Since we'd never been to Pittsburgh, we decided to make a stop and spend a day or two in the area. We weren't sure what we wanted to do or see so we just got in the truck, turned on the GPS, and found our way to Pittsburgh.
And this.......
Acrisure Stadium, formerly known as Heinz Field, is located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA). The stadium opened in 2001 as Heinz Field, following the controlled implosion of the teams' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium. In 2021, H.J. Heinz Company declined to renew the stadium's naming rights and the City of Pittsburgh granted Acrisure's bid to purchase the rights in 2022.
We arrived just before the next tour was to begin and they could squeeze two more in, so we bought tickets. Interesting that everything is done by phone.
And just like that, we were in and met our guide, Wen. I think she said it was short for Gwen.
I'm not much of an NFL fan these days and have never been a Steelers fan, but it was fun to be able to see the inside of a stadium up close and personal.
For Seattle fans, this was a Super Bowl they'd rather forget. Super Bowl XL was played in Detroit on February 5, 2006 when the 13-3 Seahawks played the 11-5 Steelers. Unfortunately, the Steelers won the game 21-10. And that's all I have to say about that :-)
All of their Super Bowl trophies are on display. Here's one.
Super Bowl XLIII
February 1, 2009, Tampa, Florida
Steelers 27 - Arizona Cardinals 23
The Steelers have a lot of history and they show it proudly in the stadium.
The Steelers have only two officially retired jersey numbers - No. 70, previously worn by Hall of Fame defensive lineman Ernie Stautner, and No. 75, previously worn by "Mean" Joe Greene. While these are the only two numbers officially retired, there are several others that have been unofficially retired - Terry Bradshaw (12), Franco Harris (32), and Jerome Bettis (36) to name a few.
It was nice to see that they recognize the high school champions.
In 1975, the Steelers won the AFC Central title and qualified for the playoffs. WTAE, the team's flagship radio station, said they needed assistance of Myron Cope, the Steelers radio broadcaster, in inventing a "gimmick" which would attract sponsors to his talk show. Cope initially did not want to participate saying "I'm not a gimmick guy" but after a suggestion that a successful gimmick would be good leverage for a raise in his upcoming contract renewal, he changed his tune and said "I'm a gimmick guy".
The towel made its debut on December 27, 1975 in a playoff game against Baltimore. Cope watched the gathering fans through his binoculars and saw fewer than a dozen towels while players were warming up. Cope recalled that "Nearing kickoff, the Steelers gathered in their tunnel for introductions, whereupon the crowd exploded - and suddenly, by my estimation, 30,000 Terrible Towels twirled from the fists of fans around the stadium!". The Steelers went on to defeat Baltimore 28-10 and the rest, as they say, was history.
The Terrible Towel has spread in popularity; for example, fans take their Towels to famous sites while on vacation. The Towel has been taken to the peak of Mount Everest, and even into space on the International Space Station.
The fans, for the most part, were unhappy when the stadium was no longer named Heinz Field. So, the stadium opened "Heinz Gate" in order to memorialize the name.
We then went out onto the field. No one seemed to know what the clock was counting down to.
Kenny Chesney had just performed a few days before we were there and the turf had been covered so time was needed to get the grass back in playing shape.
It was interesting to see how they store the goal posts when not in use.
We went out to the endzone where Wen works on game days.
Make Noisi - What????
Behind the scoreboard was the Beer Garden with some beautiful views (but not so beautiful prices).
In the late 19th century, this "tram" on the Duquesne Incline, was intended to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington. It later carried passengers, particularly the Mt. Washington residents who were tired of walking up the steep footpaths to the top of the bluff. Inclines were being built all over Mt. Washington to serve working-class people who were forced out of the lowlying riverfront by industrial development.
But as more roads were built in the twentieth century on Coal Hill, as it was known, and automobile use increased, most of the inclines were closed. By the end of the 1960s, only two inclines remained in operation, the Duquesne Incline being one.
After a few years of closure, the incline has since been totally refurbished. The cars have been stripped of paint to reveal the original wood. And observation deck was added at the top affording a view of Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle". The Duquesne incline is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
It was time to go into the locker rooms. The teams are very superstitious and don't want anyone to step on their name or logo. We stayed off!
And into the Steelers' locker room.
Of course, the city is abuzz with word of their incoming quarterback, Russell Wilson, former Seahawks quarterback. His locker is just waiting for his arrival.
There was a very important item to see outside the stadium so out we went.
The Immaculate Reception is one of the most famous plays in the history of football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders which was the team Ron followed - closely - as a young adult. The playoff game was held at Three Rivers Stadium, which remember was imploded, on December 23, 1972.
With his team trailing 7-6 on fourth down with 22 seconds left in the game, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass targeting Steelers running back John Fuqua. The ball bounced off the helmet of Raiders safety Jack Tatum and Steelers fullback Franco Harris caught it just before it hit the ground and ran for a game winning touchdown. The play has been a source of controversy and speculation ever since, with some contending that the ball touched only Fuqua (and did not touch Tatum) or that it hit the ground before Harris caught it, either of which would have resulted in an incomplete pass by the rules of the time. No matter what, Ron WAS NOT happy that day :-(
A special "memorial" marks the spot where the play occurred. You can even see the footprint of where Franco Harris "caught" it.
As we walked back to the truck we saw another interesting plaque.
This was sure an unexpected surprise day.
I am not a football fan, so I would have skipped this one!
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