When Pitt Ruled the Gridiron

When Pitt Ruled the Gridiron PDF Author: David Finoli
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476617503
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description
Between 1929 and 1937, Hall of Fame coach Jock Sutherland took the championship program at the University of Pittsburgh that was built by his mentor Glenn "Pop" Warner, and won five of the nine national championships the school now claims. While a successful period, it was also controversial: Sutherland enjoyed the support of a group of wealthy boosters named the Golden Panthers, who helped him secure the services of the best players western Pennsylvania had to offer. While they made sure the players had what they needed, the school also made sure they had enough money to be comfortable. Critics accused Pitt of employing what amounted to professional athletes in a college sport. These accusations not only embarrassed the school administration, but led to the end of their dynasty and its coach. This book tells the exciting tale of their championship run, and describes how their downfall began what has since been a continual academics versus athletics tug-of-war at the school.

When Pitt Ruled the Gridiron

When Pitt Ruled the Gridiron PDF Author: David Finoli
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476617503
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description
Between 1929 and 1937, Hall of Fame coach Jock Sutherland took the championship program at the University of Pittsburgh that was built by his mentor Glenn "Pop" Warner, and won five of the nine national championships the school now claims. While a successful period, it was also controversial: Sutherland enjoyed the support of a group of wealthy boosters named the Golden Panthers, who helped him secure the services of the best players western Pennsylvania had to offer. While they made sure the players had what they needed, the school also made sure they had enough money to be comfortable. Critics accused Pitt of employing what amounted to professional athletes in a college sport. These accusations not only embarrassed the school administration, but led to the end of their dynasty and its coach. This book tells the exciting tale of their championship run, and describes how their downfall began what has since been a continual academics versus athletics tug-of-war at the school.

Pittsburgh’s Greatest Teams

Pittsburgh’s Greatest Teams PDF Author: David Finoli
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1625859171
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Pittsburgh is synonymous with winning. From the Penguins and Steelers to the Pirates and Panthers, the Steel City knows championships. There must be something special in the water to make Pittsburgh so particularly gifted with its sports teams. The most famous teams in the city's history would most likely be the 1970s Steelers, known as the Steel Curtain for obvious reasons, and the Penguins who raised the Stanley Cup five times. Names such as Lemieux, Crosby, Roethlisberger, Bradshaw, Clemente and Stargell are legends of American sport and members of Pittsburgh's most cherished franchises, but for every sports legend and multi-million dollar franchise, there are a dozen more talented players and long-past teams that have been forgotten to history; the Negro League's Crawford and Homestead Grays are too often overlooked in the city's sports history but were as talented as any team that has played there. Author Dave Finoli ranks the fifty greatest teams that won trophies, brought glory and lifted the hearts of Pittsburgh's devoted sports fans.

1976 National Champion Pitt Panthers, The: Miracle on Cardiac Hill

1976 National Champion Pitt Panthers, The: Miracle on Cardiac Hill PDF Author: David Finoli
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467148938
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Ten years after a one-loss season and being ranked third in the nation, the University of Pittsburgh's historic football team had fallen on hard times. In 1973, the team hired former All-American Johnny Majors to right the ship, and he promptly recruited Tony Dorsett and Al Romano. Over the next four years, the new-look Panthers were brought back to prominence with stunning victories, culminating in the 1976 NCAA National Championship. Dorsett, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, became the first college running back to eclipse two thousand yards in a season and was awarded the Heisman Trophy in the championship year. Author David Finoli tells the story of one of the most dramatic turnarounds in college football history.

Integrating Pittsburgh Sports

Integrating Pittsburgh Sports PDF Author: The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467152595
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Steel City Sports as a Catalyst for Change Though Pittsburgh athletics had many of the same barriers to equality and racial discrimination as the rest of the nation for far too long, the city has celebrated some of the most important moments in the integration of sports in the country. Pittsburgh was the only city with two Negro League teams, fielding such future Hall of Famers as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige. Local high school basketball stars Chuck Cooper, Bill Nunn, Jr., Dick Ricketts, Maurice Stokes, and Jack Twyman held integrated pick-up games at local parks such as Mellon Park in Shadyside in the 1950s. In college football, Connellsville native Jimmy Joe Robinson became the first African American player on Pitt's football team in 1945 as the school continued to integreate its squad ahead of federal desegration. The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists present the compelling, heartbreaking and courageous history of how Pittsburgh's integration of sport helped lead the nation.

