Pittsburgh, the City of Champions, Honors Its Penguins at a Victory Parade

For the second time in four months, Pittsburgh sports fans packed the streets of downtown Pittsburgh to attend a victory parade to celebrate a victory and cheer for their world championship team On February 3, 2009, an estimated 350,000 Steeler fans braved the 20 degree temperatures and blowing snow for a glimpse of their Super Bowl XLIII Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Many young Steeler fans skipped school to join the excitement in downtown Pittsburgh. The Steelers came out in force in the freezing cold weather and signed autographs and posed for photos along the route.

It felt like déjà vu today, as an estimated 375,000 Penguin fans jammed the same parade route on a sunny 85 degree day to honor the 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Most schools are out in Pittsburgh and there were many young faces in the parade crowd that weren't even born when the Penguins won their last Stanley Cup in 1991. Fans began arriving as early as 4:00 AM to stake out a prime spot along the parade route. Fans packed the parking garages along the Boulevard of the Allies looking for the best viewing locations. The Penguins rode in convertibles and truck beds wearing their regulation sweaters, shorts, tennis shoes, sunglasses and the official Stanley Cup Champions cap.

The series Most Valuable Player, Evgeni Malkin and his parents, Vladimir and Natalia, rode in a convertible along with his Conn Smythe Trophy. Penguin owner and former Stanley Cup Champion and Conn Smythe winner, Mario Lemieux, rode in the parade with his wife, Natalie, and his children. Sidney Crosby, the youngest Stanley Cup Champion captain in history, and superstar goalie Marc Andre-Fleury rode together and hoisted up the Stanley Cup along the parade route for the throngs of cheering fans to see. Speaking to his fans, Sidney Crosby said, "Today is better than I ever dreamed, and I think it's better than all of us ever dreamed, so thank you for your support ... It was a privilege and an honor to go through this with everyone. We've all dreamed of doing this, and do it again some other time."

The Stanley Cup has been popping up all over Pittsburgh. The Penguins surprised fans attending the Pirate game on Sunday afternoon when Sidney Crosby emerged from the dugout wearing a Pirates jersey and carrying the Stanley Cup. Coincidentally, the Pirates opponent was the Detroit Tigers and the Pirates went on to beat them 3-2. The Cup also made a luncheon appearance at Martini's on the South Side on Saturday afternoon. Later that evening, the Cup visited Mario's and Diesel also on the South Side.

Penguin fans from around the world watched the parade live as the three major networks WTAE, KDKA and WPXI broadcast the event live.

Source: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/sports/19745464/detail.html