On June 12, 2006, my family and I were on vacation at North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a popular beach destination for many Pittsburghers. As it was an overcast day, my daughter and I decided to do some shopping at Scarborough Faire Shopping Village. Near lunchtime as we meandered along the boardwalk that connected the boutiques, my daughter’s cell phone rang. While she answered it, I
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Penn State and Pitt Continue the Rivalry Before Pitt and Penn State renewed their rivalry on September 10, 2016, the last time the teams had met on the gridiron, John Paul II was pope and Bill Clinton was president. During that meeting on September 16, 2000, the Panthers defeated the Nittany Lions 12-0. When they renewed the rivalry in 2016 at Heinz Field, it was
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Western Pennsylvania has set the standard for quarterback excellence. It has been distinguished as the “Cradle of Quarterbacks” for producing such names as Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino. The gunslinger who pioneered the movement, Johnny Unitas, led a storied career of sheer dominance with an arm that put the NFL on the map. We remember his greatness fifteen years following his passing.
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To those who love sports, the venues where the games are played are akin to temples. Pittsburgh is home to some of the best facilities for cheering on a hockey team, watching a football game, or taking in a baseball game. But even if you have been to The PPG Paints Arena for every puck that has ever been dropped, seen every kickoff since Heinz
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Baron Batch came to Pittsburgh as the Steelers’ seventh-round pick in the NFL’s 2011 draft out of Texas Tech University, where he was the school’s eighth-ranked, all-time rushing leader and where he led the team in rushing his senior year with 816 yards on 177 carries. In retrospect, it seems that football would turn out to be only a means for Batch to find his
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Very few people throughout history have had the title “emperor” bestowed upon them. There’s the Roman heads of state, Napoleon, and Chuck Noll. Although not a leader of a country, the late Steelers coach headed the Steelers nation and led his team to four Super Bowl victories, more than any other coach in NFL history. He held that title solely until 2015 when Patriots Coach
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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ franchise is a classic example of announcer Bob Prince’s maxim of “hidden vigorish.” According to Prince, it means that the more you lose the closer you come to winning. The Steelers’ franchise was founded in 1933, and during the years from their founding until 1972, the team did a lot of losing. They won their division only once during those nearly four
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Being a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins back in the 1970s was not always easy. The team struggled on and off the ice, so much so that they became the butt of many jokes. There was one particular favorite joke when team was in financial straits: “I hear the Pens are moving to the Philippines. Yeah, they’re going to be called The Manila Folders.” But times
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It is no secret that the Steelers have been the most successful franchise in the history of the NFL. The numbers can do the talking, as the Steelers have six Super Bowl victories, more than any other team. Everyone knows about the team’s recent successes under Mike Tomlin, as the Steelers are one of the perennial favorites to win the Super Bowl. There are some
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“Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this Earth.” ~Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh awoke to a big snow storm on New Year’s Day in 1973. The news that greeted Pittsburghers as they turned on their radios and televisions was unbelievable. Tragically, their star Pirate baseball player had been taken from them in the prime
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