“Texter” Nation

I’m old. There is no two ways around it. I have finally come to the conclusion that I have hit a certain period of life where what’s new has passed me by. Yes, I still play video games and have a severe addiction to my “crackberry”.

However, clearly, the world has passed me by when it comes to cell phones. The other day I tried to get a hold of a few people via the phone. Not only did no one pick up, some of those people actually sent me a text asking “what’s up?”.

Are you serious?

It got me to wondering if anyone uses their phone for – well you know – making phone calls or are we just a nation of people who refuse to pick up the phone and would rather take our mini-typewriters and text our friends. I went to the source of all things trendy and hip: Facebook Nation.

All I asked was “does anyone answer their cell phone anymore or have we just become “texter nation”? The answer? Forget Steeler Nation, the largest population on the planet are those who would rather text then talk … and their ranks are growing!

The question drew 40 comments and even more discussion among my regular group of friends. Some people looked at me as if  I had two heads, wondering why I would ever choose a phone over texting. There were others who agree with me that something gets lost in the texting translation, that is impersonal and never really accurate.

I know it’s always easier to text a response than to pick up the phone and talk with someone. I understand that conversations often take work and were not always in the mood to talk with another person. However, we are already a nation of people who seem to be challenged by the art of conversation. There are young people who actually believe “IMHO” and “LOL” are real words.

Worst of all, there are people who find themselves in what they call “textual” relationships. Prior to today, I had never heard the term but these are actual relationships fueled by text messages between the two parties. As one Facebook friend tells me, it is not a real relationship. It’s devoid of emotion and intimacy that usually makes up any relationship between any two persons.

I’m not opposed to texting. I do it and its very convenient, but let;

Fans Behaving Very Badly

Sports.

For those of you who don’t know, and the many that do, I was a sports anchor at this station for the first ten years of my stay at WTAE. I covered the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins … and so much more. While I witnessed many great games and outstanding athletic efforts, I also saw extremely passionate fans. Pittsburgh maybe known for having a great football and hockey team, but its made its mark across the country with the most rabid rooters in all of sports.

Rarely does that passion boil over … and turn violent or dangerous. At least not here. Yes, we see the occasional fight in the stands and the rare drunken brawl in the parking lot. However, we have never seen what transpired in my hometown after the Steelers played the Chicago Bears.

My Channel 4 Action News at 6 co-anchor, Michelle Wright, did a fantastic report about a Pittsburgher who went to the Bears-Steelers game. His black and gold lost, but that didn’t stop him from exercising his constitutional right to talk up his team in a bar near Soldier Field after the game. From what we have been told, it was a case of trash talk between opposing fans. However, a drink offered to Zack Heddinger turned out to be less of a peace-offering … than was a near fatal experience.

If you read and watch Michelle’s story, you will see that he was poisoned, nearly died and suffered blindness and brain damage from the dangerous drink. Zack is now faced with experimental treatments, an uncertain future and the knowledge that someone nearly killed him over his football allegiances.

This is what has always pained me about sports. While it’s a release for many, some see it as an opportunity to be belligerent and violent. They feel the frustrations of the week can be released on Sunday … and there is no limit and no rules. That is what has always bothered me about the game I love … and some of the people who follow it.

Steeler fan Zack Heddinger – now blinded and brain damaged – because of a football fan behaving very badly.

I grew up as a Chicago Bears fan. It was the team of my childhood and running back Walter Payton was my boyhood idol. I remember the 1985 Super Bowl “Shuffle” champion Bears with the same fondness many of you remember the Steelers of the 1970’s. I still follow the Bears, but having covered the Steelers for a decade, I became a fan of the team and more so, the players in black and gold themselves.

I also know my hometown and I’m embarrassed and horrified to hear someone in the city that I call home would do such a thing. I can assure you that the guilty persons are in the minority: not just in Chicago but in this country.

The point is that we all should look at the games we watch as just that – games. I cannot tell out how often I have seen fans scream, yell and curse when they watch the Steelers. Folks, while the Steelers love you as fans I can tell you from experience that no matter the outcome, they keep things in perspective. All fans should, too.

