tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211254532024-03-13T13:05:38.154-04:00MIGHTY MAHONINGYOUR ALTERNATIVE SOURCE FOR ALL THINGS YOUNGSTOWNPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-43908279945680145462008-02-26T19:11:00.000-05:002008-02-26T19:12:32.348-05:00Y-town in the NY Times<xhtm><xbod><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/us/politics/26cnd-ohio.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/us/politics/26cnd-ohio.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp</a></xbod></xhtm>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-62433907556743868392007-10-26T14:15:00.000-04:002007-10-26T14:31:26.915-04:00Cleveland's Troublemaking Little Brother from a Previous Marriage<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I just saw one of those "You Know You're From Cleveland When..." lists that we've all seen in one shape or form. The list had over 200 entries on it. Having lived in Cleveland for a number of years, I had to read through a bunch of them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">At #103?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic;">"You're glad Youngstown's there just to make you look a little better."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Unfortunately, this is sort of true. When you tell Clevelanders you're from Youngstown, you always get that "look" - often coupled with the other person taking a half-step backward. Try it next time you're up there (unless you're in Little Italy. Don't mention Youngstown at all if you're in Little Italy.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">My roommate in college used to think I was badass simply because I was from Youngstown. Now, that may be true, but what impressed me was that this same roommate grew up off of Lorain Avenue in Cleveland proper - which is a pretty rough area in itself. When quoting me, though, he'd always repeat what I'd said and then add "B*tch, I'm from Youngstown!" to the end of it, as if it was an implied conclusion.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">He's not the only one, either. I have another friend from Middleburg Heights (out by the airport) who once told me how the YSU penguin logo was the perfect image to represent Youngstown - not because of the hat and scarf, of course, but because of the pissed-off, "don't mess with me, tough guy" look on his face. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I imagine Pittsburghers look at us much the same way (although many of them still seem to think that state line is the freaking Berlin Wall. "The world is shrinking," my ass). </span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-51811663310186294172007-10-18T10:02:00.000-04:002007-10-18T10:16:46.505-04:00Y-town's Own "Catholics vs. Catholics" Rivalry Getting Some Online Pub<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size: 78%; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Sports Illustrated's website, www.si.com, has put out their weekly list of the top high school football teams in the country. Cardinal Mooney is at #14, and their upcoming game against rival Ursuline is mentioned. On SI.com's front page, in the bottom left corner, is a link to the article with a photo of a Mooney player.<br /><br />The link to the relevant part of the article is<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/kevin_armstrong/10/16/week.1016/index.html"> here.</a></span></span></span></span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-56539026539009158612007-09-30T14:51:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:23:59.946-05:00Pavlik: Champion.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnaknNte2bHP_1Mw0LCAuvtDamLFNVFDHNfMDdtXALRXEOycpxZTO6ZHu_1CYcd6c_VVYZBTUg586uyJlmZ3pIlSLl3mqXqwAlYSJYPY0zjNb25HFOgjebbNBHJX_EeaJDvty/s1600-h/box_g_pavlik2_412.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnaknNte2bHP_1Mw0LCAuvtDamLFNVFDHNfMDdtXALRXEOycpxZTO6ZHu_1CYcd6c_VVYZBTUg586uyJlmZ3pIlSLl3mqXqwAlYSJYPY0zjNb25HFOgjebbNBHJX_EeaJDvty/s400/box_g_pavlik2_412.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116072493559393298" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >CONGRATULATIONS!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KELLY PAVLIK</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">FROM YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO</span></span></span><br /></div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-83206537039492207452007-09-27T08:52:00.000-04:002007-09-27T09:06:02.730-04:00Slowing the Waters<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The two of you who are regular visitors to the site have probably noticed that it hasn't been updated in quite a while. Unfortunately, this is not a message to calm your fears and assure you that I'm getting back on the horse to make sure it gets updated on a regular basis. Instead, I'm writing to explain that the site, while still up and running, will have to be updated much less frequently over the next few weeks as well, due to a lot of other commitments. I know you come to Mighty Mahoning for its hard-hitting, captivating, no-holds-barred style of journalism. Actually, I know that's not true. Regardless, at the moment, I don't have the ability to really contribute to this as often or with the effort that I want. So, for the time being, expect fewer posts.<br /><br />While I'm here, though, I should point out that I did see a spread in the Vindicator a couple weeks ago that talked about Black Monday and featured a list of Youngstown bloggers and their profiles. I was happy to see a few friends on the list, and even discovered a few new sites I hadn't seen before. I was not featured in the article and nor was I asked to be. This is fine, of course - the paper has the right to make these types of decisions and, plus, I hadn't updated for quite a while at that point, either.<br /><br />Of course, my not being asked may also have something to do with my criticism of the paper in this space. If so, that's still fine. They're certainly not obligated to publicize other media outlets that are critical of them. I, of course, stand by the remarks I've made. I should, however, point out that the Vindicator's story on Youngstown bloggers is a good thing (especially considering that most of them weren't part of the paper-owned Valley24 project, which shows some journalistic integrity in this age of corporate synergy in the media. See "ESPN.") Points to the Vindicator for publicizing something positive about the city.<br /><br />With that, I have to go - good luck to Kelly Pavlik this weekend - and hopefully, I'll be back soon.<br /><br /></span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-15557109467114649522007-08-31T10:29:00.000-04:002007-08-31T11:15:33.740-04:00Playing Catch-Up<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you're one of the three people who regularly read this page, you may have noticed that it hasn't been updated in quite a while. Unfortunately, I'll have to resort to the usual excuse for things of this nature- I've simply been too busy. Part of why I've been so busy, though, is that Mighty Mahoning has moved its headquarters from Cleveland to Youngstown. Obviously, this is a good thing- why would you want to be anywhere else?