The Five Most Important People EVER (And by ever, I mean in Pittsburgh Sports history)

Let's face it, the Internet loves countdowns. Pittsburgh loves sports. This list was just bound to happen.

So lets eschew the superfluous adjectives and get right to it.


5. Barney Dreyfuss



Don't be ashamed if you had to Wikipedia Barney Dreyfuss. In case you didn't know, there are quite a few reasons why Dreyfuss appears on this list.

1. He brokered the deal that sent Honus Wagner, Rube Waddell and others from Louisville to Pittsburgh, permanently altering the course of baseball in Pittsburgh. It was quite a badass move. The Louisville team was about to fall victim to league contraction, so Dreyfuss purchased the Pirates, then proceeded to trade four relative no-names to Louisville for Wagner, etc., all while knowing full well that the Louisville team was about to fall into oblivion. Awesome.

2. He pretty much came up with the idea for the World Series.

3. He oversaw the construction of Forbes Field, which forever changed the layout of the city, and in particular Oakland and the University of Pittsburgh. Forbes was also the first three-tiered steel stadium in the US. Prior to the first game at Forbes Field, Dreyfuss stood at the gate, shaking hands with all who entered.

4. The hat. Seriously.



4. Chuck Noll



Frankly, it was harder to put Noll on this list than I thought it would be. Not that it's Noll's fault, it's just because Pittsburgh is that awesome.

But seriously, remember how good the Steelers were before Noll came along? You don't? Oh yeah, that's because they SUCKED. The Steelers of the 1930s-1960s were pretty much how the Pirates are now: Jokes. The first decision Emporer Chaz made as head coach was to draft Joe Greene, one of the only people in NFL history who has 6 Super Bowl Rings (all with the Steelers).

Perhaps his most telling statistic (other than his four Super Bowl Titles): From 1969 to 1974, Noll drafted NINE Hall of Famers. That's not a typo. Noll almost AVERAGED drafting two Hall of Famers a year over that span. That's completely insane. Okay, fine, maybe it wasn't too difficult to put him here.



3. Roberto Clemente



Definitely the most heartbreaking figure in Pittsburgh sports history. And who knows exactly what baseball in Pittsburgh would be like now had Clemente not left us at such a young age.

Much is made about Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, and deservedly so. However, I'd argue that Clemente was more important in regards to the ethnic makeup of the sport. Clemente was not the first Latin player in the league (that distinction belongs to Esteban Bellán), but he was the game's greatest Latino ambassador. Clemente's success, along with his unmatched off-the-field work, changed the landscape of the game. Baseball has become the Latin American pastime, in great part due to Clemente's impact on his native Puerto Rico and the rest of the region.

I haven't even mentioned the fact that Clemente is regarded as one of the greatest all-around players in the history of baseball, but yeah, the stats and championships speak for themselves.





2. The Rooney Family



I know, I know. I can't believe I put them here either. The family that is often pegged as the greatest owners in NFL history. And without the Steelers and the Rooney family, Pittsburgh would look much different. The Steelers have the most Super Bowl Championships, and are often regarded as the greatest franchise in the NFL.

....But they weren't always. The Rooneys are often put up on a pedestal by Pittsburgh fans, however, the first 35 plus years of the franchise's existence were a complete disaster. What changed the fortune of the franchise was the hiring of the fourth most influential person in Pittsburgh sports history, Chuck Noll. It's very difficult to gauge where the Rooney's influence ends and Noll's begins.

And unfortunately, in recent years, the image of the Rooney's has taken a hit. The Ben Roethlisberger saga, among other team issues, has somewhat tarnished the way that people (mostly those outside of Pittsburgh) look at the Rooney family.

All that being said, they are undoubtedly the patriarchal family of Pittsburgh, and likely will be for the decades to come.



1. Mario Lemieux



In sports history, it is a rarity for one person to single-handedly save a franchise.

Mario Lemieux has done it.

Three times.

In 1983, the Penguins were flirting with bankruptcy for the second time in the past 10 years. Many observers thought the end was near for the Penguins. Cue Le Magnifique. Super Mario was there for the taking (since the Pens tanked the end of the 1983 season), and Pittsburgh had a new favorite son. It didn't take long for Lemieux to endear himself the Pittsburgh faithful, scoring on his first NHL shot, and more importantly to the team, putting fans in the seats.

