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Pittsburgh Sports in the 1970’s. David Finoli, Tom Rooney, Tim Rooney, Chris Fletcher and Frank Garland.

 


Pittsburgh Sports in the 1970’s.   David Finoli, Tom Rooney, Tim Rooney, Chris Fletcher and Frank Garland.  

Tragedies, Triumphs and Championships.  

Having grown up a sport’s loving youngster in the Pittsburgh area during the 1970’s and 1980’s, I watched, followed and read a lot about the local professional, college and even high school sports teams.   So, it was only natural that this book reviewer would be drawn to the book upon first exposure at a nearby national book store.     In this book, it takes the contribution of multiple authors to bring to life or memory for some of the greatest sports stories and occurrences witnessed in the 1970’s. 

The authors headed by Pittsburgh Sports Historian David Finoli, assembled no fewer than 41 chapters connecting the reader to the professional teams such as the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins along with outstanding accomplishments from the local universities as well featuring University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne and Westminster.    Inside one will even find some surprising tales of golf & tennis but also be regaled from the humor of a few local legendary broadcasting luminaries such as Myron Cope and Bob Prince. 

An upside to Pittsburgh Sports in the 1970’s is that the multitude of chapters are short in length and easy to follow and process. The authors contributed their chapters individually and give just enough information to keep the reader informed, interested but not overwhelmed.   While there is some overlap in the stories about the Steelers and Pirates, it serves as a friendly refresher, especially for the uninitiated and younger readers.

Some of the more intriguing chapters include the many accomplishments of the local pro baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Of course, winning two World Series in one decade (71’ and 79’) would create a fair amount of buzz for a manuscript like this.  It is possible, if not likely, that many readers were unaware of the curse connected to one of the cities beloved managers.   In fact, one of the chapters is devoted to that very topic.  Danny Murtaugh was one of the most respected baseball coaches during his tenure yet without the recognition that might be associated with that type of success in the age of social media. 

Not to be outdone but the local professional football  team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, won four super bowls during the decade (74’, 75’, 78' & 79’).    It should be unsurprising that the authors contributed several stories connected to this unprecedented triumph (at that time) of winning four championships.  Whether it was a story about the owners of the franchise, Rooney’s, or the origin of how the terrible towel came to life, or simply the bevy of Hall of fame players that dominated the league for much of the decade, there is no shortage of interesting representation in this book of the super Steelers.    

Even a final chapter discussing how a few classic movies made in the city and connecting to the sports success, and local followings, provided another interesting platform demonstrating how this region was recognized from a national perspective.   Admittedly neither movie was considered award winning cinema material and they may be a bit dated now but they are cult classics that that could be the envy of sports fans from other regions around the nation.   

One does not have to be a Pittsburgh native or Pittsburgh sports fan to appreciate and enjoy the book but it helps.    This book, while well put together, and of only about 200 pages, is decidedly and un-apologetically about Pittsburgh sports players, teams and stories.   While the reader may appreciate the shorter chapters, the downside is that some sections may have been too sparse to truly describe the narrative and spirit of those times.    However, this is great way for fans of that era to relive the glory and romanticize the nostalgia of so many great and successful teams as well as the significant achievements of individuals.    It was no secret that during this era Pittsburgh was well known as the city of champions.   If younger fans (or the venerable, too) ever wanted to delve into the reasons supporting this assertion then there is a good chance they will find it in this book.  

  • ·         You might like to read this book if you are a fan of Pittsburgh sports.
  • ·         You might like to read this book if you are a fan of sports history.
  • ·         You might like to read this book if you are interested in reading about successful eras in sports and regional pride.  
  • ·         You might like to read this book if you enjoy American sports history from any era or demographics.

 

Read more about the authors and the book online: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467155007/?queryID=246141cfa69d4a97158c68bcaa788908&objectID=9781467155007&insightsIndex=arcadia-publishing_products

 

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