<br /><br />Anyhow, there are a few Youngstown-related things to catch up on.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Barzak World Domination Day</span></span><br /><br />August 28 was unofficially designated "Chris Barzak World Domination Day" by our good friends over at the Oakland. The reason for this, of course, was that his first novel, <span style="font-style: italic;">One for Sorrow</span>, was released on that day. If you've been keeping up with the other Youngstown blogs (and of course you have), you've probably already heard about this. There are lots of interesting and exciting things to say about this, and presumably, many of them have already been said. In simplest terms, though, it's something for us all to be proud of and it's another great example of what a great scene we have when it comes to the arts here. I urge you to read the book (I hear it's great,<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > although I haven't read it yet myself) and check out Barzak's blog over at http://christopherbarzak.wordpress.com. </span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Something to Crow About</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >"</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">County fair, county fair</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Everybody in town'll be there</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">So come on, hey, we're goin' down there</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Hey, little girl with the long blond hair</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Baby, down at the county fair."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">-Bruce Springsteen, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">County Fair</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">This weekend, as you know, is the Canfield Fair, one of the supremely important items on the Youngstown area calendar every year. It's hard to articulate just why I love the fair. As a city kid, I know very little about what qualifies a pig as a blue ribbon winner or just how one can grow a pumpkin the size of a Geo. The smell of several tons of horse and cow manure is a pretty foreign and pretty awful scent for me, too. It's not that I dislike the country life, it's just that I can't relate. Regardless, I love the fair.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Of course, everyone loves the fair. It's a great tradition and one that has been more or less preserved in its proper state even though everything else around it has changed. One imagines that, when the fair first started, Canfield was a pretty remote place, made up almost entirely of farmland. Obviously, things have changed around town- but the fair really hasn't. That's reassuring for a lot of people. The fact that things are almost always the same there- sights, sounds, smells- brings back lots of memories.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">YSU vs. OSU</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Penguins take on the Buckeyes this weekend in the Tressel Bowl. I'll be there, proudly clad in my Defend Youngstown t-shirt. Go Penguins.</span><br /></span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-77827106822612949262007-08-18T00:38:00.000-04:002007-08-18T00:43:22.005-04:00Seen Around Town, Vol. I<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">The old Stambaugh's Hardware near Elm Road in Warren once had the phrase "Improve your home" proudly painted on the side of the building in huge letters, easily visible from the highway. Over time, the building underwent some changes, and either a paint job or wall replacement ended up altering the writing on the side of the building. It's blank and nondescript now, but up until a couple of years ago, the side of the building had the following phrase, which I would see as I drove back and forth to college in Cleveland:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">"Improve your ho."</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Wise advice. Wise advice indeed.</span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-33842679944326977702007-08-16T23:21:00.000-04:002007-08-16T23:36:55.477-04:00"...Now That's Italian."<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Tonight, Thursday, marks the beginning of the 2007 Brier Hill Italian Fest, which runs until Sunday night. This year is, I believe, the 16th year for the Fest, which features Italian food, Italian music, and loads of other things (including some of the best people-watching opportunities you'll have anywhere in the city). </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">The Fest takes place right in the heart of the old Brier Hill neighborhood, down the hill from St. Anthony's. The Brier Hill neighborhood was the heart of mill life in Youngstown for years. Although the neighborhood had people from a number of ethnic backgrounds, it was always a predominantly Italian place. This Italian population was the source of much of the Italian-American culture in this area. (Of course, Brier Hill culture is a little different than your run-of-the-mill Italian-American culture. Words like "sangweech" and "manicotts" aren't exactly textbook Italian terms, for example.)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">There's not much left of the old neighborhood, but the Fest, which is overseen by a committee of people who mostly grew up in Brier Hill, does a great job of recapturing what it must have felt like back in the neighborhood's glory days. The Fest closes each year on Sunday night with a performance by one of Youngstown's best live acts, Dom Tocco and the Brotherhood. Tocco himself hails from Brier Hill, so his annual performance at the Italian Fest is usually one of his best.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Unfortunately, the Feast of the Assumption up in Cleveland's Little Italy is also going on this weekend so, if Italian festivals are your thing, you'll have to split time between the two. If you're from Youngstown, though, be sure to get down to Brier Hill and experience a little bit of true Italian-Youngstown-American culture. You might even want to pick yourself up a "Youngstown, Ohio: Mobtown, USA" t-shirt from the Trolio's booth.</span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-85075548103741143852007-08-09T08:28:00.000-04:002007-08-09T09:07:22.866-04:00WFMJ Covers Youngstown Blog Movement<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Last night, on the 6 o'clock news, WFMJ ran a brief story on the Youngstown blog phenomenon. A number of sites were mentioned, including Youngstown Pride, Defend Youngstown, and the Mayor's blog. Our own Mighty Mahoning was even shown briefly on screen. I wasn't contacted about this story (nor would I expect to have been), but a few of my fellow bloggers were and had the chance to offer their input. Defend Youngstown's Phil Kidd was even interviewed on camera.