Sports

   At the western end of Pennsylvania sits a large industrial city known for two things: steel mills and football. With an impressive history to support this current decade’s success, Pittsburgh has earned the title of the best sports city with flying colors-black and gold to be specific.

   The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers are the most famous team of the city. Over the past ten years, the Steelers, led by "Big Ben" Roethlisberger, have collected two Superbowl wins to make for six overall in the team’s history. This puts them ahead of any other NFL team for number of championships held, since the inception of the award in 1967.

   The Steelers’ success on the field is matched by the fervor of their dedicated fan base. According to an analysis taken last year by research company Scarborough Sports Marketing, 75 percent of football fans in the city of Pittsburgh root for the Steelers. This percentage is second to only Green Bay, a city with 200,000 fewer residents.

   Not only did Pittsburgh acquire another Lombardi Trophy last year, Pittsburgh also is the home to this year’s Stanley Cup winners, the Penguins. Led by the young Canadian hockey player Sidney Crosby, the Penguins went on to win their third NHL Championship after defeating the previous champions, the Detroit Red Wings.

   Even the city’s most shameful team, MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates, has one of the most impressive ballparks in the country, PNC Park. Even though the Pirates have not been able to boast a winning record since 1992, they still hosted the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game; an honor Fenway has not received in this decade.

   The words of Joe Greene best sum up the competitive sports atmosphere in Pittsburgh: "They say that when you’re the champs, everybody will try to beat you. Well, I’m glad we’re champs, so bring ‘em on, bring ‘em all on. If we die, we ain’t gonna die running. It’s gonna be a fight." Even in 2009, Pittsburgh has not left the ring.