Bleier helping raise fund for Flight 93 memorial
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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL
Bleier helping raise fund for Flight 93 memorial
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Michael Chikiris/Post-Gazette Archives
Former Steelers running back Rocky Bleier, No. 20, is helping raise funds for a memorial dedicated
for United Airlines Flight 93.
Former Steelers running back Rocky Bleier, in conjunction with the National Park Foundation and the National Park
Service, will unveil plans tomorrow for a fundraising capital campaign event that will benefit the construction of a
permanent United Airlines Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pa.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Flight 93 -- en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco -- was hijacked and, as passengers mounted a
counterattack against the hijackers, the flight crashed in a field in Stoneycreek Township, near Shanksville, in Somerset
County.
Fourty-four people were killed.
The fundraising event chaired by Bleier will consist of a "9/11 We Will Never Forget" dinner Sept. 11 at Heinz Field, and
there are also plans for an accompanying auction.
"I have come to feel an affinity with United Flight 93," Bleier said. "The proximity of its resting place in Shanksville puts
me in constant reach of that eventful day. The story of how a group of passengers and crew overcame those hijackers
continually gives me hope."
First published on July 14, 2009 at 1:44 am
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7/14/2009
Lujack heads inaugural class
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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL
Lujack heads inaugural class
Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame will induct a Connellsville jack-of-all-trades who set the standard for
a long list of great Western Pennsylvania QBs.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Notre Dame star Johnny
Lujack will be inducted into the
Fayette County Sports Hall of
Fame.
On a Super Bowl pregame show some years back, a segment was aired on the long list of star quarterbacks to come out of
southwestern Pennsylvania.
The honor roll included Montana, Marino, Namath, Unitas, Blanda, among others. And the list went all the way back to a
trailblazer from Connellsville High School who grew up in the Great Depression and interrupted his schooling at Notre
Dame to serve as a Navy officer in World War II.
"Wasn't that fun? They mentioned me first," Johnny Lujack said to his wife.
"Yes," she said teasingly, "and 100 million people are wondering who that first guy was."
If anyone still wonders, an opportunity to get reacquainted occurs this weekend when the Johnny Lujack Training Facility is
formally dedicated in Connellsville and he is inducted into the inaugural class of the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame.
If the years before 24-hour sports channels seem more like the Stone Age than the Information Age, the days before
American households even had TV sets must seem prehistoric. Here's an introduction to the original:
• Three national championships won at Notre Dame in 1943, '46 and '47 under coach Frank Leahy while being named a twotime All-American in '46 and '47. The gap of nearly three years was spent in the U.S. Navy as an ensign on a submarine
chaser in the Atlantic.
• The Heisman Trophy winner of 1947, when he was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. Also in '47, he graced
the cover of Life magazine, which was the Twitter of its day but had color photographs and was sold at news stands.
• A four-sport letterman at Notre Dame. In addition to quarterbacking the football team and being a starting guard on the
basketball team, he also played baseball and was a track star. During a baseball game, he had two singles and a triple in four
at-bats. In between innings, he also won the high jump and the javelin throw in a track meet. His roommate jokingly told
him: "If you change clothes real quick, I think we can find a swim meet somewhere."
• A two-time All-Pro with the Chicago Bears, first as a safety and then as a quarterback. He also kicked field goals and extra
points, which made him a combination of Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger and Jeff Reed.
Little wonder that he is a standout among standouts in Fayette County, which has produced its share of big-time athletes.
"Every event needs a headliner, and who could be a better headliner than Johnny Lujack?" said George Von Benko, a
broadcaster and writer from Uniontown who is among the organizers of the Fayette Hall of Fame.
"This man has won so many honors and so many awards, but he's just as fired up about this as he was about any of them.
This is home. This is where he started. He's never forgotten where he came from," he added.
Displays and exhibits from the Hall of Fame are being housed at the Uniontown Public Library.
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7/14/2009
Lujack heads inaugural class
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On Friday, a contingent from Connellsville Area High School will greet the Lujack family at Latrobe Airport to begin a
special day for the 1941 graduate.
It has been seven decades since he performed on the high school field, but the Johnny Lujack Training Facility -- a
combination workout center and coach's room for studying film -- is brand new. It was completed this year after its
namesake donated $50,000 for its construction.
A plaque inside the 40-by-60-foot building reads: "Connellsville provided him opportunities that started his career; his
generosity will provide the same opportunities to the youth of Connellsville for years to come."