<br /><br />Obviously, I'm happy about all of this. It's great to see the online movement get some press. Letting people know about these sites and what they represent can, hopefully, help spread the wave of positivity that's starting to gain momentum around the city. Despite the progress that Youngstown is making, we still have a long way to go- and a positive attitude about what's going on and where we're heading is an incredibly important part of the long-term solution.<br /><br />I honestly do believe in the aforementioned "wave of positivity," by the way. Look at what's been going on in the debate about the median strips on Federal Street. Regardless of how you feel about the issue (I happen to be on the side of keeping the green space intact- i find it ironic that we're known for one of the largest city parks in the country but have next to no green space at all downtown), you have to be happy that people actually care about it- and care about it enough to cause a controversy. As Mangino said on 570 the other day, it's refreshing to see that this is even an issue- that Youngstowners care about downtown enough to want to make sure that it looks nice and that there's enough parking downtown to accommodate everyone who they truly believe will come down there for different events.<br /><br />We're continuing to hear mixed reviews about what's going on downtown. For example, although the WWE events that recently took place in the Chevy Centre have been praised as a huge success, the arena continues to lose money. People are coming downtown, though- I was at the Italian Fest on Friday and saw a pretty good crowd (one that was, as I've heard, dwarfed the following night by the crowd that came down to hear Dom Tocco and the Brotherhood, that most Youngstown of bands). The Italian Fest actually moved back to downtown from the Canfield Fairgrounds- something I never thought I'd see. As the radio promos for the SteelHounds are fond of saying, "something's howling down on Front Street" and throughout the downtown area.<br /><br />The local media is also picking up on this. I've criticized the Vindicator for its anti-Youngstown agenda (and, I still feel, rightly so), but local TV and radio is doing a much better job at helping advance the city's resurgence. WYTV (Channel 33), for example, recently built a studio downtown with glass walls that look out toward the street, and they frequently cover positive, semi-newsworthy events in the city (like a recent beer tasting event at the Youngstown Club)- the type of things the Vindicator only covers if they happen in Boardman. 570 WKBN's morning and evening drive time shows have also done a nice job of balancing coverage of the city, of the surrounding areas, and of national issues (despite callers' best efforts to steer <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> conversation toward what's happening at GM and Delphi).<br /><br />What's going on around the city right now is great. It's particularly exciting to see so many young people (many of whom had parents that moved away from the city years ago) get involved and get passionate about the city. That's what it's going to take. Okay, admittedly, it will take more than just that- but that's the crucial first piece we've been missing for decades. I'm glad to be a part of this movement.<br /></span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-82007159452454845672007-08-02T08:39:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:00.239-05:00Y, Wild West<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-faf4pMTYeHmck87ASKfuMa3JEjxdYtGAFBlIEUhvHEJakIi9njFIP-eA1IVd_qufwp1sIa0Up5ghHeNX3DXxX2S5YvAuaIjLhyphenhyphenyWR7PDMXpYqWewXBMtHHMNf0LCsbMb39Zb/s1600-h/cowboy_logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-faf4pMTYeHmck87ASKfuMa3JEjxdYtGAFBlIEUhvHEJakIi9njFIP-eA1IVd_qufwp1sIa0Up5ghHeNX3DXxX2S5YvAuaIjLhyphenhyphenyWR7PDMXpYqWewXBMtHHMNf0LCsbMb39Zb/s200/cowboy_logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094082431379121314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Youngstown is like nowhere else. It's been compared to a lot of places, of course, with varying degrees of success. It's a little like New Jersey (at least the Sopranos version of New Jersey), it's kind of a cross between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, it's sort of a smaller version of Chicago, it's possibly the point where the Midwest, the Northeast, and Appalachia all meet, and, maybe, it's reasonable to refer to Youngstown at times as "Diet Akron." Still, though, Youngstown is a place all its own. But... if I had to compare it to anywhere else, I'd compare it to the Old West.<br /><br />Sure, there's nothing typically "western" about the city (with the possible exception of the Chaney Cowboys), but there are a lot of more abstract similarities. First, there's that pioneer spirit. It's a hard life in Youngstown, and over the years, people have done a lot of crazy things to get by. Maybe you can say it started with John Young and his expedition to the Western Reserve. Ingenuity, creativity, hard work, and the odd effects of cultural isolation are all symptomatic of life in the City of Youngstown. We still value hard work, perseverance, and a fighting spirit. I've written a lot about Kelly Pavlik on this site, and for good reason- he's in many ways a living embodiment of what it means to be from Youngstown and that's one of the reasons Youngstowners find him so easy to root for. He's like us, he's one of us- boxing is the most "Youngstown" of all sports, and not just because of Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini (Youngstown's Own Hands of Stone). It's the purest display of an individual's physical and mental toughness- and that's what it takes to grow up in the Yo.<br /><br />In line with this, Youngstown also has an obvious appreciation for the culture of the outlaw. While we never really had any cowboys (except for, again, Chaney), we've certainly had our fair share of mobsters. And, as many others have said, Youngstown hasn't rejected this part of its identity. Rather, we've embraced it. Whether it's the "Mobtown USA" t-shirts at the Brier Hill Fest or the fact that we've voted for Traficant time and time again, there are clear signs all around town that we're proud of that aspect of our identity. Most of us recognize that organized crime and the political corruption that came along with it is one of the primary reasons our city has fallen apart, and most of us also realize that there's no place for organized crime in the city's current resurgence movement. Still, though, we think it's pretty cool that we had mobsters here.