Penguins win the 2016 Stanley Cup

June 12th, 2016 the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the San Jose Sharks in San Jose.

SAN JOSE, CA – JUNE 12: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates by hoisting the Stanley Cup after their 3-1 victory to win the Stanley Cup against the San Jose Sharks in Game Six of the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center on June 12, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Since many Pittsburghers were upset that game six was away, Consol Energy Center (now PPG Paints Arena) decided to host a watch party, with hosts Mikey and Big Bob of 96.1 Kiss Radio in Pittsburgh.

Tickets to this watch party were only $15 a pop. This watch party was inside the arena on the big screen with fans surrounding all four corners.

While this sounds completely unconventional, it is normal for Pittsburgh fans, since every away playoff game is played on a big screen outside the arena where fans can set up chairs.

Even though they’re not at the physical game, everyone still comes decked out in their black and gold gear, eager for a win.

This game was no different. Everyone was still wearing their traditional game day attire, and again, they were eager for a win.

The game started that evening with the hosts, Mikey and Big Bob (who are notorious for being loud) hyping the fans up. Getting everyone excited and rowdy. They wanted the fans to cheer so loud that Crosby and the rest of the guys could hear the crowd from California.

The energy in the arena was hopeful, but not too confident yet. This was game six and both teams had shown a lot of ambition and ferocity in the playoffs. The end result of this game was unpredictable, but fans remained hopeful as the game commenced.

8:16 into the first period, Brian Dumoulin (2), assisted by Justin Schultz (4) and Chris Kunitz (8) scored the first goal of the match during a power play. The crowd in Consol Energy Center burst out cheering and whistling for the Pens.

It was incredible to see such a large support system gathered together 2,607 miles away from the actual gameplay.

The second period of the game had one goal scored by each team. Everyone was getting tense at this point. We had a lead, but was it a good enough lead to travel into the third quarter and pull out the win?

About 19:00 minutes into the third quarter the penguins scored again with about 1 minute left of gameplay. At this point, the crowd is already cheering happily.

The excitement and enthusiasm of the crowd is unwavering for the last 2 minutes of gameplay. When the clock ran out the entire arena exploded in celebration.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 Game 6 Reaction at Consol Energy Center
Credit: Tyler Polcawich

The Pittsburgh Penguins had won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2009. To say that the entire arena was erupting with happiness would be an understatement. Strangers were hugging each other and screaming together. The atmosphere was truly magical as the entire community of Pittsburgh celebrated as one.

Three days after the win, Pittsburgh hosted the “Stanley Cup Victory Parade” where any and all fans line the streets to greet the players as they return back from the last match.

The streets of Pittsburgh were flooded with black and gold as the fans continue to celebrate the victory, 3 days later.

The Pittsburgh Penguins took the Stanley Cup through town allowing fans to see the symbol of the victory.

These are the glory days. #**StanleyCup**
Photo: @NHL on Twitter

Over 350,000 fans gathered in the streets of Pittsburgh to celebrate this win. There is an unimaginable sense of community in the city of Pittsburgh because of the so many factors. One important factor to note is that every team’s colors are black and gold. These colors are symbolic of the city of Pittsburgh and truly allow everyone to come together as one to celebrate each team and victory the city earns.

The parade started at 11:30 am on Wednesday, June 15th and some fans arrived over 12 hours before this time to ensure they were in the front row to greet the team and their families.

Fans were crying of happiness to see the players this close in person. Every hockey fan wants the chance to see the Stanley Cup in person, and very few can say “I’ve kissed the Stanley Cup!” A task many try to check off their bucket list.

Exactly 2 years before the Penguins won…foreshadowing?

What makes this the “favorite sports experience to this day” you might ask. One word: unity. Game six was not even being played in Pittsburgh. It was being played in San Jose, California, yet Pittsburgh fans from all over the country gathered in one arena in hopes of a win.

One arena. One team. One game that changes everything.

This game changed Pittsburgh Hockey. The team has shown greatness before, but it truly solidified the image Pittsburgh Penguin Hockey still holds today. A team that loves one another and will do anything for each other and for the city of Pittsburgh.

The players did not have to partake in this parade. They could have kept the Stanley Cup back home, but these players wanted to celebrate with the fans.

The fans had helped the team make it to the finals and the fans had helped them win it all. The never-ending support from the city is a driving force in the success of Pittsburgh sports.

It has been almost exactly three years since this victory (tomorrow is the three year anniversary), but it will continue to be remembered by Pittsburgh for years to come.

OmaDAWGS: Bulldogs move onto the CWS

The Mississippi State Bulldogs moved onto the College World Series after their 8-1 win against no. 11 ranked Stanford last night.

Their 11th trip to the CWS in program history, the bulldog fanbase is looking for a win.

For many seniors, they were unsure if this would be their last time at bat as a college baseball player. You could feel the tension in the entire ballpark, but that tension was eased as we got to the top of the third with a 4-1 lead.

Still, Mississippi State Fans know that getting too confident too early can be the demise of the game. It is a common trend for Mississippi State sports teams to get a lead early on and slowly lose that lead as the game progresses, but that was not the case for this game.

The one run Stanford scored in the first inning was the only run they scored the entire game. Mississippi State held their strong lead all the way throughout the game taking the final score up to 8-1.

State maintained a 5-1 lead until the top of the ninth inning when the Dawgs scored 3 more runs. Mangum and Westburg hit back-to-back singles and MacNamee soon cleared the bases with a three-run homer to left field to give MSU their lead.

Cole Gordon is known for causing strikeouts with his killer pitch. All State needed was 3 outs on Stanford to secure their spot in the College World Series.

Gordon did not disappoint, with two strikeouts in the final inning.

