Former Riverhound Greg Janicki, now playing for DC United, is re-growing the famous pornstache for charity! Check out Greg's page to donate, proceeds go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
..footy friendly place in Pittsburgh, period. It's the only establishment where you won't get a cross look after professing your love for the beautiful game. This past Monday afternoon, my beloved Newcastle United squad was scheduled to play in Sheffield versus the Blades. So I did what any good fan would do, I skipped work early and headed down to Piper's to catch the game live on Setanta, a soccer channel which is not part of most cable or satellite packages. Well, since Setanta has been struggling financially, they decided to sell the rights to the game and went ahead and broadcast a replay of the Watford game from Saturday. I was not impressed, but was not about to get up and leave having ordered the BLT! You see, Piper's is not only famous for their football friendly atmosphere, but also for their amazing food. Seeing my NUFC kit and looking dismayed, Alex, who I believe is the assistant manager, sprung into action. He checked channels. He made phone calls. He found out that Setanta sold the game to ESPN who was going to broadcast it on ESPN 360, an internet-based streaming sports channel. Tommy, who also works at the Pub, produced a laptop PC, stuck it on our table and pulled up the ESPN 360 broadcast. Amazing. I challenge anyone to tell me anywhere else in Pittsburgh where I could get that kind of service. The guys down at Piper's are great, the food is outstanding and the service is second to none. Newcastle won the road contest 1 to nil off a long-range Ryan Taylor blast, putting us back at the top of the Championship 2pts clear. I cannot thank the guys at Piper's enough for a great afternoon.
...other semi-famous internet celebrities dress as YOU for Halloween! Gratz MJ, you're officially BIG TIME =)
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Through soccer I've been fortunate to have met some solid individuals over the past few years. One common thing binds everyone together; our passion for the beautiful game. Not many have shown as much passion as James Meara, co-president of Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community (www.pittsburghsoccer.org/). James and his partner, Mark Taylor, have partnered with several local organizations to bring soccer to over 500 kids who otherwise wouldn't have had the chance to discover the game. Summer and winter camps take kids from neighborhoods such as East Liberty, Homestead and Hazelwood and give them the opportunity to learn and play soccer in a safe and caring environment. However, it doesn't end there. James and Mark then bring in some of Pittsburgh's finest to talk to the kids about life, responsibility and respect. These "lifestyle" sessions are just as important as giving the kids a chance to experience the beautiful game. The program is sponsored and supported by the Mayor's Office, Project Weed and Seed, PNC Bank, UPMC and many other charitable donations. Last summer, the Bayer Foundation teamed up with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to bring some of James' kids out to a game (www.riverhounds.com/home/361028.html). This past Saturday evening I talked my wife into attending the 5th Annual Fundraiser with me, hosted by the James Gallery located in Pittsburgh's West End. It was a great event with all proceeds going to fund next year's programs and camps. Hearing some of the kid's stories from James and Mark was the highlight of the evening and I was glad to have been able to contribute to such a wonderful cause on behalf of the Steel Army.
