City of Champions!
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hether it’s the Steelers winning Super Bowls, the Penguins bringing home the Stanley Cup, or the Pirates winning the World Series, Pittsburgh has long been known as the City of Champions. Pittsburgh is the only city with three or more major professional franchises in which each team shares the same colors: Black and Gold. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Pirates
With two titles in just the last decade, the Steelers now own the most Super Bowl wins of any professional football franchise. It all started back in the 1970’s with the Steel Curtain defenses led by “Mean” Joe Greene. Besides the 2005 and 2008 titles, the Steelers won the ring in 1974, 75, 78 and 1979. The Steelers, the oldest franchise in the AFC, have been wholly owned by the family of founder Art Rooney for their entire existence and have the third most members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Their inductees include wide receiver Lynn Swann, the aforementioned defensive lineman “Mean” Joe Greene, Steel Curtain head coach Chuck Noll, defensive back Rod Woodson and owners Art and Dan Rooney among many other recognizable names. Not to mention “Immaculate Reception” duo Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris. The “Immaculate Reception,” is the play that won the Steelers a 1972 playoff game against rivals the Oakland Raiders. NFL Films has labeled the play both the greatest and most controversial play in league history. The Steelers’ passionate fan base, aka “Steeler Nation” and their Terrible Towels have been tormenting their rivals the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders for more than three decades. The Steelers and Heinz Field, their home stadium, have hosted nearly 300 consecutive sellouts. Today, the Steelers are led by head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Pittsburgh’s five-time world champion baseball team has its fair share of victories and memories to celebrate as well. The Pirates joined the National League in its sixth season in 1887 and went on to play in the first ever World Series in 1903. They took home their first championship in 1909, behind the stellar play of legend Honus Wagner. It is Wagner’s T206 card, of which only 57 copies exist, that is speculated to be the most valuable baseball card ever. The Pirates returned to the series in 1960, winning in a game seven walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski, the only time a World Series game seven has ended in a home run. Legendary Pirates includes Wagner, Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and the 1979 “We Are Family” championship team. Clemente, arguably the most famous Pirate of all-time, died in a plane crash in 1972 while on a trip to deliver earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua. A statue, street and bridge all exist near the Pirates stadium in his honor. The Pirates opened PNC Park in 2001 and almost 20 years later, it is still widely considered to be one of the best ballparks in the country.
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