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Da Burgh
Da Burgh
Jim Meadows
Published by Swampy Meadows
02-20-2010
Da Burgh

PITTSBURGH (PA) -- It’s good to be heading back to Da Burgh. I’ve been a frequent visitor to the city since 1970 when I was dating the future Mrs. Swampy, who was born and raised here. We lived in Pittsburgh for three years until Westinghouse Broadcasting transferred me to Detroit in 1981. Later on, I called on Pittsburgh as part of my sales territory when I worked for CNN.

Some of my Burgh memories:

-- Driving thru the Ft. Pitt Tunnel (especially at night) and suddenly, there it is: The Golden Triangle.

-- The view of the city from atop Mt. Washington.

-- Getting to see Roberto Clemente play RF for the Pirates. That guy never took a play off, let alone a day off. Quite simply, the best I’ve ever seen play the game.

-- Shaking Terry Bradshaw’s hand on the field at Three Rivers after the Steelers had just beaten the Houston Oilers in the 1978-79 Super Bowl season. The game was plagued by freezing rain throughout. I have never been so uncomfortable and yet had so much fun, both at the same time like I did at that game.

-- Seeing my first-ever World Series game in 1979 when the Bucs won it all. In the short time that Mrs. Swampy and I lived there the Steelers won 2 Super Bowls and the Pirates a World Championship. Pittsburgh really was “The City of Champions.”

-- Seeing Chris Daniels play one of his last games ever in a Flyer uniform. He died a few weeks after the Duquesne road game.

-- Yinzers. Ya gotta love 'em.

-- Taking clients to the great Braves/Pirates playoff series in the early ‘90s. I had kinda torn allegiances: as a former resident I liked the Pirates, but I worked for Ted Turner, owner of the Braves.

-- Forget the sandwiches at Primanti Brothers in the Strip District with the cole slaw and fries piled on top of the meat. I’ve always been partial to their breakfast. That’s where I’m headed before the game.

-- Playing pickup hoops under the lights on a balmy summer night out in South Park. The water fountain there featured the best tasting aqua in the world.

-- Steak hoagies at Danny’s Pizza in Whitehall. That’s my destination after UD beats the Dukes.

-- I shot the best round of golf in my life in Da Burgh…one over par at a little 18 holer out off of Route 51 in the South Hills.

-- Being able to walk in just before game time for any UD/Dukes game, buying the cheapest general admission ducat they had and then being able to sit wherever I wanted.

Somehow, I don’t think that would be possible this year as the game is rumored to be not only a sell-out but a “Red Out” as well. Good thing that Doug Hauschild hooked me up with a press pass.

Sunday AM pre-game

Got to Primanti Brothers in the strip only to discover that they only serve breakfast until 10:30AM. Good thing I got there at 10:28, huh?

Found a parking place on the street and once I figured out where the media entrance was, I was good to go.

Said hello to Doug Hauschild, Larry and Bucky and had a nice chat with Coach Cornell Mann about the state of Michigan and our recruiting effort there. I'll save that for another day.

Also ran into frequent FlyerHoops.net MB poster Ron Dreissen and Matt Purpus, the President of the Red Scare. Heard an interesting story about "The Crew" Duquesne's version of the RS. It was started by a UD grad who attended DU as a grad student. Copied the RS constituion word-for-word and everything.

Sitting next to Matt Schwade from FlyerHoops.net so it should be a fun game. Got to meet Ron Thalman as well, the guy who takes all of those great pictures for Matt's site.

All-too-infrequent UD Pride MB poster "The Fly" stopped by with his girlfriend Linda. We've IMed and posted back and forth for years, but never actually met. It's always nice to connect a name with a face. He was gonna try to intoduce Matt and me to his co-worker Colin Dunlap, the guy who covers DU for the Post-Gazette but that never happened.

UD fans are allowed to bring signs to a game for a change. My favorite so far:

"Be right back...I gotta take a Duty"

Jason saw it and laughed and is hearing about it from his teammates.

Word is that Luke Fab is cleared to play and he's been out taking a full warm-up.

Really good crowd. Lotsa Flyer Faithful here.

Sitting next to Doc Martin, the college scout from the Trailblazers who is here to see CW and Saunders. Told him to watch #4 in white, too. Also mentioned that the Blazers had good luck with drafting UD players, in the personage of Johnny Davis and Jim Paxson.

Let's get ready to rumble!

The Game

Turnover city to start.

2-0 on a CW tip. Mickey and MJ in. DU misses 1-2 FTs. CW with the circus reverse and it goes.

4-4 on a Bill Clark 3. CW with the MRJ and the monster block, UD up 6-4.

LW feed CW for the hoop and the harm. 8-4 good guys at the under 16 media TO.

Schwade: "Has anybody else scored besides Chris?"

11-9 after the big fella for DU misses the FT. CJ with the bomb. Twice!

