Dunlap: Enjoy These Times, Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) - I'm not saying we take this for granted.
Not at all saying that --- but maybe this just serves as more of a reminder.
Enjoy this.
Soak it all in.
These are, indeed, some of the high times; some of the highest times for Pittsburgh sports fans.
And they aren't times that are guaranteed to be here in a couple years; they also are times sports fans in some cities never experience. And I mean never. They are born, they live and die and never get to understand what we have right now.
So, maybe I will just go ahead and say it: Don't take this for granted.
This is incredible what's happening right now.
Stop and soak it all up.
You see, what's happening right now is that the Pittsburgh Penguins are in the midst of chasing that most recognizable trophy in all of sports --- the Stanley Cup. They are doing so on the shoulders of Sidney Crosby, a dynamic superstar who has elevated his play as of late, is an internationally-recognizable figure and, in some regard, has the weight of the hockey world on him.
But, to us, he's just our Sid. He's The Kid we've seen grow up, the one we've watched turn from a youngster into a person in the midmost point of his career right now in a way dangling our hopes and dreams on his hockey stick.
Sid ---- and make no mistake his teammates ---- have taken us for quite a ride over the past few months even as it looked like a Cup run wouldn't happen.
What a special time. Man, what a special time.
Then there is that one team that plays in the cathedral across the river from the Penguins, the Pirates. They not only boast what is the most dynamic and probably physically gifted outfield in baseball, they have a record right now --- and are playing a brand of baseball --- where it looks like they will fight for, at the very least, a Wild Card spot all summer.
They have Gerrit Cole, a bulldog who is turning into an ace and, as the summer progresses, those reinforcements will show up on the mound that so many here have anticipated, so many here have pinned as can't-miss guys who will help an already-solid baseball team.
My, what a rest of the summer those Pirates should give us when this Penguins season ends.
What a special time. Man, what a special time.
Then there are the Steelers, with a season still far ahead on the horizon, but one jam-packed with expectations.
This is an organization that has a dynamic offense paced by a man many think is the best receiver in the game and accompanied by an all-time great quarterback who never gets enough credit and versatile running back who, when healthy, has the capabilities of taking a game over by himself.
What a special time. Man, what a special time.
It seems there is always something nowadays on the Pittsburgh sports calendar that registers on the national sports landscape, a game that carries a magnitude that has the makings of being remembered for generations.
That isn't hyperbole or exaggeration --- these three teams are seemingly going out and playing giant contests of consequence each time they suit up.
That said, it is my firm belief as a native Pittsburgher who wouldn't want to live anywhere else in this country that we have the best sports town anywhere.
But, please, do yourself a favor right now, if even for a few minutes --- stop. Understand these are the high times and few sports fans in the world have it this way.
Also understand it could be all stripped away with a run of bad luck, some underachieving on the playing surfaces, a string of bad draft picks, some key injuries or a few missteps by the front office.
I'm hoping none of us are taking the atmosphere right now in Pittsburgh for granted.
Because, you know, these are the high times.
Live them up.
What a special time. Man, what a special time.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
