{"id":137,"date":"2014-10-24T02:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-10-24T02:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=137"},"modified":"2015-01-09T17:03:28","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T22:03:28","slug":"the-civic-arenas-milestone-guests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/10\/24\/the-civic-arenas-milestone-guests\/","title":{"rendered":"The Civic Arena\u2019s milestone guests"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Feb. <\/a>
Feb. 11, 1968: Jack Riley, Penguins GM, Mrs. Robert Birkholz, and Charles Strong, the Civic Arena executive director. Mrs. Birkholz was the venue patron No. 7,000,000. (The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Nov. <\/a>
Nov. 23, 1971: John Garzel, 22, a Pitt student, and Judy Huling, his fiancee, watched the Pittsburgh Condors lose 114-112. (Michael Chikiris\/The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"March <\/a>
March 4, 1973: From left, Charles Strong, events superintendent Warren Riefer, Gertrude Scott and her son, William. (Edward A. Frank\/The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"June <\/a>
June 7, 1974: Irene McCloskey and her fiancee, Clinton Runco, who watched a Pittsburgh Triangles tennis victory. (Michael Chikiris\/The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Oct. <\/a>
Oct. 18, 1975: Jeff Kuhn, 10, of McCandless, with his parents and Penguins president Albert Savill before the Penguins-Red Wings game. (Robert J. Pavuchak\/The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Nov. <\/a>
Nov. 21, 1976: Fans Bernadette Wasko and Carl Squeglia, along with Penguin left winger Lowell MacDonald. (Kent Badger\/The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div>
\"Dec. <\/a>
Dec. 20, 1979: From left, Mayor Richard Caliguiri, Robert Dickey III, Warren Riefer, Spirit owner Frank Fuhrer and lucky fan Thomas Kearns, 16, of Baldwin. (Carol Morton\/The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

For a while there, Civic Arena officials were doing this every other year.<\/p>\n

Besides thoroughly mediocre Penguins hockey, the 1970s Civic Arena featured no fewer than a half-dozen celebrations for fans who stumbled into a big, round number.<\/p>\n

A hockey team and venue management that\u00a0averaged little more than three sellouts<\/a>\u00a0per season had good reason to celebrate whacky, random milestones. So too did the arena\u2019s boosters who argued for the building\u2019s development and, thus, the lower Hill District\u00a0destruction.<\/p>\n

Which is why you, Mrs. Gertrude Scott and your son, William, should step right over here, and yes \u2014 smile!<\/em><\/p>\n

What did any of these fans do to deserve it?<\/p>\n

Not a whole lot, as evidenced by the perplexed, albeit grateful, looks on many of their faces.<\/p>\n

They bought tickets to Duquesne basketball, Penguins hockey, Spirit soccer or Triangles tennis events. Then, they stepped through the turnstiles.<\/p>\n

And yes, you, little Jeff Kuhn! A cake, two Penguins season tickets and more for you, my boy.<\/em><\/p>\n

The average attendance in those days at the 12,580-arena \u2014 while not awful \u2014 was a far cry from the 300-and-counting Penguins sellout streak and packed concert crowds that today fill Consol Energy Center.<\/p>\n

Apparently Igloo event attendees just needed a little round-numbered encouragement. (Oh, and Mario Lemieux.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Besides thoroughly mediocre Penguins hockey, the 1970s Civic Arena featured no fewer than a half-dozen celebrations for fans who stumbled into a big, round number.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesThe Civic Arena\u2019s milestone guests<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[944],"tags":[963,971,979,981,1025,999,1184,1009,1013,1016,1182],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/tumblr_ndwshjRyo01rr5swxo4_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C1047&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":567,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/06\/11\/1967-first-penguins-arrive-in-pittsburgh\/","url_meta":{"origin":137,"position":0},"title":"1967: First penguins arrive in Pittsburgh","date":"June 11, 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Their new home was not Civic Arena, and in fact, they were not even hockey players.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/tumblr_n70addJ9uu1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C804&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2505,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2012\/09\/19\/badger-bob-the-penguins-coach\/","url_meta":{"origin":137,"position":1},"title":"\u201cBadger\u201d Bob, the Penguins coach","date":"September 19, 2012","format":"gallery","excerpt":"We smile when remembering Badger Bob\u2019s slogan: \u201cIt\u2019s a great day for hockey.\u201d","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/tumblr_mak6rdRqCO1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C808&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":557,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/06\/13\/the-hill-districts-hill-house\/","url_meta":{"origin":137,"position":2},"title":"The Hill District’s Hill House","date":"June 13, 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Pittsburgh\u2019s Hill District was once home to three settlement houses. 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