I hope Zack will recover fully and that this nightmare will be just that. I also hope they catch the guilty party and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Most of all, I hope we all look at this as an example of how not to support our teams.

It’s a game everybody. Please remember that.

Out of the Mouth of Children

We like to think that with age comes experience and wisdom. Often times, that is true. However, today, I was reminded there is no greater courage and ability than that which comes from a child. Two examples – on opposite sides of the spectrum – making a similar point.

Monnika ”Nikki” Gay was killed in front of her St. Clair Village home, in front of her niece and nephews. Police have accused Charles Cabiness of the killing, in broad daylight, of the Wilkinsburg woman. The back story here is that Cabiness’ brother was suspected of killing Gay because she was about to testify against Cabiness’ brother, who was accused of shooting and killing Gay’s brother.

If that all sounds confusing, image being the 12-year-old girl who lost his sister. Well, this little girl was also a witness to the killing of Gay, so at the request of the assistant district attorney, she testified to what she saw — and against Cabiness at today’s preliminary hearing. She was sobbing, probably terrified but show a courage beyond her years. She did what no one had done so far in the case — identified the accused shooter.

Her bravery and her choice to do the right thing was recognized by the assistant D.A.:

 ”You know people are sick and tired of this nonsense in their neighborhood and when it takes a 12-year-old child to come forward and carry the ball, you’ve got to give that kid a pat on the back.”

And a little child shall lead them.

My second example, in one day, of a child showing their elders the way took place at a charity dinner. Variety – The children’s Charity – has held a gala for the last 82 years but it likely hasn’t seen anything like the young lady who performed at the William Penn Hotel tonight.

I met Jackie Evancho and her mother before the performance. Apparently,s she had just released her first CD a week ago. I thought to myself she was talented enough to cut a CD, but I wasn’t expecting to blown away or anything with her singing. I even asked her before she started singing how good she was. She said she was “ok”.

Then, this 9-year-old girl in a flowing champagne dress and beautiful blonde hair picked up the microphone and began to sing. Suddenly, she transformed from a 9-year-old kid to a young person with a voice well beyond her years. The crowd of 300 or so sat stunned and mesmerized. We were in both awe and disbelief as Jackie showed a range singers twice her age rarely do.

She not only sang out loud, she sang to each one of us. You forget very quickly that she was 9-years-old as you listened to her belt out classics like “Ave Maria”. She got not one, but two standing ovations.

I know for years in sports I would see young athletes and know instantly they were destined for bigger things. Today, I witnessed two young girls headed for greatness. One, because of her show of bravery and the other because of her show of talent. They may live in different worlds, but they show us all what children can do … if given a chance.

New Masthead!

I’ve got plenty to blog about tonight, but just don’t have much time. It’s been a busy night. What I am excited about is the picture above. My brand new masthead. It was taken a couple of weeks ago by Johanna, an assistant in our promotions department and amateur photographer.

Just nice to have a new look when you visit my blog. I’ll have thoughts for the weekend on Friday night. Take care.

Double Standard on Soccer Field

There are very few things that get me out of my chair and cause me to take notice. Maybe it’s because I have – at last – become cynical as I approach middle age ( I hope ). Maybe it’s because there are very few things that are shocking to the eye anymore.

I did see the injuries that woman from Connecticut suffered when attacked by a chimpanzee. She spoke with Oprah and I could not help but be overwhelmed by the degree to which the animal bludgeoned her. Just as shocking was her reaction which was not emotional or angry, but rather resigned to what had happened and trying to make the best out of a truly horrible situation.

The other video – and the subject of this blog – that grabbed me by the throat was that of New Mexico women’s soccer player Elizabeth Lambert. For those of you who don’t know, or haven’t seen it yet, Lambert unleashed her on-field frustrations on what seemed to be the entire Brigham Young football team. She punched one girl, kicked another girl with the ball smack dab in the face and then yanked one player to the ground using her ponytail.

Oh, by the way, you cannot use your hands in soccer.

I would have written it off as poor sportsmanship and a young woman who needs to lay off the caffeine until I read an article in the New York Times. Somehow, this display of rage became the source of a national debate and conversation about women, violence and sport. Some people are horrified by her actions, others believe she is being singled out and that all athletes “do it”.