Now, the high school track and football field are graced with two remarkable monuments. The new Lujack facility sits cattycornered to the Olympic Oak brought home by the late John Woodruff, the African-American track pioneer who is also
being inducted into the Fayette Hall of Fame. Woodruff won a gold medal in the 800-meter at the 1936 Berlin Olympics that
put to rest Adolph Hitler's theories on the "master race."
Displays honoring both athletes, complete with a replica of the Heisman Trophy and a replica of the Olympic gold medal,
also adorn a hallway at Connellsville Area High School.
"I don't know if we'll ever see two athletes like them ever again, but it gives our kids a chance to dream," said athletic
director James Lembo. "Having two men achieve the highest honor in their sport is something you can always take pride in."
In Lujack's day, Connellsville competed under the name of Cokers -- a tribute to the coke that purified the coal fed into
beehive ovens in the area's heyday. The school adopted the name Falcons in 1966 after a merger with Dunbar Township
High School.
This is not his first trip back. Lujack accepted an invitation from the current athletic administration to return in 1994 under
one condition: that his teammates from the '41 team that went 8-0-1 were recognized, too.
"He always believed that football is a team sport and individual honors are secondary," said Lembo. "The timing was perfect
for us this time. Johnny donated the money for the weight room because he wanted to give something back, and we wanted
to honor him when he came back for the Hall of Fame induction."
Lujack, 84, has been married to the former Patricia Schierbrock of Davenport, Iowa, for 61 years. They have homes in Iowa
and California, and he still plays golf as many as five times a week. After football he became a partner in a car dealership
with his father-in-law.
Sports opened many doors for him, but it was something that came naturally to Lujack, one of six children in a Polish
Catholic family.
"To me, it was fun," he said. "Our only entertainment was playing sports. Those were hard times during the Depression. We
had enough to get by, but you had to work and work hard."
In his youth, he fell in love with Notre Dame while listening to a radio broadcast of the Fighting Irish.
"I've been very fortunate in my life," he said in a telephone interview. "I never thought I was good enough to go to Notre
Dame. I said lots of times that if I could just make the traveling squad in my junior or senior year, I could probably come
back to Connellsville and run for mayor, and win it hands down."
He did a lot more than just make the team or win a local election. When he comes back, fame follows him home.
Robert Dvorchak can be reached at bdvorchak@post-gazette.com.
First published on July 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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7/14/2009
Ravens WR Mason tells Web site he's retiring
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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL
Ravens WR Mason tells Web site he's retiring
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
By David Ginsburg, The Associated Press
Wade Payne/Associated Press
Raven wide receiver Derrick Mason announced his retirement.
BALTIMORE -- Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason told a sports Web site on Monday he's retiring from the NFL.
"After 12 years, I have seen it all and done it all," Mason told jocklife.com. "Right now, I am content with the decision I am
making. All good things come to an end, and I am ready to see what else life has to offer."
But Mason has not informed the team of his decision.
"For any player to retire, he has to send a letter to the NFL stating this. Derrick Mason has not done that," said Kevin Byrne,
the Ravens' senior vice president of public relations.
Mason's agent, Peter Schaffer, did not immediately respond to a phone call and e-mail from The Associated Press.
But Schaffer's partner, C. Lamont Smith, told jocklife.com, that Mason "advised me that after careful and deep thought he
had made a decision to retire from professional football. ... Given that Derrick just reached this decision on Friday, he has
not as of yet filed official papers with the league offices."
Smith said Mason would decline any interview requests over the next two weeks.
Mason, 35, played a key role in helping Baltimore reach the AFC championship game last season. He started all 16 games
and led the Ravens in receptions (80) and yards receiving (1,037). He then added 12 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown
in three playoff games.
Mason played eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans and four years with the Ravens. Last season he became the 31st
player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career yards receiving.
He insisted the announcement had nothing to do with his drive during the offseason to get a better contract.
"I have made enough money, more than enough money," Mason said.
Without Mason, Baltimore's most accomplished wide receivers are Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams.
"We're losing a great player," Ravens running back Le'Ron McLain said. "I hope every receiver plays like him, practices like
him and acts like him."
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
First published on July 14, 2009 at 1:33 am
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7/14/2009
Jets release veteran TE Franks
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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL
Jets release veteran TE Franks
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Ed Betz/Associated Press
The Jets released tight end
Bubba Franks yesterday.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Jets have released veteran tight end Bubba Franks.
Franks caught six passes for 47 yards in eight games, including four starts, after signing with the Jets last season. He missed
eight games due to a hip injury, and was unable to participate in offseason practices and minicamp because of a knee injury
after re-signing with New York.
