I haven’t been to St. Vincent College since Chuck Noll was head coach of the Steelers. Since Noll retired there have only been two other Head Coach’s from 1992 on. (The same year I moved here to Atlanta.) Some NFL teams change Coach’s every three to four years – but for the Pittsburgh Steelers it’s been three Coach’s in four decades.

In a long standing tradition (like forty five years) the Pittsburgh Steelers open training camp in Latrobe, PA tomorrow. After the events of this past off season about all I can say is – it’s about time.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have never been a much talked about team during the off season in years past – but this off season has been much different story.

The team won’t have quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for at least the first four to six games because of his NFL suspension. The offense will also be without wide receiver and Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes who was traded to the Jets after another off field stunt. Fast Willie Parker is now a Washington Redskin as we find out what running back Rashard Mendenhall is really made of. And to add insult to injury, our offensive line also lost tackle Willie Colon due to a season ending Achilles during spring training.

There really hasn’t been much said about the Defensive side of the ball – probably due to age and maturity. The Defensive squad however, needs to get back to smash mouth football that’s capable of shutting offenses down. (How many games did we lose in the last minute a year ago?) You can’t blame the absence of Troy Polamalu for all those last minute losses.

Nor can you blame me for the fresh start this year’s training camp offers die hard Steelers fans. (Certainly more than in years past.) It’s one thing to get use to all the free agent activities that are now common in the League – but this year’s off field activities from certain Pittsburgh Steelers was something no Steelers fan thought was even possible.

As a lifelong Steelers fan and the proud tradition this team has held for decades, it’s shocking that I feel this way.

But…

Thank goodness we get some of these guys off the street and back on the football field.

In one of the few interviews I saw on the internet from Ben Roethlisberger and the fiasco that happened in Milledgeville, Georgia this off season he said something that really stuck with me.

“I’m always committed to being the best I can on the football field, I don’t think that’s ever changed, and I don’t think anyone’s ever questioned that of me.”

There no question the kids got drive and talent. You saw that from the very first game he was thrown into down in Miami during a monsoon his rookie year. He reeled off 15 straight victories his rookie year – a record I don’t think will ever be broken. Since then he’s collected two Super Bowl rings and is unquestionably the offensive leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the opening of training camp – it’s back to a focus on football without time for extracurricular activities that he shouldn’t be doing in the first place. Thus, why he’s still labeled a “kid”, and for me, it will stay that way until his on field maturity matches his off field activities.

Regardless of each players commitment on the field, Mike Tomlin has his work cut out for him this year – probably more so than previous years. The Rooney’s believe in him – with a new contract extension – and while I had my doubts early on (mostly due to the lack of head coaching changes with the Steelers since 1969) Tomlin has proven that he’s the right guy for this year’s challenges.

St. Vincent gets Steelers fans back into their comfort zone. It’s rich in tradition and always brings optimism regardless of how good or bad the previous year’s record was.

This year, we can add a bad off season into the mix, and tomorrow (thank goodness) it comes to a close.

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I’m not a big fan of Network Television. I will watch an hour or two a week for shear entertainment value – but I can’t remember the last time I saw even a minute of Network News. It’s been years. I’d rather listen to an audio book, participate in a webinar or conference call or find a home study course to feed my mind as I continue to learn and grow. The only exception I make in arranging my schedule is during Football season, and that can turn into an entire day, typically on Sunday when I’m taking a break anyway.

Hey – I’ve been a Football fan all my life and this old dog ain’t about to turn a new trick when it comes to my Pittsburgh Steelers.

A show that I do have an interest in however airs on NBC tonight – the first of six primetime episodes entitled Breakthrough with Tony Robbins. It’s reality TV with a twist – it’s designed to inspire and enlighten you which is typical Robbins.

Some of the oldest tapes I have in my library (which should tell you how long I’ve been of fan) are from Tony Robbins. He’s one of the earliest mentors I can think of for personal development and self-improvement. In an effort to reach and positively impact even more people, Tony Robbins has created 6 one-hour primetime television specials that begin airing on NBC starting this Tuesday, July 27th at 8 p.m., 7 Central. They will run every Tuesday evening for the next six Tuesdays including tonight.

I applaud Tony for putting something positive out there in the main stream media. One of the reasons I haven’t watched a network news program in years is because it’s so negative. This person killed here – that robbery there – and the economy as always – in the toilet. If you really think about it – do you really need to know how many murders and robberies there are?

If something is important enough that you need to know – it’s going to make it’s rounds in one form or another. I certainly don’t need to go looking for it.

