Steeler Super Bowl Champs Items Headed Overseas

Although the Steelers lost the Super Bowl to Green Bay Sunday 31-25, people in Armenia will be wearing clothing that touts the Steelers as Super Bowl XLV Champs. For more than 15 years, World Vision has received clothing from the NFL and sporting goods stores printed with what turned out to be the losing team’s logo. World Vision Sewickley office Corporate Relations Senior Director Jeff Fields says they already have about 300 shirts and 300 hats from the NFL that were in Dallas for the locker room celebration. He says more will be coming in from retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods. He says he expects to see some sweat shirts coming in soon.

Fields says the clothing will be shipped to Zambia, Romania, Armenia and Nicaragua. If they have enough, they may add other locations. Fields has accompanied the shipments of erroneous merchandise in the past and says it is “life changing” for many of those who get the clothing. He says they are living day-to-day and many have no running water or electricity so getting a new piece of clothing is amazing. “The kids, and even adults, just light up,” says Fields. He says this is the silver lining to Sunday's loss.

World Vision takes donations of clothing and other items year-round and sends them to all corners of the globe. Fields says any company with surplus items can make a donation and they are always looking for volunteers to help sort the products.

Crackdown on Counterfeit Jerseys

Federal authorities in Pittsburgh from Homeland Security and Customs have seized thousands of unlicensed Steelers and Penguins jerseys in addition to Super Bowl-related merchandise. The crackdown if part of a nationwide effort to fight counterfeit goods. Over the past 3 days, authorities confiscated packages at the DHL facility in Robinson Township. That action yielded nearly $1.5 million in unlicensed Chinese-made gear including 5 thousand jerseys. Scott Best, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Pittsburgh, says fans should be suspicious of cheap merchandise. DHL issued a statement saying it is cooperating with law enforcement and it does not knowingly transport counterfeit goods.

City and County Hold Steelers Rally

A few hundred people showed up for a noontime rally sponsored by Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Green Bay Packers in the Superbowl on Sunday.

Allegheny County Executive and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl spoke at the rally and symbolically destroyed a wedge of cheese.

Students were there from Gateway High School, Pittsburgh Brashear High School and Thomas Jefferson High School.

Many of the people there were dressed in extreme black and yellow costumes. The rally also consisted of waving around terrible towels, a player look-alike contest and complimentary food and refreshments.

Major Sporting Events Bring Cash to Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh raked in more than another AFC Championship berth when the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens Sunday. The city will also see a cash benefit as it plays host to its third major sporting event this month.

Combined with the Winter Classic, the Steelers’ two home playoff games are expected to generate about $60 million in direct spending, says VisitPittsburgh Vice President of Sales and Marketing Craig Davis.

Davis says spending on tickets, hotel rooms, food and souvenirs will add up to millions of dollars in city tax revenue.

Westin Convention Center Hotel Manager Tom Martini says the additional high-profile game against the Jets helps a hotel industry that would normally be sluggish in January.

Davis says the three January sporting events also suggest that Pittsburgh is lively at a time when most northeastern cities are slow.

Steelers Rally

Cold and the occasional snow flurries aside hundreds of people gathered to sing songs and cheer on the Steelers before their Saturday divisional play-off game against The Baltimore Ravens.

Michelle Robinson, like many of the fans came to the rally decked out in full Pittsburgh regalia- black and gold from head to toe.

"I am a die-hard Pittsburgh fan. It don't matter if its the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins...I'm Pittsburgh blood," she said.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank collected about 300 pounds of food at the event.

Todd Graham Coming to Pitt

The University of Pittsburgh has officially announced that the next head coach of its football team will be Tulsa’s Todd Graham. Graham has been touted as one of the best offensive coaches in the NCAA. This year he lead the Golden Hurricane to the top of Conference USA West with a 10-3 record and he made a bowl appearance. He compiled a 36-17 overall record with Tulsa. Under his direction, Tulsa led the nation in total offense twice (2007 and 2008) and ranked fifth this year.

Before taking the job in Tulsa, Graham served as the head coach at Rice for one season. “We are thrilled that Todd Graham has agreed to become the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh,” said Pitt Athletic Director Steve Pederson. “His innovative, creative and energized approach to football makes him an exciting leader for our program. He has a proven track record of success at all levels of football and his wealth of experience on both sides of the ball gives him a unique set of credentials.”

