bit of humor. I look forward to continuing it.

Where else can fans follow you these days?

I’m on ESPN Radio. I do a weekly podcast with Ivan Maisel and you can find that on the internet. I have no idea how that works, but people do find it. I’m not exactly a Luddite, but I find no need for direct use of even a computer. I live in a building where you need to buzz someone in with a touchtone phone, otherwise I’d still have my old rotary phone.

You started out as a sports publicist for the University of Pittsburgh and held that role for ten years. How was that experience for you and how has that role changed for universities now?

Let me note that now it is a very different job than when I started in 1956. Now, there’s an adversarial relationship between everybody today. It seems that way, anyway. We didn’t have talk shows to worry about, the internet, or everyone having blogs. I shared a secretary when I first started. I sometimes had some help, but now, E.J. Borghetti, who has the job now, gets a car and has a staff bigger than Ike had for D-Day.

But there’s one huge difference: they don’t have as much fun as we did years ago. As college sports became bigger, it became less fun. People don’t have fun today in sports. They just glad to have a job and they’re glad to have the job when they get up the next morning.

This may be a surprise to some but you also served as the Vice President for the Civic Arena under Edward Debartolo. How did that come about and how hard is it for you now seeing the seemingly imminent tear-down of the facility?

First, Paul Martha is the person who hired me. He got permission from Mr. DeBartolo. After a few years, they brought in a “Money Guy” to look things over. He decided I wasn’t necessary and I was fired. I could say I was laid off or “let go” but I was fired. I might have quit a year or two later, but after three years , I was fired. A lot of people have gotten fired, and I’m one of them.

Second, as for the Civic Arena, I don’t see a fifty-year old building as a landmark. Some say fifty years defines an antique. Well, I’m eighty – maybe I am an antique, but I wasn’t at fifty. I least I don’t think I was.

Being from Pittsburgh, you have likely paid close attention to the latest rumblings on potential Big East changes. How do you see this playing out and are these changes a positive thing for the sport – why/why not?

Number one, it was a great break for Pitt to get into the ACC. I thought the Big East had a great future in basketball, but I think Big East Football is shaky. There wasn’t that much interest in most of the games except for West Virginia, and in Cincinnati, when, in December 2009, when that team got to go to the BCS Bowl.

I think the Big East is always going to have problems in football. But I always think it’ll be a good basketball conference, whether it has 16 teams, 12 teams, or 8 teams.

How does the Big East football program get back to greater prominence?

I think the Big East football conference has real problems and I don’t know how they’re going to resolve them. There’s talk of taking in more teams, but I really don’t know if that’s the solution. I have my doubts.

As I said, I think Pitt was very fortunate to get into the ACC, and whoever at Pitt was responsible for that deserves to have his or her salary doubled.

What are your thoughts on the latest scandals involving payments to athletes? Do you feel college athletes should be paid? If not, how else can these issues be avoided?

I don’t know how the issue can be avoided. I think the big difference today compared to when I was at Pitt starting in ’56, is how many of athletes, especially in football and basketball come from one-parent families and from a lot less money than athletes did 60 years ago.

Should they be paid? At one time, I did not think so. But I think the football players- and maybe the basketball players, should get paid. Football is especially hard on you physically.

Years ago, football players got $15 a month for laundry. How much more would that be today, maybe $100? And, normal expenses have increased beyond laundry. Look, I don’t know whether they’re going to get paid, but I don’t see anything wrong in it. At one time I was against it, but now if they get paid, I have no complaints.

What have been some of your most memorable experiences as a broadcaster?

Working for Roone Arledge and getting to know Howard Cossell. Nothing beats those two. Also, I went to ESPN when it was only seven years old. To see how it has grown since 1986 is Unbelievable – it really is. It was chance that I went to ESPN. I was offered jobs at ESPN and CNN. I took ESPN because ESPN studios are in Bristol, CT and CNN in Atlanta.

The flight from Pittsburgh to Hartford was shorter and beat dealing with the Atlanta airport. It was pure luck that I got involved with ESPN.

What players have left some of the more lasting impressions with you, and why?

