We talked about the difficulty in being a Browns fan in Pittsburgh, and enough sympathetic Cleveland fans responded to form a Pittsburgh chapter of the Browns Backers. Led by president Paul Carson, close to 50 people now meet at the Oregon Grille off McKnight Road to cheer on the Browns each Sunday, via satellite. PBT Editor Betsy Benson gave me my first chance to write in Pittsburgh, and allowed me to stretch the definition of business coverage. She was correct in refusing to publish the anti-gun column I turned in, but I'm not going to admit that to her. He was correct in refusing to publish the dry-cleaner complaint column I turned in, but I'm not going to admit that to him.
Every writer has a secret weapon.
Mine has been PBT Special Reports Editor Mara Mrvos, who has patiently read each week's column before anyone else, copy editing and sparring with me, to my great benefit. She was correct in suggesting I not turn in the Don Marquis cockroach homage column, and I'm not ashamed to admit that to her. I have depended on feedback and ideas from PBT staffers Maria Guzzo, Ethan Lott, Vern Saunders, Patty Tascarella and Richard Cerilli. I am moving to a PBT sister paper, the South Florida Business Journal, in Miami. It is an amazing privilege to have access to a market such as Pittsburgh, and I have tried to offer a different voice in this space, a means of lighting the fuse of debate.