Tony has always been different. He’s offered tools and insights to improve people’s lives. If you’re a follower of Tony like I am, you’re going to want to tell friends, clients, family or anyone you care for about this show. Some will thank you – others will ignore you – while I’m sure there will be others that scorn you for telling them. (If that’s the case – maybe you need to reconsider who you call “friends”.)

Here’s a little bit about the show that came through an e-mail from Chet Holmes (more on Chet latter):

After more than a dozen offers and years of turning away producers and networks, Tony finally found a format that appealed to him and one that can really impact you, your friends, family and clients.

I was in the studio audience for segments of some of these shows, and there was not a dry eye in the house. You will be inspired, moved, motivated and profoundly affected. I mean this first episode is a knockout. Imagine you’re on your honeymoon and jump in the pool and hit your head on a step and, wham, you’re a quadriplegic for life.

That doesn’t just affect you. It seriously impacts your loved ones. In the very first episode, Tony shows you that “the story” you tell yourself shapes the entire quality of your life. Powerful. You have to see it.

But wait! There’s more! (I’ve always wanted to say that for some reason.)

Tony and Chet built a program called: Four Ways to Double Sales in 12 months. Because your reading this – you’ll be able to download that program as well. Even in this bad economic period, all four of these ideas help dramatically strengthen any company and give you paths to serious success.

Chet offered the free training in the e-mail —a 90 minute program from Chet Holmes and Tony Robbins absolutely free. (And no registration or e-mail required either.) You can download it here.

For more information and insight into tonight’s powerful new show, you can read more about it and watch a couple more videos @ www.breakthroughinsider.com. Everyone in the personal development and marketing world that I communicate with is talking about it. (About two dozen e-mails yesterday.)

Personally – knowing what Tony is all about and how he’s transformed lives – I can’t wait.

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I use to hate the NFL off season. There was never anything going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’d just quietly go about their business and fans like me would crave anything that would reconnect with me the team during the off season. If and when this proud and historic franchise ever gets back to “boring” – trust me, I’ll be the last one to complain.

While I’ve kept quiet about all these off season and off field activities I have been kept a very close eye on the embarrassing antics of these very young, and very dumb jocks, mostly via the sport media on Television and via the internet. The news appeared to come to a head yesterday as Santonio Holmes was traded to the New York Jets for his off field antics in Florida and Ben Roethlisberger’s embarrassment has been dropped by the District Attorney here in Georgia.

Neither were surprising.

Santonio was in the last year of his contract in 2010 and while he’s been a dynamic player (a Super Bowl MVP as a matter of fact) he never seemed to fit the Steelers mold as a blue color type of player. It’s one thing to quote that “it’s time to be great” on the field, but it’s another to “be great” in all other areas of your life. He’s always reminded me of Plaxico Burress – who eventually ended up winning a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants. But Burress couldn’t get out of his own way long enough to keep him out of jail. As it stands right now, Santonio is heading in that same direction.

I hope he can straighten his life out – and I know it’s possible – but only Santonio can control that. Currently, I see absolutely no indication from Santonio that he even cares to change. In fact, the way I see it, his arrogance continues to grow without any sign that he’s willing to act like a respectable adult.

Ben’s apology and statement last night however, does tell of remorse and a desire to be the role model the NFL and Pittsburgh fans want him to be. Saying it, and actually doing it however are two different things. The talk IS starting to wear a bit thin – even for me.

Just because criminal charges have not been filed does not mean that Ben’s completely off the hook. We have two other factors that we’re still awaiting a final outcome from the Rooney family and from the NFL Commissioner himself. Here’s Roger Goodell’s conduct policy :

“It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. You are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the league is based, and is lawful.

“Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline.”

At this point, the Rooney’s have already made a sufficient statement with Santonio, trading him to the New York Jets for a fifth round draft pick next week. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Rooney family is satisfied with whatever the Commissioner hands down for Ben and allow whatever punishment he sees fit to speak for the family as a unified voice of how a Pittsburgh Steeler should conduct themselves off the field.

For as long as I’ve been a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, that’s been the Rooney way. I can count on one hand the number of players that were busts off the field like Santonio and Ben have been. (Joe Gilliam, Bam Morris, Eric Green and Plaxico Burress.) We as fans and supporters are pretty spoiled in that regard.

Both Ben and Santonio have a chance to redeem themselves in the public eye at this point. They can use this experience to help other players and fans alike if done the proper way. That’s what good role models do. As fans we need to remember that getting bitter and angry about either situation serves no one. From some of the comments I’ve seen on some of the message boards and blogs, both Santonio and Ben are living “rent free” inside the heads of these fans and/or critics who for one reason or another need to feel like a victim – that’s why they side for the victims in both cases.

What these boys need are tools to help them become responsible and respectable members of our society as men. Not some bogus judgment that only serves as a prop to elevate the one who is casting judgment.

