Great news Steeler Fans about DeCastro...

Reports are he's walking fine, and making progress.  There may be hope to get him back by mid-season.

To commemorate his recovery, and in recognition of the high expectations held by Steeler Nation, a modification of a classic poem:

He blocks in beauty, like the night
Of flagless plays, assignments met
And all that’s best of lanes kept tight
Meet in his aspect; his stance a vets
Thus replace Foster’s lack of fight
Which running lanes his lack abets.

One slide the more, one step the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Of the runners cutback progress
The strain so clear upon his face
His knee the subject of distress
As Gilbert did his knee displace

But now his face, his furrowed brow
So stern, so hard yet eloquent
But foretell of days he be now
A man at war, D lines lament
A beast he be, a guard, a plow

(with apologies to George Gordon, Lord Byron for mangling his poem “She Walks in Beauty”)

The Pittsburgh Way: How Do You Find People That Fit The Culture? by Ivan Cole (RickVa) on May 17, 2012 2:00 PM EDT on Behind The Steel Curtain

This article was written by a Behind The Steel Curtain contributor, Ivan Cole (RickVa) and first appeared on the BTSC blog site on May 17, 2012.  I'm re-posting it here in commemoration of Week 1 of the Steelers 2012 Season, as it speaks volumes to what makes the Steeler Organization, and the people of Pittsburgh so special.

In the comments thread of my article on ‘The Downside of Being a Football Hero' and during an exchange with BTSC regular 5020, I wrote the following (typos corrected):

The idea that so many of us subscribe to is that with enough money, perhaps a better relationship, a better job that everything would be great. On the other hand, some of the most content individuals I have ever met didn't have much of anything. One of the things I think is really great about the so called blue collar mentality is that it detaches itself from and rejects the notion that the good life is a function of position and how much you make, but rather how you approach your life and responsibilities (values); a wise position because despite the propaganda suggesting otherwise many of us rarely completely transcend our circumstances. This may be the essence of the culture of Pittsburgh.

On reflection, two things resonated with me. First, as pointed out in the article, class is defined by more than financial status, but also by a system of values. That is why, I suppose, the definition is socioeconomic class. Second, while most of us in some sense recognized those values in a ‘know it when I see it fashion', sometimes there are things that are so obvious and pervasive that in a paradoxical sense we are unable to grasp them in a meaningful way.

When I was interviewing long time Steelers scout and talent evaluator Bill Nunn he mentioned something to me that I already knew, but the context of his statement jarred me into a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the facts. He pointed out that Dan Rooney, one of the most successful men in America, if not the world, a billionaire (that's spelled with a ‘B'), the United States Ambassador to Ireland, lives in the same home on Pittsburgh's North Side in which he grew up. Who else does that? Donald Trump? Dan Snyder? Jerry Jones? Mitt Romney? And what gave this greater impact was the fact that Nunn was saying this while we sat on the back porch of his home, which was also the home that he grew up in located in the Hill District (Nunn having enjoyed a successful career in the NFL spanning more than forty years and prior to that having served as Editor of the most prominent black newspaper in the United States).

In the article I posed a number of questions concerning what purchasing choices might be made if in possession of relatively large sum of money:

Do you buy a nice little economical hybrid or like ex-Steeler Leon Searcy do you use a limousine service? Do you purchase a condo, or a McMansion or something even more palatial?

I think we know how the Rooney family would probably answer that question. Some may be tempted to think that this type of thinking and behavior is peculiar to the Rooneys, but they are largely honored and respected by Pittsburghers because they so faithfully adhere to the values of the local culture. We label those values "blue collar", but they transcend both the type of work one happens to engage in as well as class affiliation.

Culture can be most difficult to define by those residing within it because, like water to a fish, it is so all encompassing that it becomes invisible, virtually impossible to discern. As such, you can be forgiven if you believe that the relationship between the Pittsburgh Steelers and what has come to be known as Steeler Nation is simply about football.

We call it the Steeler Way, but what that organization unswervingly represents is the Pittsburgh Way. Because one of the cornerstones of the underlying value system is a sincere, understated humility faithful practitioners like the Rooneys refrain from either self-promotion or justification of themselves or their governing set of values. Misunderstandings and underestimation is unavoidable since most of the rest of the nation, including (especially) the sports media operates under a different covenant.

