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Celebrations of Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary have been going on for much of the year, and, to a lot of people, four of the most significant years in those 250 were 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.
Those were the years when the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl, in the midst of their dazzling 1970s run. And then there's 1960, 1971 and, again, 1979, when the Pittsburgh Pirates grabbed World Series rings. We also can add 1991 and 1992, when the Pittsburgh Penguins took the Stanley Cup two years in a row.
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This weekend, fans will have the chance to meet some of the people who have been at the center of Pittsburgh sports lore when the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District hosts the "Federated Investors Parade of Champions." Starting today and continuing through Sunday, a wide array of sports celebrities will be at the History Center, from Olympic wrestler Kurt Angle to former Pirates pitcher (and current play-by-play announcer) Steve Blass and many more.
Authors of various books related to Pittsburgh sports will be on hand, along with the Pirates' 1971 and 1979 World Series trophies, the Steelers' Super Bowl trophies and the National Championship trophy won by the University of Pittsburgh football team in 1976.
The idea for the "Parade of Champions" came into being around eight months ago, according to Anne Madarasz, director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, which is housed within the Heinz History Center. Tom Rooney, a member of the family that owns the Steelers, suggested that the 250th anniversary festivities contain some nod to the region's sports heritage, and the History Center seemed like a natural place for it.
"It's a wonderful tie-in for us," Madarasz said. "It's a natural, rather than doing it off-site at a hotel or an exposition center."
Like the sports memorabilia shows you find at hotels and expo centers, the main focus of the "Parade of Champions" will be former athletes wielding pens and markers. Today's lineup starts with former Steelers Larry Brown and announcer Bill Hillgrove and former Pitt Panther coach Johnny Majors, who will be there from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Blass, fellow 1971 Pirate Bob Robertson and former Steeler Randy Grossman also are due to stop by the History Center today (a complete list is available at www.pghhistory.org).
Saturday's schedule features Angle, Dick Groat (from the 1960 Pirates) and Ted Toles, who played with the Negro League Pittsburgh Crawfords in the 1930s, along with James Tillman, who played with the Homestead Grays in the 1940s and 1950s. On Sunday, Matt Bahr and Dwayne Woodruff are scheduled appear, as will Kent Tekulve of the 1979 Pirates.
More names are likely to be added to the schedule, including former Steeler Franco Harris, Madarasz explained. Autographs are limited to two items per person, so if you have a pile of 20 programs from the 1960 Pirates and you were thinking of, say, having Groat sign every one, you're out of luck.
Pittsburgh's "lost teams," such as the Condors (a basketball team), Hornets (minor-league hockey) and Maulers (a short-lived professional football team) also will be honored through a photo exhibit. Highlight videos are on the agenda, as are visits by Steelers mascot Steely McBeam and the Pirate Pierogies.
Smallman Street will be closed in front of the History Center to make way for children's activities, such as a rock climbing wall, moon bounce and "Dress Like a Pitt Panther" basketball and football cutouts. A limited amount of free parking will be available for advance ticket-holders in the H.J. Heinz Co. employee parking lot on Water and 13th streets, next to the Hampton Inn.