Then, there is the third view – and that is the most troubling. The feeling that this should be viewed different because the player involved is a woman. Some on-line gabbers found her actions “sexy”, while others believe it to be – at the least – “unlady-like”.

Elizabeth Lambert: University of New Mexico Soccer player and called by some the “dirtiest player in women’s soccer”. Should there be a distinction?

Why should the gender of the perpetrator matter? Let’s be honest, part of the sizzle in this story is that all these deeds were done by a woman and that’s something that society just doesn’t expect from females. We see women, for better or worse, as kindler and gentler than their male counterparts. The truth is that women, be it in sport or society, are now equal players on many fronts and will react in a similar manner as their male counterparts if thrown into similar situations.

Gone are the days where women playing professional baseball wore skirts and had to go to “charm” school. They are athletes who work and sweat just as much as men. We have a professional women’s football team in this city and I don’t see them being any less physical because they are women.

Let’s once and for all forget about this story being about a woman behaving badly. In this case, it was an individual going off the deep end. Male or female, she was wrong … and should be punished … just like any athlete who breaks the rules.

Elizabeth Lambert was suspended indefinitely.

 

 

Waiting for the Execution

It was a little odd in the newsroom tonight.

As many of us were working on stories and pieces for the 11pm newscast, we had an eye and an ear on the major cable networks. They were on “death watch” tonight, awaiting word on the execution John Allen Muhammad. For those who don’t remember, he was the “mastermind” behind the D.C. sniper shootings which terrorized the Capital Beltway region around Washington in 2002 in which 10 people were killed over a three-week stretch.

When word came down, Muhammad was pronounced dead at 9:11. The spokesperson for the correctional facility said Muhammad did not show any emotion, had no final words and walked into the room underhis own power and accepted his fate: death by lethal injection. There would be no 11th hour call from the governor of Virginia.

I must admit hearing the rather cold, scientific description of his manner of death was chilling in itself. The execution was carried out in a manner that sounded more like he was getting his driver’s license than being executed for multiple crimes.

John Allan Muhammad: Executed Tuesday night at 9:11pm

No matter how you feel about capital punishment, there is still of feeling of uneasiness when the government – that’s you and me in theory – kill a person. Some say its society taking and eye for an eye. For others, its society stooping to the level of the guilty party.

I remember the first execution I heard about. It was the national case of the death of Gary Gilmore by the Utah firing squad. It became national news because, in essence, Gilmore asked his sentenced be fulfilled. It was difficult at that age for me to think of someone being executed by the state.

However, it is also hard for many to worry about the guilty party when he or she has killed so many. Unlike the convicted killer, those killed didn’t have a choice in the matter.  While, in theory, an execution is to answer for the victims often we forget about those who have died so needlessly as we wonder about the “humanity” of executing the convicted killer.

Then, there is the whole issue of what the death penalty really accomplishes. Is it a deterrent? Hardly, since very few on death row will tell you that they thought about the possibility of ending up there when they committed their crime. Also, given our legal system and the endless amount of appeals, it seems the guilty are likely to die on death row than in the death chamber.

There are so many questions and so many issues that swirl around one’s head tonight. The only thing we do know for sure is that the convicted killer has joined his victims … and neither needed to be there.

Welcome to Post #600

 

 

That’s right. 600 posts to this blog. Not bad for someone who wondered the first day he was asked to do this what he was going to say. After 600, I still wonder what I’m going to write about … but since you keep reading, and the world keeps producing stuff to write about it, I will keep writing.

What is the best way to show how crazy Steeler Nation is about its team? Is it merchandise sales. maybe just female merchandise sales? Maybe its ticket sales or TV ratings. Perhaps its the number of Steeler fans who don’t live in Pittsburgh who show up at visiting stadiums to cheer on the black and gold.

Forgot about it.

For me, there is no greater testament to this team’s hold – check that, vulcan-like grip – on the city and its fans then what I see every day sitting the anchor desk at 5pm. Watch the video from various stories that have nothing to do with football … and see what everyone is wearing. Steeler gear.