Actually there are two: Mike Ditka is my favorite Pitt football player and Don Hennon is my favorite Pitt basketball player. They are my two favorite athletes from my ten years at Pitt. I will always be honored to have been the Sports Information Director when they were playing at Pitt. They were just great athletes, truly great competitors.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Well, I consider myself lucky. I’m not trying to be modest when I say I have average talent. That’s what I have. I got lucky: I got the Pitt job when I was twenty-four. Later Roone Arledge came into my professional life. There are a lot of people more talented than I, but I had luck on my side, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Matt Rippin, Harlequins Rugby Youth Programs Coordinator

Matt Rippin:

First, can you tell readers how you became the coordinator for the Harlequin’s youth programs and what that entails?

I played for the Harlequins until I was about 27. Every member of the Rugby Football Club (that’s the team itself) is expected to contribute to the Rugby Football Association. The RFA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit which owns our field and runs our Youth programs, among other things. I coached at one of our youth sites throughout my career, and after I retired, I was happy to step up my involvement with the RFA.

We run a touch-rugby league at four sites in the area: Hazelwood, Garfield, Braddock and Homewood-Larimer. Our target youths are high-risk boys from 8-14, and our program runs for ten weeks in the late Spring. But we are always looking for new opportunities to expand our reach.

For instance, this Fall we’ll be participating in an after-school program in the Hill District that seeks to expose the kids to Olympic sports (which rugby will become in 2016). Our first priority at all times is mentorship. We’re not recruiting for rugby; we’re trying to teach sportsmanship and teamwork and discipline. Rugby is a great vehicle for those lessons.

What have been some of the bigger successes you’ve had to date with these programs?

Just this year one of our volunteers, who is a professor at Cal U., reconnected with two alumni of the youth program who now attend Cal. They say that without our rugby program, they never would have stayed on the path they are on. That is always one of the most satisfying aspects of the program–when you see the young men wearing college memorabilia and you feel that you played a role in helping them get there.

But I should mention, we’ve also attended the funerals of some of the young men that we’ve coached. We have a lot of successes, but we definitely have our faith tested as well.

What’s been the biggest challenge in getting people to adopt the sport early, and how can they do so?

They don’t see the game on TV. They want to emulate what they see. At the youth level, it’s a challenge to get them to embrace the game and not just play tag football with a rugby ball.

There is a lot of high school rugby out there, though. In Western PA the programs are not run through high school athletic departments–so you don’t have to attend Fox Chapel to play for Fox Chapel’s team, for instance. If you’re interested, there should be a club that’s not too far from you.

Football is so dominant right now in our culture, and I think it does a disservice to a lot of kids. A lot of great athletes fall through the cracks in football because they don’t quite fit the game. They’re big, but someone else is bigger; they’re fast but someone else is faster.

Rugby rewards the well-rounded athlete: every player on the field has to run, hit, carry the ball and perhaps even kick. And you can tailor your game to your particular strengths. I think I lot of kids would prefer a game like that.

How has the Pittsburgh area adopted the sport of rugby so far and what big inroads can/will you make to continue to grow interest?

Rugby is growing all over, and it’s growing in Pittsburgh. Almost every university in the area has a team. And as the high school programs in the area have grown, they have begun to match up favorably with the teams in Philadelphia. Those are marked improvements compared to a mere ten years ago.

Traditionally, rugby has been thought of as a college and private school sport. That’s beginning to change now. Everybody in American rugby is hoping that the addition of Sevens Rugby to the Olympics will help to increase visibility. NBC is also starting to carry games and tournaments.

For our part, we’re looking to expand our youth operation within the city. We hope to be in five or six neighborhoods soon. Although our primary mission is mentorship, the program is also a great opportunity to share the game with communities who haven’t yet experienced it.

Tell readers about this year’s team? How has it changed from the 2011 squad and what are your expectations for this season?

The team’s looking real good these days. It’s the nature of amateur sports that you always have to rebuild after a few years. That’s where the club was a year ago at this time. But they had a strong 2011 and have opened up 3-0 in 2012. They’re really on the upswing now. I think they have a legitimate shot at the national Sweet 16 this year.

Where can they see the Harlequins play, and tell readers a bit about the experience as a fan?

Pittsburghers might be surprised to know that this is home to one of the finest rugby facilities in the country. We play at Founder’s Field in Indiana Township, just off Rt. 910. We were one of the first clubs, and are still one of the few, who have our own home field. Most clubs still have to scrounge for time on municipal parks.

