Be thankful for Forbes legacy

As the Pittsburgh Pirates get set to play in their new gem of a ballpark (PNC Park) they pause to honor baseball's first palace, Forbes Field.

Forbes was the National League's first modern concrete-and-steel park built in the Oakland neighborhood in 1909. The field was cozy and certainly quirky. The outfield walls in left, center, and right field were 360 feet, 462 feet and 376 feet respectively when the park was completed. The field also feature ivy-covered walls and the infield sported a "rock-hard" surface that earned the stadium the nickname the "House of Thrills."

Baseball history happened at Forbes from Roberto Clemete's first hit to the Babe's parting blast. But what memorializes Forbes Field forever is Bill Mazeroski's 1960 Game 7 World Series winning home run that propelled the underdog Bucs past the NY Yankees. The magical moment lives on in baseball lore to this day.

The treasures of Forbes lives on today too, in nearly every one of the 21 retro-ear ballparks built since 1992, from Camden Yards to SAFECO Field to Nationals Park. I've visited the hallowed grounds for Pittsburgh fans where the two-tiered Forbes once stood. I've starred at the home plate used in the stadium's final game (preserved inside Pitt's Posvar Hall). I'm thankful for the Forbes legacy.

The Pirates christened the park on June 30, 1909 taking on the Chicago Cubs, 100-years later the Cubs are back, a fitting tribute in itself.

AP PHOTO/Gene Puskar: Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski sits in front of a replica of the left field wall at Forbes Field, at PNC Park before the Pirates' baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh.

The unknowable is unstoppable

The Los Angeles Lakers handily dispatched the Orlando Magic earlier this week earning their 15th title in franchise history and fourth championship this decade.

Since their last title in 2002, LA has traded away one superstar, watched another go through a public trial and demand out and seen multiple coaches.

That's plenty to write about not including Kobe Bryant's vindication (winning a Shaq-free title) or Phil Jackson becoming the greatest championship coach in NBA history (his 10 titles surpass Red Auerbach's nine). But the thing that really grabbed my attention during the finals, and playoffs for that matter, happened in between the action on the court.

Throughout the postseason Nike basketball produced a series of Kobe-LeBron (James) commercials. They didn't feature athletes themselves, rather humorous representations. As the NBA season is now over, so to could the curtain fall on this ingenious ad campaign.

Here's a look at my favorites...

The answer to the question, clearly is in another question...

Got to agree there, Kobe still ain't got no defense...



Better get that championship ring display case expanded.

Aside from the Boston-Chicago opening round series and horrible officiating during the playoffs, I'm not likely to forget these ads anytime soon. And if this is the end for the Kobe-LeBron puppets at least we know one of them is celebrating.

Revenge is sweeter

I couldn't help but revel in the scenes of people jamming every inch of downtown Pittsburgh today to celebrate their Stanley Cup champion Penguins.

Facing ridiculous odds after falling in the series 0-2, facing the overwhelming task of trying to win a NHL championship on the road, the Pens beat the champs earning the right to be called champs.

Last Friday night the aura of the Detroit Red Wings was smashed, we learned they could be human. But that's just one story line in the wake of a shocking final result.

Much of the credit for the Penguins win doesn't belong with Sidney Crosby (youngest captain to hoist the Cup) or Evgeni Malkin (playoffs MVP), but with maligned goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

Doubts lingered large about Fleury's ability to win the big game after he was chased in Game 5, even I was skeptical. But Fleury bounced back, making a series saving stop on a breakaway from Detroit's Dan Cleary in the next game. And in what could be a lasting image from Game 7, Fleury made a sprawling save on Nicklas Lindstrom to seal the Cup.

Fleury is not perfect, but he is a redeemed goalie and has justified himself with this win as a No. 1 overall pick.

What makes this Stanley Cup particularly sweet as a fan, was seeing Cup chasing winger Marian Hossa end up on the losing side. 

After being an integral part of the Penguins finals run last year, Hossa spurned Pittsburgh. He decided to sign a lucrative one-year offer with Detroit, because he felt the defending champion Red Wings had a better chance to repeat than the Penguins.

Hossa was nearly invisible in the finals (zero goals, just three assists) but claims no regret in picking the losers over the winners. 

"Regret? I don't regret it," Hossa said to the press after Game 7. "We could sit here for hours and have a discussion on it. But I do not regret my decision."

For now all Hossa has left is to ponder how close he was to raising Lord Stanley's Cup, again.

For 375,000 Penguin fans that lined up to see the Cup there's nothing left to ponder. Party on Pittsburgh!

Still lacking respect

Quickly we are reaching the doldrums of summer, which means it's time for a Penguins-style blog comeback.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs ended in glorious fashion and the NBA Playoffs are sure to end soon (maybe tonight). That means it will soon be time for sports media everywhere to start focusing on our national pastime, football.

I'm going to jump the gun here.

After ten years, 108 wins and a shocking result in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, one would think Boise State football could design some decent uniforms.

That's not the case, again.

If you have the misfortunes of staring at the "Smurf Turf" this year, you'll also have to endure these hideous uni's (right). The piping is plain nasty.

It seems that Boise State thrives off ugliness. The Broncos boast the nation's best home-field record over the last ten years (64-2).

Maybe like the arctic fox who cunningly matches it's surroundings, these Broncos blend ugly uniforms into screaming blue turf, giving them a camouflaged advantage.

Though it could be they play soft non-conference schedule and then fest off WAC schools. Whatever the case, you'll soon be hearing about their BCS-busting possibilities again.

As for the Broncos quest for national respect, maybe they should start with a uniform overhaul.