Black Hand Productions
By Nik Bronder
PNC Park: Pirates – Mets (and Beer).
After putting it off for a couple years, Julie and I finally managed to catch a game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. To say I was impressed with the stadium would be an understatement. The game was sold out (which was suprising to me but it probably had a lot to do with the post game Huey Lewis and The News concert) which made for a great environment. This is the first sold out baseball game I’ve been to in at least two years. We had seats right off first base about 25 rows from the field. Like most new stadiums, the concourses at PNC are wide open and you have great sight lines to the field. In what turned out to be the quickest game I’ve been to all year the Pirates won 3-2. Afterwards we stayed for the concert and fireworks.
Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum
After checking into the hotel Julie and I wandered over to the Heinz Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. The exhibits were pretty extensive, from world marble champions to exhibits on the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. Sadly, there was no Terrelle Pryor exhibit. The museum is part of the larger Heinz History Musuem which had several other exhibits I would have liked to have seen if we had more time to spare. The admission was only $10.
Church Brew Works
After the museum we headed over to the Church Brew Works that Imperial Josh has been raving about for some time. The Church Brew Works is in the former Roman Catholic St. John the Baptist Church. The layout is great. When you enter, the first thing you see is the brew tanks in place of the altar, all of the seats in the dining area are pews and the place smells like a church. We were there for the afternoon mass. I stuck to the Thunderhop IPA and the Pipe Organ Pale Ale, we also took a 6 pack of the Thunderhop for tailgating.
On our way to the tailgate we made a stop at the Pittsburgh Public Market to pick up a growler of Pedal Pale Ale by East End Brewing for good measure.
Duquesne Incline
Before we headed back home Sunday morning we walked over from our hotel to the Duquesne Incline. It was quite muggy in the morning but the view was still worth it.
Side Notes:
* Before the game I hid my empty East End growler in the bushes outside the stadium and this was the celebratory photograph after I reclaimed what was rightfully mine.
** The View From My Seat.
*** Dog the Bounty Hunter attended the game.
**** Most of these photographs were taken by Julie.
*****Year of Baseball Stats:
Game No. 10
Stadium Opened: March 31, 2001
Capacity: 38,496
Attendance: 39,273
Food: 1 basket of hand cut fries.
Beer: 2 Pedal Pale Ale, 1 IC Light
Opponent: New York Mets
Pitchers: W: McDonald, L: Dickey
Miles From Home: 411.5
Ticket Face Value: $30
Seat Location: Section 110, Row S, Seat 7
Steelers vs. Browns in Pittsburgh.
This past weekend I met up with Josh and Jim in Pittsburgh for the Browns – Steelers game (and the Pens – Montreal game but due to my arch nemesis that did not pan out). Of course the Steelers manhandled the Browns who were down to their fourth or fifth quarterback. Of course Ben Roethlisberger looked like he was incapacitated from our vantage point but it turned out to be a mere concussion.
The highlight of the gameday experience would have to be the series of montages that were shown on the jumbotron throughout the game. Seriously, the best video montages I’ve ever seen at a sporting event.
The night before we headed out to the South Shore for a couple drinks and ended up at Primanti Brothers for some sandwiches until last call.
If we’ve learned anything in the past, it’s that Jim Wallis knows how to make friends (see the last photograph above).
*Side Note:
On the way out of the Heinz Field we ran into this guy wearing a Spielman jersey. I’m nearly positive Chris Spielman never played a down for the Browns outside of the Preseason. If I recall he came back for one last year and reinjured his next before the season even started. In hindsight I’d say this guy kind of jumped the gun.
Just saying.