The game experience is great. If you associate rugby with college hooliganism, you’d be surprised how professional and family-friendly it is: dogs and kids are welcome, and of course you can always get a spot close to the action. This is not to suggest, though, that there isn’t any beer. There is beer. And rugby songs. It’s really a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Who are some of the bigger rivals of this team?

The Harlequins play in Division I of the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union, so our league rivals are the teams in Philadelphia and DC, plus Norfolk, Raleigh and Charlotte. Our oldest rival is Pittsburgh’s D-II club, although the nature of the rivalry has changed since we’ve moved up and out of their division. We do still play each other, though, almost every Spring, and it’s always a grudge match.

Who are the bigger characters on this team and what makes them so? Any examples?

Hmm. You could ask every Harlequin in the organization that question and get a different set of answers. I can only answer for my era. In my time I’ve seen a friend jump out of the overhead storage compartment of a bus dressed like Spiderman; I’ve had another friend walk from a party in the North Hills to his home in Shadyside via I-279; I also have three very funny stories that involve knifeplay, but I’ll keep those to myself because I don’t want you to get wrong impression.

The thing you need to remember is that these are also some of the smartest, most interesting people I have ever met. And they’re outstanding friends. Rugby players are stereotyped as being buffoons; nothing could be further from the truth. They’re just quirky and uniquely unpretentious.

I’m sure you’ve seen the issues with concussions in other sports. How is rugby dealing with the issue of concussions and the physical nature of the sport in general?

The rugby community has been out in front of the concussion issue. International rugby had restrictions on players returning from concussions years before the NFL started to take the issue seriously. The Harlequins are interested in taking a leadership role locally, but our plans for that are still in the embryonic stages.

Rugby is undeniably a violent sport, but there’s also a lot of common sense written into the rules that mitigates the danger. You can’t launch yourself at a ballcarrier the way they do in football; you can’t tackle above the shoulders; and you have to make an attempt to wrap your arms in a tackle. Most importantly, I think, is that rugby players don’t wear the body armor that American football players do. I tell everyone who will listen that the way to make football safer is to remove the hard plastic shells, which turn players into human battering rams. When your face is exposed to the violence, you learn very quickly how to hit responsibly. And when your neck and shoulders have full range of motion, you can protect yourself.

That said, I have seen a few gruesome injuries in my day. The risks can never be fully eliminated.

Do you work at all with any of the other local sports teams, and if so, how?

Most of our work is with the college rugby teams, with whom we seek close relationships for obvious reasons. Founder’s Field is also host to a lot of the area’s soccer and lacrosse.

To this point, we haven’t had any enduring relationships with the three majors sports teams–although some Steelers have been nice enough to make appearances at our Youth Tournament. The Steelers’ new concussion initiative may be an opportunity for us.

What do you think would surprise readers most about the sport and about the Harlequins?

About the sport: when most people think of rugby, they tend to focus on the contact. But it’s also one of the most grueling tests of endurance and discipline of any sport in the world. The game evolved from soccer, and like soccer it’s a long, continous-flow game played on a huge field. Only with full contact.

About the Harlequins: I think as soon as you arrive at Founder’s you’ll appreciate that we’re a lot more than just a social club. We have to put in a lot of extra time to run a class operation–and that’s in addition to our Youth Programs.
Any last thoughts for readers?

If you’re interested in anything we do–the team or the volunteer work–you’ve got to go to //www.pittsburghharlequins.org/. We also have a Facebook page. Or you could just swing by the field sometime.

Interview with Founders of Steel City Buzz

Founders of Steel City Buzz

What are your backgrounds and how did you come up with the SCB concept?

Bill Hinchey – Rob Phillips and I went to 1^st grade together in Elizabeth Township just outside of McKeesport and we’ve been friends ever since. Rob’s background is selling data services to large companies and I have been entrepreneur and marketing guy. The idea for SCB was simple – we wanted a social network that was just about Pittsburgh sports. We were tired of all the NOISE that you have to wade through on Facebook and Twitter. So, we built our own and we are psyched to bring Steel City Buzz to Pittsburgh fans all over the world.

Describe Steel City Buzz and why you think Pittsburgh fans will use it?

