Pittsburgh summer: the sports parts
It isn't often that our trips home allow us to experience something of each of Pittsburgh's major sports teams. Hockey, football, and baseball all have their seasons, and while there can be overlap, that doesn't often happen when we are stateside. This summer, however, we were in a perfect storm of circumstances, a Ynzplosion, if you will. We were able to see something of each of these three teams live over the course of the summer.
As our Beijing spring was turning toward summer, the Pittsburgh Penguins were making a run in the playoffs toward the Stanley Cup. It appeared unlikely if you weren't a Penguins fan and weren't watching this team closely, seeing the disparate but talented pieces coming together and coalescing into a phenomenon since midseason.
This playoff run seemed to warrant our taking a Penguins logo to the Great Wall. Because that's what we do, you know.
At home in Changping we listened to the Penguin games in the morning, each day bringing us closer to the Stanley Cup Finals, and our flight home.
And then the Penguins won!
More after the jump
I hoped we would be able to attend the victory parade downtown. Myles and I have not attended any sort of championship celebration since the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005. It was, I thought, about time to get to another one.
Of course, a few hundred thousand other people had the same idea.
My nephew and I made sure the girls could see.
Myles found a ledge to stand upon and take less obstructed pictures from there.
Even with our limited view, we got to see some of our favorites.
Like Kris Letang
Bonino Bonino Bonino Bonino! Nick Boninoooooooo!
Pascal Dupuis and Marc-André Fleury
One of the highlights for us was this car with Phil Kessel. For Brigid, the excitement was seeing Amanda Kessel.
And then, of course, the MVP Sidney Crosby and Lord Stanley's Cup.
Later in the summer, we went to Latrobe to see the Steelers at training camp. It was the final day of public practises, so we only a saw a little bit of the starters. Like Ben Roethlisberger.
This is always fun, though often a little hot.
We took a break from the heat to duck into the Basilica, where Brigid found her favorite thing about visiting churches, votive candles. I didn't encourage them to pray specifically for the Steelers. I may have jested later that I prayed for the Bengals.
Then, just a few days before we returned to China, we took in a Pirates game with my family, completing our cycle with Pittsburgh's major sports teams. At the time, the Pirates were still in the hunt for a playoff spot, so we were able to take the loss to the Miami Marlins in stride. It would turn out to contribute to the beginning of the end of the season for the Buccos, though.
It was Josh Bell's first start at first base. In his previous appearances he was used mostly as a pinch hitter, to great success.
Even though the Pirates lost 3-2, there were "potential moments of unexpected delirium," as Nick Horby frames it.
Since it was a Sunday afternoon game, it was also a Kids' Day. That meant after the game children in attendance could run the bases.
While we were waiting in line, Andrew McCutchen rolled by us.
And they were off.
As our Beijing spring was turning toward summer, the Pittsburgh Penguins were making a run in the playoffs toward the Stanley Cup. It appeared unlikely if you weren't a Penguins fan and weren't watching this team closely, seeing the disparate but talented pieces coming together and coalescing into a phenomenon since midseason.
This playoff run seemed to warrant our taking a Penguins logo to the Great Wall. Because that's what we do, you know.
At home in Changping we listened to the Penguin games in the morning, each day bringing us closer to the Stanley Cup Finals, and our flight home.
And then the Penguins won!
More after the jump
I hoped we would be able to attend the victory parade downtown. Myles and I have not attended any sort of championship celebration since the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005. It was, I thought, about time to get to another one.
Of course, a few hundred thousand other people had the same idea.
My nephew and I made sure the girls could see.
Myles found a ledge to stand upon and take less obstructed pictures from there.
Even with our limited view, we got to see some of our favorites.
Like Kris Letang
Bonino Bonino Bonino Bonino! Nick Boninoooooooo!
Pascal Dupuis and Marc-André Fleury
One of the highlights for us was this car with Phil Kessel. For Brigid, the excitement was seeing Amanda Kessel.
And then, of course, the MVP Sidney Crosby and Lord Stanley's Cup.
Later in the summer, we went to Latrobe to see the Steelers at training camp. It was the final day of public practises, so we only a saw a little bit of the starters. Like Ben Roethlisberger.
This is always fun, though often a little hot.
We took a break from the heat to duck into the Basilica, where Brigid found her favorite thing about visiting churches, votive candles. I didn't encourage them to pray specifically for the Steelers. I may have jested later that I prayed for the Bengals.
Then, just a few days before we returned to China, we took in a Pirates game with my family, completing our cycle with Pittsburgh's major sports teams. At the time, the Pirates were still in the hunt for a playoff spot, so we were able to take the loss to the Miami Marlins in stride. It would turn out to contribute to the beginning of the end of the season for the Buccos, though.
It was Josh Bell's first start at first base. In his previous appearances he was used mostly as a pinch hitter, to great success.
Even though the Pirates lost 3-2, there were "potential moments of unexpected delirium," as Nick Horby frames it.
Since it was a Sunday afternoon game, it was also a Kids' Day. That meant after the game children in attendance could run the bases.
While we were waiting in line, Andrew McCutchen rolled by us.
And they were off.
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