Nor are the misunderstandings confined to outsiders. Many within Steeler Nation continually demonstrate a lack of comprehension of the culture, the values that are the foundation of the franchise's success. I certainly get how easy it is to be seduced by the priorities of the dominant culture. Nonetheless, it has to be acknowledged how bizarre it is that some of us envy those whose greatest aspiration is to someday be as successful as the Steelers. And nobody has been as successful as the Steelers. Yet we want to throw money at ‘big name' free agents because that's what everyone else does. We would jettison the development strategy that is dependent upon patience and loyalty for instant gratification because that's what everyone else does, and it is endorsed by the sages at ESPN. We ignore the example of the wise to worship at the feet of the ignorant.

I live in an area (Metropolitan Washington DC) that is largely governed by a different, competing value system; let's call it white collar values. Under this system your value is determined by the position you hold, your credentials and the amount of money you make.

Like many people I have been highly critical of Washington Redskin owner Daniel Snyder based upon the assumption that he has been stuck on stupid in relation to his decision making for his team. Looking at it from a different perspective Mr. Snyder can be viewed as being a prisoner of a dysfunctional value system.

How do I make the case that the white collar values are dysfunctional? Remember that professional football is rooted in the culture of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, the same area that spawned the Pittsburgh (and Steelers) Way. In the culture of football self-sacrifice and interdependence are much more than just admirable warm and fuzzy qualities; they are essential elements to success. When understood in this context money and talent, though important, can be of limited value if the other elements of cooperation aren't present. Self-promotion (and the individualism that fuels it) is at odds with and has a corrosive effect on the team consciousness (and the attendant leveling effects on individuals) that is necessary for winning. And when that attitude begins at the top; when your owner lives in a modest home and stands in line in the cafeteria at lunch time just like everyone else is it any wonder why the Steelers have been so successful.

Dysfunctional values compel you toward questionable decision making. Snyder could have never hired someone like Mike Tomlin (or Chuck Noll or Bill Cowher) based upon his governing values, at least not at the front end because there wasn't that much ‘sizzle' in Tomlin's resume. And again, there were folks that had this issue in Steeler Nation as well. Tomlin was thought by some to be an ‘affirmative action' hire, the Rooneys being taken prisoner by their own rule (at the time there were people who were disappointed that Noll was chosen over a more ‘name' individual, Joe Paterno). Snyder ended up hiring the likes of Steve Spurrier and Mike Shanahan, guys with plenty of sizzle, but relatively little steak. Of course he would hire Tomlin now because he has a proven track record. But the key to success sometimes is the ability to recognize the potential before it manifests, something the Steelers organization demonstrates constantly.

The same value system likely would have encouraged Snyder to go in a different direction than Ben Roethlisberger if he had been in the market during the 2004 draft. Being true to his value system Snyder would have probably picked Eli Manning because of, literally, his name, and would have preferred either Manning or Philip Rivers because they were products of large conferences (SEC, ACC) as opposed to the mid major conference (MAC) associated with Ben. James Harrison, another MAC player, with less than standard measurables (too short for one thing) and something of a project would have been passed over as well. And isn't it funny that players that they let go often do rather well; thinkRyan Clark, or more recently, Carlos Rogers.

The cultural/values argument goes a long way in explaining why the Skins consistently invest in players that are, objectively speaking, either past their prime (Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith), over-hyped (Albert Haynesworth) or were a bad fit for the team's schemes or personnel. Of course issues such as relationships don't come much into play with the white collar mentality. I would also argue that the Skins are extreme in some respects, and therefore more dysfunctional, but are for the most part closer to the norm for the league relative to Pittsburgh.

As I mentioned earlier, a lot of us in Steeler Nation are either white collar types (psychologically not necessarily professionally) or have been seduced to the point where we adopt the mindset when discerning the actions of the Steelers and other teams in the league. Confusion and other misunderstandings can result, something I have noticed playing out over the recent discussions over ‘character issues' involving our recent draft choices (Michael Adams, Sean Spence and Chris Rainey).

One of the questions being raised is whether the Steelers compromised their values by selecting these players. Were they so hard up for the infusion of talent that they turned their backs on their principles? Let's get one thing straight. If you conceptualize the Pittsburgh Steelers as being a bunch of milk drinking boy scouts you are somewhat deluded. Here begins an admittedly incomplete history lesson.

