Pittsburgh: A Timely City of Champions

I have a close relation to the city of Pittsburgh. Because of this, I felt it was a must I address the recent trend of championships Pittsburgh has acquired...

It was a matchup sports reporters dreamed of. The two powerhouse cities of hockey, Pittsburgh and Detroit, returned to the Stanley Cup finals just a year after they met on the ice in 2008. Last year, the Detroit Red Wings stole the show in six games, ending Sidney Crosby's chances at his first NHL Championship. Henrik Zetterberg, the left wing for the Red Wings, was crowned with the Conn Smyth award, aka MVP, after his stellar finals performances.

June, 2009 marked a year of redemption for the Pittsburgh Penguins, since anything other than a championship would have been considered a failure. The Penguins took on the challenge of reaching the finals once again where they met their new rivals, the Red Wings.

The huge story of a repeat finals series was over shadowed by the NBA finals, which was televised during the same time period. Just like the Lakers, the Penguins were in search of the championship banner that they let slip away the previous year. Pittsburgh had not won a championship since 1992 and the Lakers had not won a championship since the days of Shaquille O'Neil. The Pens battled in a grueling series that lead to the home team winning the first six games. With game seven on the line, possibly a window of opportunity closing, the Pens left it all on the ice, ultimately defeating Detroit 2-1 in Detroit.

The heavy fan base that followed the Pens finally had a reason to cheer again. This championship gave the city of Pittsburgh its second title of this year. Typically Massachusetts and Florida have been the states of champions. Let us not forget, the Florida Gators won the NCAA Basketball Championship two years in a row in 2006 and 2007. With the help of Tim Tebow, the Florida Gators football team has won the National Championship two out of the last three years as well. Boston has built a dynasty with Tom Brady leading the Patriots. The Boston Red Sox won the MLB Championship in 2007 and the Celtics returned to the top once again claiming the 2008 NBA Championship.

In 2009, the tides have changed-Pittsburgh is two-for-two. While the Steelers and Penguins have managed to make their city proud, don't count on anymore championships coming this year. Unfortunately, I wouldn't dare pretend that the Pittsburgh Pirates have a chance of making the playoffs, better yet win a championship this season, as they are currently last in their division with a record of 31-39.

Also with the departure of LeSean McCoy, the Panthers' success looks limited. So enjoy 2009, Pittsburgh. Riot it up, because chances are, the city-wide championship seasons won't last into 2010.