<br /><br />Perhaps the most obvious sign of our "Old West" identity, though, is the general lawlessness of the city. Believe it or not, that's sort of a positive thing. Like one of those isolated mining towns in 19th century Arizona, this is a place where we pretty much make and enforce our own rules, ignoring the petty stuff so that we can go about our business. This is probably most obvious when it comes to driving. I think it's reasonable to say that no one in the city of Youngstown has properly used a blinker since the early 1970s. In addition, red lights and stops signs are pretty much optional for us. We've got bigger things to worry about around here- I'll drive how I want, you drive how you want, and we'll leave each other alone. Of course, you don't ever want to get into an accident, since pretty much nobody has auto insurance- but if everybody plays along, it should all work out. What's even better is that local law enforcement pretty much recognizes this fact. They'll take care of the robberies, the murders, and the other big stuff- just try to keep it under 65 on the side streets.<br /><br />Obviously, this is all pretty tongue-in-cheek. The point is, though, that Youngstown is still, even after all these years, a place all its own. It doesn't really fit in with anywhere else. It's nice that the people at Cleveland Plus thought of us, but we're not really part of that crew. It's a special place, and maybe it's a place only those of us who grew up there can ever really understand or appreciate. Regardless, its <span style="font-style: italic;">our</span> city, and its worth preserving, revitalizing, and defending.<br /></span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-74993440781245429102007-07-19T14:52:00.001-04:002008-12-09T11:24:00.914-05:00The Ghost and the Tribe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-40ys-LNjhx8tRuEewg8ZyAC_ksmMRjdhRyadtgEMiOhLr5aqO_g__-JQytNFYrDoL2lNHjszekn4i09aZ4r4HSgirbbuUo5xOq9MfGk8XI42wK44a9f5KAE7W9EgX4hc645/s1600-h/bottom+banner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-40ys-LNjhx8tRuEewg8ZyAC_ksmMRjdhRyadtgEMiOhLr5aqO_g__-JQytNFYrDoL2lNHjszekn4i09aZ4r4HSgirbbuUo5xOq9MfGk8XI42wK44a9f5KAE7W9EgX4hc645/s320/bottom+banner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088982791345416130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I'm a little late on this, but in case you missed it, Kelly Pavlik was invited up to the SportsTime Ohio booth during an Indians game over the weekend for an interview with Tribe broadcasters Rick Manning and Matt Underwood. He spent the better part of a half-inning in the booth and, as always, represented himself well. Of course, the fact that Pavlik is a Youngstown guy did come up, and Pavlik reiterated the pride he has in the city.<br /><br />STO has been good to Pavlik, promoting him through this interview as well as through their recent documentary that aired shortly before his last fight. More importantly, though, Pavlik has been great for Youngstown. Others have already explored this topic better than I can, so I won't beat a dead horse here except to say that it's great to see someone represent the true spirit of the city and do so in a positive way. I've written a lot about Maurice Clarett in this space- and, unfortunately, Clarett is only one of many "coulda been" athletes that's come out of Youngstown over the years. Pavlik has emerged as a counterbalancing force, an athlete that people can root for without guilt or serious doubts about his background or his integrity.<br /><br />Pavlik's image is being controlled well. As people like Kobe Bryant and Ken Caminiti have shown us in recent years, the fans can never really know an athlete, and an image can be wholly different from reality- so, as someone who doesn't know Pavlik personally, I can't say for sure that he's as great as he comes across in the press. At the risk of being proved wrong in the future, though, Pavlik does seem like one of the good guys and sounds like he really "gets it." He and those in his camp know what matters to the people in this area and know how important it is to represent us in a positive way. Although I don't want to sound too sentimental about this, I'm proud of Pavlik and thrilled about what he's doing for this area.<br /></span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-15839408894002325202007-07-13T13:39:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:01.343-05:00Friday Night Downtown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4LaGRT54S1H-Db-GFv6Tsb2ZQmnUNEeoccpNBLDAPwIJfNzXaLHs2AsLVui9FkQ8HN8oqTmDryTLk1N8L9IEbPtqdqUZ2J8xbqf0IFA-0qsXJm9u90z1vtao4dP96i_D-HI6/s1600-h/930.gif.100.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 86px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4LaGRT54S1H-Db-GFv6Tsb2ZQmnUNEeoccpNBLDAPwIJfNzXaLHs2AsLVui9FkQ8HN8oqTmDryTLk1N8L9IEbPtqdqUZ2J8xbqf0IFA-0qsXJm9u90z1vtao4dP96i_D-HI6/s320/930.gif.100.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086739362422990754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-8o9eNFT4i1BKbuo4-IKVCCGqzEn3ScyBCXdHdDuj9qurfcfO4gb9z6rTPz1JTMfV5Co1kjAM1h-5IYz-jDTOabfKDmuaqX0KmY1x-mWiAcF4et3QJMpAAQaXztqBMcnUsRx/s1600-h/Thunder+Corporate+Logo+NEW.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-8o9eNFT4i1BKbuo4-IKVCCGqzEn3ScyBCXdHdDuj9qurfcfO4gb9z6rTPz1JTMfV5Co1kjAM1h-5IYz-jDTOabfKDmuaqX0KmY1x-mWiAcF4et3QJMpAAQaXztqBMcnUsRx/s320/Thunder+Corporate+Logo+NEW.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086739418257565618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you were hoping to spend tonight in downtown Youngstown (and frankly, why wouldn't you be?), then, well, you picked a good night.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Tonight, Friday the 13th, the Mahoning Valley Thunder take on the Albany Conquest down at the Chevy Center (excuse me, the Chevy </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Centre</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">). The Albany Conquest, oddly enough, have Youngstown native and former Ursuline standout Chris Curd on their roster. Prior to the game, there will be a tailgate party downtown as well.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Later in the evening, the downtown Buffalo Wild Wings will be hosting another "Party on the Plaza," which is always a good time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, if you're looking for something fun to do tonight, come downtown.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">By the way, there's a new t-shirt design over at </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.defendyoungstown.com/">Defend Youngstown</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, with two more to come in the near future. Show your support and order one (or one of each of the new designs, and also the existing design in all available colors. Also, there's a limited edition St. Patrick's Day version done up in green and gold too- if you can find one of those, grab one for me, too.)</span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-49751515966232129112007-07-11T08:03:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:01.685-05:00Arts and the Yo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9sxJ5VhqiUMTpX6T7qQmG8_unCCq1wXr43DRuPKc-qjexB6w0u2-nVXdWIRmqDAF4RzroGDARSD7j_DbKcX70x5ix4ANsv0oicf9C8S2GljMcjSD2BvcF6UmK75rrS7pGhw_/s1600-h/sfa_main_02.jpg.