Posted on 06/15/2009 8:35:27 AM PDT by flattorney
06.15.09: Pittsburgh Officials Prepare for 350,000 fans at Penguins' Victory Parade
The City of Champions has gone Cup crazy. As Pittsburghers basked in the glow of a second pro sports championship in four months, the Stanley Cup toured PNC Park on Sunday, Sidney Crosby talked about the excitement of a two-title town and people crammed hotels in advance of today's celebration parade Downtown. "It's been an amazing couple of days," Penguins winger Bill Guerin said after throwing out the first pitch at yesterday's Pirates game. "This city is just crazy about it right now. It's awesome. Pittsburgh's such a huge sports town. The fans ... incredible. It's been wild." The Penguins' Stanley Cup victory parade starts at noon today and will take the same route the Steelers did in February after they won their sixth Super Bowl title. It will proceed through Grant Street, loop to the Boulevard of the Allies and end at Stanwix Street. Several Downtown streets will be closed. Pittsburgh officials are planning for the parade to draw as many as 350,000 people, the number who turned out for the Super Bowl victory parade, said Joanna Doven, a spokeswoman for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.
"For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a trimphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting. - General George S. Patton Jr.
I think the Crosby detracters are focusing on the wrong player(s) here. I think Crosby played with class and determination, unlike some of the other Penguins. I'm glad he's the Captain and hope the others on his team follow his lead.
Sports is like politics - some people get in way too deep. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You can enjoy a victory without slamming your opponent.
And before someone jumps on this post, please read my other posts on this subject and stop focusing on one player!
I never knocked the Penguins - admit it!
I congratulated them on their win - admit it!
I disclaimed Babcock's "out of gas" statement as lame - admit it!
I blame the Wings for losing and the say the Penguins won it without cheating or referee "calls and "non-calls" (that stuff happens - it's part of sports) - admit it!
I'm confused. You disagree with what? I'm being accused of making the most absurd statement of the century (this includes anything BO, jimmy Kawtaw, nancy pee-losi and others of their ilk have ever said) about Malkin. It sounds like you agree that Malkin is barely, if at all, NHL material.
Well, I think Crosby played with a lot more class than Malkin. Crosby is a good player and should have a long career in the NHL. Face it, he is fun to watch - he's got some good moves!
>>I’m not sure Malkin even belongs in the NHL;
Dumbest thing I’ve read on a FR thread.
Another Pittsburgh fan joins in without being able to see beyond their own monitor.
Obviously you can excuse the petulant behavior shown by Malkin throughout the playoffs, acting, or at least looking like, a 10 year old kid playing pond rink hockey - grinning like a kid on Christmas when his teams wins, and ready to throw a temper tantrum because he didn't get a puppy for Christmas when his team loses.
Keep it up, y'all. You're making Penguin fans look pretty juvenile. They won. Enjoy the win. I do not detract them for winning, nor say it was fluke or bad officiating.
They beat the Wings, fair and square. I would say right now that the Penguin players are more mature than alot of their supporters, and are handling it better, too!
Sorry, I was disagreeing with your assessment that Crosby is a good captain. But yes, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment that Malkin is barely NHL material.
What’s wrong with being happy when your team wins and mad when they lose? Especially in the playoffs?! See that’s the problem with the Wings lately, and why I’ve kind of gotten sick of them, they’ve turned into a hockey playing machine and lost the emotion of the game. I like seeing players emotionally tied to the game, especially in the playoffs when most players are playing for history not money. That’s part of what makes sports fun, the emotions of the players tie them on some level to the fans, emotionless players are boring to watch.
It is a great time here. Phillies, Steelers, Bears and Penguins. Even our local high school (Camp Hill) won the State Baseball Championship.
I'm not sure Malkin even belongs in the NHL; I know Tablot does not - spearing a player on his knees with the point of stick, knocking him over after the game was clearly over!. Sure, Malkin can score, and has talent, but his temperment reminds me mostly of the 70's-era Flyers (who spent more time fighting than playing).