The move Monday leaves the Jets with Dustin Keller, who had a promising rookie season, and undrafted free agents
J'Nathan Bullock and Jack Simmons as the only tight ends on the roster. James Dearth, who began his career as a tight end,
works exclusively as the team's long snapper.
Franks has 262 receptions for 2,347 yards and 32 touchdowns in nine seasons, including eight with Green Bay.
First published on July 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09195/983773-66.stm
7/14/2009
Roethlisberger's foundation to donate $8,000 to Jeannette police for care of dog - Pittsbur... Page 1 of 2
Roethlisberger's foundation to donate $8,000 to Jeannette
police for care of dog
By Paul Paterra
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Jeannette Police Department will be on the receiving end of an $8,000
pass from Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers quarterback will make the donation through the Ben
Roethlisberger Foundation, which gives money to police and fire departments,
particularly those with service dogs.
"It's great that we're able to acquire this money for the upkeep of our dog," said
police Chief Jeff Stahl. "We don't have to request the money from the city."
Wando, a German shepherd, has been with the police department since 2005
and has been the constant companion of Officer Justin Scalzo.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is connected with the Giving Back Fund, a
philanthropic resource for the sports and entertainment industry since 1997.
"My dad instilled in me a love and respect for animals," Roethlisberger said on
his foundation's Web site. "This is a good way to combine that passion with a
desire to support the police and fire departments, which deserve all the
appropriate resources needed to protect our cities and neighborhoods, and
allow these brave men and women to arrive home safely."
The money will be distributed through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the
Holy Trinity.
Scalzo and Stahl met Roethlisberger during the quarterback's recent youth
football camp at Mars High School.
"He is a real big supporter of police canines," Scalzo said of Roethlisberger.
"He has a real good heart for him to do this."
"It was great to spend five minutes with him," Stahl added. "It was nice to see
that he could spend time with kids and take a few minutes with us."
The meeting was captured by television cameras for a syndicated program
through EA Sports slated to run in August.
"It's a program about Ben and some of the stuff he does," Scalzo said. "I did
about a 25- to 30-minute interview and did a brief (demonstration) with the
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7/14/2009
Roethlisberger's foundation to donate $8,000 to Jeannette police for care of dog - Pittsbur... Page 2 of 2
dog."
Stahl said the department gave Roethlisberger hats, T-shirts and baseball
cards featuring the city's canine officer. He said the money will be a great help.
"If Wando would have to have surgery, we have the money. We can take care
of the dog," the chief said.
The money also could be used to purchase a new dog once Wando retires.
However, that might not happen for a few years. Scalzo said 5 1/2-year-old
Wando is in his prime and has aided in a number of apprehensions.
"He's doing phenomenally," Scalzo said. "We've been working limited to mostly
two guys a shift. It helps (having Wando) when you have large fights or crowd
control."
Paul Paterra can be reached at ppaterra@tribweb.com or 724-836-6220.
Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
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7/14/2009
Former Steelers plan Flight 93 fundraiser - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Former Steelers plan Flight 93 fundraiser
By The Tribune-Review
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Former Steelers running backs Rocky Bleier and Franco Harris are planning a
Sept. 11 fundraiser for the Flight 93 National Memorial.
They will announce plans Wednesday for a "9/11 We Will Never Forget" dinner
at Heinz Field.
The goal is to open the $58 million, 2,200-acre memorial in Shanksville on
Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon.
Flight 93 was flying from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco. Investigators believe
the hijackers wanted to crash into a Washington target. The 40 people killed in
the crash are recognized as heroes for storming the cockpit and preventing the
attack.
Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
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7/14/2009
Romo Reality Show Is Shedding Celebrities - The Fifth Down Blog - NYTimes.com
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JULY 14, 2009, 6:30 AM
Romo Reality Show Is Shedding Celebrities
By TONI MONKOVIC
“Believe me, the NFL is such a reality show. Week to week, you’re the best player in the
league to the worst player in the league. It all depends on what you’ve done for me
lately.” — Tony Romo, in an interview with The Racine (Wis.) Journal Times in January.
Tony Romo has also seemingly been living in a celebrity reality show, and two of the
celebrities — Jessica Simpson and Terrell Owens — have been voted off. Romo stands
alone.
Jean-Jacques Taylor, Dallas Morning News, on the reported breakup between Romo and
Simpson:
Not once have I ever thought Romo’s relationship with Simpson affected his performance
on the football field, though I’ve read hundreds of e-mails and fielded dozens of calls
from some really shallow folks who believed otherwise with all of their soul.