In a news release Graham says, “My family and I are honored to join such a prestigious university and rich football tradition like the University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a tremendous football city with great fans. We will work diligently every day to earn their respect and build a program that competes for and wins championships. I’m also excited to return to the Big East, a conference that plays tremendous football.” Graham will make an appearance at a news conference today to be officially named the 35th head coach in Pitt football history.

Graham replaces Michael Haywood, who was hired away from Miami University of Ohio December 16 after Dave Wannstedt resigned under pressure following 6 years as head coach. Haywood was fired New Year's Day after being arrested on a domestic violence charge involving the mother of his 21 month old son.

Wheelchair Games To Be Held in Pittsburgh

The 31st National Veterans Wheelchair Games will be held in Pittsburgh this August. The games are the largest annual wheelchair sports event and will have about 600 competitors.

The games consist of 17 different sports and are open to Veterans who use wheelchairs due to spinal cord injuries, amputations or neurological diseases. The games last several days and are free and open to the public. Bill Lawson, the National President of the Paralyzed Veterans of America said watching his fellow veterans play sports such as basketball or baseball is "inspirational."

Rob Morris, an Army Veteran from Grindstone has competed and won medals in the past. "Everybody has a competitor in them," he said, "You come back for the competition but there is relationships there, people from all other states, a chance to get out and see other parts of the country and again compete. It all rolls up into something thats just...Its hard to explain. It just all rolls up into something where you want to do it again and again and again."

On Monday, local insurance company Highmark presented the games with a check for $100,000.

Winter Classic Time Changed

The National Hockey League has moved the start time for the NHL Winter Classic to 8 p.m. tomorrow. It had been set for 1 p.m. but concerns over rain and warm temperatures forced the move. Cooler and drier conditions are expected to move into the region lat in the day. Gates to Heinz Field will now open at 5:30 p.m. Pre-game entertainment will begin at 7:30 p.m. The NHL warns that there could still be delays throughout the game to work o the ice. The decision to stop play will be made by the Commissioner. To make sure poor ice conditions do not negatively impact either team, the clubs will switch ends at the 10:00 minute mark of the third period. The NHL says it will retain the ability to postpone the game at any time and play the game Sunday at Heinz Field. The game can also be called after two periods.

Winter Classic is More Than Just a Game

When the Penguins played in the first NHL Winter Classic in Buffalo in 2008 there were very few activities surrounding the game but that will be very different this time around. Public skating on the rink built outside of Heinz Field opened Christmas Eve and a full schedule of youth and minor league hockey games on the same ice began Sunday. Winter Classic themed events will be part of the First night celebration, college hockey will take center stage at the CONSOL Energy Center Thursday and on the ice inside Heinz Field, an old timers game featuring the likes of Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis and Bill Guerin will face off Friday morning.

Penguins CEO David Morehouse says Pittsburgh had a lot of stuff going on already and the team wanted to be part of it. “With the location of the stadium being downtown kind of adjacent to all of these other activities, it was important to tie them all together. So you have a lot of cultural things happening in the cultural district between Christmas and New Year’s, you have the First Night Celebration New Year’s Eve and we have a great expansion of hockey interest in the region so its not just about the Penguins,” says Morehouse.

Morehouse says the idea of having a Winter Classic in Pittsburgh was born on the day of the first classic. He says during the game he went down from his box to talk to NHL Commissioner Gary Betman about bringing the game to Pittsburgh. “The first thing he said was he thought it would be interesting,” says Morehouse, “but neither one of us knew it was going to be the great success it was, so after that first game in Buffalo everyone else wanted it and it became impossible to get it right away.” Morehouse says he continued to “bug” Betman and finally got the game.

Morehouse says the event will not disappoint, “It’s a great matchup to have Washington and us play in the Winter Classic, Pittsburgh is a great city to host it in, the Steelers with their great traditions and history, it’s a great venue.”

NHL Classic Lures Fans to Pittsburgh

Heinz Field, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be turned into an outdoor hockey rink. It's for the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2011. Joe McGrath, President and CEO of visitpittsburgh, expects a positive impact from the game between the Penguins and Washington Capitals. "We're estimating that the economy should have a punch of about $22.7 million from the event itself."

McGrath says in addition to the number of avid hockey fans from around the country who will be attending the game, they are expecting about 30,000 people visiting from the Washington, D.C. area alone. He says many people are making it a weekend getaway.