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9sxJ5VhqiUMTpX6T7qQmG8_unCCq1wXr43DRuPKc-qjexB6w0u2-nVXdWIRmqDAF4RzroGDARSD7j_DbKcX70x5ix4ANsv0oicf9C8S2GljMcjSD2BvcF6UmK75rrS7pGhw_/s320/sfa_main_02.jpg.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085909548567076178" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >"Youngstown: First in Space."<br /><br />I saw that written on the bathroom wall at the Draught House on Saturday night (a night where all drafts- ALL DRAFTS- were two bucks. I love this city).<br /><br />Anyway, I was able to make it to the Summer Arts Festival at YSU on Sunday. Despite the life-sapping heat, attendance was great. The Festival featured artists and craftsmen from all over the country (including a number of talented people from the local area) as well as live musical performances and a great selection of ethnic food from local churches and cultural groups. Our friends from the Oakland were there, too, and they had their schedule for next season on display- one that concludes with "The Full Monty."<br /><br />All in all, it was a great event. You don't often realize how important the Arts really are around Youngstown- sometimes it takes something like the Festival to remind you. We have the Butler and the McDonough museums right downtown, as well as thriving theatre and music programs at YSU. We're blessed, as a relatively small city, to not only have a semi-major performance venue like the Chevy Centre, but also to have somewhat smaller performance spaces like the recently expanded Powers/DeYor Center and the old Stambaugh Auditorium. The Oakland, of course, is particularly impressive- it's the type of place you wouldn't think you'd ever find outside of New York or Chicago, let along in Youngstown. Recently, too, there has been a bit of a resurgence in the local music scene that's coincided somewhat with downtown revitalization. In addition to being the best place to catch local bands, Cedar's has always been the haven for the more artistically inclined citizens in the area and continues to be an important part of artistic life of the city.<br /><br />So, there you go- in addition to all of the other great things about Youngstown, you can add the arts to the list.</span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-91367092737771755402007-07-05T10:31:00.001-04:002008-12-09T11:24:01.721-05:00City Spotlight: Downtown Draught House<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-AQ_MnyIWAcnj0sjIp1Jh0SGPrkaSICzb4g-XjykWLPB1i0XpBCZaD20YIxipwG-Bhb3aIHgxza4KYsCfTQ6ANl0FIC10Dg9_hfPhRFqeB0Pm2mOM9UDJMLXmFg2R3GJF-2_/s1600-h/D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-AQ_MnyIWAcnj0sjIp1Jh0SGPrkaSICzb4g-XjykWLPB1i0XpBCZaD20YIxipwG-Bhb3aIHgxza4KYsCfTQ6ANl0FIC10Dg9_hfPhRFqeB0Pm2mOM9UDJMLXmFg2R3GJF-2_/s320/D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083732674457869634" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today's post is the first in a new series of entries entitled "City Spotlight," where we'll highlight different places around Youngstown. We'll start with the Downtown Draught House.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Downtown Draught House</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />219 West Federal Street</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Youngstown, Ohio</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> www.myspace.com/downtowndraughthouse</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />The Downtown Draught House (or, as it is sometimes known, "the D-House" or "the D") is a central part of nightlife in downtown Youngstown. Having been downtown for years, it's developed a loyal following, and was a popular spot long before downtown's recent revitalization.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Draught House has a lot to offer- cheap beer, a central location, and a laid-back, dive-type atmosphere. It's a true Youngstown bar, filled with pictures an memorabilia from YSU, the SteelHounds, and the local professional teams as well as old black-and-white photos from Youngstown's past. This is the place where a religious icon-style portrait of Jim Traficant once hung over the bar and where, according to A&E's </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >City Confidential</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, Paul Gains was followed home from on the night he was shot. There's clearly a lot of history here, as the building is obviously an old one and one that has witnessed a lot of change in Youngstown.<br /><br />I'm not sure what the building's original purpose was, but it's clear that it's been a bar for quite some time.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> It's divided into two parts- the front, facing Federal Street, with pool tables, old arcade games, and booths, and the back, with the impressively large and ornate wooden bar (featuring inlaid stained glass depicting the YSU, OSU, Steelers, and Pittsburgh Penguins logos) and a few tables along one side.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The place has changed a little in the last few years- some of the decorations and wall hangings have been changed, which has altered the feel of the place just slightly. It's also become the post-game hangout for die-hard SteelHounds fans (although you'll find a few at the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings, too). Most notably, believe it or not, is the impact that the Smoke-Free Ohio legislation has had on the place. Before the bill passed, the Draught House was like the inside of an old Brier Hill blast furnace, and drinking there was the health equivalent of working in the coal mines. Although there was a certain charm to it, it's nice that the air is clear inside the bar and you can spend a few minutes there without having to burn your clothes when you get home.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />The Draught House offers 16 beers on tap and a wide range of microbrewery and import selections (some of which are hard to find elsewhere in town) that are cheap even by Youngstown standards. There is a kitchen, too, offering wings, fries, and burgers, but forgive me for not having sampled the cuisine myself.<br /></span></span><a href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="return false;" tabindex="10"><span></span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">With trendier places like Core and Imbibe popping up downtown, the Draught House is somewhat of a relic. However, that's not a bad thing. It's a place that still embodies a lot about the spirit of the city and will likely continue to be a popular late-night destination for years to come. As many would agree, your last drink of the night should always be at the D.<br /><br />So, support Youngstown and raise a pint at the Draught House.<br /></span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-39652788591943371952007-06-27T09:53:00.000-04:002007-06-27T09:55:29.229-04:00On Vacation<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Just a quick note to say I'm on vacation until next week. I'll update when I return.