Where Pittsburgh Played

Where Pittsburgh Played PDF Author: David Finoli
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439675678
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
The Epicenter of Steel City Sports From Forbes Field to Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood has been home to some of the most iconic moments in sports history. Including the Fitzgerald Field House and the Duquesne Gardens, Oakland has drawn in both professional and college sports fans alike. Local authors and sports historians David Finoli, Tom Rooney, Robert Healy III, Douglas Cavanaugh and Chris Fletcher celebrate the glorious victories and heartbreaking losses throughout the history of Pittsburgh's Oakland section, the epicenter of Steel City Sports.

Pittsburgh's Greatest Athletes

Pittsburgh's Greatest Athletes PDF Author: David Finoli
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439667225
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
Author and sports historian David Finoli's inside look at the 50 greatest male and female athletes in Pittsburgh history. Greatness in sport is both undefinable and immediately recognizable. Though it is rare, Western Pennsylvania has been graced with a long history of athletes who embody the essence of greatness. They have proudly represented the region in sports such as boxing, golf and track; carried their collegiate teams to victory; and worn the black and gold of the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. Pittsburghers still recall how Mario Lemieux glided effortlessly through an opposing defense before befuddling the goalie or Arnold Palmer's unique swing that made the everyday duffer feel like he was one of them. Fans debate whether Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger is the better quarterback and what the legacy of Barry Bonds is, while keeping Roberto Clemente among their most cherished icons. Take a deep dive into all of that and more and re-discover the best of the best in Pittsburgh sports history.

Pittsburgh's Civic Arena: Stories from the Igloo

Pittsburgh's Civic Arena: Stories from the Igloo PDF Author: The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467148849
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Lovingly nicknamed the Igloo, the Civic Arena was home to the Pittsburgh Penguins until 2010 and hosted some of the most important sports and entertainment events in Steel City history. During the glorious Mario Lemieux era, the venue hosted four Stanley Cup Finals, including three championship-winning seasons. Muhammad Ali KO'ed Charlie Powell in 1963 there. It was home to Duquesne Basketball in the arena's early days and has hosted some of the University of Pittsburgh's most important basketball games as well. Some of the biggest acts in music history have rocked the Igloo's seats, including Elvis, the Beatles and frequent favorite, Bruce Springsteen. Join local sports and media writers as they recall the greatest moments in Civic Arena's storied history.

Pioneer Coaches of the NFL

Pioneer Coaches of the NFL PDF Author: John Maxymuk
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538112248
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 309

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Book Description
In the early days of professional football, coaches were little more than on-field captains who also ran practices—if there was time for practice. The emergence of post-graduate football and the coaching profession from 1920 to 1950 was crucial to the evolution of the game, and both developed and rose in stature over this critical period in the history of football. In Pioneer Coaches of the NFL: Shaping the Game in the Days of Leather Helmets and 60-Minute Men, John Maxymuk profiles some of the most innovative coaches from the early days of the NFL, including Guy Chamberlin, Curly Lambeau, George Halas, Potsy Clark, and Clark Shaughnessy. Along with biographical sketches and career details, the profiles examine the coaches’ strategic approaches, their impact on the history of the game, and the advancement of their roles both on and off the field. It was this group of coaches who initially devised the basic repertoire of plays and alignments, as well as passing routes, blocking schemes, shifts, and substitution patterns. These men morphed defensive alignments, introduced the four-man secondary, conceived zone and man-to-man coverage mixes, and concocted linebacker and safety blitzing. Pioneer Coaches of the NFL details how coaches from the first three decades of the NFL established many of the procedures, conventions, and strategies that modern football coaches still use today. These innovators presented those that followed them a rich palate with which to imagine and create an even greater game.

Dan Rooney

Dan Rooney PDF Author: Dan Rooney
Publisher: Da Capo Press
ISBN: 0306817241
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
The long-time owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers describes growing up on Pittsburgh's North Side, his father and mentor Art Rooney, the development of the Steelers into a football powerhouse, and relationships with family, players, coaches, the media, and fans.

Three Rivers Stadium: A Confluence of Champions

Three Rivers Stadium: A Confluence of Champions PDF Author: The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 146714536X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Erected on the city's Northside in 1970, Three Rivers Stadium was Pittsburgh's home of champions for three decades. It hosted the first-ever World Series game played at night as the Pirates would win their last two titles there. The Pitt-Penn State rivalry in college football was never more heated than under the bright lights of Three Rivers. The Steel Curtain era of the Steelers brought Super Bowl wins and elevated the stadium to become one of the most feared venues in all of professional sports. Locally referred to as the "House that Clemente Built," the stadium was the site of the beloved right fielder's 3,000th hit. Join local sportswriters as they recall the roaring crowds, rocking stands and greatest moments of Three Rivers Stadium.