Rob Phillips – Here is SCB in a nutshell – It is a virtual stadium, where you get to pick who you sit with! We created a place that you can chat with an entire nation of Pittsburgh fans OR just a couple of your friends. We’ve included local media personalities and current and past Pros like Chris Hoke, Louis Lipps and Lawrence Timmons. Our app is free, easy-to-use and you can personalize the experience. That means you can block content, invite and create friend circles, and share posts on Facebook and Twitter. We also provide real-time scores and we will be rolling out new features on almost a weekly basis.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Bill Hinchey – Software development is just hard. The end product should look simple-to-use and be “seamless” or “intuitive”. But the process of getting the app to look and feel that way as well as perform at a high level is a major challenge. Oh, and one more thing, you only get one chance to do it right or you’re toast!

You have a lot of celebs and pro players on your app. What has that experience been like?

Rob Phillips – Working with guys like Mel Blount, Peter Taglianetti, Chris Hoke, Louie Lipps has been one of the best parts of this journey. We had ZERO idea if they would want to be a part of a social network or even talk to us. What we found is that they loved the idea of connecting to Pittsburgh fans and talking about the sport that was that loved so much. Each one of them has a great story and SCB gives them a chance to share some of themselves with the best fans on the planet.

How many downloads or users are on Steel City Buzz?

Rob Phillips – We don’t disclose that information but I can tell you that we are seeing a tremendous uptick in downloads, and we built our network to handle well over 100,000 users. We have partners in place who can scale up in literally 24 hours of notice. We will be ready as more of Steeler Nation comes knocking at our door!

What is next for Steel City Buzz?

Bill Hinchey – We’ve built a great platform that is available on the web and on every mobile device – iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablet. Now our focus is to get the word out to Pittsburgh fans and let them create a social network that is full of great content. Our tag line is Chat, Rant, Rave 24/7 and lately it been more RANT with the collapse of the Pirates and the two Steeler losses. That’s ok. At least fans have a ONE place to go and get it out of their system. We also want to create a charity component to raise money for charities such as The Mel Blount Youth Home. Honestly, we have only shown fans the “tip of the iceberg”; there is so much more to come.

What is the best way to reach you guys?

Rob Phillips — Fans can download SCB directly from our website at www.steelcitybuzz.com and can follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Other inquires can be sent to us at info@steelcitybuzz.com

Jim O’Brien: Frenchy Fuqua reveals his secret insight into Immaculate Reflection

Jim O’Brien: Frenchy Fuqua reveals his secret insight into Immaculate Reflection:

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

John “Frenchy” Fuqua is a legendary figure in Steelers’ football history. He was also known as “The Count” for wearing fancy capes with his eye-catching clothing ensembles, for having gold fish in his clear plastic high heels, and for high stepping on the football field, in the locker room and at the infamous Aurora Club, an after-hours joint in The Hill District that was frequented by Ernie Holmes, L.C. Greenwood, Glen “Pine” Edwards and visited on occasion by Moon Mullins and Ray Mansfield.

Fuqua had some fashion face-offs with Greenwood to the merriment of all in the locker room from time to time to determine who was “the best-dressed” Steelers’ player.

Fuqua was the Steelers’ leading rusher for two seasons, 1970 and 1971, and held the record for most yards rushing in one game, with 218 at Philadelphia on December 20, 1970, until it was broken by Willie Parker with 223 against the Browns at Heinz Field on December 7, 2006. Fuqua went 85 yards for a touchdown against the Eagles, the third longest run in Steelers’ history.

He rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in his seven seasons (1970-76) with the Steelers. He worked in the circulation department of The Detroit News in his latter days with the Steelers and on a full-time basis when his ball-playing career came to an end.

Fuqua also gained fame as the middle man in “The Immaculate Reception,” which was voted the No. 1 play in pro football history even though it was a broken play and then some.

Terry Bradshaw was throwing a pass down the middle of the field to Fuqua, one of the team’s most sure-handed receivers, when Jack Tatum of the Oakland Raiders collided with Fuqua, knocking the ball back upfield where Franco Harris found it and grasped it at his shoe tops and raced for a touchdown in the AFC playoffs on December 23, 1972.