But how can Romo not be better without the drama and the distractions?
Troy Aikman, who you would think would know about such things, said as much in an
interview with Michael Irvin in January.
Aikman did not mention Simpson but …. :
“I think maybe things happened so quickly for Tony in terms of obscurity to all of a
sudden national spotlight that he hasn’t fully grasped what being the Cowboys
quarterback is all about. And you don’t go to Cabo the week before a playoff game. You
just don’t do it.
“It didn’t take away from his preparations. I know that. I mean, everything he says is I
think accurate. I don’t think that had any bearing.
“But to say, ‘I don’t worry about perception,’ you better worry about perception, because
it’s a big part of making it through some very difficult times.”
Romo, coming off a disappointing season, has a chance to quiet critics in Week 2 against
the Giants in the opening of the Cowboys’ new stadium.
Last week, the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs said:
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Romo Reality Show Is Shedding Celebrities - The Fifth Down Blog - NYTimes.com
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“I don’t think he’s that good a passer, to be honest with you. I’m not a fan of Tony Romo,
no. Keep him in the pocket, he’s not that good.
“His luck will be gone sooner or later. If you were to keep Tony Romo in the pocket, he’s
not that effective.”
Extra point: The Romo-Simpson headline contest was a blog highlight (see “Safety
Dance”).
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Delaware intends to have single-game, parlay NFL wagering - USATODAY.com
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Delaware intends to have single-game, parlay
NFL wagering
By A.J. Perez, USA TODAY
The state of Delaware intends to allow single-event betting on NFL games beginning with the start of the upcoming season
Sept. 10, but court challenges from sports leagues could delay the plan.
When approved by the state legislature and signed into law in May, the sports lottery's exact form was left to be determined.
State lottery director Wayne Lemons told USA TODAY on Monday it will allow bettors to wager on the outcome of one game
or a parlay of several games.
"We will have both types of bets," Lemons said.
That would allow Delaware to join Nevada as the only states with legal betting on NFL games. And Delaware lawmakers
have not ruled out allowing wagering on other pro sports and college sports. U.S. pro sports leagues and the NCAA have
long opposed sports betting, but they have withheld legal action against Delaware's plan pending the state's decision on
specifics.
Jeff Miller, the NFL's vice president of government relations and public policy, declined to comment Monday. Gov. Jack
Markell's spokesman, Joseph Rogalsky, also declined to comment.
"The clear preference for those who wager on sports is to bet on a single game," says Anthony Cabot, a Las Vegas attorney
who specializes in gaming law. "It's far more popular than simply offering parlay cards."
Markell pushed a sports lottery this spring as a way to reduce the state's huge budget deficit. Sports betting is expected to
generate as much as $55 million a year for the state, which also faces competitive pressure from nearby states that have
joined it in adding slot machines to horse-racing tracks.
For now, Delaware's three track-based casinos would be the only place sports betting is allowed.
But it could be a while before Wilmington and Dover join the likes of Las Vegas and Reno as destinations for sports bettors.
The NFL has led the charge against Delaware's sports gaming bill, filing briefs to the state's Supreme Court.
"They have several avenues they can take," Cabot said. "One way is to attack its legality under the state constitution."
The Delaware Supreme Court has ruled that a sports lottery is legal under the state constitution when "chance was the
dominant, determining factor" in that betting system. In their May decision to keep the sports lottery intact, the current justices
didn't directly address single-game wagering.
Delaware — along with Nevada, Oregon and Montana — was grandfathered in under the 1992 Professional and Amateur
Sports Protection Act (PASPA) because it previously had sports gaming.
"There could be a challenge to see if that act is broad enough to allow single-game betting by a state," Cabot said.
Delaware had sports gaming in 1976, but it consisted solely of parlay wagering — not single-game bets.
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Delaware intends to have single-game, parlay NFL wagering - USATODAY.com
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It wouldn't be the first time the NFL has sued Delaware.
The league filed a lawsuit in 1977. The state Supreme Court ruled against the NFL, but the game wasn't brought back for a
second year after revenues fell far short of projections.
The legal maneuvering isn't limited to Delaware, whose moves have been monitored by nearby states that also have budget
worries.
New Jersey State Sen. Ray Lesniak joined with Internet gaming and horse racing organizations to file a suit in federal court in
March. Last week, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine filed a motion of support in that lawsuit, which seeks to get the PASPA law
overturned. The lawsuit argues that it's unconstitutional to preclude all but four states from sports wagering.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2009-07-13-delaware-sports-betting_N.htm
Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.
Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
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