Read all about it: Pittsburgh author has book about Rooney

Eleven years ago, Jim O'Brien began a series on the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Pittsburgh author and historian Jim O'Brien said he knows how Santa Claus must feel this time of year.
O'Brien finds himself getting up at 4:30 a.m. these days to get caught up on mail orders for his new book, "The Chief."
O'Brien's latest edition in his "Pittsburgh Proud Sports Series" is subtitled "Art Rooney and His Pittsburgh Steelers."
"Art Rooney is the best person I ever met in sports," O'Brien said. "This guy is more popular than Roberto Clemente or Mario Lemieux -- I believe he was the most beloved figure in the history of Western Pennsylvania."
A former sportswriter for The Miami News and New York Post, O'Brien returned to his hometown in 1979 in time to cover the Steelers' fourth Super Bowl championship for the Pittsburgh Press.
Memories: "The best days I spent as a sportswriter were when I covered the Steelers at end of the '70s when I could walk the sideline of practices at Three Rivers Stadium with Art Rooney," O'Brien said.
"Art Rooney was the grandfather I never had. I loved to spend time with him, as did anyone who ever met him," he added.
Eleven years ago, O'Brien began writing books focusing on the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins.
"The Chief," the first biography of the Steelers founder, is proving to be one of his most popular books.
"We printed 13,000 copies and there are 3,235 remaining," O'Brien said in a telephone interview from his Pittsburgh home.
O'Brien's book came out Labor Day Weekend, a week before the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. When the NFL delayed the Sept. 16 opening of Heinz Field by three weeks, a book about the Steelers didn't seem to be a high priority with buyers.
But things have worked out for O'Brien. The Steelers' renewed success -- they are tied with the Rams for the NFL's best record -- has spurred interest.
"When the Steelers are successful, it's good for a lot of businesses and I'm one of them," said O'Brien, adding that past Steelers volumes "Dare to Dream" and "Doing It Right" have sold out this fall.
"It's a feel-good book and I think all of us are seeking activities to get us back on steady legs," O'Brien said.
O'Brien said the Rooney family was very cooperative even though they had never commissioned a biography about Art Rooney "because they were concerned with how a writer would handle the early years.
Colorful: "Art Rooney never denied that he was a gambler -- he was a very colorful, fascinating figure," O'Brien said. "If he was like a saint, it would have to be St. Paul."
"The Chief" features reminisces by former Steelers like Lynn Swann, Mike Ditka, Chuck Noll, Cliff Stoudt, John Brown and Sam Davis.
"Sam Davis, a guard on four Super Bowl teams, is one of my favorites," O'Brien said. "His capacity has been diminished by head injuries, but he's still a better interview than [wide receiver] Plaxico Burress."
"The Chief" is available at area bookstores, including Barnes & amp; Noble in the Shops at Boardman Park.
It's also available by mail order for $29.95 by calling O'Brien at (412) 221-3580.
XFor a complete list of O'Brien's books, visit jpobrien@stargate.net.