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Sunday, August 12, 2001

By Ed Bouchette

As the Steelers prepare to christen the North Side's new Heinz Field (if there's anything christen-worthy when 'N Sync gets through with it), all eyes will turn south.

Not to Carson Street but to Jacksonville, Fla., where the building boom began in the AFC Central Division.

The Steelers are the last in their six-team division to have a new stadium. Jacksonville was first when the Jaguars entered the league in 1995 as an expansion team.

The Jaguars' 73,000-seat facility, now called Alltel Stadium, was the talk of the NFL. Dan Rooney praised the facility and used it as an example of what had to be done in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers better hope that Heinz Field doesn't have the same effect here that Alltel Stadium has had in Jacksonville six years later.

First, the Jaguars used all that money the stadium helped to produce to hand out large signing bonuses as if the salary cap existed for everyone but them. This past year, they've discovered what cap-strapped means as they shaved players and payroll.

Now, they're finding out what it's like to work in one of the league's smallest markets with one of its biggest stadiums with hefty ticket prices and with fans who have been spoiled by success.

The honeymoon is over. About 15,000 tickets went unsold for the exhibition opener against Carolina Friday night. The Panthers agreed to let them lift the television blackout, which would have been a first in Jacksonville. There will be others, however, because ticket sales are down.

Anticipating this, the Jaguars lowered some tickets to $10 and $15. The $10 tickets sold out, but not the $15 seats.

The Steelers have learned many lessons through the years and that is why, despite pleas from local politicians and others, they do not have a stadium larger than 66,000 capacity.

Death hits home

Korey Stringer's death from heatstroke at the Vikings' training camp triggered many stories about the way the Steelers handle summer practices at St. Vincent College in Latrobe and how there never has been a death there.

One prominent player, however, did die during Steelers training camp in1948 at Alliance College in Cambridge Springs, Pa.

Ralph Calcagni, a former All-American defensive tackle, took ill in the locker room Aug. 28 and was rushed to nearby Meadville Hospital, where a surgeon successfully removed his appendix.

The 6-3, 230-pound Calcagni appeared on his way to recovery, but he was found dead the next morning from a blood clot. He was 26 years old.

"It was very strange," said Art Rooney Jr., son of team founder Art Rooney. "We were all shocked. He was a real nice young guy."

Calcagni played at Connellsville High School with Johnny Lujack, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame. Calcagni then played at the University of Pennsylvania, where he had been captain-elect before World War II turned his plans and those of most young men around. He returned to college at Cornell after the war and played for the old Boston Yanks in 1946, then one season with the Steelers in 1947.

They laid his body out at his home in Smithton, and so many people turned out it caused structural problems.

"They had to reinforce the living room because of all these huge people," said Calcagni's niece, Carolyn Acotto.

Carolyn was 5 years old at the time, but Stringer's death brought back a flood of memories about her favorite uncle.

"He's my hero," she said. "This man would have gone on to greatness. They'll tell you what a hell of a ballplayer he was. He was ahead of his time at that position."

Marvisms

The induction of Marv Levy into the Pro Football Hall of Fame brought back memories of a different kind. Buffalo scribes documented many of what they called "Marvisms" when he coached the Buffalo Bills.

Here is a sampling:

"What you do should speak so loudly that no one will hear what you say."

"What it takes to win is simple but it isn't easy."

"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."

"Compete at a level that your opponent is unwilling or unable to sustain."

"You overofficious jerk!"

"Do the ordinary things in extraordinary ways."

"Adversity is an opportunity for heroism."

"Must win? World War II was a must win."

A helping hand

With former Pitt coach Paul Hackett at the offensive helm, the New York Jets have installed the West Coast offense.

Can Vinny Testaverde do for Hackett's offense in New York what Joe Montana did for it in San Francisco and Kansas City? Or vice versa?

"I think Paul will help Vinny," Montana said. "Vinny has got a great touch down the field. He will help Vinny understand, if you run the offense correctly, you are not putting yourself on the edge of your ability. The main focus will be getting the ball to the right people and letting them run after the catch.

"It will lengthen Vinny's career to work with that offense. You are not taking big hits all the time."

Power of the fans

The Steelers will stand on the same sideline at Heinz Field as they stood at Three Rivers Stadium, a nod to the power of the fans.

When Bill Cowher became coach in 1992, he wanted his team to switch to the other, sunny side of the field so it would be warmer when the weather turned cold. That happened for the first exhibition game before the howls of season ticket-holders prompted a return to the old sidelines.

Most season ticket-holders will remain on the same side as they were in Three Rivers.

"That's one place where we have to defer to the fans more than the coach," said Art Rooney II. "It's a hard sell to switch."

Price of success

Wonder no more why the Washington Redskins no longer charge fans to watch their practices, which are back in Carlisle, Pa., this summer.

Last year, owner Daniel Snyder charged $10; once a team charges the public to watch, scouts from rival NFL teams are permitted to attend their practices.

The Cowboys' Larry Dixon watched an estimated 35 Redskins practices in training camp last year.

"Seeing all those Redskins practices was really helpful last summer," Dixon said. "I got a lot out of it. I was able to get up in the stands and get a really good angle."

His homework paid off with two Dallas victories against the Redskins last year.

Showing respect

Jerome Bettis has found out during the past three seasons what it's like running for a team that does not make the playoffs. Two of those three seasons were losers.

That's why he has such admiration for the job Corey Dillon did in Cincinnati last season when he gained 1,435 yards.

"He did it a little better than I did," Bettis said. "I respect him tremendously, a lot more than another guy. He knows the struggles I'm going through, I know the struggles he's going through. I respect him for the job he did, and their passing game ranked lower than ours."

Like Bettis, Dillon says he won't be content just because he has a new contract ($28 million over five years).

"He's not content. He's hungry. He's as hungry as he was last year," said Jim Anderson, the Bengals' running backs coach.

Short snaps

The Denver Post announced it will refer to the Broncos' new stadium as simply Mile High Stadium and not the official Invesco Field at Mile High. The people at Invesco Funds Group, which is paying $60 million over 20 years for the naming rights, are not happy.

Coach Brian Billick after a poor Ravens practice last week: "Pathetic. Terrible. It's times like this you wish you had a Harley."

Detroit Coach Marty Mornhinweg, who jumped on his Harley after a frustrating early training camp practice, lost his patience with quarterback Charlie Batch the past week when the offense was slow to the line of scrimmage. "Back in the huddle," Mornhinweg screamed. "Get a quarterback in there that can call the play." Jim Harbaugh jumped in and ran it.

Former 49ers Steve Young and Brent Jones have connected with some money-men and want to head up a group to buy an NFL team.

The awareness of the dangers of heatstroke has even caused kickers to take precautions. Minnesota's Gary Anderson cut his usual 40-50 practice kicks in half one steamy day last week. "I could only kick 25," Anderson said.

Ray Lewis, on his legacy one year after he was wrongly accused of murder: "You don't measure a man over a short period of time. You measure him over a period of years, both as a football player and as a man."

Miami punter Matt Turk squeezes his size 13 foot into a size 10 shoe to kick. "That's the way the ball flies better off your foot," he said.