Apart from the Winter Classic, locals and visitors from other cities can celebrate at the annual First Night Pittsburgh New Year's eve celebration. There will be many hockey-themed activities. McGrath also notes that the "Hockey Hall of Fame" will be on display at the Carnegie Science Center Sportsworks from December 27th to December 31st. Due to all of the activities, McGrath suggests people who want to come to Pittsburgh to check ahead for accommodations. The Winter Classic game is a sell out. McGrath says Heinz Field holds "60,000 plus" and exceeds some of the other stadiums that hosted the game.

The Black and Gold Tries to Add Green This Sunday

Steelers fans parking in the six lots along General Robinson Street on the North Shore Sunday will be handed a big blue bag to hold all their recyclables. Steelers Spokesperson Dave Lockett says they have teamed up with the Pennsylvania Resources Council and the Alcoa Foundation to launch the program. Tailgaters will be asked to place their cans, bottles and plastic items in the bag and then either take them up to a collection point near the stadium or to hand them over to volunteers circulating through the lots. Lockett says the team is uncertain how much material will be gathered but he says he hopes it will be well received. Lockett says they will have a chance to talk to the fans as they are dropping off the recyclables. He says they will be asking fans to "get into the mind set of doing it beyond game day, adding it into other aspects of [their] life."

Alco Parking manages the lots and is responsible for cleaning them after every game. Managers there say they fill a standard residential garbage truck every week.

The Steelers plan to offer the blue bags for the two other remaining home games. Proceeds from the sale of the recyclable materials will be given to a different non-profit each week.

City Game: Pitt 80, Duquesne 66

The Panthers extended their winning streak to ten straight victories over the Dukes, who couldn’t rebound or convert free throws as well as 3^rd-ranked Pitt.

Pitt senior center Gary McGhee dominated the paint at both ends of the court, totaling 12 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks. Senior forwards Bill Clark and Damien Saunders paced the Dukes with 20 points apiece.

Duquesne coach Ron Everhart says his team made too many mistakes.

“When you take a bad shot or you make a selfish play against a team like this, they make you pay for it, and they certainly did that,” says Everhart. “We had a lot of opportunities missed. Obviously I wish we would have rebounded better and made free throws, and I think it would have been a different game.”

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon says his team didn’t rely on one or two big-name players.

“Good performances for a lot of guys for us. We battled through some foul trouble, and our depth probably really was the key,” says Dixon. “I think we’ll be saying that a lot this year.”

Pitt junior guard Ashton Gibbs scored 22 points, and Pitt junior forward Nasir Robinson tallied 14 points and 12 rebounds.

WVU Trounces Pitt in Backyard Brawl

The Panthers’ turnover rate played a major part in the 35-10 loss to the Mountaineers. WVU did not turn the ball over, but Pitt did four times, including 3 fumbles and an opening-drive interception that set up a touchdown. While Pitt dominated yardage and time of possession in the first half, they found themselves with a 14-7 halftime deficit they did not overcome.

The Mountaineers tacked on three more touchdowns in the second half to drown Pitt’s hopes, while the Panthers could manage only a 3^rd-quarter field goal. Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt says the team prepared well for the game, but lost it in part because of the team’s turnovers.

Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri went 28 of 46 for 284 yards and a touchdown, adding 38 yards rushing as well.

The Panthers (6-5, 4-2 Big East) will hit the road to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats next Saturday. The Mountaineers (8-3, 4-2 Big East) will play Rutgers at home the same day. In addition to a Panthers win against Cincinnati, Pitt needs the Mountaineers to lose their game to take the Big East title.

WVU has now won the last two Backyard Brawls.

Both Teams to Sport New Look for Backyard Brawl

Both the Panthers and the Mountaineers will don special uniforms for this Friday’s “Backyard Brawl” match-up between Big East rivals Pitt and West Virginia.

WVU Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Michael Fragale says while the Panthers’ new duds will commemorate Pittsburgh’s historic steel industry, the Mountaineers’ jerseys will honor West Virginia’s coal mining industry.

Fans can also look for a sticker on WVU players’ helmets reading the number 29, in honor of the 29 miners who died in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster this April.

Authorities are still investigating that accident, but it’s believed a spark triggered an explosion of methane gas in the mine, killing all but two of the miners on site.

