Did you ever notice that sports are really fun no matter where you are? This past weekend we travelled to Pittsburgh. I lived a couple of hours from that city for a decade of my life, but it seemed so FAR. Mom was a single parent who struggled, working long hours to feed and clothe us so jaunts to the big city weren't very common. The only times we went to Pittsburgh were for an occasional Penguins game (pre-Mario days, when the tickets were easy to come by) and a weekly trip-- during 1977-78-- to my neurologist at Childrens Hospital after my accident. Oh yeah, once or twice for a play during high school.
I had never been to a Pirates game (watched them on tv every now and then with my cousin Tammy, who was really into baseball). Never been to a Steelers game (mom is one of the half- dozen people in Western PA who hates the Steelers, so that may have been an additional factor as to why we never went). So it was with a great deal of anticipation that we made our way to PNC Park and Heinz Field on a glorious summer weekend in Western Pennsylvania.
Both parks are situated on the riverfront. First was the Steelers game on Friday night. Pittsburgh is a football obsessed town, so virtually everyone was dressed in the black and gold. I love attending a sports event outdoors at night. The lights make the field seem so surreal and the colors are more intense somehow. I've never been a huge Steelers fan-- my football loyalty lies squarely with the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears (da Bearz!!). I was a little apprehensive about wearing the navy and orange in foreign territory, but no one commented. We were both exhausted from the long drive from Chicago and the late night the night before, so we left at halftime. Regardless, it was a treasured experience. The stadium is beautiful and my only complaint is the serious shortage of cabs there. When we were leaving, I asked an attendant which exit we should take for the cab stand. His look of incredulity was as if I had asked where to board the space shuttle. He said it would be hard. And it was. Although some guy pulling a bike contraption offered to take us back to the hotel for $75. We walked.
On Sunday afternoon we went to PNC Park for the Pirates game. Another gorgeous venue. It has a food court and shopping area that is very reminiscent of my favorite mall (ahhh, malls... ahhh, shopping!). And they had Iron City beer. Just like a trip to Chicago isn't complete without downing a couple pints or more of 312 brews, a trip to the Burgh isn't proper without some IC in your gut. Once again, I stayed true to my roots and came dressed in Cubbie blue. I was greeted mostly with pity because of it. Had I been holding a sign reading "spare change for a fan of a worse team than yours," I probably could've paid next month's electric bill. Again, we left early because our time in the city was short and we were trying to cram in a lot of activity, but it was another special outing.
See ya for a Pens game next time, Pittsburgh. Thanks for a good time.
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