Little did I realize two weeks ago when my wife, love of my life, bought me for my birthday a replica of Mario Lemieux’s rookie season sweater that it would be such an opportunity for me to talk to people. If you are not a fan of hockey, first of all shame on you. If you are, however, a hockey fan but not a fan of Mario Lemieux? Then double shame on you. Lemieux, unlike other hockey greats, racked up Hall of Fame numbers while playing for perpetually bad teams early in his career, suffering from chronic back problems so bad that other people had to lace up his skates for him as well as also battling cancer. You can argue all you want about who the greatest hockey player of all time is. But when you look at what Lemieux did, especially in an era where clutching and grabbing was not only allowed but highly encouraged, there is little doubt. And most Pittsburghers know this. Fans from other hockey cities however often left their own prejudices cloud their judgment on the topic. That's ok, we here in Pittsburgh are big people and forgive them.
