Yinzers,
When I was a youngster/hipster growing up in the burgh I can remember walking down the Huge ramps at Three River Stadium saying to my Mom "Wow I can't wait to bring my kids here when I grow up."
Sorry to say Three Rivers is gone and I have no Kids.
Tomorrow night is the final regular season game in the Civic Arena. Allot of our Blogger's have written about the old Barn, But for me tomorrow is really special. This is the place where my mom and I got to go to the 1993 Playoffs vs the Caps. This is an arena that I have never seen the Penguins Lose. I am a stunning 22-0 at the Igloo. ( Also 0-6 on the road)I even got on a plane when the Penguins were in Jeopardy of losing the franchise, flew home bought a ticket on the street and watched a young Sidney Crosby make the Rangers look silly in OT....what I have learned over the years is that almost everyone in the Burgh loves the Steelers,it's a given but when it comes to the Penguins you are attached to this team. This Team is the Soul of the city.
I can remember My first game In 1992 and I got to see Mario Lemieux skate against the New York Rangers, he was better than anyone in the arena. I can remember when the flowing mullet of Double J, would skate harder than anyone down the ice and score magical goals at will.
Going to the Igloo and watching the Penguins in Pittsburgh is a right of Passage growing up.
If you went to school in the Pittsburgh area then you went to the Arena once a year for the Circus, I myself growing up on a farm was never impressed by the Circus at all. I thought as a nine year old wow what a waste of money, and why don't these people have real jobs? Needless to say I have been to concerts, indoor soccer and one roller hockey game back when the Phantoms were not in Toronto.
The Building itself is the oldest in the NHL, and Pittsburgh is indeed deserving of the Consol Energy center- which is quite a castle for the kings of the city. Just as Three Rivers has come and gone so is the Igloo. But it is time to move on, especially in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh does not know where they will begin the Playoffs , three games left in the 2010 season, lots of questions and not the same feel as last year. We are in Atlanta this weekend to see them play the hapless Thrashers.
Tommorow Night I am breaking up with my favorite Building from my Childhood.
Goodbye ole' girl. n' Lets Go Pens.
Wade
1 comment:
the first penguins game that i can remember took place just after they changed the name to the mellon arena. i remember the old black jersey with the word pittsburgh written down the chest. i remember those horrid home jerseys that had the stripes the whole way around the core section. i remember petr nedved's game winner after nearly six hours of hockey. i remember the likes of ian moran, jan hrdina, martin straka, alexei kovalev, konstantin kolzov, danny locature and the other classic role players. i will miss the old arena, tight burnt-orange seats, the hike up to section K and jean-claude van damme's autograph on the ceiling. the bright side: the pens are still in pittsburgh, the fans are still in pittsburgh and kenny the vendor is still in pittsburgh.
beeeeeeeeeeeeer here,
B Brog
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