Opening Day with D6 Sports Network

The great American spectacle that is Opening Day has come and gone.  The D6 Sports Network took our traveling caravan down to the lots of PNC Park to behold the pregame festivities. Here is what we saw.

Pittsburgh is a Baseball town-  There is plenty that can be contested with that statement, but I think there is finally proof.  Pittsburgh is a sports crazed town, to say the least. The ultra popular Steelers are a hit from coast to coast, and the Penguins are the NHL's showcase team. That often puts the Pirates in the shadows and in a really tough spot.  They are labeled "The City of Champions...and The Pirates." The Pirates have 19 consecutive losing seasons, it iss not an ideal way to draw in fans, yet on a day in early April the largest crowd ever in PNC Park's history commenced.  The buzz around town was real and positive. The younger generation of Pirate fans have yet to see a winner, but they saw four months with a rag tag group last summer. The Pirates may not compete this year, they may not duplicate next year's success, they can be out of it by May, BUT nobody is thinking that way.  The Pirate fan base is alive and kicking. It is a new era, and a new way to watch the Bucs. The emergence of twitter is a new way to watch the games with Pirate fans and is a great way to stay informed with some good sarcasm. The party atmosphere of Pittsburgh brings a unique feel that other teams may not see.  Pittsburgh Baseball is an event every weekend from here until late September, make an appearance.  You will not regret it.

There is a Rivalry- The Phillies have been one of the most successful teams in baseball in recent memory.  They have a payroll that drowns out that of Pittsburgh. Philadelphia has a dedicated fan base, and the Phillies have that town captivated all Summer long.  They also travel well, really well.  Philadelphia fans were all over Pittsburgh this weekend.  Although it was not like year's past. The Pittsburgh Pirate nation has a new found sense of confidence.  The parking lots were filled with Pittsburgh fans not donning Steeler jerseys or Clemente jerseys, but rather McCutchen, Walker, Tabata, and Hanrahan jerseys. The Pirate "P" was prominent everywhere you looked. The neighbors from the East were not a dominating force as they were in the past years.  The Pirates went neck and neck with Doc Halladay and the Phillies on Opening Day, and used dramatic fashion to take two from Philadelphia the rest of the weekend. The Pirates do not have the star power, the payroll, or playoff experience but they have grit to hang. Pittsburgh fans do not have bragging rights just yet, but as of now they lead the season series 2-1.

Optimism is Everything- Anything worth talking about has critics obviously.  The Pirates still have no guarantee that they will be anything worth talking about this year, and of course people know it.  The loyal fan base has seen everything crumble in their faces before.  The Pirates still do not have a payroll, a threatening line up, or rotation.  They still have better days ahead that might not be this season.   The Pirates are going to change the Pittsburgh sports landscape.  The success of the early 1990's will be duplicated again.  The best way to approach it is to be positive, and believe.  Clint Hurdle is a great manager. He is a winner, and is a character.  Andrew McCutchen is one of the best players in the league.  There are plenty of scrappy Pittsburgh players that are fun to root for.  It would be a great thing to see people take on supporting the Pirates the way the Penguins get supported.  The game is becoming youthful again.  It is trendy to watch the Bucs, and go to the games. Its an affordable night out with fellow Pittsburghers.  Pirates Baseball is turning into something that it has never been in my lifetime.  It is actually cool to be a Pirates fan these days, something that nobody could have dreamed of five years ago. Check out a game this year, and you will get the feeling too.