Bottom line for me is both are very young, very rich, and neither fully understand the responsibilities they have as an NFL player and role model. That may come with age, and from taking personal responsibility for their actions. I remember hitting bottom at 25 when I quit drinking – so I know it’s possible.

Time will tell if it’s actually doable for both Santonio and Ben.

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Do You ZamZuu?

Whether you’re a fan of football or not, you were probably one of the estimated 100 million strong who tuned into watch last night’s Super Bowl. Parties pop up all over the world to watch this event.

Some even tune in to watch a football game.

Obviously Saints and Colts fans were watching to cheer for their respective teams. Old rockers like myself wanted to see if “The Who” could still make it through a set without suffering cardiac arrest. (The Super Bowl has come a long way since “Up With People” huh?) But the vast majority of the water cooler talk this morning I would imagine are the Super Bowl commercials that advertisers invested millions per spot to create brand recognition and buzz.

One of those advertisers the last 23 years had been Pepsi. But Pepsi decided to opt out this year not because they couldn’t afford the $12 million it would cost to air two spots during last night’s game. They opted out because they’re betting that “the days of mass-market media as the sole vehicle to reach an audience are officially over”.

Yep, you read that right, and an article forwarded to me last week lays out a whole new strategy for Pepsi that will focus on Social Media instead of Mass Media. For Pepsi, the Social Media platform is a much stronger and longer lasting medium for a yearlong initiative and their “Pepsi Refresh” campaign.

Granted, people still talk about Cindy Crawford’s appearance a couple years ago during the Super Bowl. (My personal favorites happen to be the E-Trade Babies that are absolutely hilarious!) The new Pepsi initiative however, in order for it to work, requires far more than a laugh, brand buzz or Monday morning water cooler talk.

“This is such a fundamental change from anything we’ve done in the past,” says Lauren Hobart, chief marketing officer for Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. “It’s a big shift. We explored different launch plans, and the Super Bowl just wasn’t the right venue, because we’re really trying to spark a full-year movement from the ground up. The plan is to have much more two-way dialogue with our customers.”

The plan for Pepsi is to create a “charitable initiative that can build goodwill”. Pepsi wants to give away $20 million in grant money to fund projects in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education. You don’t start an initiative like that by spending $12 million in advertising dollars during the Super Bowl. It defeats the purpose, especially when there’s a better – more powerful medium that enables interaction between the company and the consumer who will guide this money to worthy projects.

Will this goodwill initiative spawn new customers and help Pepsi’s bottom line? It may not be enough for a Coke fan like myself to switch, but I do find Pepsi’s initiative refreshing enough to write about it – which could lead others to switch. (For the record, it does shed a whole new light on Dr. Pepper, which is a Pepsi brand I do drink.) For some it could tap into brand loyalty in a way that Mass Media could never do – especially during an event like the Super Bowl that’s designed for entertainment and not social change. That’s why I think Pepsi hits the mark with their choice to opt out of the Super Bowl this year and move to Social Media instead.

In my opinion, it’s a perfect marriage for goodwill and social change.

Social Media is just that – “social”. We’re social beings and the platforms available such as Twitter and Facebook enable big name companies to interact and promote not only their brand, but their cause. You’d be hard pressed not to find a company in this day and age who doesn’t have either a Facebook fan page or Twitter account, or both. Not to say some still don’t have one, but if you’re looking to build your company both mediums appear to be a top priority because they enable the company to interact with their customers in ways never thought possible before.

Like this story – Re-Tweet it. Something you find interesting or strikes a chord with you – write about it and link to it on your Facebook wall. Both platforms can do far more than announcing to the world you’re getting ready to get ready to go out next Friday night. And the thing is – people and companies are beginning to see the power these social platforms have. They’ve quickly turned into tools that promote meaningful change and perhaps, for companies like Pepsi – a better bottom line.

Aside from talking about all those over the top and extremely entertaining Super Bowl commercials there’s really very little value for me or you after that. Not that I have anything against brand buzz or hype. I buy into it just as much as the next guy – especially if it technology or travel related. But this shift Pepsi is taking this year takes a strike directly at this long standing medium and makes a very bold statement that there is another way – a better way to get your message and brand out to the masses.

I think about the ZamZuu video that’s on our Rep Accounts, and I see those quotes about the internet, Facebook, old ways of doing business, and traditional advertising being dead.

Couple that with what Pepsi is doing?

Do you think both could be dead wrong?

Possibly. But I don’t think the odds are that overwhelming when you have big names like Pepsi jumping from Mass Media to the Social Media bandwagon. You don’t just stop doing things after 23 years without some very close and careful analysis.

