Ron Mussleman: Good read from an old time reporter

https://steelerstakeaways.com/exclu...ts-writer-columnist-and-editor-ron-musselman/

Some tidbits:

What was Ben like?

Ben was not easy at times but he gave good interviews. He could be tough to deal with at times but he was also good to talk to. But you only got five minutes a week with him at that point – it wasn’t like in the past.

When Joey Porter Sr. says all those things about him – well, Porter was fired for getting into a fight at a bar. In fact Rooney fired him – Mike Tomlin wouldn’t fire him.

They all talk and blame each other for stuff – everyone wants to point fingers. It’s silly. It’s like Neil O’Donnell. He was told to throw to a spot in the Super Bowl – that was the design of the play. But everyone blames him for throwing the interception at the end of the game that lost it. It just shows that what people say about players isn’t always accurate.

Any funny or poignant moments you can share?

Reporters flew with the players on the charter flights then. Brian Blankenship was a player that made the team out of the strike – he was an Academic All-American out of Nebraska. We were all huddled around a TV on the plane watching the Nebraska-Oklahoma game and I asked him what the “N ” on his hat stood for and he said “Knowledge!” Everybody cracked up at that.

That was also when there was a beer room where the coaches and reporters would hang out after practice some days. Darryl Sims had his car towed one day and we asked what that was about. One of the coaches – I won’t say who – was a bit tipsy and told us. That’s how that story got out!

Those conversations were so valuable and the off-the-record information gathered in that room was so valuable. You just don’t get that now. I remember the Chief used to hand out cigars. But as he got older he wasn’t doing so well. One day he came in and said “I wonder what bum we’ll draft this year?” We all knew that wasn’t something you should quote – we all knew not to use that. After he died in 1988 I was the first to talk with Joe Greene – Joe shared some great stories about the Chief with me.

What are your thoughts on the Steelers coaches you covered?

Noll was my favorite for many reasons. He may have known as much about wine as he did football.

I liked Cowher and thought he did a good job – but I don’t think he was a Hall of Fame coach. He won a Super Bowl and lost four AFC Championship games at home and barely hung on to win another.. If Cowher is in – then Tomlin has to be in, right?

Cowher had so much energy – he said if he wasn’t a football coach he would have been an English teacher. Which was funny because he gave a speech once and instead of “Circumvent” he said “Circumcised” . Everybody laughed at that. We all thought then that maybe he shouldn’t be a teacher after all!

Tomlin – 19 years is a long time. I think he got stale and just had too much control over the organization and didn’t take responsibility for some bad drafts. Those were his decisions too- you didn’t sneeze without his approval by the time he left. It was hard for Kevin Colbert and Omar Khan to be in charge when you don’t have control.

Art II Rooney- I think it’s time to pass things on to his kid. You can’t say you’re satisfied with making the playoffs. That’s not a good answer. He just doesn’t seem to have the same passion as the Chief and Dan had.

*******************

I find it typical that Tomlin didnt fire Porter, Art had to do it. Accountability my ass.

The Chief saying what bum will we draft this year is funny stuff

Mussleman agrees about it being time to move on from Art II and confirms Tomlin had as much power as some of us claimed.

Journalism is dead, I miss the days where reporters like this were more concerned with getting a story right than being first.

 

I look at it as Rooney had to step in because Tomlin wouldnt fire him.