Donnie Henderson, Fallowfield Twp supervisor, not hiding his black & gold allegiance. Even during a serious interview

Whether it’s the police or the suspects they have arrested, each seems to bleed black and gold and wear not only on their sleeve, but their entire body. You will see eyewitnesses to crimes and accidents sporting a Steeler t-shirt. You will see suspects handcuffed and being ushered into the squad car with a Steeler ballcap on. Men, women and children, it doesn’t matter, they all support the black and gold.

Now while I’m sure the organization is pleased to see their fan base wearing the colors ( cha-ching ), they can’t be pleased when a suspect in a crime is going to the pokey in Pittsburgh colors. Then again, that’s what Steeler nation is: Steeler fans coming in all shapes, sizes and in this case, all sides of the law.

Somehow, I just don’t see our counterparts in Boston seeing a parade of Patriot team colors on the nightly news.

Final Words for your Weekend

I was just thinking ….

…. what does it say about the NFL that Hines Ward was voted by his colleagues as the dirtiest player in the league. He’s a receiver! What it says to me is the NFL has become more of a two-hand  touch league that a tackle football league.

…. that Ben Roethlisberger is right. These are not the Steelers of the 1970’s. This year’s team passes the ball much better than it runs and throws better than the teams of the 1970’s and if anyone is offended by that comment, they need to join us in the 21st century. I enjoyed the Steelers of the 1970’s as much as anyone, but football is a different game today and three yards and a cloud of dust doesn’t cut it anymore.

…. why do people take tragedies like the one at Fort Hood and turn it into a vehicle for advancing their own agendas. Heard some guy on Fox News saying the liberal media was more concerned about the shooter than the victim and its time to end the “PC” military. Can we not blame an entire race, creed or group of people for the insanity of one person. Based on that logic, the D.C. sniper’s actions were a reflection on the entire African-American community.

….. we just finished another election season and so much for an engaged electorate. Voting turnout was lower nationally was lower in 2009 than it was in 2007. This after the election of 2008 in which record numbers turned out to cast their ballot … and take part in “the most important election of our time”. I guess it was because we’re back to apathy as usual.

… are you as psyched as I am about the warm weather this weekend? I’m actually going to break out the golf clubs and try to shoot less than 100.

… met and interviewed Katie Lee, better known to the world as Katie Lee Joel. She is the former wife of singer Billy Joel. Now, at age 27, she is reinventing herself as a culinary celebrity. She has written her second cookbook and hopes someday to reach the heights fo Rachel Ray.  She will be doing a cooking show and book signing at Good Taste Pittsburgh in Monroeville Saturday. Found out she and Ben Roethlisberger went to Miami of Ohio together, but didn’t know each other in college.

… I haven’t had a steak in ages. Wondering where I should go to get one. That’s my mission for the weekend. You enjoy the nice weather.

Hoping for a Miracle

Did you see Wendy Bell’s story about the Grady family … and the heartbreaking disease that will take the lives of their two small children? Batten’s disease has a 0% survival rate and it systematically destroys the body of  a young child to the point that they will die likely before middle school age. The parents have the impossible task of trying to give these children a normal life as their days dwindle to a precious few.

The Gradys say they believe in miracles … hopefully two miracles that will spare their sons … but they also know scientific reality. They know this disease is insidious and literally breaks down their childrens’ wills along with their little bodies. It’s an impossible situation and one no parent should ever have to experience. That’s why the story of this family is one courage amid impossible odds … and a faith that perhaps this story need not end unhappily.  

5 year old Drew Grady battling Batten’s disease. Soon, his younger brother Trent will also fall victim to this disease for which there is no cure.

We have gotten all sorts of letters and e-mails from viewers who want to help. That is the positive side of this horrifying tale. The people of western Pennsylvania offering to help. I have many times spoken to groups around the region and, at every stop, I repeat the same message. While we are not the richest area nor the most populated, no area of the country has a larger heart and gives to those in need like your neighbors here. It’s a trait built into the people here: to help their neighbors with no questions asked.