The Bulldogs are now moving onto the College World Series in Omaha where they will play a game of redemption and play their hardest to win that title.

Nadal Wins 12th French Open Title

¡vamos! Rafael Nadal is now the first tennis player to win the same Grand Slam singles tournament 12 times.

Rafael Nadal won the French Open, beating Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, and 6-1. This is the second consecutive year Nadal and Thiem have played one another in the French Open Finals. Thiem beat number 1 Djovic in the semifinals, and many believed he would receive his first major trophy by winning the French Open, however, he couldn’t hold Nadal.

Nadal commended Thiem’s incredible game play and said, “The first thing I want to say is congrats to Dominic. I feel sorry because he deserves it here too and I hope he wins here in the future. He is a very hard worker. I want to wish him all the best for the future. It is incredible. I can’t explain what I have achieved and how I feel. It was a dream to play here for the first time in 2005. I never thought in 2019 I’d still be here. It’s an incredible moment and very special for me.”

Thiem (left) and Nadal (right) post-match

Nadal still considers himself a normal person saying “I’m certain that another player can do it in the future. But it’s true that you need to have qualities, luck, physical attributes and a long enough career to do it” before his victory today, June 9th 2019.

The first two sets had each taken Nadal and Thiem about an hour to finish, but the Nadal won the third in 28 minutes. His power and drive were unmatchable, though Austrian fourth seed Thiem put up a tough fight winning the second set 7-5, but this win only gave Nadal more fire and motivation to win the next two.

Nadal’s win-loss record at Roland-Garros, where the French Open is played, to 93-2, a feat no one else has accomplished.

Nadal is now the most dominant singles player at any grand slam event.

Nadal’s Grand Slam Title count is now 18, just two below Federer’s men’s record.

This victory also gives Nadal his 82nd career title and 950th match win.

Role Model: JuJu Smith-Schuster

JuJu Smith-Schuster, a 22 year-old from Long Beach, California is not only a huge asset to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but also to the city of Pittsburgh as a whole.

After completing his 2016 season at the University of Southern California as a Wide Receiver (as a junior in 2016, he played 13 games with 914 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns), Smith-Schuster decided to enter the draft rather than continuing into his senior year of school. The Steelers selected Smith-Schuster in the second round of the Draft and he was the youngest player in the 2017 Draft.

I think I can speak on behalf of the entire city of Pittsburgh and say that we were not only eager to have a new player, but also hopeful that he would bring fresh and new ideas to the team dynamic. It’s always nerve-wracking to get someone completely new who’s never played professionally before.

Furthermore, team chemistry is incredible important, so that is always something sports fans keep in the backs of their minds when their favorite team drafts a new player. JuJu Smith-Schuster has spoken about the team recently stating that “The chemistry is on point. We don’t really have, um, everyone is on the same page and everyone’s communicating. There’s really no, how you say? drama in our locker room.”

Luckily, JuJu Smith-Schuster has gone above and beyond in terms of satisfying these fan expectations. He not only serves as an insanely fast beast when he’s on the field, but also as a role-model for those who look up to him.

Not only is Smith-Schuster an incredible football player with the following stats for 2018:

REC: 111 (Tied-6th)
YDS: 1,4265th
TD: 7 (Tied-16th)
AVG: 12.8

But he also is active in the local Pittsburgh Community. Last December, Smith-Schuster and other team members donated $20,000 to Meals on Wheels. So many young children as well as people my age look up to JuJu.

He always sends positive messages and continues to be involved in charitable work. He said “I wanted to donate and focus on Meals On Wheels because of my grandmother,” whom he helped care for before her recent passing. “I want to do things in the community, and I thought why not do something for the older citizens in the Pittsburgh community.”

This past February, JuJu launched the JuJu Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of youth initiatives and lifting the spirits of those in need.

Just a few weeks ago on May 11th, he hosted an inaugural water balloon fight. He wanted this event to be a fun break for him and for others. At the event he had a live DJ, other activities like dodgeball and inflatables, free food, and giveaways that included tickets and money. He also met fans at the event and signed autographs for them.

This is just ONE of the many things Smith-Schuster has done for the Pittsburgh community. Three days ago, on June 1st, JuJu Smith-Schuster attended prom at Chartiers Valley High School.

JuJu Smith-Schuster with date Anthony Molinaro

He has been very active this week as you can see. Just two days ago on June 2nd, Smith-Schuster decided to make a visit to Kennywood Amusement Park, which is known by everyone who lives in Pittsburgh as the best place to get french fries.

Unfortunately, Kennywood made the decision to stop carrying Heinz Ketchup (which is based in Pittsburgh). Smith-Schuster took it into his own hands to make sure patrons of the amusement park had the right condiment for their “Potato Patch” fries.

Back in April, a fan going through a tough time posted on instagram about feeling depressed and stuck, looking for guidance. JuJu Smith-Schuster took it into his own hands to leave an encouraging and uplifting comment on this post. He is a down-to-earth man that doesn’t NEED to do all of these things for his community, but instead wants to.

Showing people the impact you can have by being there for someone will hopefully lead younger generations to follow in his footsteps and give love to others and be passionate.

It is clear that JuJu Smith-Schuster is still a kid at heart, but you can argue that he is extremely mature for his age. He is doing so much for his local community and for different organizations and charities.

As a pro-football player, he already has the respect of much of the Pittsburgh community, but he takes it a step further with his commitment to doing more than that. He spends so much time training, practicing, and playing the game, yet he still finds time to give back, in whatever way he can.

JuJu has given so much to the Pittsburgh community and has served as a role model through his continued love and support of those he crosses paths with. Pittsburgh expects to see a lot from him this coming football season, not only on the field, but also off.