http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Monday, June 15, 2009
The City of Champions has gone Cup crazy.
As Pittsburghers basked in the glow of a second pro sports championship in four months, the Stanley Cup toured PNC Park on Sunday, Sidney Crosby talked about the excitement of a two-title town and people crammed hotels in advance of today's celebration parade Downtown.
"It's been an amazing couple of days," Penguins winger Bill Guerin said after throwing out the first pitch at yesterday's Pirates game. "This city is just crazy about it right now. It's awesome. Pittsburgh's such a huge sports town. The fans ... incredible. It's been wild."
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby shows off the Stanley Cup in PNC Park on Sunday before the Pirates game against Detroit. Winger Bill Guerin threw out the first pitch, and the Bucs cruised to a 6-3 victory. Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review
The Penguins' Stanley Cup victory parade starts at noon today and will take the same route the Steelers did in February after they won their sixth Super Bowl title. It will proceed through Grant Street, loop to the Boulevard of the Allies and end at Stanwix Street. Several Downtown streets will be closed.
Pittsburgh officials are planning for the parade to draw as many as 350,000 people, the number who turned out for the Super Bowl victory parade, said Joanna Doven, a spokeswoman for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.
Sidney Crosby, wearing flip-flops and a Pirates jersey, joined 14 Penguins and coach Dan Bylsma at PNC Park and toted the Stanley Cup onto the field. Guerin threw out the first pitch, which wobbled a bit and kicked up dirt as outfielder Nyjer Morgan made the catch behind home plate.
"Don't you know a split-finger fastball is supposed to drop like that?" Guerin said, trying to contain a smile. "I was imagining a left-handed batter — brush him back a little bit, you know?"
The sun-splashed crowd of 27,565 — which included about 5,700 walk-ups, many likely lured by the Cup's visit — would have roared just as loudly if Guerin had chucked the ball onto Mazeroski Way. The Pirates gathered along the third base line and cheered as Crosby brought the Cup out of the home team's dugout.
The Stanley Cup kids said they're tickled to have helped Pittsburgh regain its status as "City of Champions."
"It's something as players we're proud of and happy to be a part of," Crosby said. "I'm sure as fans, people feel pretty fortunate to see that."
Crosby remembered watching February's parade for the Steelers with a touch of envy.
"We were all together watching it, and as we drove home (from practice at Mellon Arena) we were able to see the streets and the reaction," Crosby said. "It was hard, because we were almost looking back, thinking about what it could have been like for us the year before."
The Penguins lost the Cup Final to Detroit last year, but avenged that disappointment with a thrilling win in a seven-game rematch.
"Now, we've got our chance here to see it and take it in," Crosby said.
Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert, a diehard Penguins fan, said his organization was ecstatic to see another championship for the city.
"You knew what they were experiencing. From our viewpoint, it's just so awesome because a lot of the Steelers are huge hockey fans," he said.
Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, the playoff MVP, described Pittsburgh's championship year as "a big moment for the city."
"Lots of people outside for us, too," he said. "It's a good idea. We have two teams that won. We have both trophies."
Hotel reservations for tonight were in short supply by yesterday afternoon. Many hotels across the city reported being nearly filled. At the Days Inn along Banksville Road, reservations were expected to spike this afternoon.
"We know we're going to get more through (Sunday) and then a lot Monday afternoon," said Todd McCarrison, general manager at the hotel. "It looks to be about how it was for the Steelers parade — busy."
David Rozier didn't have a problem finding a room at a Holiday Inn in the North Hills when he, his wife and daughter came in yesterday afternoon from Washington. A longtime Penguins fan, he couldn't resist making the trek.
"I just had to be here, I'm a nutso Pens fan," said Rozier, 38. Wearing a mid-'90s white Pens jersey, Rozier shopped at PenStation, the team's official store at Mellon Arena, for Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal jerseys.
Rozier will be joined at today's parade by thousands of other fans, some of whom, like Sarah Sowers, will be prepared for a long wait in the sun. Sowers, 24, of DuBois was in town for the weekend with a friend and decided to skip work today to stay for the parade.
"This is really a good chance to bring new fans and old fans together," Sowers said. She met defenseman Brooks Orpik while shopping for Stanley Cup T-shirts — just as Orpik was.
"I was extremely surprised that he took the time out from getting stuff for his family and friends, and was so nice to everyone," Sowers said. "He was really humble."
Orpik wasn't the only player shopping yesterday. Malkin, center Mike Zigomanis and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury were also in the store, shopping for memorabilia. Becca Bochna, 12, of Brownsville, Fayette County, was shopping with her family when Fleury signed her T-shirt. Her family planned to leave by 5 a.m. to drive back to Pittsburgh for the parade.
"This is huge for the city," said Joe Bochna, Becca's father. "You think about all of the overtime the workers are going to get preparing for this. It's great."
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