Lemieux had perhaps the most turbulent playing career that any major sports star has ever had. He battled severe back issues (so severe he couldn't put his own skates on) and a bout of Hodgkin's disease, which could have cost him his life. No matter the injury issues, many experts put Lemieux in the same category as Wayne Gretzky, some even saying Lemieux was the better of the two. Super Mario lead the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

That was the first time Lemieux saved the team.

Late in Mario's career, he was faced with one of the strangest circumstances that a professional player has ever fallen into. By the end of the 1990s, the Penguins were almost $100 million in the red. They declared bankruptcy (again) in 1998, after asking Lemieux and other players to defer their salaries (which they had been doing for quite some time). By the time the Penguins filed for bankruptcy, Mario was the team's largest creditor. Rather than demand his money, Lemieux turned the $30 million he was owed into equity and bought a controlling stake in the organization, becoming the majority owner, President and CEO of the Penguins.

And by the way, Lemieux ended up repaying everyone whom the previous owners had not.

Then came the third and (hopefully) final time in which Lemieux propped up the Pens. After several years of struggles and declining attendance, along with a failed sale of the team, Lemieux managed to fight off the pressures to move the team elsewhere, bartering for the agreement that inevitably gave us the Consol Energy Center. At the time, Lemieux was widely criticized for visiting with Kansas City, though it has since come out that Lemieux's reason for the visit was to put pressure on Pennsylvania to authorize the new arena.

For all of these reasons, it's hard to argue that Mario Lemieux ISN'T the most influential and important sports figure that Pittsburgh has ever had. When you analyze the totality of what Lemieux has done, it's nearly mind-boggling.

We love you, 66.

From Zero to Shero: Ray's New Look Penguins

In the five years since the Penguins unceremoniously broke ties with long time GM Craig Patrick, Ray Shero has become a nearly cult-like figure in Pittsburgh. A quick Google images search will provide photoshops depicting Ray's badass-ness. He's basically become the most trusted figure in the city since Mr. Rogers.


Fred Rogers donning his pimpin' shoes.

Shero's cavalier attitude, coupled with his talent-spotting abilities (which must be a genetic trait) have rocketed him to beloved status. Even the trainwreck that was the Alexei Ponikarovsky acquisition last year, support for Shero hasn't waned.

But it is without question that 2011 will be the most difficult year for Ray-Ray.



The casualty list in Pittsburgh makes All-Star teams look as if they lack depth. The injuries to Crosby and Malkin only begin to scratch the surface. Somehow, behind the clearly superhuman leadership of Dan Bylsma, the Penguins have retained their grip on fourth in the Eastern Conference. The team's resilience has put Shero in an intriguing spot. When you have the second most points in the conference, no matter the injuries, packing up before the playoffs is not an option. So what does Shero do? Trades the most expendable player at the most expendable position on the team for something the Pens have desperately needed since the departure of a player to be mentioned later in this post (it's not Hossa, he can suck it): a talented, goal scoring winger, and clearly the next spokesperson for Crest Whitening Strips, James Neal.


Dude has albino teeth. Crazy.

Not only did Shero address a need by trading a talented defenseman who is prone to mental lapses, he somehow got Dallas to throw in THEIR talented defensemen who is prone to mental lapses, Matt Niskanen. There's nothing funny about him, except that he's from a state within a state (Virginia, Minnesota).

Both Neal and Niskanen will be Pens through 2011-12, and given their young age (23 and 24, respectively), they are decidedly not "rentals". Neal could be the finisher that Crosby has never had, and Niskanen might not suck.

And then yesterday, Shero did what everyone in Pittsburgh wanted him to. He pretty much traded a hockey stick an a Tim Horton's donut for someone the organization is a bit familiar with.



Kova-love.

Terrible Omen of the Millenium: As I was trying to post this video, Safari completely crashed and took me about 20 minutes to fix. Shit.

The scary part of all of Shero's dealing?

We still have days until the deadline. Hold on tight.


Edit: TSN's Darren Dreger just released a report in regards to the possibility of Crosby sitting the remainder of the season. Looking more and more likely.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/dregerreport

The Stars are Falling.

Moving on to the Pens today, whom I’ve done a tremendous job of ignoring. Look for a Steelers season recap sometime this week.

We’ve just about gotten used to watching Pens games without Malkin and Crosby. It’s basically like watching the 2009-10 New Jersey Devils, only less douchier. Somehow, we’ve not only managed to stay afloat, but have navigated these rough seas to a solid January-February record (minus the last two games). However, the Pens undoubtedly face some major problems

Issue #1:



Rumors have been flying around about the status of Crosby. Ask one person and they’ll say that Crosby is seeing stars when he practices, others say he was beaten by baboons outside of Mike Rupp’s Super Bowl party. The line between fact and fiction is opaque at best.

