Rooney's a great pick for the job. He takes one vacation a year, and that is to Ireland. I'm happy for him. His son, Art, has been essentially running the Steelers while Dan was slowly reducing his activities.

I met Dan Rooney twice. The first time was just outside Veterans' Stadium in Philly after a pre-season Steeler/Eagle game. My boys were very young and a friend of a member in my family was a reserve player for the Steelers that summer, and told us where the team gets on the bus , so the boys could meet a couple players. I saw Rooney and approached him before the players exited the stadium. He was kind and cordial, thanked me for coming to the game and asked where I was from. He went to a nearby car and got some football cards for the boys.

I met him in the Pittsburgh Holiday Inn five or six years ago, which is where the Steelers stay the night before a home game. He was very gracious then too. His book, My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL, is a good read.

A bit of useless Rooney trivia:

The endzones and goal posts at Heinz Field were designed so that a straight line can run from the exact point of the confluence of Pittsburgh's three rivers, through the center of both goalposts, and then to the living room of Dan's modest home in the Northside, which was also his childhood home. He may be the only owner of a professional team that lives across the street from a Wendy's.