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Happy Birthday Franco and Lynn March 7

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by NE Missouri Steeler, Mar 8, 2020.

  1. NE Missouri Steeler

    NE Missouri Steeler Well-Known Member

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    Jan 1, 2017
    Yesterday was birthdays of 2 of our greats....Franco Harris and Lynn Swann....
     
  2. STEELWINDS

    STEELWINDS

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    Sep 12, 2019
    Hey NE Missouri Steeler and Everyone.

    A personal story regarding Mr. Swann that I would like to share with everyone and would appreciate very open and candid responses.

    First of all, before I begin, there is no one here a bigger Lynn Swann fan than myself (I am sure some of you will argue that, smile). However, he probably is my favorite all-time Steeler. I emulated him on the playground growing up. Nothing but pure love and admiration for him.

    So the story. I reached out to Mr. Swann last year at USC where he was the Athletic Director I believe. The hope was maybe, just maybe, I could have one minute, just 60 seconds of his time to talk to him on the phone. I figured I could get at least that much after 45+ years of Lynn Swann and Steeler fandom. I wrote a lengthy e-mail to him (about one page). Very professional if I may add which; would come as no surprise here to those who have interacted with me.

    Of course, his personal assistant handled the e-mail and she and I talked for about a good 15 minutes. Very pleasant conversation. Actually, she indicated to me that Mr. Swann read the e-mail himself and was very complimentary of all my teaching and coaching endeavors over my career. However, in the end Mr. Swann never called me back but his PA did and stated Mr. Swann was too busy to reach out to me. As one would figure I was somewhat disappointed and honestly a bit irate. I figured all of my years of dedication to him, and the Steelers, and all I wanted was a 60 second or less conversation with my childhood Steeler idol.

    Now I get it. He is/was a very busy man. I believe he resigned from that position. However, once again, I was just looking for a “quick” live-time chat with Mr. Swann. Yes, in all honesty I was very, very disappointed and even lost a little bit of respect for him. And I do feel somewhat guilty admitting that but that is how I feel.

    Once again, I get it. He was a very busy man. I am pretty sure he had many similar requests in the past and still does. And that if he took the time to physically talk to everyone who asked for such a request he would not have time to do his job. Still, I was disappointed with the outcome.

    Nevertheless, I do wish him and Franco each a Happy Birthday. However, and if I am being selfish please let me know folks, my personal opinion of him is somewhat tarnished and maybe unjustly so. Given that, let me know what you think. Mr. Swann gave me many, many great memories and I thank him for that. I guess I just have mixed emotions about how the whole thing went down. Take care everyone.

    STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid
     
  3. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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  4. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    Never expect anything from anybody STEELWINDS. It's Ok to put it out there but selfish to be upset if not done your way.
     
  5. STEELWINDS

    STEELWINDS

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    Sep 12, 2019
    Hey Roonatic.

    Yeah, I was thinking about it after I posted. It did seem "selfish" even somewhat "whiny" on my part. Hey I am not too proud to admit it. I guess I just felt that I, like many of us here, have invested our heart and soul into this team and my expectations were not that great. I guess maybe they were.

    I guess a better approach would have been to have "hoped" for the response that I was looking for and not "expected" one. In that case, I would not have felt as let down.

    I guess I felt that we the fans (me for 45+ years) who are basically paying their bills and cheering them on would be good for a "brief" conversation. For the record, I had one before with a Pittsburgh Pirate. Maybe my expectations were too high. Not making excuses here.
    I get your point fully Roonatic. I just know that in my profession (education) I take every opportunity to interact with students, their parents/guardians and all other stakeholders involved to communicate with them and have never turned one down.

    Now, I realize there is a big difference between the status of a professional elite football player and a public school teacher but in the end we all have a base of people that we work for and want to please. Once again, I am not trying to justify my emotions. I am just being honest and I cannot be faulted for that. Just as I have recognized your opinion that maybe I am/was being selfish. And again, it does not justify my "sourness" towards the whole well-meant situation.

    In the end, it would have been great to have talked to Mr. Swann and according to his Personal Assistant he did read my e-mail. So, at least from that perspective we did interact. So, lesson learned. Oh well, now, onto Stallworth (smile and laugh). Thanks Roonatic for the feedback it helped. Take care.


    STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2020
    • Like Like x 1
  6. STEELWINDS

    STEELWINDS

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    Sep 12, 2019
    Hey Wardismvp.

    I am not sure if you were stating "winners" or "whiners". If it was whiners I owed up to my reaction in my post to Roonatic. Please read if you get a chance. In short, I was probably being selfish to a degree as well as a bit whiny which is not my persona. I guess I just let my emotions get the best of me on this one. In the end, this Board has been, and continues to be, a great place for all of us to express our Steeler related events/moments; good, bad and indifferent. And once again, as I stated to Roonatic, I am not to proud to admit when I may be wrong which; I probably was with my reaction by not getting the response I had expected. Rather than have "expected" I should have dialed it down to have "hoped" for and probably would not have been as disappointed as I was. Take care.

    STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2020
  7. steel machine

    steel machine Well-Known Member

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    Have to tell my son it's his BD too.
     
  8. MojaveDesertPghFan

    MojaveDesertPghFan

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    Oct 19, 2011
    In all honesty, USC and Mr. Swann in particular were going through monstrous turmoil at that time leading up to his resignation with NCAA investigations, disgruntled alumnus and a local media frenzy eating it all up. I'm sure that your call was not the only one that was not returned. He probably literally had hundreds of calls, emails and visitors vying for his time which was probably a time he wanted nothing more than to hide under a rock. I've always admired him greatly on and off the field and would be personally embarrassed to hold something like this against him, especially at the time you're talking about. I have a similar story about Willie Stargell, when he refused to give an autograph to my kid Brother on a road trip out to LA in the 70's and I held it against him for many years when the rest of the world held him in such high esteem. Finally someone asked me if I ever had a "bad day" and possibly mistreated someone unknowingly or inadvertently. It put me in my place and I stopped being so bruised. Advice, lighten up, give hm the benefit of the doubt and hold onto all those great moments when your hero excelled on the field.
     
  9. STEELWINDS

    STEELWINDS

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    Sep 12, 2019
    Hey MojaveDesertPghFan.

    Yeah, I can relate to the having a "bad day" scenario for sure. We all have been there at one time or another. I have settled down since then but just brought it up again when I saw this thread. As I admitted here on the Board, there is no need to hold a grudge against Mr. Swann. Like I stated in another reply here, his Personal Assistant even stated that he read my e-mail and actual she relayed a message from him, to me, regarding his appreciation of all the hard work I have put in over my career working with youth.

    I did not realize the "turmoil" that he was going through at USC and in all honesty, like you, when people do not react the way you would like (as Roonatic stated) you must take into account what they are going through behind the scenes in their lives. I am pretty good at doing that; trying to look at situations from all angles.

    Again, I do feel somewhat selfish regarding my initial reaction to not being able to talk to him directly. He brought me many fond memories and as I have discussed this now for several days here on the Board, it is a dropped issue and a clean-slate between Mr. Swann and myself (smile).

    Does he (Mr. Swann) or would he really even care about my regrets I do not know. However, this much I do know. It has made me a better person and although I have for the most part in my life tried to take into account what people are going through, it will make me work at it even that much harder.Thanks MojaveDesertPghFan and everyone else here for the input. It is greatly appreciated and has helped me to get past any disgruntled feelings that I may have unjustly built up. As the saying goes: "Life is too short".


    STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2020

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