What we do know is this; we likely won’t see Crosby until March, or if Crosby’s injury is as apocalyptic as some are claiming, he’ll be put on season-ending IR prior to the trade deadline (March 1st). In order to have any shot at a deep playoff run, the Penguins need Crosby at 100%. That’s the reason that I don’t fully buy into the severity of these claims. Penguins brass are not stupid. Unless the team were to go into a nuclear tailspin in the next month, it’s smarter to shelf Crosby for the time being.

All that being said, it’s hard to look at what happened to Marc Savard after Matt Cooke’s hit. He’ll never be the same.


Issue #2:

Can the Penguins win the Cup without Evgeni Malkin?



Weird.

Before you point to his numbers for the past two seasons, remember, he’s a Conn Smythe winner. He’s no joke. Even when he’s not at the top of his game, he’s at least taking up one of the opposition’s top defensive pairings. Especially given the improvement in Malkin’s defensive play, his production is nearly impossible to replace.


It’s a scary, yet interesting time to be a Pens fan.


Late News: Matt Cooke suspended 4 games for raping Fedor Tyutin (still the best name in hockey). Should be fun to see what kind of depleted lineup we can field tomorrow night against the Kings. No word on whether or not Cooke will get an extra two games for bitchslapping Tyutin with his Stanley Cup Ring.



Bah.

Out in the Cold. Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl XLV Champs.

And listen, about those bitter songs you sing;
they're not helping anything,
they won't make you strong.

The Weakerthans- “Plea From a Cat Named Virtute”



In a Super Bowl in which hundreds of ticket-holding fans were left outside the gates, Steeler fans in attendance wished they would have been among them.

Left to my own indulgences (which the internet will always allow us to do), after last night’s game, I would have written a profanity-laced tirade that would have made Lewis Black cry. I would have insulted babies, presidents, and probably would have worked some jabs in at the Pope or Gandhi.

But even after losing a Super Bowl, we all still wake up in the morning (and least most of us, I don’t remember reading anything about a disgruntled fan taking a swan dive off the 10th Street Bridge). Fans and pretentious blowhards who think that just because they have a blog that they’re experts on everything (me, anybody?) will dissect the loss, pinpointing where things went south, and who to assess the blame to.

It’s a fruitless endeavor. We lost because Green Bay was the better team last night. No need to delve much deeper. As a Steeler fan, watching that game was like seeing your girlfriend get teabagged by the Duke Lacrosse team. So rather than partaking in mindless tripe, I’d like to do two things.

1. Congratulate the Packers.



What a deserving team and city. There’s nothing arrogant or cocky about them. They work hard on and off the field, and if we were going to lose to anybody, I’m glad it was to a team like that.

Aaron Rodgers has officially sent Brett Favre’s shadow packing. He was in complete control from the start, and wasn’t in awe of anything. He’s a class act and an extremely deserving MVP. There were many other players that deserved a Super Bowl title; namely Clay Matthews, Donald Driver and Charles Woodson. I should also mention Cullen Jenkins, who had to spend most of Super Bowl week searching for his missing father (they’ve since spoken, and all is well). For a team to wade through as many injuries as they have, it is truly remarkable.


2. Congratulate the Steelers.



Don’t act like they don’t deserve it. They didn’t have their best game against the Pack, but it shouldn’t completely overshadow a season in which expectations were running at an all-time low, only to wind up playing in the Super Bowl. Kudos to them for not giving up at any point during the season; they easily could have.

Now it’s on to working towards getting an agreement done, so that we can have a chance to avenge our loss in 2011.

Here’s something to cheer you up. Keep the faith.

Survival of the Fittest: Super Bowl XLV

“But oh, what providence!
What divine intelligence!
That you should survive,
As well as me.”

The Decemberists- “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”


Titletown vs. The City of Champions.

My first thought, as I watched the Steelers assume the Victory Formation while time ticked down last week was:

45 years.

How the hell did it take 45 years for (arguably) the two most storied franchises in NFL history to meet on the grand stage?

The road to the Super Bowl is circuitous, often filled with small challenges that when woven together make up the greatest of trials. It proved to be no different for both the Packers and the Steelers in 2010.