Tatum was one of the fiercest, hard-hitting cornerbacks in the NFL at the time. He was responsible for dealing the blow that crippled Patriots’ receiver Darryl Stingley, and he hit Lynn Swann and John Stallworth a few hard shots when they ran crossing patterns against the Raiders.

Chuck Noll once blasted the likes of Tatum and some of his teammates as being members of “a criminal element” in the NFL.

The Steelers beat the Raiders 13-7. It was the Steelers’ first victory in a playoff in the team’s history.

It was a fourth and ten call at the Steelers’ 40-yard line with 22 seconds left to play, and the Steelers trailing, 7-6. Bradshaw ducked a strong rush, but was flattened as he let the ball go and had no idea what happened afterward. A lot of people who were at Three Rivers Stadium that day still don’t know exactly what happened. Many fans were staring disconsolately at their shoe tops, believing the game was lost.

The game was not shown on Pittsburgh television because it was not a sellout.

Art Rooney Sr., the owner of the Steelers, did not see “The Immaculate Reception.” He was on the elevator heading for the team locker room to console his players after a valiant effort.

“Frenchy likes to be coy about it,” said Terry Bradshaw in his book, Looking Deep, in writing about what he termed the pivotal play in the team’s history. “The glory days for the Steelers were still two years ahead, but we buried our past that day.

“If Frenchy did touch the ball first, then the play was voided. In those days, it was illegal for a ball to be touched first by another offensive player. John Madden and the Raiders felt they got shafted, and Madden is still mad as hell about it.

“Frenchy doesn’t want to say and is either going to take his secret to the grave, or write a book about it himself some day.”

It’s one of the most famous and frequently aired sequences in sports history, yet Fuqua is often a forgotten figure in it. He teases people about whether he or Tatum touched the ball first. If he alone had touched it the ensuing catch and run by Harris would have been nullified by NFL rules in use at the time. Back then, the ball could not be touched simultaneously by two teammates on the receiving end. Today it can be.

Fred Swearingen didn’t signal a touchdown right away. He checked a sideline video to help him make the call. There wasn’t any official review of plays at that time. Thus instant reply was born. All TDs are now reviewed by the officials upstairs in the stadiums.

“I always have to tell that story,” said Fuqua when he was in attendance at a gala dinner on the eve of Andy Russell’s annual celebrity golf outing in mid-May of 2012. “I tell them everything that happened, except who touched the ball and how. Jack Tatum had to hit for it to have been a legitimate reception by Franco. But let’s not beat around the bush. Jack didn’t touch it. It’s the only secret I have left in my life.

“That pass was coming to me from the get-go. Ron Shanklin and I had led the team in receiving (with 49 catches apiece) the previous season, and I was considered one of our most sure-handed receivers.”

According to game reports, post-game commentary and Bradshaw’s book, however, rookie receiver Barry Pearson was the primary receiver on that final play. But that was other people’s version of the story, not Fuqua’s.

“When Bradshaw went to the sideline to confer with the coaches before that play, I watched those blue eyes from the sideline to the huddle, and I knew he was going to throw the ball to me. Bradshaw eyed me all the way back to the huddle,” offered Fuqua.

“If the timing had worked out, and the pass protection hadn’t broken down – Otis Sistrunk nearly got Terry – I was wide open. I’d have gotten to the end zone or to the sideline, and Roy Gerela would have had an easy kick for a field goal to win it. I could have been the hero.

“But Bradshaw had to duck under and away from the rush – he ran to the right – and in the meantime Tatum left one of our wide receivers, Barry Pearson, and came up to cover me. The ball came my way. The ball was tipped (ricocheted really) and Franco caught it and ran away with hundreds of thousands of dollars I’d have made on that play. It took 1.8 seconds for the ball to go from my hands to Franco’s hands.

“I’ve watched that play a hundred times. I have it on tape at home. Tatum wasn’t near me, at first, when I went into my hook. I was around their 30-yard line, and I’d have taken an angle, and we’d have been, at the least, in a position where Roy couldn’t miss it (a field goal try).

“Franco should have been nowhere around that ball. But some players just have a nose for it. A guy like him is always at the right place at the right time. I’m glad he was.”

Head coach Chuck Noll had said, “Franco made that play because he never quit on the play. He kept running; he kept hustling. Good things happen to those who hustle.”

