The Burgh, Part 1

It has really been a while since I updated. My apologies. I've been spending the summer so far either working at Newcomb & Boyd or outside enjoying (and sweating in) the hot Georgia summer. I just got back yesterday from a trip to Pittsburgh, a place I rarely get to see anymore. I'm beginning to realize that my love for the city grows more and more each time I go back. Maybe it's the nostalgia that many people feel for their hometown after they have been gone for a while. That definitely has something to do with it, but there are a couple other reasons in my case. This may seem kind of superficial, but Pittsburgh's recent sports success has made me even more loyal and proud of the city.

I'm sure you all know that this past year both the Steelers and the Penguins won championships in their respective sports. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but for a Pittsburgher, it's like winning the lottery. When Santonio and Big Ben held up the Lombardi Trophy for millions around the country to see, it was as if we as Pittsburghers were also up there, proudly holding that trophy for everyone to see. It was the same way with Sidney Crosby and the Stanley Cup. I felt as if I were right next to him drinking champagne out of that big shiny Cup. And I'm not even that big of a hockey fan compared to some of the people I know. Chad Hermann describes our pride at that moment of sports history so well...

"And I'd like them, if only for a moment, to consider the sustainable growth, or perhaps the community benefit, of living and sharing and carrying those moments within you, of waking up with an extra bounce in your step and what feels like a fluttering rally towel in your chest, knowing that everything you do, every last bit of work or stress you face between now and the end of the week or maybe the start of next season, will come a little easier, will carry a hop and a smile and a whole lot of buoyant, extra energy because those gritty, gutty kids just kept on working and winning and making you feel, even on the most dark and dismal of days, that you, your family, and your wonderful little corner of the world had one more thing to look forward to, to be thankful for, and now forever to celebrate, together."

I ran into Evgeni Malkin (#71 for the Pens) in the Atlanta airport the other day, and I was so starstruck that I didn't even know how to react. I knew that I had to say something to him to congratulate him and the Penguins for their championship, but I ended up stumbling over my words while saying something along the lines of "nice job Geno..we're proud of you!" I think I spoke so quickly that he didn't really understand what I was saying. Poor Russian. It's funny that he can walk all over the Atlanta airport and no one will know who he is, but as soon as he walks up to the gate for the Pittsburgh flight, people are smiling at him and congratulating him right and left. Instant celebrity status.

It was an incredible season for the Penguins and made me so proud to call Pittsburgh my hometown. Nice job Geno.