The point I was trying to make (for those of you born after the mid-70's) was that up until the mid-70's Flyers, hockey was played by people of real caliber, not fighters. The 70's Flyers changed that (preceded by some on the early 70's Bruins - Derek Sanderson, anyone?) and began winning.
Remember the old joke "I went to a fight last night, and a hockey game broke out"? Well, as I remember it, eventually things got out of hand as all teams hired "skating guns" to protect their players, and this is why the rules were changed to what they are today - to get back to and reflect the real talent it takes to play hockey.
I do not appreciate the underhandedness displayed in a lot of games, by anyone - the slashing at ankles, the face "washing", etc. To me, it's not hockey and it's not what I want to see.
Sure, I'm a Wings fan, and I was disappointed to see them lose. But I won't blame it on the officials or "cheating" by the Pens (which I saw none of, including the 21 seconds of a 7 man team - no pro team would cheat in such a blatant way).
No, the Pens won, fair and square. The Cup is theirs. I hope this win helps some of their less-mature players grow up some more.
You’re right.
I apologize.
Nothing. Most of my posts to this thread are about cheering when your team wins and supporting them when they lose.
I'm being blasted by a horde of giddy Pens fans who cannot take one lick of criticism about their team or anyone on it (although I never said one word denigrating the Penguins as a team!).
But we need to be angry at our team for losing, not for the other team beating "our" team, although we still need to support them - sometimes you win, sometimes you lose (I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here!).
There's a difference in a player being emotional about a game and taking it out on the opposing team - it's called maturity, something that seemes to be missing from alot of posts on this thread.
The Wings looked pretty emotional and dejected on the bench after the final buzzer, wouldn't you say. I had a hard time watching the after the final buzzer, myself, but when they started handing out the trophies to the winners, I could sit back and watch the Pens enjoy their win.
Please post some pix if you can!
Finally! Someone who can carry a serious discourse without getting overly emotional about it all.
While I do admit he might be a little young to captain a team (I myself would want someone who has more "been there and done it" experience) - hey! They chose him! (says alot about "democracy" as compared to a "republic", huh?)
What is it that makes you think Crosby isn't yet ready to captain a team? They did win a Stanley Cup!
Aren’t the Phantoms moving to Glens Falls?
You just hit Malkin for smiling like a kid when his team wins and pouting like a kid when they lose. Yet here you are saying it’s OK, make up your mind.
You’re being blasted for saying silly things that don’t make a lot of sense. You say Malkin doesn’t belong in the NHL but why? He’s got great stats, he doesn’t get a lot of penalty minutes (averages about a minute a game) so he clearly isn’t a thug, he got in one scuffle at the end of game 2 in the finals but that was really nothing.
Yes finally for the first time since the Cup got handed out last year the Wings showed some emotion. That seems to be the hallmark of the Babcock era, only show emotions if the Cup is in the house, the rest of the time it’s all business. And I don’t fault the results, but they sure are boring to watch.
Yes, Glens Falls. They’ll be playing under the name “Adirondack Phantoms” and will still be the primary AHL affiliate of the Flyers.
I already said it. I can't help it if others cannot read correctly, or refuse to. showing emotion at winning and losing is human. Attacking other players after you lose is not what a professional sports player does.
I'm sorry things don't make sense to you - that's not my fault - I can't help you there. Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach had good stats, too, but were know more for their fighting ways. Now don't jump to conclusions like some on this board will - I'm not comparing Malkin to Leach and Clarke, just saying "great" stats doesn't mean you have the maturity to play without getting into fights with other players after the game is over and your team lost, or even if your team won! Few penalty minutes shows that the Pens won more games than they lost, so Malkin had nothing to get upset about. Great stats doesn't prove a player has the maturity to play in the top league.
Of course, what I say can be silly to you, just as what you say is silly and irrelevant to me - that's our prerogatives.
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