What A Parade! Thanks WPXI.

By Jason Ioli

I would just like to take a few minutes to thank WPXI channel 11 in Pittsburgh. As one of the many die hard Penguins fans who does not live in the city and could not make it back for the parade today, I thought I was SOL. But then there was WPXI to save the day. Not only did they air the parade and celebration on TV, but they also had it streaming live on the internet. Amazingly I was able to duck out of work at lunch time and enjoy all the sites and sounds of the icing on this cake that is the Stanley Cup Championship. I wanted desperately to get back to “tahn” today to be a part of this, but this was the next best thing.


And I have to say, seeing the genuine joy the players and coaches expressed, not only in what they said, but in how they acted, was one of the most memorable things for me. Here are a few highlights that will stay with me:

• At one point, Max Talbot got off of his car to talk to the press. Alby Oxenreiter from channel 11 mentioned something about him crowd surfing and Max climbed on top of the barrier and was about to hang ten before the police and Pens PR got him down. Priceless.




• Farther down the parade route, Staal, Boucher, and Talbot were running up and down the street giving high fives a la Cal Ripken Jr. And then out of nowhere comes “My Daddy” Bill Guerin and 38 years of age running up and down the street like he’s a kid a gain. Amazing.




• While on stage, Flower felt the need to apologize to all of the parents of kids who might have heard him swear in a post game interview after the cup clinching game. That is real class.




• “The old 29er” Phil Bourque was on stage with Mike Lange. He grabbed the cup and held it over his head and repeated his famous line from the first cup celebration at the point in ’91. “Let’s take this baby down to the river and party all summer.”




• While Guerin was at the mic, the crowd kept chanting “one more year.” Then, when Geno was up there he says he just wants to tell Billy, “One more year, huh? No, two more.”
  

It was a great time, even if it had to be in front of my computer. Thanks again the WPXI for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it from all the way out here in New Jersey.

Posted in: Parade,Penguins,playoffs 2009,WPXI