I hope you will go to our website and look at Wendy’s story … and click the link if you want to donate to the Gradys as they try to make the best out of an impossible situation. If  there is a lesson for all of us in the Grady’s story it is this: our problems may overwhelm us, depress us and even cause us to moan and complain. However, in the end, we have our health, our family and a future.  We are blessed and no that if we do experience a nightmare, we can always wake up.

The Gradys cannot.

 

 

 

Looking for the Easy Way Out

Tonight at 11pm we have a story about the latest weight loss fad: a cream that can cause you to lose weight by tricking your body into thinking its pregnant, meaning the body will start to consume its internal fat … causing you to eat less.

And yes, it supposedly works for both men and women though I’m not sure as a man I want to know what it feels like to be pregnant. Anyway, one woman says she lost 30 pounds in six weeks. While her results ar real, there are concerns in the medical community about people essentially starving themselves.

The real problem here is the world of weight loss. I think everyday, in infomercials and on the news, we see stories about weight loss plans that promise the pounds will fall right off … and all you have to do is take a pill, rub on some cream or eat a certain diet and you too can achieve the dream of physical fitness that has escaped you all your life … without exercise.

That would be nice, in theory, but let’s be honest with ourselves. Weight loss is hard work and, depending on your metabolism, darn near impossible for some people. While I’m no doctor, I have one and he has always told me the secret to staying in shape and shedding pounds is really no secret. You exercise, get your rest and eat smart. That’s it.

However, in a world where want instant gratification, and we want it now, there is an insatiable appetite for quick results without the work. That is why you see magazines and TV shows boasting of people losing amazing amounts of  weight in a short period of time with little or no work.

It’s been my experience that there is no free lunch or easy way to do what needs to be done. Hard work is required for everything and that include shedding pounds I have dropped a few in the last year and I can tell you it’s because I ran a lot of miles and laid off a lot of bad food.  Would I have preferred it be easy? Yes, but nothing worth having is ever easy. Weight loss included.

 

 

Lost In Translation

I text … because I have to.

Now I know that I’ve said many times that I’m a “tech” lover and that I love trying new gadgets and gizmos. On my nightstand are my blackberry and my netbook that way if I have to contact one of my 1500 Facebook “friends”, I can do it in seconds.

All that being said, the tech revolution does have its downside. While we can communicate with anyone at anytime, our point doesn’t always come across. I mean how many times have you gotten a text from a friend, spouse or significant other and tried to decipher what they man. Think I’m joking. Just recently, I sent someone  a text telling them it was their “decision”. Their response? I was ambivalent in my feelings on the matter.

Where do you get “ambivalence” from a yes or no question?

That’s what’s wrong with texting. It’s not what you write, but how people interpret what you are saying. I think its kind of hard to interpret anything when you are limited to one-hundred plus characters ( Twitter ) and we use this funky shorthand. I mean is everything really LOL?

While texting is convenient, it’s also turned us into a nation ( yours truly included ) of people who would rather text than talk. Think I’m kidding. How often do you end up texting your friends and engaging in a type fest when you could pick up the phone, dial the ten digits and discuss. In my opinion, the art of conversation – how about the art of just talking to people – becomes lost in the world of texting.

All I ask is that people stop interpreting the texts of others like you are analyzing the  Zapruder film ( you history buffs know and those of a certain age know what I am talking about). If you are unclear about the text coming into you, just call.

A Man Actually Makes A Commitment

Men are afraid of commitment.

I don’t know how many times I have heard this line … but I do know that to some degree it is true. Be it relationships, furniture or plans with friends, we of the male species seem to have this hard time committing and making it stick. I am no different. About the only commitment I’m sure I keep in my life is being on the air at 5, 6 & 11pm. OK, that’s not completely true, but I do as much back and forth about things as anyone.

That’s why when Whirl Magazine called me last month, interested in doing a piece on my workout regimen, it was proof that I had made a commitment … and made it stick.

Let me take you back to February, 30 pounds and a lifetime ago, when I felt I needed a change in my life. I felt heavy, out-of-shape and the stress of the world was getting to be too much. I could see it on my face and in my eyes and knew I had to change something before I went from 40 to 50 in a matter of seconds.

