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More Than Just Sports

Al Levine never stops.
Never stops talking, as his nickname "The Talking Machine" indicates
Never stops working, as evidenced by his many business interests.
And never stops giving back to the community.
Levine, a Bethel Park resident who hosts Pittsburgh Sportsline https://www.facebook.com/PittsburghSportsline on Bethel Park Public Access TV, works tirelessly to help others.
"When I do fundraising I tell people I need show and tell," Levine says. "Bring a flyer that tells what you want to do and promote, and I'll promote the heck out of it."
One of Levine's recent efforts was to help the Joey Fabus Childhood Cancer Foundation https://www.facebook.com/JoeyFabusChildhoodCancerFoundation, which honors the eight year old Bethel Park boy who recently passed away from an inoperable brain tumor.
"I started saying `Stay Joey Strong' at the end of my show to promote their concert," Levine says of Jam for Joey, a sold-out show April 11 at the Hard Rock Cafe, Station Square.

Levine's charitable endeavors are many. He served as the community relations and development director for Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh in 2012-13, which benefited the Cancer Caring Center, the Sickle Cell Society, Operation Troop Appreciation, and The Passion for Life Foundation. Levine also was director of community relations for Building Bridges for Business, which fostered relationships between non-profit organizations and businesses, and currently serves on singer Jessica Lee's Jazz Networking advisory board that promotes entrepreneurial networking with funding and partnering opportunities in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Add his various business interests via Allen Levine Consulting, and Levine rarely has time to rest.
"I was told when I was a baby that I slept about 18 hours a day," he says, "so in my mind I still I believe I have a reservoir. I sleep every once in awhile. But I'll talk business 24/7 if you want to, and almost anything else."
Levine's love of conversation and debate is evident on Pittsburgh Sportsline, which he co-hosts with Smokin' Jim Frazier, the publisher of Smokin’ Jim’s Scouting Report and Newsletters. But the show is not filled with harsh rants and incoherent raves. Levine makes sure that the program has a civil tone.
"I'm opinionated," Levine admits, "but if you like another team or are from another area, even though I'm Pittsburgh-centric, I respect that you're loyal to your team. I don't want to change you."
Levine enjoys talking about sports that often aren't covered in the mainstream media. The more than 300 interviews he's done on Pittsburgh Sportsline include segments with rugby players, up-and-coming boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, college baseball coaches and roller derby skaters, and football players from the Pittsburgh Passion women's team.
"I like to give voice to people who would otherwise never have a voice," he says.
Levine thinks part of his popularity is due to giving his guests a chance to promote their businesses on air. He's too modest to admit that his success also is the byproduct of his gregarious nature, his keen interest in people from all walks of his life, and his ability to make an immediate connection with anyone he meets.
But be forewarned: If you start a conversation or business venture with Al Levine, he'll try to make things happen right away.
"If you say can you meet me next week, I'd like to see if we could work together, I'll go why are we waiting until next week?" Levine says. "Why don't we do it today?"