Fragale says Pitt and WVU were two of the ten teams chosen to wear outfits designed by Nike for the company’s “Pro Combat” uniform series.

The Panthers sit atop the Big East standings with a 4-1 conference mark (6-4 overall), while the Mountaineers share second place with Connecticut at 3-2 in the Big East (7-3 overall).

Arena Demolition Process Delayed

Pittsburgh's vacant Civic Arena has been nominated as a city historic structure. The action was taken on behalf of two groups trying to save the arena after the Pittsburgh Planning Commission voted 6-0 to approve demolition. The historic review process by the Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission will prevent any action being taken by the Sports and Exhibition Authority to raze the arena, which they had planned to start in April. The City Planning Commission heard from those on both sides of the issue before voting yesterday. Eloise McDonald of the Hill District told the commission to "leave the Civic Arena for us." She said the Penguins have a "nice place to play" now. The Penguins own the development rights to the 28 acre site in the lower Hill. They favor tearing down the arena for new development. State Senator Jim Ferlo, also one of the speakers, said the "Penguins only intention is to demolish the site for more parking." Ferlo said "that is part of the agenda - the financial money involved with parking."

Travis Williams, senior vice president of business affairs and general counsel for the Penguins, told the commission that the conversations they have had with developers leads them to believe that leaving the arena in place would "severely and adversely impact the ability to develop the 28 acres." Williams said the preservationists "never put forth a plan that had an economic feasibility study behind it or any economic benefit analysis supporting it." He said those who argue in favor of saving the arena claim it's an "architectural wonder like the Space Needle or Arch in St. Lous." But Williams said, "while the dome was glorious in its day, (the Penguins) don't believe the arena is a true destination like the other two" facilities. Williams told the commission that facilities like "the arena, Boston Garden, Yankee Stadium, Detroit Tigers Stadium and Philadelphia Spectrum" are not being reused because it's economically unfeasbible to do so. Demolition of the Spectrum started yesterday.

Pirates Manager Comes with a Cause

When the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Clint Hurdle as their new manager not only were they getting a man with more than two decades experience in professional baseball they also picked up the national celebrity spokesperson for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (PWSA). Prader-Willi Syndrome is a rare genetic defect that occurs in about one in every 15,000 births. The illness begins with a newborn typically having a low birth weight and hypotonia (weak muscles) that is so severe that the child cannot suck well enough to get nourishment. Most babies must be kept alive with a feeding tube. The syndrome then “flips” between the ages of two to five when the child never feels “full” leading, if unchecked, to morbid obesity. Other symptoms include short stature if not treated with growth hormones, incomplete sexual development and in some cases, behavior and developmental problems.

Hurdle’s 8-year-old daughter, Madison, was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome. He and his wife have been active with the PWSA for years and he says his daughter’s illness played a small roll in his decision to come to Pittsburgh. “I don’t think it is a coincidence that the only in-patient clinic [for PWS] in the world is in the Children’s Institute here in Pittsburgh,” says Hurdle. He says the Institute has a great support group, “we have reached out to many families throughout the years since the birth of Madison and we have been embraced by many families who have children older.” Hurdle and his family currently live in Denver where he used to coach and says Madison gets great care there but they will soon be looking for a new home in Pittsburgh. “You talk about an easy transition, I know a couple of doctors over there.”

Robert Nicholls is a professor and genetic researcher at the Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh. He has been studying PWS for nearly a quarter of a century. “Were making great strides in understanding the genetic basis, but its very complex. Prader-Willi Syndrome is not due to loss of function of a single gene, which many conditions like cystic fibrosis and others are, but there are new cellular models there are animal models,” says Nicholls. Nicholls says he works closely with many doctors and patients at both his hospital and at the Children’s Institute. He says it does not seem like the syndrome is increasing or decreasing, nor does it seem to discriminate between males and females or among races. He notes that most cases are in developed countries like the US, England and Germany but he notes that in most third-world and developing nations children with PWS never make it out of infancy. Those who make it out of infancy and are being treated can live into their 60’s and beyond. “When diagnosis was late, meaning by the 20’s or 30’s, and individuals had already become severely obese, then it is a life threatening condition,” says Nicholls.