</span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-51434556756611545032007-06-21T15:05:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:02.018-05:00Pride in the Northside<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AW3s5mGanXOXdWg4ukTX7NtOBYcsjWJ-Y3FHmRllfjlhD0GwQ3wBPecgMNnOVsq-6PSkj_knJF-sSP1bbO_ElSTEZ_WQQjnLylsxNyIIHg7ftxC2nEcvfjJpY1XFgIA_hZJB/s1600-h/north_map.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AW3s5mGanXOXdWg4ukTX7NtOBYcsjWJ-Y3FHmRllfjlhD0GwQ3wBPecgMNnOVsq-6PSkj_knJF-sSP1bbO_ElSTEZ_WQQjnLylsxNyIIHg7ftxC2nEcvfjJpY1XFgIA_hZJB/s320/north_map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078601907568037362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Real Northsiders believe that the best pizza in the world comes from the Golden Dawn, Avalon Gardens, or the St. Anthony's nuns (in any order). Real Northsiders have mailed letters from the North Side Post Office. Real Northsiders are accused by their friends of being too stubborn. While everybody else was at Rocky Ridge, Real Northsiders were sled riding at Crandall Park. Real Northsiders learned Spanish from the street names in their neighborhood. Real Northsiders love Youngstown but get lost in Mill Creek Park. Real Northsiders think "the Old Course" is Stambaugh on Gypsy Lane. While the West Siders know a hundred different back roads to get you somewhere, Real Northsiders will take the freeway whenever possible. Real Northsiders are pissed that the MVR is a Mooney bar. Real Northsiders think Catholicism and Judaism are the only two world religions. Real Northsiders shop at the Union Square Sparkle because the Giant Eagle a mile away is too far. Real Northsiders appreciate the grassy medians on Fifth Avenue and dream of one day living in one of "them mansions." Real Northsiders hate that you have to go "way out to Boardman" for so many goods and services. Real Northsiders have attended a sporting event at Rayen Stadium. Real Northsiders have been treated at both Northside and St. E's. Real Northsiders had their first communion parties at the Wick Park or Crandall Park pavilions. Real Northsiders believe the 711 connector is the single greatest achievement of modern man. Real Northsiders drink their beer in schooners.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Real Northsiders, although a dying breed, are one-of-a-kind.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br />Feel free to leave your additions in the comments section below.</span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-16041164328724633502007-06-19T11:10:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:02.165-05:00The "Youngstown" Vindicator<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHqNTWFBEHYpBLqOO8pi0U_I_vJUp_J5pdK3sxQR6KM44FqAGsko60cvPwsdLzqM-LikWwSMX4nh4HSf0qQtDcAjh_V8woKcX2i5fAZqcZcpKnkwRMLUBmvwm4Wc3J782rmeX/s1600-h/vindicator.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHqNTWFBEHYpBLqOO8pi0U_I_vJUp_J5pdK3sxQR6KM44FqAGsko60cvPwsdLzqM-LikWwSMX4nh4HSf0qQtDcAjh_V8woKcX2i5fAZqcZcpKnkwRMLUBmvwm4Wc3J782rmeX/s200/vindicator.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077829573663968722" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Phil Kidd has an excellent post up over at Defend Youngstown discussing the continued lack cooperation between some residents of the suburbs and the City of Youngstown. He provides a response to what can best be described as an "anti-Youngstown" letter to the editor from a rather unenlightened Boardman resident that appeared recently in the Vindicator. Kidd drafted a nice response which was, of course, never published by the paper.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'll leave the issue at the heart of the discussion to Kidd for now. However, I'd like to move tangentially from his post to talk a little about the Vindicator and its role in all of this.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's of little surprise to me that the Vindicator didn't publish Kidd's response. Sure, a paper certainly can't publish every letter to the editor that they receive, and decisions have to be made with a number of things in mind. However, Kidd's opinions and his approach to issues in Youngstown stands almost in direct opposition to the Vindicator's agenda.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When I was younger, the city paper was called "The Youngstown Vindicator," its title proudly written across the top in Gothic lettering. It had a stately look, a very New York Times-esque look, and it felt like a legitimate newspaper. However, one day, the paper decided to do a complete overhaul, losing the dignified look and replacing it with a more colorful, perhaps "friendly" image that was apparently meant to be more appealing to the public. I'll leave the aesthetics alone. What was most important about the change, though, was that the heading on the top of the paper now read "</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Vindicator" rather than "The Youngstown Vindicator." Although that may seem like a small change, it was reflective of a much larger philosophical shift which continues into the present day.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I understand that population shifts in the Valley have required local media outlets to have a more regional focus. I imagine that a great number of Vindicator subscribers live outside the city limits, and therefore have an interest in news that occurs outside the city. That's fine. However, the Vindicator tries to avoid the fact that Youngstown is the center of the Mahoning Valley and that all of the local suburbs are just that- suburbs- whose very existence is tied to that of the city. At its best, the paper treats Youngstown as just another town in their coverage area- on the same level with Niles, Hermitage, or Austintown. At its worst, the paper takes a condescending and isolationist stance toward the city in its reporting- here's what's happening in that awful place up the road. Major positive events in the city are often ignored entirely, while the newspaper chooses instead to run a front-page photo of some meaningless happening in Boardman Park or at the Poland Library. Sports coverage is even worse- one could read the paper for an entire football season and not realize that Rayen or Chaney even exist.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Oddly, the Vindicator still holds its central offices in downtown Youngstown. I imagine it's only a matter of time before the paper finally gives up the ruse and moves out to 224. In the meantime, though, the Vindicator continues to feed into the "suburbs vs. city" mentality that's been crippling this region for decades. As the only real paper in town, the Vindicator has a powerful influence on the perceptions and attitudes of its readership, and they have not handled this responsibility well.