The Penguins' Stanley Cup championship parade begins today in downtown Pittsburgh, kicking off at 11:00am ET on Grant Street and "ending about 60 to 90 minutes later at Point State Park." Event planners "project combined attendance for the parade and a rally afterward could approach some 500,000." That "would mark Pittsburgh's biggest crowd – around 100,000 greater than the turnout for the Penguins' championship parade last June" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/14). National Weather Service meteorologist Rihaan Gangad said that there is a 30-40% "chance of rain during the parade." City Public Safety Dir Wendell Hissrich said that "heat is his biggest worry" (TRIBLIVE.com, 6/13). NHL Network will simulcast Pittsburgh-based WPXI-NBC's live parade coverage (THE DAILY).
Meanwhile, a number of Penguins players last night at PNC Park "hauled the Cup onto the field, where they were honored" prior to the Rockies-Pirates game. Penguins C Sidney Crosby threw out the first pitch, and many players "wore yellow authentic Shop412 Pirates jerseys with the Pittsburgh area code as the number" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/14).
