Season-ticket visits still a hit with Pens fans

By Rob Rossi, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Saturday, September 11, 2010

Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby delivers season tickets to the Koch family, (from left to right) Ryan, 13, Bob, and Josh, 12, at their home in Upper St. Clair on Friday afternoon as part of an annual Penguins promotion. "This is a lot of fun for everybody," said Penguins winger Chris Kunitz, one of 10 players who took part in the promotion.

Justin Merriman Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Sidney Crosby wanted no part of this assist.

"Do you have a sister?" Ryan Koch, 13, asked Crosby just after 1 p.m. Friday.

"Yeah," said Crosby, who had just delivered Penguins season tickets to the Koch family of Upper St. Clair — Bob, 46, Sherrie, 45, Ryan and twin brother Matt, and Josh, 12.

"A younger sister?" said Ryan.

Equally impressed and amused, and a bit taken aback, a laughing Crosby responded, "Why do you ask?"

Ryan offered no response. However, a moment like that left his mom wondering aloud why more professional sports teams, including the Pirates and Steelers, don't deliver like the Penguins did yesterday.

One of the franchise's most popular promotions made deliverymen of Crosby and teammates Craig Adams, Pascal Dupuis, Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Godard, Brent Johnson, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang, Mike Rupp and Max Talbot. The 10 players made multiple trips to more than 30 houses — and no two scenes were alike.

Bob Koch's boys each donned No. 87 Crosby sweaters to greet their hockey hero. All youth hockey players, Josh (black) and Ryan (baby blue) represented the hometown Penguins, but Matt tugged at Crosby's patriotism by displaying a red Canadian Olympic jersey.

"Team Canada, I like that," Crosby said upon first glance.

Later, while Crosby was talking with Matt's dad/assistant hockey coach, Matt conceded, "Well, I had to root for the USA in gold medal game, but when it went to overtime and he scored, I was OK with that."

"My dad got me this shirt after the Olympics," said Matt, who normally would have been in math class instead of discussing hockey loyalties.

Stories such as Crosby's meet-and-greet with the Koch family were ones that Jefferson Hills' Steve Mazefsky, 45, admittedly "read about and laughed at the last few years, because they seemed so cool...

"But on Wednesday I got this call from our ticket rep, and I thought maybe I had missed a payment or something," he said. "She said, 'No, but what are you doing Friday afternoon?"

Mazefsky, who like Bob Koch is a season-ticket holder going on six seasons, spent yesterday making sure his Penguins shrine was ready for whichever player would pay visit.

Turned out that Kunitz was the perfect guy to get a tour of the room Mazefsky had spent three years organizing with the help of wife Lisa, 50, and daughters Alison, 15, and Krista, 13. The room is filled by an air hockey table covered by replica sweaters; a bubble hockey game; two hi-def televisions (to watch road games); a mini Stanley Cup among the hockey-themed bar ornaments; enough posters and signs to hide most of the wood paneling; built-in glass cases on the walls for autographed jerseys; and six luxury suite-like black leather chairs over which were draped Penguins blankets.

This shrine had everything to represent seemingly every Penguin from the last few seasons (even Georges Laraque) — except, to Mazefsky's horror, something visible to acknowledge Kunitz. Not that he took offense.

"This is amazing; I mean, that's a lot of hours putting work into something like this," Kunitz said as Mazefsky tried but failed to make up the snub with pizza and pop.

"Sorry," Kunitz said, regretfully, "but I've got a body-fat test coming up, and there's only one week until camp opens."

After signing some personal items for the Mazefsky family, Kunitz headed for the next season ticket holder he was set to surprise. None among the visited yesterday knew which Penguin was coming their way.

Kunitz, who previously played in Anaheim, is perplexed more teams don't insist players involve themselves like those for the Penguins did yesterday.

"Maybe they think the product on the ice is giving back to fans," he said. "All I know is this is a lot of fun for everybody."