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What's encouraging, though, is that people are actively seeking out other avenues and outlets for news and updates about the city and the area- most of which are much more, to borrow a phrase, "Pro-Yo." Look down the list of links to the right here. These other sites, professional or not, would not exist if the desire to create and read them wasn't there. </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />The Vindicator has a long history with the city, and has been there for many years to report on and record the events of the area. However, when it comes to its relationship to Youngstown, the paper behaves more like a jaded child than a loving spouse. Such a negative relationship does little good for either party. As things change and move forward in Youngstown, there's little place for something like the Vindicator.</span> </span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-85255206735037214212007-06-15T14:47:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:02.418-05:00The Curse of Youngstown Sports<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wbpbkNeVr3GeAkCyt1v7tjily5n00P6X6Jx0baoFPA4Dl3Io173ayP9lqxgX0n1Z0EcS-9z4nGE08jnvBY2ZZAmYvaWrEdfWhQv2CSNS54Q81Un-iUty5H8q8GX3i1Dh-S8s/s1600-h/YoungstownPride.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076376611997535682" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wbpbkNeVr3GeAkCyt1v7tjily5n00P6X6Jx0baoFPA4Dl3Io173ayP9lqxgX0n1Z0EcS-9z4nGE08jnvBY2ZZAmYvaWrEdfWhQv2CSNS54Q81Un-iUty5H8q8GX3i1Dh-S8s/s200/YoungstownPride.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">With the Cavaliers having been swept in the Finals last night, a lot of the talk up here has been about the so-called "Cleveland Curse" that has plagued the different franchises in the city. The Drive, the Fumble, Jose Mesa, MJ over Ehlo, and now, the Sweep, are all familiar phrases to Cleveland sports fans.<br /><br />There are, of course, a lot of Cleveland fans in Youngstown, and they have suffered through these same events. Life has been a little rosier for the Pittsburgh fans in town, which has certainly added some fuel to the rivalry. Youngstown is pretty much on a "fault line" when it comes to Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh sports, and that always keeps it interesting.<br /><br />Anyway, this whole Cleveland Curse thing got me thinking about our own teams in Youngstown and the existence of a possible "Youngstown Curse" on our own teams. Granted, Youngstown doesn't have any major professional franchises and nor have we struggled as a unified fanbase with the heartbreak and the near-misses that the Clevelanders have. Our curse is not with l<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">osing per se,</span> but with losing our teams.<br /><br />The whole thing starts with the Youngstown Patricians, a semi-pro team in the early 1900s that competed against more well-known teams like the Canton Bulldogs. The Patricians took their name from St. Patrick's Church on the South Side, which had a big part in the founding of the organization. The Patricians, although apparently a good team, eventually disbanded. That, of course, is not unusual, given how many of the teams back then were organized and run. However, the success of the Patricians may have played an important role in the granting of an NFL franchise to Youngstown in 1922. For whatever reason, though, the team never actually saw the field- thus beginning the Youngstown Sports Curse.<br /><br />Most of what I've found on the Patricians, by the way, comes from <a href="http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=yngstown">here</a>.<br /><br />The failure of Youngstown's NFL franchise set the stage for more heartbreak. The Youngstown Hardhats, a semi-professional football team, played a few successful seasons in the 70s before eventually disbanding. Of course, the most representative instance is that of the Youngstown Pride, the basketball powerhouse and WBL member that was the brainchild of Mickey Monus and the Phar-Mor company. That, of course, did not end well. In typical Youngstown fashion, corruption reared its head and doomed both the franchise and the league (and Phar-Mor, too).<br /><br />Since then, there have been a number of failed sports ventures in town, including the Youngstown Hawks basketball team, which played their games at the old South High field house. Although it was hard enough to draw a crowd to that location because of safety concerns, the Hawks also scheduled the majority of their games on Friday nights, up against the local high school games. With high school sports being king in the Yo, it was a recipe for disaster.<br /><br />Shortly afterward, the Mahoning Valley/Youngstown Wildcats were formed and played a season or two in Struthers before abruptly disappearing from the face of the earth. In similar fashion, the Mahoning Valley Panthers (aka "MVPs") of the Ohio Valley Football League were formed in 2005- and haven't updated their website since.<br /><br />One can make the argument that professional sports in Youngstown are, right now, at their apex. There are three legitimate franchises in the area right now- the af2 Mahoning Valley Thunder, the Youngstown SteelHounds, and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. In addition, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the NAHL are a thriving organization. The Thunder are in their inaugural season, the SteelHounds are coming off their second year (and a playoff season), and the Scrappers are only a couple of years removed from an NYPL championship and boast both C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez as alumni.<br /><br />Still, though, there's pessimism about each team. A lot of people are worried that the Thunder will be a hard sell, given the high ticket prices and relatively small size of the market. The SteelHounds' future is a big question mark at this point (see below) and hockey has yet to really catch on in the area. The Scrappers, although a good team, haven't been attracting the crowds that they used to. It's hard to say if these concerns are valid- just how much of it is based on natural Youngstown pessimism and the fallout from the Youngstown Pride disaster is hard to quantify.<br /><br />Obviously, I'm hoping for continued success from all of these teams. It's important for the area, as a united entity, to have teams to root for and identify with. Obviously, YSU will always fill that role, especially during football season. However, having organized, professional teams helps give the area that added sense of legitimacy and value- we're big enough, important enough, etc., to have pro sports. Maybe these teams will stick it out, survive, and bring some more pride to the area. It's possible that the "curse" is over, and that our ability to have sports teams will experience the same type of revival that much of the rest of the area is starting to experience. Unfortunately, we can only wait. </span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-88873572342664107712007-06-15T10:20:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:02.773-05:00SteelHounds' CHL Future in Question<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3pO3j2YS3Yd1dmzw2KFORTeOqUQnwa3Q3tq1FDtI_kJ-CEWYRcO_3XGO6p8Sgi1xx10Ry47hI6vPyDYF2OH6k0eIzMM2um6A5NvKRwBsMIC_3-o4ZCEX7VZl1bm0jKpDLNAL/s1600-h/YoungstownSteelhoundsLogo2.