The Packers withstood an avalanche of injuries in the early part of the season, none more critical than the losses of star running back Ryan Grant and the dynamic Jermichael Finley. Aaron Rodgers took more head shots than a C-list Hollywood actor, missing time due to two concussions. They’ve been in survival mode for the past month and a half, and it shows.

The Steelers faced a far different path. There’s no need to describe the offseason Ben Roethlisberger saga, as it has played out on televisions and TMZ for the past 9 months. The shadow that it cast over the season, however, was short lived. Helped by the defense and solid QB play from Batch, Dixon and Leftwich, the Steelers got off to a hot start and cruised to a division title. In a manner that has become uncomfortably expected, the Steelers were able to dispatch two great teams in the Ravens and the Jets during their playoff run. Remarkably, the Steelers have now appeared in better than 1 out of every 6 Super Bowls.

There are a ton of story lines, which will be repeated ad nauseum for the next week. However, in my mind, there are only two things worth talking about.



1. If the Packers win, Aaron Rodgers officially bucks all previous trends.

Legendary quarterbacks, quite naturally, leave an indelible mark on a team’s history. Their legacies outlive their tenures, and their departures often send their team into a tailspin. Ask the Broncos how easy it has been to replace John Elway. The Dolphins have won exactly one playoff game since the Marino era. Hell, even Pittsburgh suffered for 20+ years between Bradshaw and Ben. To this point, the sole example of a legendary quarterback replacing a legendary quarterback is Steve Young taking over for Joe Montana in San Francisco. However, even this comparison is problematic, since Young was by no means a youngster when he took the helm (he was 30).

When Brett Favre unceremoniously departed Green Bay, the stage should have been set for disappointment. But rather than adhering to the aforementioned examples; Aaron Rodgers has never shown any pressure passed down to him from the glory of Favre’s reign. It’s difficult enough to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL, but to have the mental strength to acknowledge and deal with the expectations that fans have of their quarterback is something very special. Were the Packers to win, the next Green Bay QB will have to deal with playing in the shadow of Rodgers.



2. If the Steelers win, they are a dynasty, there’s no debating it.

Side note: The above picture totally justifies the existence of Google Images.

On Sunday, if the Steelers hoist that “sticky Lombardi”, that will be three Super Bowls in 6 years. I don’t care how you cut it, that’s a dynasty. Not only that, it would come with several different implications:

First, the Steelers would be the first team to have two dynasties. As rare as these things are, the odds have two different ones in back-to-back generations must be somewhere in between winning the lottery twice in a week and getting struck by lightning in the bathroom of a Taco Bell (a place in which we’re often struck with something else). If it weren’t clear enough already, this would have to put the Rooney family as the greatest owners (or very close) in NFL history. With a league as balanced as this one, winning so many championships in this day and age should be looked upon differently than 50+ years ago.

Secondly, the Steelers will have something that many thought would never happen again: basically a homegrown dynasty. Out of the 22 2010 starters for the Steelers, 19 were drafted/signed by Pittsburgh, with the lone exceptions being Flozell Adams, James Farrior and Ryan Clark. Front office, go ahead and pat yourself on the back. It’s well-deserved.

Third, it makes it nearly impossible to keep Ben Roethlisberger out of the Hall of Fame. I understand he hasn’t even hit his 30th birthday, but the number of three-time Super Bowl Champion quarterbacks NOT in the Hall of Fame equals the number of women that Clay Aiken has slept with: zero. I’ve made my dislike for Ben fairly clear, and my praising of his abilities have absolutely nothing to do with my opinion of him as a person, but they have to be acknowledged. If he wins this week, I don’t know who/what he’d have to sexually assault to keep him out of the Hall.


Before we fall victim to Super Bowl indulgence, as Steeler fans, we should take time to appreciate what we have. If you were to poll people in August, most would have said the Steelers may have an outside shot at the playoffs. I would bet that more people would have bet on the Pirates having a winning season in 2011 than the Steelers making another Super Bowl appearance. We should not let ourselves become spoiled by this team. Getting this far is a tremendous achievement, and we should revel in the atmosphere and joy that it provides us.

There’s simply no place we’d rather be.



And one more thing: we need to stop with the whole “Stairway to Seven” thing. It isn’t cool, it was never cool and it will never be cool. If I were in Led Zeppelin (and still living), hearing that would make me vomit uncontrollably. Please file this in with “One for the Thumb” and other ridiculous, unnecessary phrases.

I love you all. Go Steelers.