By Ed Blazina, Jerome L. Sherman and Anya Sostek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/
Lake Fong/Post-GazetteReceiver Santonio Holmes hoists his Super Bowl XLIII MVP trophy for the crowd at the Boulevard of the Allies at Smithfield Street during the Steelers victory parade yesterday. Steelers Nation turned out in force; police estimated the crowd at 350,000.
The pilgrimage began before dark and continued to build for six hours as a nation gathered at its capital to honor its conquering heroes.
And when they arrived, a grateful Steelers Nation estimated at 350,000 erupted in a joyous celebration of the Pittsburgh Steelers' sixth Super Bowl championship in an hour-long parade Downtown yesterday.
Adults and children alike apparently were stricken with the Black-and-Gold Flu, causing them to miss school and work. The cure: jamming the streets Downtown in a communal show of support for a football team that has won more Super Bowl championships than any other.
In the end, it was hard to tell who was more appreciative -- fans who screamed and cheered for the players, coaches and owners along the parade route or team members who took the stage at Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix Street to thank fans for their unending support.
Coach Mike Tomlin, normally calm and stoic along the sidelines and in front of the media, let loose during the parade. After the procession turned from Grant Street onto the Boulevard of the Allies, Mr. Tomlin -- wearing a gray championship hoodie -- got out of his car and walked, slapping hands and pumping fists with fans on both sides of the street to loud cheers.
On the stage, he was more composed and spoke for less than a minute. As usual, he measured his words well.
"What do you say to this?" he said about the huge reception. "Steelers Nation, you leave us all speechless ... How about No. 6?"
Police estimated that 350,000 Steelers fans jammed Downtown streets for the parade -- at least 100,000 more than the team's last victory parade in 2006.
But yesterday's parade was a more orderly affair, city officials said, thanks to a new route using wider streets, metal and wooden barriers to keep the crowds back from the procession, and about 270 police officers who stood along the route to maintain order. There were only a few incidents of disorderly behavior reported and officers handled those without making any arrests.
In 2006, fans spilled onto Centre, Sixth, Fifth and Liberty avenues and clamored for autographs from the players.
This time, the parade followed Grant Street and Boulevard of the Allies, accommodating the larger crowds.
"It was a lot of people," police Cmdr. George Trosky said. "By 8 a.m., it was packed."
But that didn't lead to crowd control problems.
"It couldn't have been smoother," Cmdr. Trosky said. "The crowd was very orderly. Everybody had fun."
EMS crews responded to only four calls by the early afternoon, including one for a seizure, according to City Public Safety Director Michael Huss.
"All in all we were very happy with the outcome," he said.
Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers jumps into the crowd during a parade to celebrate winning Super Bowl XLIII on February 3, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)
Several parade-goers tried to reach the railing above the driveway at the Pennsylvanian building for a better view, breaking several light fixtures as they scaled the wall.
Greg Evans, the Pennsylvanian's maintenance supervisor, told them to get down.
Many fans who went to both post-Super Bowl events said that yesterday felt less chaotic and congested. Along Grant Street in front of Oxford Centre, families with small children mingled uneventfully with businessmen in topcoats and bare-chested men adorned with black and gold body paint.
"It's not as crazy as I thought," said Theresa Gouker, of Liberty. Arriving around 10:30 a.m., Ms. Gouker, her friend Tiffany Pikula, and their three young daughters clad in pink and purple snowsuits over Steelers jerseys managed to snag spots in the front row -- close enough for players to see the brightly colored signs that the girls had made.
"We skipped school," said Ms. Gouker, as 7-year-old Kennedy Pikula looked around guiltily, holding her "I (heart) You Troy" sign. "They were promised that if the Steelers won, they could go to the parade."
By the time the Thomas Jefferson marching band took to Grant Street playing Queen's "We Are the Champions," fan excitement was near a boiling point.
While some players, like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, calmly took in the scene, others played off the energy of the crowd.
As fans whipped their Terrible Towels, players Willie Parker and Deshea Townsend waved them right back. To cheers of "Defense, defense," defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau raised his arms in a victory salute.
Defensive lineman Casey Hampton briefly gave the crowd an intimate taste of the "Big Snack," taking his shirt off near the Boulevard of the Allies and Wood Street.
And along Grant Street, receiver Hines Ward stood on top of a moving SUV, while Willie Colon tentatively held his jersey in the event that he lost his balance.
James Harrison and Santonio Holmes brought up the rear of the parade, holding the Vince Lombardi and the Super Bowl MVP trophies.
Some resourceful fans took to the edges of the five-story parking garage at Smithfield and the Boulevard and opened upper-floor windows of the AFSCME and Diocese of Pittsburgh buildings for better views.
Dozens crowded onto the bed -- and a few onto the roof and front -- of a city Public Works pickup truck parked on Market Street near the Boulevard of the Allies.
"We ambushed the truck," said Dee Butler, of the North Side, who watched the parade from that elevated vantage point.
Ms. Butler has attended every other public Steelers event this season, including rallies at the Terrible Tree at the Allegheny County Courthouse and the one at Heinz Field. She considers herself to be in the upper echelon of Steelers fans -- so much so that her home answering machine says, "You have just reached the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers' number one fan."
For her, the highlight of the day came when safety Troy Polamalu rode by Market Street and the Boulevard of the Allies on top of an SUV.
James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers shows off the Super Bowl XLIII trophy during a parade on February 3, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)
A mass of fans at Market Street yelled for him to dive, so after standing atop the roof of his vehicle -- and slowly counting down so that fans would be ready -- he leaped into the air, twisting to fall backward onto fans' outreached hands. He did a similar crowd surf at the parade three years ago.
"I thought he was kidding," said Jim Atzert, of McCandless, "but he just jumped right off."
After fans safely delivered him back to the SUV, fellow safety Ryan Clark followed with his own body-surfing dive.
"Oh my God, I've seen everything, especially when Polamalu jumped into the fans," said Ms. Butler. "This is history in the making."
Mr. Polamalu played to the crowd throughout the parade route, calling for more noise and then getting it when he took his signature flowing hair out of a ponytail and shook it in the breeze. He repeated the trick several times.
"As long as I saw Troy, I'm happy," said one woman who turned to leave after he passed by. "He's beautiful."
Ken Orluske, of Shaler, skipped two classes at the Community College of Allegheny County yesterday to see the parade.
"This is the record -- six Super Bowls," he said. "It's like Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals."
Like dozens of others looking for sustenance and a bathroom as the parade wound down, Mr. Orluske ducked into the Primanti Brothers on Cherry Way.
Business there was about triple what it would be on a normal Tuesday, said manager Rick Kerlin.
Defensive lineman Brett Keisel seemed to sum up the sentiment of the day.
"Pittsburgh, I've got one question. How does that six-pack taste?" he asked as the crowd roared. "Now we've got to go for seventh heaven."
Timothy McNulty contributed to this story. Ed Blazina can be reached at eblazina@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1470. Jerome L. Sherman can be reached at jsherman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1183. Anya Sostek can be reached at asostek@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1308.
First published on February 4, 2009 at 12:00 am
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