John Madden, the Raiders’ coach, was protesting on the other sideline. Madden claimed that Fuqua, not Tatum, had touched the ball and the pass should have been ruled incomplete, having bounced from one offensive player to another.

“It’s so disappointing,” Madden said, “to come down to a whole season and have it end like this.”

Fuqua begs to differ, of course. “That play is shown on TV at least three times a year,” he said, “and my boss at the newspaper always gave me a nod at the office the next day to acknowledge it. But what would have happened if Frenchy Fuqua caught the ball? But I was always a team player, and always thought in the team concept. If I had scored, though, I’d have given the reporters a better story than Franco. The controversy is what made that play.”

Franco Harris was at the head of the table at a quarterly meeting of the Champions Committee that oversees the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center in July of 2012 when “the Immaculate Reception” was being screened to be part of an introductory film of highlights in Pittsburgh sports.

He asked if it could be shown again, with the accompanying music up louder. He watched it with his chin resting on his hand as if he had never seen it before. “Make sure you catch the ball this time,” I warned him.

He smiled. “It’s more dramatic with the sound up,” he told everyone at the table.

Later, I asked him how many times he has watched that sequence. “Jim, I can’t tell you that,” he said. I swear he was blushing.

“What would have happened if you had dropped the ball?” I asked.

“I’d have been famous one way or another,” he said.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will stage its first off-campus exhibition at the HeinzHistoryCenter starting this Saturday, Oct. 6. It is called “Gridiron Glory” and it will contain some Steelers’ artifacts as well as over 100 items on loan from the Hall of Fame in Canton. It’s worth a visit to The Strip.

Pittsburgh sports author Jim O’Brien will have a new book coming out Oct. 15 called Immaculate Reflections. For more information contact Jim at jimmyo64@gmail.com or visit his website at www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

Kevin Cook, Author, The Last Headbangers: NFL Football in the Rowdy, Reckless ’70s—The Era that Created Modern Sports

Kevin Cook, Author, The Last Headbangers: NFL Football in the Rowdy, Reckless ’70s—The Era that Created Modern Sports:

First, can you let readers know how and why you decided to take on this subject and how you started doing so?

I was a tyke in 1967, watching the first Super Bowl on a little black-and-white TV. I grew up watching the early Monday Night Football and the great teams of the ’70s. After writing three books that were largely about golf, I wanted to write about the number-one sport.

It’s easy to forget that pro football didn’t always dominate the sports landscape the way it does today. It was a process—an evolution that’s really fascinating, full of epic games, crazy plays and vivid characters.

What makes the book unique in its coverage of those 70’s teams?

I think Headbangers is the first to suggest that the NFL took on its modern form in the ten-year period between the sport’s most famous plays: the Immaculate Reception and The Catch. Back in ’72, rookie Franco Harris actually hitchhiked to practice. Terry Bradshaw sold used cars in the off-season. Andy Russell and Ray Mansfield carpooled to work to save on gas that cost 55 cents a gallon. Monday Night Football was new—an experiment that only last-place ABC was willing to try.

By the time Dwight Clark snagged Joe Montana’s pass in 1982, the NFL was America’s dominant sport. Thanks mostly to TV, teams were getting rich and players were making ten times what guys earned a decade before. Rules changes favoring the passing game helped Bill Walsh’s 49ers usher in a more efficient, scripted style of play—the modern, corporate, huge-money NFL we watch today.

How did you research the book and what surprised you most as you did so?

I watched a bunch of grainy ’70s games, read everything I could find on the subject, and then started phoning ’70s players, coaches and broadcasters. What surprised me was that the vast majority of those players went on to other careers. They were the last NFL generation that wasn’t set for life by virtue of playing pro football. Some have struggled financially as well as physically. And then there’s Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, who screwed up his career by abusing drugs, and then won $28 million in the Texas state lottery.

How can readers purchase the book?

It’s at Amazon.com as well as Barnes & Noble, independent booksellers and the bookstore near you.

Were some players reluctant to discuss their experiences with you? Why/why not, do you think?

Most were eager to share their memories. I expected Henderson, for instance, to be tight-lipped about drugs, but he told about hiding liquid cocaine in his uniform during the Super Bowl. I expected Roger Staubach to be a stiff, but he was one of the most candid, interesting interviews I had in more than a year of working on the book. Talking to Staubach could almost make you root for the Cowboys…I say almost.

