Sports
Main article: Sports in PittsburghSeveral teams are followed widely in the Pittsburgh area, which Sporting News named the "Best Sports City" in the United States in 2009. Besides major pro teams in baseball, football and hockey, the University of Pittsburgh's football and basketball teams have large fanbases. Robert Morris and Duquesne provide Division I basketball as well and nearby Penn State and West Virginia University have a number of fans in the Pittsburgh region.
| Pro Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | MLB | Baseball | PNC Park | 1882 | 1901 (pre-World Series), 1902 (pre–World Series), 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL | American football | Heinz Field | 1933 | 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | Ice hockey | Consol Energy Center | 1967 | 1991, 1992, 2009 |
| Pittsburgh Power | AFL | Arena football | Consol Energy Center | 2011 | |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds | USL Pro | Soccer | Highmark Stadium | 1999 | |
| Pittsburgh Passion | IWFL | American football | Highmark Stadium | 2002 | 2007 |
| Pittsburgh Force | WFA | American football | Moe Rubenstein Stadium | 2008 |
| Division I College Athletics | Most prominent sports | Venues | Conference | National Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh Panthers | Pitt Football (FBS) Pitt Basketball |
Heinz Field Petersen Events Center |
Big East Conference | Football: 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976 Basketball: 1927–28, 1929–30 |
| Duquesne University Dukes | Dukes Football (FCS) | Palumbo Center Art Rooney Field |
Atlantic 10 Conference Northeast Conference |
FCS Mid-Major Football: 1995, 2000, 2003 |
| Robert Morris University Colonials | Colonials Basketball Colonials Hockey |
Sewall Center Island Sports Center |
Northeast Conference AHA Conference (hockey) |
Pittsburgh's dedication to sports has a long history. All of its major professional sports teams—the Steelers of the National Football League, the Penguins of the National Hockey League, and the Pirates of Major League Baseball—share the same team colors, the official city colors of black and gold. This tradition of solidarity is unique to the city of Pittsburgh. The black-and-gold color scheme has since become widely associated with the city and personified in its famous Terrible Towel.
Read more about this topic: Pittsburgh
Famous quotes containing the word sports:
“Reading about ethics is about as likely to improve one’s behavior as reading about sports is to make one into an athlete.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“It is usual for a Man who loves Country Sports to preserve the Game in his own Grounds, and divert himself upon those that belong to his Neighbour.”
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719)
“It was so hard to pry this door open, and if I mess up I know the people behind me are going to have it that much harder. Because then there’s living proof. They can sit around and say, “See? It doesn’t work.” I don’t want to be their living proof.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 87 (June 17, 1991)