Are you concerned about Mike Adams' weed smoking? Eugene ‘Big Daddy' Lipscomb was a heroin addict. Bobby Layne would close down nightclubs at dawn and then go quarterback the team a couple of hours later. Joe Greene really was mean, at least on the football field. He kicked opponents in the groin, he spit in their faces. By comparison James Harrison looks like a nun. Ernie Holmes had disturbing psychological issues. Steve Courson (and others) used, some would say abused, performance enhancing substances. More recently, Adams has nothing overSantonio Holmes as a weed smoker, and he went to court on domestic issues. And of course there were Ben's troubles.

Clearly the point is that having a troubled past (or present) does not necessarily disqualify one from being a Pittsburgh Steeler. Environmental and developmental issues explain a lot of questionable decisions. The important thing is that once immersed in the Steeler Way, the Pittsburgh Way, can they exercise the self-sacrifice, specifically over their own vices for the good of the franchise and the community that supports them. Now in some cases the problems really are based upon the innate deficiencies of an individual's character, they are incapable of acting in any other manner. But if the waywardness is influenced by other factors then it would be a violation of blue collar values to not provide an opportunity for redemption. The problem with Santonio Holmes, to use one example, was not the indiscretions of his life prior to coming to Pittsburgh; it was the inability to move beyond that even in light of the extraordinary life opportunity provided him by being a Super Bowl MVP.

Big Ben represents the other side of the coin. Have you noticed that there hasn't been much talk lately about Ben's ‘issues'. My theory is that in the collective mind of Steeler Nation Ben has been completely rehabilitated, and according to the theory I can tell you exactly when it happened and why.

The moment came at the beginning of the second half of the first Cleveland game this past season. I was on the open thread of BTSC when it was clear that Ben was going to play after folks had assumed that he was on his way to hospital after having his ankle crushed. The reaction on site, at Heinz Field and presumably elsewhere was electric, and people actually said at that moment that all was forgiven.

Ben's actions were not merely heroic in the generic sense but also consistent with the Pittsburgh way. One of the fables that we were taught growing up was the story of John Henry. John Henry was a laborer who drove spikes to secure railroad tracks. One day a machine was brought in that, presumably could do the job faster and more efficiently. John Henry challenged the machine and was holding his own in the ensuing contest, but eventually the exertion killed him. This was a powerful metaphor for a people whose methods of making a living included the possibility of black lung disease, being asphyxiated by gas, buried alive or vaporized by an errant splash of molten metal. You soldiered on even though to do so might cost you your life.

In this context a high ankle sprain isn't a deal killer, and it is a tremendous act of leadership. It is also consistent to an extent with Steelers lore. In his time it was said the game hadn't started until Terry Bradshaw was bleeding and half dead. Some have said that Ben's insistence on playing on that ankle may have cost the team the season. They may be right, but It may have also set a tone that will yield great returns in the future.

Being from the area, Adams has been exposed to the Pittsburgh Way. And maybe that is what inspired the courageous act of pleading his case to the Steelers brass. That action and the Steelers response both exemplify the Pittsburgh Way in action. There is certainly a risk involved, but it is a risk that is consistent with the value system. In fact, you could say that the value system would insist that these types of risks be undertaken if you truly strive for greatness.

A Letter to my Son, going to College

Dear R.:

                Words cannot begin to convey how proud of you I am, and how excited I am at this, the beginning of your college career.  You are embarking on one of the most exciting and important periods of your life.  You are truly striking out on your own, to discover new worlds, and new aspects of yourself.  It is with some trepidation that I see you off, for when you return you will no longer be the little boy whose smile brightened my life every single day, over whom I watched protectively, guarding your every movement (whether you realized it or not), controlling your environment while at the same time reveling in sharing with you your discovery of the world around you.

                Instead, you will be returning a young man who has gone out on his own, to create his own future; you will be experiencing the joys and heartaches, the struggles, hard work, temptations and successes you face without me there to protect you.  And because you must face these things alone, for that is what we all must face if we are to grow and mature into our full potential, I leave you with these words:

                Be true to yourself; for you are a kind and decent person.  Listen to your inner voice, let it guide you.  Your parents have taught you the difference between right and wrong, and though the temptations may be great, if you stay true to yourself, you cannot do wrong.  This is the time in your life that YOU define who you are, what you like, don’t like, who you want to be associated with, how you want to be known and remembered.  You have grown up so far with a sense of decency and sensitivity that is highly commendable, and to which others are attracted.  Do not suppress who you are to fit in with others; let your true self shine forth and those worth being with will reciprocate.

