The source of my single greatest outburst of sports frustration in my life was not Super Bowl XXX when Neil O’Donnell’s tracking system shit the bed and he locked onto one Larry Brown. Nor was it the 2001 AFC Championship when the Steelers were considered a lock to advance to the Super Bowl but Tom Brady and company saw fit to derail that train.
No – it was the 1992 National League Championship Series when a relatively unknown pinch hitter named Francisco Cabrera brought in Sid Bream and started 17 years of misery. I broke a remote control that night and was melancholy for a good two weeks.
Over the years, my support for the team had waned with each successive season of ineptitude – and finally devolved into a backhanded support rife with sarcasm and jokes about their marketing campaign. BUT, I still rooted for them to win and paid to go to their games. Until this:
“2010 is the beginning of the next dynasty of the Pirates for me.” – Frank Coonelly
There was an additional quote that I think was attributed to Bob Nutting that was just as bad, but this one struck a nerve with me. This was somewhere between just complete fantasyland and a middle finger to all Pirate fans. This is coming from the same guy who said in 2008 we are going to “win now.”
So I swore that day that as long as Nutting and the current regime own the Pirates I would not pay for a ticket. There would be only two exceptions: A) I have to go for work-related reasons (which I probably wouldn’t pay for anyway) or B) my brothers would like to go when they come to visit.
A couple days ago I was offered a free ticket and initally refused, still incensed with how I felt about the organization. After giving it some thought, I felt I was overreacting and dediced to go. I had a solid time with some great people (despite swamp-ass conditions) and it was actually a competitive game. Pirates ended up winning 2-1 against the Chicago Cubs.
Does this mean I’m back on the bandwagon team and rooting for the franchise actively? No. I still can’t support an organization that repeatedly gives their fans empty promises and only delivers mismanagement. Fans bear some responsibility and have the ability to vote with their wallet and I hope they do. That’s what I’m doing.
It might be a bit hypocritical to take a free ticket, but I’ll still take it.
Five hours. Twenty-six minutes. Thirty-eight seconds.
While that’s definitely not world-record time for a marathon, I consider it a great achievement. It’s the time that it took for our entire team to run the Pittsburgh Marathon.
First, a flashback to scenes before the race itself:
One night during the week of the race, just before bed, the news highlighted the upcoming preparations for the Pittsburgh Marathon. I looked over to my wife who was giving me this You’veGotToBeKiddingOMGTHEMARATHONISSUNDAYYOUREGOINGTODIE look. I just sighed and said, “I know.”
She was concerned, to say the least. And, with good reason: My training regimen that I had planned on executing on never materialized. Between my lack of discipline, being enormously busy (although not too busy if I had gotten up at 6 AM to run), and certain personal crises… I just didn’t get it done. I did run once – 3/4 of a mile… and I felt pretty good.
The night before the race itself, I was filled with dread. I had a cold (which I thought was allergies at the time), I was only going to get 5 hours of sleep, and I was in all likelihood going to be carried off the course.
Fast forward to moments before I’d see @shireman come down the stretch to my relay point. It had rained steadily most of the morning, and was now more than a drizzle but not quite a downpour. Hours of standing was taking its toll. Then I saw Jim and IMMEDIATELY adrenaline kicked in. I gave him his medal in true Olympian fashion and just started running.
All the while I was waiting for the other shoe to drop (no pun intended). Waiting for my body to tell me to stop running before I’d even hit a mile.
But it didn’t. I got to the first mile marker and felt OK. I thought, “Holy shit! I just ran a mile! Let’s see how far I can take this.” I got to about a mile and a half and felt GREAT. I understood at that point why runners enjoy running – it was a bit euphoric. I felt great.
Once I got to just shy of two miles, that euphoria was replaced by pain developing in my feet and a cramp in my right leg. I had to start walking. While disappointed that was what stopped me instead of involuntary vomiting, I still was very happy.
I alternated running and walking for the next four miles, until running in an all-out painful sprint to handoff to @jimlokay for the final leg.
The tale of the tape:
@adriennemcc + @kdudders(the marathon meter lumped their two legs together): 12:28/mile over 11.4 miles
@shireman: 12:15/mile over 4.6 miles
@woycheck: 12:49/mile over 5.9 miles
@jimlokay: 12:09/mile over 4.32 miles
The worst time split of the group, but I’m pleased.
The BEST NEWS of all: We raised approximately $1,380 for the Mario Lemieux Foundation. That number could actually be doubled if Equitable matches our fundraising effort. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
To those of you who donated or cheered us on: we thank you all for your support!
I’m an football guy through and through – but there’s something magical about hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Congrats Pens – you deserve it after this improbable season.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)
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