19-13 after 2 CJ freebies and it's the under 12 media TO. CW with the ever-popular foul on a 3 point shooter, but Clark only hits 2-3. 19-15 UD. Peggau with a manly rebound and the foul on Devin. Peggau misses both. Devin is down as play continues.

Luukkke is in. 19-17 UD with 9:45 remaining in the 1st half. Luukke is out because he didn't switch and DU scored. And now he's back in after KH scores 2-2 FTs to put UD up 23-19.

LW with the pretty left handed layup. And then with the righty. UD up 2. Luke is 0-2 on 3 pointers. UD up 2 at the under 5 with Williams headed to the line for 2 freebies for the Dukes. He splits the pair and it's 27-26 Flyers with 3:30 to go in the half, after a bad pass by RL.

Saunders glides across the floor and gets hit by DS. He misses both and CW TOs on the other end. Dukes take the lead on a layup. RL gets the call on a weak foul and makes them both. UD up 1.

KH puts on a saddle and cowboys up for 2 of 2 FTs.

UD holds for the last shot, which CW jams down the Dukes throats for a 33-30 lead at the break.

CW joins the 1,000 point club and the Faithful in attendance have a sign for the occasion. He was 6-6 from the field good for 13. CJ with 8, KH with 6, LW for 4 and RL with 2 are all the guys who scored.

PW with a big 3 to start the proceedings. CW with a big man dunk. PW again. Blown dunk by DU but LW gets the curious charge call. Bolding hits 2 and it's 41-36. CJ with a big 3 for a 44-38 bulge.

BG is ****ed at CW for taking a 3 when CJ was wide open in the corner.
Josh mishandles and RL overthrows KH and it's turnover city here once again. 44-40 UD at the under 16.

CW with a bogus charge. RL with the large, economy sized 3. CJ strong to the hole for the harm. He hits 1 for a 4 point lead. Saunders with a layup and a foul on KH and the Dukes have the lead.

CJ with a much-needed three to tie it back up. CW with his 4th personal at the under 12 TO.

"The Crew" behind us used up their quota of F-bombs in the 1st half. They are now using some of their ration for next year.

RL with a layin and Monteiro answers. CJ with another bomb...and a foul, which puts DU into the bonus. PW picks up where he left off at the start of the half. Saunders fouls MJ but there's no call, he steals it and dunks to re-tie it.

Saunders again with a flush. "Uncle Mo" is sitting on the Dukes side of the gym right now.

Is it as loud on TV as it is in here?

KH with a reverse off of a pretty feed by PW. Nice J by Mickey. Down 2. KH battles for the board, draws a foul on Saunders and will go to the line, where he misses.

Monteiro makes 2 for a 4 point spread. Dukes now up by 6...time to put CW and LW back in, coach.

PW with yet another triple. CJ gets an absolutely bogus foul called on him right before the under 4 TO. BG is livid. DU is up by 3.

Monteiro shows why DU is one of the worst teams at FT shooting.

CJ behind a double screen to tie it. Foul on DU underneath. KH at the line again where he rattles home a pair for a 2 point lead. UD up 2 with 1:54 remaining in regulation. Josh Benson urging on the Flyer crowd.

LW with an unreal block! 1:30 left. LW with a great steal but they call it his 5th instead. Bolding shooting 2 and missing 2, but the ball goes out off UD.

RL gives it up and then fouls. Saunders misses 1 of 2, UD up 1. CJ slides OB with 39.7 left and a 1 point UD advantage. Crunch time, boys and girls. RL needs to play smart.

Saunders drives to give the Dukes the lead. 25.1 remains. BG goes small with CW, RL, CJ, PW and MJ. CJ rims a 3, jump ball, arrow favors DU with 9.9 left and Dukes up 1.

Clark shooting 2, makes the first and BG calls a TO. Clark misses the 2nd. UD gets it to CJ who misses and the clock expires.

Ballgame.

Post-Game

Just got home to Michigan. I left right after the game, didn't stay to hear BG talk or ask him about the stupid rumor on the MB about him going to DePaul. Sue me. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone and I don't imagine he was either.

This Flyer team reminds me of the old Red Sox. They were built for Fenway--hit ball over Monster, Sox win-- and management couldn't figure out why they sucked on the road. I told Doug Hauschild before the game that they were playing in their home whites and shooting into a red background, maybe they'll think they're at home and play well. Didn't happen.

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: swampy@udpride.com
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  #1  
By ChampCar on 02-20-2010, 08:43 PM
Danny's is a good choice, but give the italian hogie a try - be sure to get it with onions - it's the next best thing to a Milano's sub.
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  #2  
By Swampy Meadows on 02-20-2010, 08:47 PM
ChampCar:

I'll be taking one of those home for Mrs. Swampy. The best part is the cheese that gets baked onto the roll from whent hey stick it in the pizza oven.
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