A good friend of mine, a dietician, suggested that I set a goal for myself: a physical goal of running the Pittsburgh half marathon. I accepted. The next day, I thought I had done something crazy. I didn’t run much less do races. However, what began as a challenge became so much more.

Photo from Whirl Magazine  ( Courtesy: Whirl/Megan Wylie )

I began to run every other day. A couple miles to start. Then, it began to grow. Before I knew it, I had done 10 miles in anticipation of that May race. I also changed my diet. While I’m not beyond plate of hot wings from time-to-time, I prefer salads and fruit on a daily basis. I cut down fatty processed food and began to eat healthier … and eat less. I saw my weight go from 230 to nearly 200. I went from a 38 waist to walking into one of those teen jean stores, asking for a 33 and being able to wear them … comfortably.

Now, proof that my workouts have paid off. A local publication asking me for advice on how to be fit. It’s exciting and amazing and makes me very proud that I could start something …. and stay with it. Here’s the link to my Workout Wisdom in this month’s Whirl Magazine.

This Sunday, my year of running comes to an end with the Spirit of Pittsburgh half-marathon. It will be my fourth 13,1 mile run. I’m nervous, just like the first one I did back in May,  but I am also confident that I will once again do something that I once thought was impossible for me … and its’ all because I committed to something and saw it through.

There maybe hope for us guys, yet.

Of Boys Clubs, Birthdays and Beating Traffic

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed some nightlife, some shows and good food …. as well as a very special birthday.

From time to time, I have mentioned a very special friend. Her name is Chrissy Lahew, a cancer survivor, who I first met when she was 6 years old. She has become a living symbol of what events like Relay for Life are all about. We met a decade ago at the relay in Greene County. It was the beginning of a friendship that has lasted a decade.

This Saturday was her 16th birthday party … and I was more than happy to attend. It’s amazing to see how she has changed and grown the past decade. She is not considering a forensics and looking at colleges. She’s riding motorbikes and dating. Most of all,s he is living a life that might not have been possible. Happy Sweet 16th, Chrissy. I love you.

 

My first “Sweet 16″ birthday party: Happy Birthday, Chrissy!

What a game for the Steelers Sunday. They beat back Brett Favre and Minnesota Vikings with an incredible fourth quarter where they scored two fourth quarter touchdowns. Too bad some people didn’t stick around for it.

Its become as predictable as Steeler tailgate party with a keg and a grill. There are a group of  Steeler fans who “bail” ( and that’s the right word ) before the game is over. I’m not talking about leaving late in the fourth quarter. I’m talking MIDWAY THROUGH THE THIRD QUARTER. I used to play this game with some colleagues in the press box. We would keep an eye on the South end zone gates and predict what time the first fan would leave in the third quarter.

Look, I’m not here to pick on people but given how expensive tickets can be, how much you spend on the whole experience and that fact the game is far from decided, why would you take off  in the third quarter – especially yesterday? It wasn’t just a couple dozen. It was well over one hundred people. I’m guessing beating traffic is bigger than seeing the end of a  great game. Just venting here.

Finally, I was reading the New York Times. The latest controversy involving the Obama administration has to do with — testosterone. Seems there is an uproar because of the perception ( real or imagined ) of an all boys’ club in the White House. Even the ladies of The View were upset. That would have been fine, if the target of their outrage was not a pick-up basketball game. It was a picture of all guys and the President playing hoops.

Know if the administration is top-heavy with men, then that is a legitimate complaint. However, you can’t tell me the White House has an all-boys network because all men are playing basketball with the President. When was the last time anybody invited a member off the opposite sex to shoot hoops? I don’t see a group of women asking men to join in their basketball game or vice-versa.

I know deals are made amid friendly competition in all walks of  life, golf being the greatest example. However, let’s not turn the President’s pick-up basketball games into a place to wield power and thus there should be equal access. It’s basketball. There are plenty ways to deal with claims or sexism, but I don’t think anyone has a case in the middle of a fastbreak.

Honoring the Heroes

I played pinch-hitter for Kelly Frey today, serving as a presenter at an event in which she has been a participant and supporter for years. The Amen Corner John Heinz Law Enforcement Awards at Sheraton Square each year recognizes the bravery, resourcefulness and daring of police officer in the line of duty.