It’s certainly a very bold move. But those of us in YTB, know all about being bold don’t we?

Can’t wait to see how both shake out. ;-P

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Do You ZamZuu?

I have to admit, ever since 1992, the year Sid Bream slid into home plate to win the NLCS for the Atlanta Braves beating the Pittsburgh Pirates in game 7, I haven’t been much of a baseball fan. It was the same year I moved here to Atlanta from Pittsburgh. I still talk about it and friends here still tell me to get over it.

My response…”I’ll get over that play when you get over the Civil War”. It’s been 144 years since the War ended and I still see signs that the South will rise again.

For the next decade, Brave fans rubbed it in as they went back to the playoffs year after year, while the Pirates never seemed to recover trading away star players like Bream, Bell, Belinda, and Bonds. The Pirates have dwelled in the cellar ever since.

As a sports fan, I can appreciate those who loath the Yankees, even if I never cared one way or another about the team. With their 27th Championship Title now in hand, they’re a team that has dashed the hopes and dreams of multiple millions since 1921. When you beat out other teams about once every three years, you’re bound to upset fans from other teams who desire to be where you are.

If you’re a Yankees fan, you love them. If you’re a fan of any other team in the Majors, you hate them.

While I hadn’t watched a single pitch all season, I did tune into this series once I got back from our cruise. Not necessarily because I was a fan, but because my Steelers had a bye over the weekend. Well…that, and some of my Facebook friends are die hard Yankee and Philly fans who were talking smack. (Which was extremely entertaining to watch!)

You have to love the passion of sports fans. There’s no middle ground when it comes to certain subjects. The emotion it evokes can rival politics, religion, and even Network Marketing!

I have to admit, this series was one of the more entertaining in recent years because of the ebb and flow of the series. Alex Rodriguez is no longer a choker and a loser. The way he raised it up and carried it around, you would have sworn the trophy was light as a feather. Hideki Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBIs and won the Series MVP. (Despite starting only three of six games against the Phillies.)

If nothing else, the Yankees have officially christened their new stadium for the next 88 years to keep the Championships coming.

I love my Steelers and the 6 Lombardi Trophies we have. It’s hard to fathom 27 of them.

I’ll be making a number of phone calls today to congratulate my New York fans, and offer my condolences to my Philly fans. They all did the same for me when Pittsburgh won both the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup this year, so it’s the right thing to do. For Yankees fans, it’s old hat. For Philly fans…remember…I still haven’t gotten over Sid Bream and the South will rise again. ;-p

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UPDATE: Don’t know why I should be surprised that everyone else is looking for this poem as well. (More than likely wanting to read it and possibly copy it for themselves.) Want your own copy of the poem “Don’t Quit”? I created a PDF that you can print out and hang where you want. Mine is on the bathroom mirror.

Enjoy!

~~~~

The NFL Network has aired the newest release of it’s Emmy Award-winning ‘America’s Game’ with “The Story of the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers”. You know me, I not only had to watch it, but it’s permanently saved on my TiVo to watch for years to come.

Each episode of America’s Game is a personal portrait told by the men who lived it and felt it. The story of the 2008 Steelers is told through the eyes of head coach Mike Tomlin, Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger.

I love the heart and the mentality of a champion and believe there is something we can not only learn but implement in our own lives to help us achieve our goals and dreams.

I wish I had a video of this one segment I could share with you, but it’s simply not available anywhere on the internet just yet. Instead I’ll have to share it with you in print.

Roethlisberger developed his resiliency on the field as a quarterback at Miami University under then-head coach Terry Hoeppner. Coach Hep, who died of brain cancer in 2007, remained a main source of inspiration for Roethlisberger through his favorite poem, “Don’t Quit.”

Roethlisberger on Coach Hep: “He just was an amazing person. More than a coach, I really was like a son to him.”

Roethlisberger on the poem, “Don’t Quit”: “[Coach Hep] would read it to us once or twice a year. He would get really into it and emotional about it. It was really something special, especially when he passed, so I put the poem up in my locker so that every day I could see it and know that no matter what, don’t give up, don’t quit.”

Just the title alone prompted me to do a quick search for this poem and found it so meaningful and inspiring, I wanted to share it with the rest of you.

“Don’t Quit”

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must; but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow;
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit;
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

~ Anonymous

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Do You ZamZuu?

I know I drove some of you nuts earlier in the year with my obsession over my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. About all I can tell you is that it’s my blog, and the Steelers are my team.

The NFL season starts tonight in “prime time” as the six time Super Bowl Champions Pittsburgh Steelers match up against the Tennessee Titans.

Life is once again “good”!

NFL Kickoff 2009 – National Spot from Chris Gargani on Vimeo.

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Do You ZamZuu?