So folks, having been here for nearly two months now i felt it was time to indulge in one of America's great sporting traditions.... a night out at the ball park! I travelled the 10 minute journey to downtown Pittsburgh with my team-mates to watch The Pittsburgh Pirates against The St.Louis Cardinals. As I walked up the steps into this brand spanking new PNC arena, I gazed around in amazement at the many lights, colours and sounds which greeted me. Let me set the scene for you, one half of the stadium was left completely open when constructed, as the Pittsburgh city skyline was situated close by. The rest of the stadium was in a perfect "L" shape, holding over 40,000 screaming fans. The stunning view of skyscrapers lit up in front of me on a perfect September evening was a joy to behold. I suddenly felt as though I was the journeyman baseball player who had finally reached the big leagues!
The game got off to a slow yet boisterous start and I have to confess, I didn’t really know what was going on. Yet with my limited baseball knowledge and the fact that everyone was having a good time, I was getting good vibes from this baseball lark! The highlight of the evening for many was the mascot race, I guessed the winner correctly and duly picked up a dollar from each of my team-mates! Excellent! The whole feel-good factor surrounding the match was extremely uplifting and I looked around to see people of all ages at the game. People who argue that football is becoming to "Americanized" should come and take a look first hand at the excitement and energy that is generated through the way American sport is played. Maybe more of this could be injected to Saints games or football in general in England. Enjoyment is there for the whole family, and I for one had a great time. Pittsburgh is very much like Southampton, it is a city full of passionate people who are passionate about sport. And with a Professional Ice Hockey Team (Pittsburgh Penguins), NFL Team (Pittsburgh Steelers) and the nationally ranked Pitt Panther Basketball team present, I will surely be treated to many more delights of American sport in the near future.