In the aftermath of the G20 and accusations of police misconduct, it was a change to spend an entire afternoon celebrating officers in the city and region who had put themselves in danger in order to protect others. The day itself reminded me of something event chair ( and former county commissioner ) Larry Dunn said during his remarks. He said we are often forget how dangerous a job it is. Imagine going to work every day, not knowing how the day will unfold and not knowing if a situation you are placed in may kill you.

It’s not something the families of  Sam Hicks, Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul Sciullo have to imagine. They continue to live the ultimate nightmare. Hicks killed during a police raid in November while Kelly, Mayhle and Sciullo died on that fateful April morning in Stanton Heights. As those officers were honored and their families stepped forward to receive the posthumous honor, I could not help but be saddened.

I remember that morning. I was there. I watched the proceedings as officers tried to rescue the trio after they were shot and killed. I saw the look on those officers faces as they emerged from the street after the firefight. I saw first-hand just how dangerous their job is … and how deadly it can be.

Today, I also saw how the job can affect families when things take a turn for the worst. I met the parents of officer Paul Sciullo after today’s presentation. It was obvious that the emotion of the event had overwhelmed them. I was struck and asked how can they continue to attend such events where the intentions are good, but the pain of having to remember that day must be excruciating. As the couple told me, it was the least they could do for their son.

It’s been quite a year around here for our local law enforcement officials. From G20 to Stanton Heights … to the L.A. Fitness shootings … along with the daily crime blotter. It is not an easy job. On this afternoon, when the best and brightest were recognized, we also were reminded it’s not a safe job. That’s why today’s event was so special … and so significant.

Thanks Kelly. I was more than honored to fill in for you this year.

Reed Playing Sunday: No Surprise

It’s amazing what an apology can do.

On Tuesday, 3/4 of fans voting on thepittsburghchannel.com were ready to show Jeff Reed the door. They were upset the Steeler kicker had his second run-in with the law in less than a year. This time, an arrest outside a north shore bar after a confrontation with police. He’s facing drunken disorderly conduct charges.

Tonight, after Reed apologized to Steeler fans, less than half seem to think he should be shown the door. Coach Mike Tomlin may have upped the ante in the controversy by choosing not to suspend Reed for Sunday’s game. A year ago, receiver Santonio Holmes was busted by police with marijuana in his car. Tomlin benched him for the next game. When asked why he sat Santonio last year, but will play Reed this Sunday, Tomlin said it was because Reed’s infraction happened at the beginning of the week ( Sunday ) while Holmes’ situation happened late in the week ( Thursday ) and his presence would have been a distraction.

Is anybody buying this? Certainly not Steeler Nation which saw through the coach’s paper-thin explanation as to why Reed would play. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize that it’s a number’s game: the Steelers have six receivers … and just one kicker.

Reed will play despite his arrest. Are you really surprised? ( AP photo )

However, it’s the outrage from Steeler fans that has me scratching my head. Why do they want to get rid of  Reed. Why so angry with one of the most consistent kickers in the game? I mean its nice to occupy the moral high ground, but Steeler fans want to win and I’m sure if they lost the game Sunday on a field goal by a kicker they brought in off the street, black and gold fans would go nuts.

I think fans are upset because they expect their Steelers to not only be good players, but role models. Folks, please don’t make these people role models. They are too busy just trying to be football players. Where is it said that just because someone plays football, they should be able to be the model for your children? That’s just ridiculous. There are people in our daily lives more deserving of that title … and they can’t catch a ball or make a tackle.

Football players are hired to do one thing: win. If you can’t get the job done on the field in the NFL, you won’t be working no matter how nice a guy you are. Patriots coach Bill Belicheck may have bent the rules during his tenure, but he’s got three Super Bowl rings and the consternation of Steeler nation.

Mike Tomlin knows his job is based on winning football games. While he would love to do the right thing and suspend Reed I would suspect, he knows a loss at this point in the year is not going to help.

Fans, love your football team and love what they do on the field. However, don’t ask these guys to be your children’s role model. It’s unfair to your children … and most 20-somethings are just trying to find their way.