An ode to Pittsburgh's greatest unsung hero

Photo creds to Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Throughout the history of sports in our great city, there have been a lot of legendary sports figures, and because of that, many other characters get lost in the shuffle.

Great examples of this are Chuck Cooper, the Duquesne grad who was the first black man drafted in the NBA, as well as Fritzie Zivic, who was once welterweight champion of the world. Or Pete Maravich, who many forget came from Alliquppia. However, as far as unsung heroes go, one man shines above all.

The man is currently 82-years young. Although he resides in Bridgeport, Connecticut, he is a native of Kittanning, PA. He is an intellectual, with a B.S. from Yale, and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. For seven years, he served in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Now, how does any of this add up to "sports icon?" Well, not only was this man a wise, Republican politician, he also accomplished the small feat of creating the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It all started in the spring of 1965. Senator Jack McGregor was riding in a car with one of his Pitt buddies, a gentleman by the name of Peter Block. During the trip, McGregor commented that Pittsburgh would never reach it's full potential as a sports town until it got a professional hockey team.

The comment seems simple enough. But when broken down, it's quite astonishing. Back in 1965, the NHL had just six teams, and although hockey fans were a passionate group, there just weren't very many of them compared to the other main American sports. So, the fact that McGregor would feel the need to make such a comment, seemingly out of the blue, is intriguing. Little did either of those two men know, however, that it would start a snowball.

McGregor (left) and I think you might recognize the guy in the middle. 

At this time, the NHL was on the verge of expansion, as six new franchises were set to enter the league. One of the key issues, naturally,  was where these franchises would play. The odds did not look good for Pittsburgh. The "City of Champions" that we know today did not exist in 1965, as the Steelers stunk and the Pirates were still a club in transition. On top of that, Pittsburgh was not a big  financial market. What it did have, however, was the charming presence of Arthur J. Rooney.

Although Rooney's Steelers were, at that time, the laughing stock of the National Football League, "The Chief" was still a respected figure in the sports world. It just so happened that two of Rooney's horse-betting buddies, the Norris brothers, James and Bruce, had two of the six votes as to what city; Pittsburgh or Buffalo, would be awarded a franchise. Word had it that these two men were leaning towards Buffalo. So McGregor turned to Rooney, and Rooney would make sure that Pittsburgh got a hockey team. He called the Norris brothers, and swayed them to our side. On Feburary 8th, 1966, the National Hockey League awarded a franchise to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team was named the Penguins, and would play their first game in the league in the fall of 1967.

McGregor and Block would only own the Penguins until March of 1968. Although he wasn't associated with hockey for long, McGregor should be well known for being the man who created the four-time Stanley Cup Champions. Although, technically, he and Block were co-owners of the club, it was McGregor that had the whole idea to begin with. But, although McGregor is still alive, it seems that only hardcore  fans would recognize his name if I were to bring it up in a public setting.

It's easy to see why Art Rooney is such an iconic figure in our city, as not only did he create our precious Steelers, he also owned them for 30+ years before handing the team down to his son, Dan. Barney Dreyfuss, the man who virtually created the Pittsburgh Pirates,  is not as well known as Rooney, and this is largely because he passed away 84 years ago. Even still, a photograph of Dreyfuss in his classic Derby hat is likely to ring a bell with a majority of Pirates fans. But how many Penguins fans would recognize an image of McGregor?

This man was not flashy. He did not have a trademark feature like Rooney did with his cigar. He was barley associated with sports at all, as he was a senator with ambition, and he did not stay in the hockey business for long. All of this contributes to why McGregor falls under the radar. But he shouldn't.

Normally, I would criticize my readers for not knowing their history as well as they should. However, to do that in this instance would be hypocritical. I too did not know anything about Jack McGregor until recently viewing the excellent "Pittsburgh is Home" documentary. As somebody who loves him some history, especially when it comes to sports, I have always understood how important it is to know the background of the team that you love. Too many Penguin fans of my generation cheer on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, and think that that is the sole purpose of being a fan. I disagree.

Maybe it's because I'm my father's son, but I can't imagine loving something and not knowing the history behind it. Sure, Penguin fans know bits and pieces. Most know about Kevin Stevens, Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis and those who contributed to championships before their time. But my hope for this article is to get the young fans, and even a lot of the older fans, to realize that without Jack McGregor, Mario Lemieux would not have been Mario Lemieux. Sidney Crosby would not be the same Sidney Crosby. The Civic Arena may well have hosted operas for all eternity. A lot would be different, and not for the better.

But McGregor did speak up on what turned out to be the most productive car-ride between colleagues in Pittsburgh history. Four Stanley Cups and millions of memories later, I think everybody who has ever loved the Pittsburgh Penguins should be greatful for Jack Edwin McGregor.