Daily Echo | Your Say | Get in touch with the Southern Daily Echo and air your opinions

Hi my name is Joe and i will be writing a weekly blog on univeristy life in America. I am attending the University of Pittsburgh on a four year soccer (we all know it's football really!) scholarship. I will be sending back information on the latest crazes to sweep campus, my own views on american life an anecdotes and stories on my new beggining in Pennsylvania.

Please feel free to contact me if you want to now more about University life in the good old US of A!

Cheers,
Joe Prince-Wright

Kentucky isn't just good for fried chicken.....

Not a single cloud stood in the sky over Louisville, Kentucky. It was a majestic start to a day that promised to be of epic proportions. This day, Saturday 7th May 2011, is perhaps the biggest highlight in world horse racing and also for the state of Kentucky and its biggest city Louisville. The big circus had rolled into town and the flavor of the American south mixed in with the rich aristocracy of the north created an odd sense of expectancy and razzmatazz.

Not such a SUPER Sunday in the Steel City

The Pittsburgh Steelers reached the Super Bowl for the third time in six years as they battled it out with the Green Bay Packers for the famous 45th Vince Lombardi Trophy last Sunday in a wintry Dallas, Texas.

A haven for Soccer, buried deep in the wastelands of America

Recently I travelled to Newark, an industrial city 10 miles from Manhattan. It is a football loving town, where the New York Red Bulls call home. It is not however for the faint hearted....

Fond Farewell

After 50 years the historic Mellon Arena closed it's doors to Hockey fans as Pittsburgh moves onto a new era of Ice Hockey.

Saints V Pompey

After last weekend's terrific 5th round FA cup draw, the rivalry of the upcoming South Coast Derby is sure to produce fireworks across the Solent one way or another on 13th February. Here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the game will be eagerly watched in a local British bar, by a die-hard Saints fan (me) and several Americans who have seen the light and decided to call Alan Pardew's men THEIR side.

Gameday at Heinz Field

I travelled to my First ever NFL game to see the glitz and glamour of the Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. Cincinnati Bengals.

Pittsburgh Welcomes the World

The G-20 summit comes to Pittsburgh, as the world leaders visit my neighborhood.

Back with a bang

Well.....my first year in Pittsburgh went extremely well and i returned home to Southampton for the summer, and enjoyed seeing friends and family again. But now im back to business, playing football and studying hard towards my degree in journalism in my 2nd year stateside.

Reporting on Penguins with a difference

Last week i shadowed a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette the paper which serves the 2.5 million people who live in and around Pittsburgh. I attended a NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators and was totally blown away by the access media have in this all action league.

"Does it snow like this in England.....i wish, it just rains!"

As I sit here gazing at the snow falling in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the harsh reality of a North American winter sets in. The thermometer has struggled to get above 0 Celsius (or 32 Fahrenheit) since I returned from my 3 week whistle-stop visit for Christmas. Is it just me or do all English people still struggle at first to deal with the loss of all that unpredictable weather we receive on our fine shores? Ok, it's just me then. The confusion of hearing my alarm clock waking me up for football training at 6am stating that the temperature will be "a chilly and icy 32 degrees today", is startling, this is yet another factor which sets Britain apart from the rest. We measure the weather in Celsius and we drive on the left side of the road, Rule Britannia! A wry smile breaks over my face as I hit the snooze button.

American football rules, not that i understand them!!!

Take me out to the ball game!

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!