                Allow yourself to feel;  do not be afraid to feel and show emotion.  Fear not the reactions nor opinions of those around you, for those who ridicule such do so out of fear.  Allow what moves you, what inspires passion, sadness, or joy, into your heart and express it.  For by giving voice and action to what stirs within you, you set yourself free.  Do not restrain emotion because it “isn’t masculine”, or “cool”; embrace it and in doing so feel the power of life around you.

                Take chances: embrace risk, but do so with knowledge of the consequences and with forethought.  Whether it be skydiving, asking out the hottest, most popular girl, or falling in love, if you don’t risk pain or failure, you will never truly appreciate your successes.  Life is bittersweet, and you will fail at some things, you will be rejected, or not come in first.  But you will also succeed at things, many of them those that you failed at first, you will fall in love, you will come in first.  But only if you take the chance in the first place.

                Be tolerant; accept and embrace differences in those around you.  Venture beyond what is comfortable, beyond “sameness”, for you never know when, from whom, or from where you will discover something new, either about yourself, or something that inspires you.

                NEVER FORGET; that your whole family loves and supports you.  That many miles may separate us, but our thoughts and prayers are with you always; that you are NEVER alone.  Take comfort and strength in this, that you always have home to come back to, that there are many, many people who love you.  With this as your foundation, nothing is impossible.

                I give you these words, my son, not with sadness or sense of loss, but with joy and pride.  As you move forward with your life, I look forward to sharing it with you, and will always treasure the memories of our times past.  Go forth, challenge the world and yourself, and treasure this time of your life.

Love,

Dad

A Father's Angst Part II: The Daughter's Redemption

It took my Daughter only a day to mourn over not getting her transfer application accepted to the 4 year university in Richmond she's been aiming for.

Letter came on Friday; Friday night it was tears, anguish and a sense of abject failure, compounded by the ex-wife's "I told you so's"; by Saturday she was scouring Craig's List for apartment rentals (for the upteenth time) with the idea of moving down there, enrolling in the community college near VCU, and applying again for the Spring 2013 semester.

By Saturday night she texted me, asking me to go with her to check out a place.  And what a place it was; a 2 story walk-up in a VCU department building, right on the edge of campus, and only 10 blocks from the community college.  Not the Taj Mahal by any standards, it was clean, well lit and appeared to be in a safe neighborhood.  She plunked down the security deposit and the pro-rated August rent and suddenly things were looking up again.

My Daughter has a gambler's luck when it comes to making last minute plans work.  She's taking the first load of her possessions down tomorrow, and will be fully moved in by the time classes start on Monday.

All she needs to do now is find a job to have spending money.

What she also needs to do is stop contributing to my receding hair line.  I'll be talking to her about a "Plan B", which will consist of a second, and probably a third choice of schools to apply to transfer to, and not put all her eggs in one basket, nor waiting till the last minute to get things done.

This current situation is the best possible outcome.  Her mother had set a deadline of August for her to get into a 4 year school, or she was kicking her out of the house.  No matter that my Daughter has done everything she could to make it happen; no school, kicked out.  The stress and mental pressure that has put her under is incredible.

My ex-wife has never been to college; she has no concept of the difficulty in getting in, especially when one has sabotaged their high school transcript, and didn't fully apply herself her freshman year like my Daughter did.  All those things are totally my Daughter's fault, but she has been struggling to correct those mistakes ever since.

I'll save describing Medusa (ex-wife, mother of my children) for another post.

This one is just a simple blowing off of pent-up tension, and a huge sigh of relief that my Daughter will be able to escape the incessant torments of Medusa, and at least is once again, taking a step in the right direction.

A Father's Angst

Nothing pains a Father more, than seeing his child suffering the angst and sorrows of mistakes made in the past.

My daughter did not handle her high school career well, nor her first year of college.  Much of that is a direct result of the divorce of her mother and father (of which I accept the lion's share of blame).

She just received word that the school she was hoping to transfer into from community college, has denied her.  She had quit her job, ceased taking classes after the June/Summer semester, and was diligently searching for a place to live in Richmond, on the basis of what she was led to believe was a sufficient transcript post freshman-year.

That the school waited until today, just 13 days from the beginning of classes, to inform her is irritating, to say the least.