How do the players you spoke with look at the way the game is being played today? What were their thoughts on today’s rules regarding hits and the way today’s players handle themselves – both on and off the field?

Most of them think today’s players are spoiled. They hate seeing preening, prancing me-first guys do touchdown dances on TV. And they think the rules have changed so much that quarterbacks aren’t really football players anymore—QBs are more like kickers, playing a specialized, protected position. Or ballerinas. But don’t quote me—I don’t want Jay Cutler kicking me with his toe shoes.

Concussions and head trauma and the issues many former players deal with as a result of those injuries are a big topic today How did you find the players you spoke with on those issues. Angry at the NFL, accepting of them as a game risk…?

I think they’re scared. Worried. But while many ex-players are suing the NFL, others shrug and say they knew the game was risky. I’m hoping The Last Headbangers leads more fans to support former players who risked their futures to help build the game. The NFL and the NFLPA are starting to recognize the debt they owe the Headbangers generation, but haven’t done nearly enough.

How in your opinion does/can the NFL successfully manage the need to keep a certain level of “old school” physicality in the game for fans while better protecting players today?

I think it’s crazy when people talk about banning NFL football. Twenty or so years ago we began hearing about Dementia pugilistica, the brain damage boxers suffered from getting concussed. But we didn’t ban boxing. I applaud the NFL’s efforts to deal with players’ health issues. The next step is twofold: The league needs to put more of its wealth into pensions and medical care for former players; and it needs to keep improving concussion detection.

If a player shows concussion symptoms, team doctors need to keep him off the field. For years, players were expected to “shake it off” and stay in the game. That decision—in the NFL as well as in college, high school and every other level of football—must be taken away from players, so they don’t feel pressured to say, “I’m fine.”

Who were some of the biggest characters of the headbanger days and what made them so? Any examples?

The ’70s was the most colorful time in NFL history. Mean Joe, Franco, Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann (who never got enough credit for his toughness), Stallworth, Vietnam hero Rocky Bleier, Frenchy, Ham, Blount, Webster, Fats Holmes, Greenwood, White, Gerela—and that’s just the Steelers! You’ve also got O.J. Simpson slashing downfield, and the crazed Raiders and glitzy Cowboys. I can’t imagine any time in any sport that ever had a better cast of characters.

In your discussions with former players, how much did they discuss the difficulties ex players have on adjusting to post-NFL life, and what’s you find separates those that struggled to do so from those that did not?

That’s a mystery. It’s clear that one or two bad concussions make you more likely to suffer more in the future. But why are some people more prone to concussions, while others are resistant? Raiders linebacker Phil Villapiano used to bang his head on a cement wall before games. Villapiano had a bunch of concussions, but 40 years later he’s as lucid and healthy as can be, while plenty of guys he played with suffered far greater damage. Some were senile at 50. Others died before they turned 50.

I think the next frontier in sports science is discovering why some of us are more prone to concussions that others.

Without revealing too much, what players and stories were the most powerful, from your perspective. And why?

I really enjoyed talking with Franco Harris, who turned out to be as thoughtful and sharp as I expected. But his old rival Villapiano was my favorite: a great conversation, funny and profane. And Phil provided an important, powerful end to the book, because he’s got a son, Mike, who plays football. Quarterback Mike Villapiano led his team to the New Jersey high school state championship. Mike and his dad talked about what he should do if he “got his bell rung.” They agreed that Mike shouldn’t tell anybody. He wasn’t going to get a Division I scholarship sitting on the bench; he had to stay on the field.

Were they right? Were they risking Mike’s future for a shot at a scholarship? I think they were right, because Mike’s goal is to find out how far he can go in football, and that can’t happen unless he stays on the field. But I could be wrong…

What’s next for you?

Two movie producers are working on films of my previous books, Titanic Thompson and Tommy’s Honor. Here’s hoping somebody wants to make a movie of The Last Headbangers. Other than Jim Caviezel as Staubach, I’m open to casting suggestions.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I hope they’ll buy the book rather than just reading excerpts online. We authors gotta make a living! I spent almost two years of my life on Headbangers…but it’s bigger than me.

I hope the book brings a great NFL era back to life for a new generation of fans.