Still crazy after all these years

… and then we became friends As a young boy, I was taught to respect authority, which included the nuns who taught me, along with adults who lived in our community and neighborhood, along with other children -- and everyone else. This also included those who enforced the laws, like referees and umpires who arbitrated the rules in the games that I played. Since my father was a referee, and since I traveled with him on Saturdays in autumn to college football games throughout Pennsylvania, I learned how important it was to respect officials in football -- along with basketball and baseball. And, in about a quarter-century of coaching football, I did that — though I did question calls from time to time. That included questioning some calls from a crew led by my brother. However, I was always respectful. And, if my father knew how angry I became at South Stadium in Pittsburgh in 1977, he would have been angry with me. Fortunately, I never told him this story. To the best of my recollecti

Photo of St. Francis coaching staff, circa 1978 Kneeling: (L) Hugh Conrad and Jerry Roberts Standing: George Klayko, Father Jonas McCarthy, and Art Martynuska, head coach When a priest from St. Francis College approached Art Martynuska about becoming its head football coach in 1969, I asked him, “Art, do you know what it is going to take to start a college football program from scratch? Are you crazy?” His answer, after laughing, “Yes — and yes.” One thing that Art also demonstrated during that time was love, not just for St. Francis football, but to the players who participated in the program. The sledding was not easy in the early years primarily because the school did directly finance the program. However, while Art may have thought he was crazy to start a football program from scratch, tonight, as the school that now calls itself a university celebrates 50 years of football, he would recall something other than how many games he won or lost. Instead, he would b

Father Jones McCarthy, TOR [Reposted from hughbradyconrad blog] As a football coach, Father Jonas McCarthy, TOR, asked God for a favor — a fumble —  After about a quarter-century of coaching, people can remember many events that were special and people who were memorable. That was the case with Father Jonas McCarthy, TOR, with whom I coached at St. Francis College/University for five years during the 1970s. Father Jonas was a unique individual, and at the 50th anniversary of the modern era of St. Francis football last weekend, his name was on the lips of many former players. However, the one event that took place that so many recall was a victory in 1976. At the time, the Red Flash were playing their home games at the stadium at Portage High School. And the opponent was the nefarious Duquesne Dukes. I say “nefarious” because that was the way that Father Jonas regarded the Duquesne football team. Father was a native of Pittsburgh who had played in the Pittsburgh

Mason Rudolph Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Steelers ... remember Tommy Maddox? When Steeler legendary head coach Chuck Noll noted that one of his great players was starting to slow down and produce less and less, he was not exactly the most tactful person in the world.  In short, Chuck never took a course from Dale Carnegie: “How to win friends and influence people.” He did influence people, but it was in an “old-school” way. Noll simply told his Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw this in 1983, “It’s time to get on with the rest of your life’s work.” Terry resented that, but in the business world, that is the way things operate -- and Terry has done well after football. And the Pittsburgh Steelers were in the business world. They had to move on without Terry. Flash forward to 2019 Ben Roethlisberger would have been better served if he had played under Chuck Noll, who was no-nonsense. Now, Ben must come to a realization at the age of 37: It is time to get on with his life’s wor

Heinz Field, which will no longer exist Photo courtesy of Getty Images … Steelers seeking new corporate sugar-daddy Names change: In my lifetime, the Steelers have used a number of stadiums: Forbes Field, Pitt Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, and now finally, Heinz Field.  However, while the facility will not change, the name apparently will. According to Sports Business Daily, the merger of two giants, Heinz and Kraft that is now named Kraft Heinz, one which is also now suffering financially, means that the company that has provided the name to the current facility will no longer do so.  Reporter Terry Lefton writes about the upcoming change,  Heinz, founded in nearby Sharpsburg, Pa., has held title rights there since the building opened [in 2001]. Its current deal expires in 2021, and while we’re told Heinz is still at the table, the distance between buyer and (re)seller is vast, and no one across the naming-rights industry expects the Heinz name to be on the s

Chuck Noll, winner of four Super Bowls Photo courtesy of ESP N … which appears to be crumbling History, at least in these parts, is consistent. Snow falls; Steelers flags flutter in preparation for another Super Bowl; and Chuck Noll, black-and-gold legend, is somewhere far away. He will not give an oral dissertation this week on how these Pittsburgh Steelers remind him of his Steel Curtain defenses in the 1970s. Noll doesn't even watch a whole game of football anymore. It is believed that he talked to Pittsburgh's front office about his thoughts on the Steelers once this season [2009]. Elizabeth Merrill, ESPN, Jan. 22, 2009 As Pittsburgh Steeler fans smart over their humiliation at the hands of the New England Patriots last night, a 33-3 lacing, we Steeler fans who can remember how woeful the team was before a man arrived in Pittsburgh should share the story about a humble man who built the foundation for Steeler Nation — and those six Super Bowl wins. He coached fo

… will never reach another SB under Tomlin Some Steelers fans were delusional this summer, thinking that because the distractions named Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell were gone, now the team is poised to win another Super Bowl. That thought was obliterated by halftime of last night’s 33-3 debacle, a loss to the defending champion Patriots. Making this even worse was the fact that just 256 days ago, on Dec. 16, 2018, the Steelers had defeated the Patriots, 17-10. The Pats then went on to win a Super Bowl. So, how could a team deteriorate so quickly? National pundits, who are generally clueless, pointing to the losses of Bell and Brown as the reasons for the loss. Duh.  Bell did not play in that game -- or any games last year, yet a Steeler running back made the difference in the game — with the help of a great job by the offensive line. That was rookie Jaylen Samuels, who carried the ball 19 times for 142 of the Steelers’ 158 yards on the ground. And Brown did not have a stellar g

… can they win 11 games? “If the Steelers pass the ball 78 percent of the time this year, they could miss the playoffs again.” Hugh Brady Conrad The great Steeler tradition was built by Chuck Noll, whom the late legend Myron Cope called “the professor.” The success of winning four Super Bowls in six years in the 1970s was not just due to having nine players who would ultimately make the NFL Hall of Fame. Instead, it started with defense, a strong running game with a passing attack to balance it, and some intelligent coaching. That formula has led to six Super Bowls over the past four decades. Now, however, it has been a decade since we have won one. What do the Steelers have to do to contend this year? First, the offense. As the quote above notes, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had the best passing numbers of his career, more then 5,000 yards, yet the team did not even make the playoffs. Here were those numbers: 2018 Offense Passing 5,009 Rushing 1,445 Total       6,445 Passing t

Who will win the Super Bowl? Who will win the divisions? Steelers (11-5) Sept. 8 @Patriots L Sept. 15 Seahawks W Sept. 22 @49ers W Sept. 30 Bengals W Oct. 6 Ravens W Oct. 13 @Chargers L Oct. 20 Bye Oct. 28 Dolphins W Nov. 3 Colts W Nov. 10 Rams L Nov. 14 @Browns L Nov. 24 @Bengals W Dec. 1 Browns W Dec. 8 @Cardinals W Dec. 15 Bills W Dec. 22 @Jets W Dec. 29 @Ravens L AFC North Steelers 11-5 Ravens 10-6 Browns 9-7 Bengals 4-12 Winners of Divisions AFC AFC East: Patriots AFC North: Steelers AFC South: Titans AFC West: Chiefs AFC Champs: Chiefs   NFC NFC East: Eagles NFC North: Bears NFC South: Saints NFC West: Rams NFC Champs: Eagles Super Bowl Champs: Chiefs