Hello, all. As 2016 draws to a close, it's time we reflect on some of the good things that happened in our city over the past 365 days. Lots of special games and moments happend over the past year, and here are eight that I think stand above the rest. Let's get into it.
#8: The U.S. Open returns to Oakmont
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| DJ finally got that elusive major tournament win (Photo creds to sbnation.com) |
Yes, the USGA almost ruined the whole thing, yes it poured down rain on the only day that Joseph Arthur Smeltzer was in attendance. Nonetheless, the U.S. Open making it's return to Pittsburgh was fantastic. Seeing the world's best golfers is never a bad thing, and Dustin Johnson finally getting the major monkey off his back in our town was a feather in the cap. The U.S. Open doesn't come around here very often, and seeing it here in 2016 was special, and for that, it deserves to be on this list.
#7: Pitt-Penn State makes it's return
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| Pitt's George Aston scored 2 TD's in Pitt's 42-39 victory on September 10th (Photo creds to theodysseyonline.com) |
If not for personal bitterness, this would easily be in the top five. Although my men came out on the short end, the resurrection of the Pitt-Penn State rivalry was something that needed to happen in this area, especially for Pitt. Weather die-hards want to admit it or not; Pitt football hasn't been a huge deal in this city since God knows when. But with a renewed hatred for Penn State, fans now have reason to be excited about the Panthers and being at the game; it was evident that, at least for a few hours, Pitt was It in this city. It seems that a lot more people care about college football in the 412 than they have in years, and a lot of it has to do with 42-39, not to mention an exciting Panther team in general. As much as I'd hate to admit it, Pitt getting the W was the best thing for this rivalry going forward, as State College now has a little more hatred for the Panthers than they'd like to admit. Hopefully, I am singing a different tune about Pitt-Penn State for my 2017 year in review.
#6: The rise of Jameson Taillon
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| Taillon in his MLB Debut against the New York Mets on June 8th at PNC Park (Photo creds to SI.Com |
It's hard to think of great Pirate memories in 2016, as it was a forgettable season for my beloved Buccos. However, one point of light is the debut and the rise of a long time blue chip prospect, Jameson Taillon. Injuries had delayed the kid's debut for two years, and once JT was able to step foot on that PNC Park mound, he lived up to the hype. In 18 starts, the rookie from the great state of Texas went 5-4 with an ERA of 3.38 and a fantastic WHIP of 1.12 to go along with 85 strikeouts over 104 innings of work. Taillon is on his way to being a superstar, and 2016 was the first we got to see him in The Show. That is important.
#5: Duquense/RMU Womens Basketball teams go to the dance
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| April Robinson led the Dukes on a historic run to the big dance in 2016 (Photo creds to DKPittsburghSports.com |
Some of you may be surprised to see this, but I feel it deserves to be on here. For most people, college athletics in the 412 are dominated by the University of Pittsburgh. That makes it ironic, and, as a Pitt hater, kind of cool, that the Panthers were the only Divison 1 woman's basketball program in our city that did not make it to the NCAA Tournament. Robert Morris made it to the dance for the fourth time in their history, and although mighty UcConn demolished them in the first round, the season was a fitting tribute to coach Sal Buscaglia, who's last team was a winner. Duquesne, after many close calls in the past decade, finally got selected as an At-Large out of the A10. Led by 3rd-year head coach Dan Burt and senior point guard April Robinson, the Dukes made it in as an #9 seed, and won their first game, 97-76 over Seton Hall, before falling to the mighty Huskies themselves. It was great to see our cities womens basketball teams having success, and hopefully, the sport continutes to gain traction in our town.
#4: Wilcard Wackieness
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| Photo creds to Yahoo Sports |
This could well end up on my "wost of 2016" list as well. It was everything but pretty, but nonetheless, the Steelers won that ugly game at Paul Brown Stadium, their first playoff win in almost six years. It was a big win, and at the same time, our rivals looked like clowns. When you think of it that way, maybe that night was pretty damn beautiful.
#3: The Reach
The most recent moment of this list, and damn sure one of the produst. I don't feel the need to refresh anybodys memory of this picture, as it happened just three days ago, so here is an article that I wrote on the signifigance of AB's shining moment.
#2: James Conner's recovery/return to Heinz Field
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| #24 is a fighter, and one who we all can learn something from. (Photo creds to theplayerstribune.com) |
I'm the furthest thing from a Pitt diehard, but James Conner trandscends the game of football. For those who don't know, the star Pitt runningback found himself diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma last November. Rather then feeling sorry for himself, Conner chose to be an inspiration to all of us, fighting back to find himself back where he belongs; on the gridiron for Pitt's home opener with Villanova on September 3rd. Here are two videos the depict Conner's struggle, and his return. What a man.
#1: The Pittsburgh Penguins
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| Photo creds to WPXI.com |
No brainer here. The Penguins were the Stanley Cup Champions, giving Pittsburgh their only major sports title in 2016. They did it with class. They did it with speed. They did it with heart. They took us on a thrilling two-month ride that I will never forget. Here is a piece I wrote shortly after the Pens won the Eastren Conference Title, and every bit of it holds true. From a man who is a casual hockey fan, thank you, Penguins. Do it again in 2017.
So that is my list of the 8 best things about Pittsburgh Sports in 2016. Agree? Disagree? Let me know, either with a comment, through my twitter (@joesmeltzer775 or
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