Pirates Pick Hurdle

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that Clint Hurdle has been hired as the team’s 39th manager. The 53-year old Hurdle was the Hitting Coach for the American League champion Texas Rangers last year. He says Pittsburgh is a “wonderful and perfect fit” for him. “A challenge, oh its there. The opportunity, its there,” says Hurdle, “I am very much aware of the accountability and the responsibility that comes with a job and the opportunity to have the job as a Major League manager.”

Prior to joining the Rangers for the 2010 campaign, Hurdle spent more than 15 years in the Colorado organization, serving as a minor league hitting coordinator, Major League hitting coach and the team’s manager, from April 2002 until May 2009. “Clint Hurdle is an extremely intelligent, passionate, knowledgeable baseball man with proven leadership skills and ability to move this team forward,” says Pirate General Manager Neil Huntington. “We are very pleased to hire such a quality man who will make an immediate and lasting impact on this organization.”

Hurdle would not promise a winning season in 2011 but he says his goal is to bring championship baseball back to Pittsburgh. “We’re always going to feel we’re closer than a lot of people think.” On the specifics… “We’ve got to pitch… and you’ve got to play 27 outs on the other side of the ball.” Hurdle is also looking for a ‘team’ attitude, “I spent some time in Colorado where we sent three or four guys to the All-Star game and finished up in third or fourth place. That’s not championship ball.”

“The one thing I will promise you I will bring, I’m all in,” says Hurdle. The Michigan native says he asked the team management tough questions to make sure they were also, ‘all in.’ “I wanted to look them in the eyes and ask them, 'Are you in?'" he said. "And to a man they looked me in the eye and said 'We're in.' "

As for the Pirates record setting streak of consecutive losing seasons, Hurdle says, ”this is going to turn. There’s not a doubt in my mind that this is eventually going to turn.”

Hurdle says he plans to move his wife and two daughters to Pittsburgh from the home in Colorado as soon as possible. His daughter Madison suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome. Pittsburgh is the home of the nation’s only in-patient clinic for the syndrome. He says that was a factor in his decision to come to Pittsburgh.

Pitt Romps Rutgers, 41-21

Pitt scored two straight touchdowns to pass Rutgers 14-7 in the first half, but the Scarlet Knights blocked a punt and converted just before halftime to tie the game at 14.

After Pitt recovered a Rutgers fumble to start the second half, quarterback Tino Sunseri found tight end Mike Cruz in the corner of the end zone and the Panthers went up 21-14. From there, Pitt dominated the game. While Rutgers’ offense managed 7 points at the end of the game, Pitt added 3 touchdowns and 2 field goals in the second half to win it 41-21.

Sunseri went 21 of 27 for 307 yards and three touchdowns.

The Panthers are now 2-0 in conference play and 4-3 overall. Pitt plays Big East rival Louisville at Heinz Field next Saturday.

Fiftieth Anniversary of Iconic World Series Win Celebrated

Several thousand people gathered in Oakland Wednesday at the spot where Pittsburgh Pirate Bill Mazeroski hit the home run that beat the Yankees in the final inning of the last game of the 1960 World Series.

Among those gathered were Mazeroski and 1960 teammates Dick Groat, Bill Virdon, Bob Friend, Vernon Law, Hal Smith, Joe Christopher, George Witt, Joe Gibbon, Bob Oldis and ElRoy Face were there. Vera Clemente, widow of Roberto, and their son Luis also attended.

A sidewalk plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of the World Series -clinching home run was dedicated near where the Forbes Field Wall used to be. It shows an image of Mazeroski hitting third base and going for home.

Every year, hundreds of fans gather at the spot at the same time of the game to listen to a recording of the game in real-time.

Pitt RB Lewis to Start Against Notre Dame

Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt says Dion Lewis will start at tailback against Notre Dame tomorrow, despite 277 yards and three touchdowns from tailback Ray Graham last Saturday.

Wannstedt says Graham's performance against Florida International University earned him equal time with Lewis, though.

"The way we want to run the ball, I've gone through four tailbacks in a season," says Wannstedt. "We were so fortunate last year that Dion stayed healthy all year with the number of carries he had, so we're going to need them both."

Wannstedt says the team needs to clean up its play when facing teams like Notre Dame. Last year, Pitt was the least penalized team in the Big East. The Panthers committed 10 penalties for 64 yards against FIU last week, dropping them to 119th out of 120 Division I teams in terms of penalties (9.5 per game).