What is more disturbing, is the pain and sorrow her realization of her transgressions done 2, 3, 4 years ago are still impacting her today; a bitter "Life" lesson we all must learn. 

The Past is Past, as many would say, such as the counselor to Jesse in "Breaking Bad", "...you have to accept what you did and forgive yourself."  Jesse was incredulous that this man was able to say that, seeing as the counselor's "mistake" in his past was the accidental killing of his own child.  An extreme example, but my Daughter is still young, and to the young, everything is of major import.

And, how many times does one have to forgive themselves for the same past mistake?  And how does one reconcile themselves to the "follies of youth" when they keep coming back to haunt them?

No matter how one reconciles themselves to what they've done, immediately after having done it, it takes a great deal of strength to bear the burden of having to suffer the consequences time and time again, no matter how hard one works to correct the mistakes, and to move forward.

My daughter is both very strong, yet fragile.  Her strength is her primary weakness, for her ability to be self-reliant, self sufficient, impedes her ability to accept help from others, to accept that she can't always do it herself.

My emotions are churning; I can't stand to see my children in pain, whether physical or emotional.  All I can do is help them keep moving forward, but my words of encouragement sound hollow, when she is repeatedly beaten down by her past. 

I love my Daughter with all my heart; my first child.  She will forever be "my little girl";  she is so like me in so many ways (which she doesn't like to hear).  I will stand by her, support her (without creating dependency), be strong for her despite the inner turmoil of emotions roiling inside of me, and hope that by remaining optimistic, confident, that she finds her way through her current disappointment to remaining confident in herself, and continues to pursue the path, no matter how rocky it now appears, towards her future.

Tomlin's Training Camp Speech, via Shakespeare's St. Crispin's Day Speech

Steeler Nation. O that we now had here
Mike Wallace, or but tens of those millions of dollars those men in Washington, Tampa, Detroit or Arizona
That would pay high wages for men who do no work to-day!

Coach Tomlin. What's he that wishes so?
My cousins Steeler Nation? No, my fair cousins;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our Pittsburgh City loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.


God's will! I pray thee, wish not for one dollar more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my helmets wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.


No, faith, my coz, wish not a man nor dollar from those wretched cities.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!


Rather proclaim it, Steeler Nation, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let Wallace depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.


This season is call'd the quest for the Seventh Lombardi.
He that outlives the final day, and comes safe home from New Orleans,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Sacred Seventh XLVII.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say "To-morrow is Sacred Seventh XLVII Day."


Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say "These wounds I had on that long ago day"
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day.

Then shall our names, familiar in his mouth as household words-
Big Ben, Antonio, Sanders and Redman,
Lewis, Troy, Allen and Spence, Pouncey, DeCastro, Colon and Rainey
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.


This story shall the good man teach his son;
And the anniversary of the sacred Seventh, XLVII shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-


We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;


And the gentlemen Wallace where-ever now-a-bed
Shall think to himself accurs'd he were not here,
And hold his manhood cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Sacred Seventh XLVII's day.

Man returns to Mars (sort of...)

The unmanned Mars exploratory craft Curiosity, landed late Sunday night/Monday morning to begin what could be a two plus year exploration of a crater floor for signs of water, and life.

How ironic is it that previous landings beamed back pictures of a lifeless, desolate planet; a place where (as far as we know) life never began, while Ray Bradbury wrote of Man striving to Mars to escape the threat (and eventually actual) nuclear war which turned the Earth into a lifeless, smoldering cinder?

Bradbury, and before him Burroughs, wrote of martian deserts, but ones that contained life, and a sentient race.  Their stories ignited dreams and fantasies in millions; many of the scientists and engineers who have worked in NASA to develop and launch these probes grew up dreaming of one day traveling to the Red Planet.

Yet, in the same year that we have just achieved an engineering marvel, sending a craft  on an 8 month + journey covering 325 million miles, our shared dream of one day landing a human on Mars is further away than ever.

Though we no longer face the imminent threat of nuclear war, terrorism, and especially bio-terrorism by the hands of a few individuals threatens us more than the Russians or Chinese ever did. And our Space Shuttle fleet has been retired; no more does man travel into space in a re-usable vehicle.

Bradbury would be both thrilled at this latest achievement, yet melancholy at the thought that while we have robots on Mars, the dream of boys digging their toes into the red sands of Mars is further away from reality than ever.