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3pO3j2YS3Yd1dmzw2KFORTeOqUQnwa3Q3tq1FDtI_kJ-CEWYRcO_3XGO6p8Sgi1xx10Ry47hI6vPyDYF2OH6k0eIzMM2um6A5NvKRwBsMIC_3-o4ZCEX7VZl1bm0jKpDLNAL/s200/YoungstownSteelhoundsLogo2.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076305719267347874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Although this is more a topic for </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://ytownsports.blogspot.com/">Youngstown Sports Live</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, I thought I'd mention it anyway...</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />According to a report in the Vindicator last week, the Youngstown SteelHounds are considering leaving the Central Hockey League, where they've played since their inaugural season, to seek out new opportunities elsewhere. Apparently, there are a number of issues involved in owner Herb Washington's decision to look to other leagues, not the least of which is the amount of travel expenses that the Hounds rack up every season traveling all over the Southwest. As you may know, the majority of the CHL teams are located in that region, and Youngstown is the only team in the Northeast. The next-closest team to Youngstown is in Memphis, TN. According to Washington, the CHL brass promised him, upon the SteelHounds initial entry into the league, that they would expand up into the Northeast, adding teams closer to Youngstown and perhaps realigning in order to lessen the amount of travel. The league has expanded- into places like Colorado and New Mexico- and the Hounds are still thousands of miles away from everybody else.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />As I've written here before, the CHL does seem to be a pretty stable league, and that can be rare in minor league sports. Sacrificing that apparent stability, though, might be necessary if the SteelHounds want to remain in business. In addition to travel expenses, Youngstown doesn't have any natural rivalries, and it's nearly impossible to follow the team on the road. When they are home, it's hard to get excited about a weekend series with a team from Bossier-Shreveport or "the Rocky Mountains." The distance between the Chevy Centre and the bulk of the other teams also requires some scheduling weirdness where the team disappears for long periods of time and effectively drops off the radar for anyone who's not a die-hard fan (or doesn't drink at the Draught House). </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />The Vindicator article goes on to point out that the CHL, understandably, has little interest in allowing Washington and the SteelHounds out of their contract and out of the league. There may be a long and costly fight ahead, which could be financially damaging as well. Hopefully, things work out, and the SteelHounds remain a presence in the city and in a legitimate hockey league. People around Youngstown need to know that the team has a solid future before they invest in season tickets, jerseys, and so on. Attendance seems to have dropped quite a bit in the last year, and any bad news about the team's future could create even more problems. I'm optimistic, though, that Washington will find a way for hockey to survive in the city.</span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-71321979711178706222007-06-14T16:14:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:03.141-05:00Weekend in Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0wLRU-anlvgyEQPuJKee_2me0pEoyG0XEg9ZDXdtQKG4qAjnkJ1xFLSLub2Xrmv65dIMAFDJStAkHAZawqeMSslzXC4LeUPhV42TBWFi7YAqIW_43yMti9s8xbCanP3uo_BI/s1600-h/250px-Youngstown2_030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0wLRU-anlvgyEQPuJKee_2me0pEoyG0XEg9ZDXdtQKG4qAjnkJ1xFLSLub2Xrmv65dIMAFDJStAkHAZawqeMSslzXC4LeUPhV42TBWFi7YAqIW_43yMti9s8xbCanP3uo_BI/s200/250px-Youngstown2_030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076307647707663794" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >As those of you who were in town over the weekend know, the Youngstown area experienced a pretty severe storm on Friday evening. The storm knocked down trees and power lines all over the area and damaged a number of homes, cars, and other property.<br /><br />We were getting prepared to leave from Cleveland to go down to Youngstown about 4 o'clock on Friday when I first heard about the storm. There was severe weather all over Northeast Ohio, so the local Cleveland news, including WKYC, broke into their normal programming to track the storms around Akron, Canton, and Youngstown. The weather around Austintown and Youngstown's North Side was by far the most severe and was the focus of the broadcast. Things were so bad, apparently, that the weatherperson actually encouraged viewers to call their friends and family in the Youngstown area and tell them to get inside and into their basements. I called my own parents, who live on the North Side, and they were already downstairs. It was actually sort of entertaining to hear the forecaster refer to some specific and uniquely Youngstown places that were popping up on the computer system- she'd obviously never heard of Brier Hill, McGuffey Center- and I doubt most of the viewers had, either.<br /><br />The storm moved quickly enough that we were able to leave Cleveland before 5 and take the turnpike to Youngstown. Part of Route 11 was blocked off because of a downed tree, so we got off at 46 and went through Austintown. This gave us a chance to check out some of the damage, since by then, the storm had already passed. Austintown was pretty bad, with a ton of debris in the roads and obvious damage to yards, trees, and property. Going through the West Side near Mill Creek Park, things were even worse, with trees uprooted in almost every yard and large amounts of debris in the streets. The North Side was slightly better, but going up Fifth Avenue past Wick Park, there were a number of large, obviously old trees ripped right out of the ground. Although it may sound a little silly, it always bums me out when old trees are lost to storms, especially on the North Side. Those trees are some of the last remaining symbols of the "majesty" of the old North Side.<br /><br />The fallout from the storm lasted all weekend, with trees being chopped up and removed, power being restored, and other projects being done to clean up the mess. Unfortunately, the power was out at Mill Creek Park for the entire weekend, which led to a number of graduation parties and other events that were supposed to be held at the Rose Garden complex and other spots being canceled or moved elsewhere.<br /><br />I attended one such graduation party on Sunday, which was moved from the park to Overture- the new restaurant attached to the DeYor Center. Although I had been to Powers since the restaurant went up, it was the first time I'd been inside. It's a nice venue. I was particularly impressed with the outdoor section, which faces the Home Savings building. The weather on Sunday was great, and it gave people the opportunity to hang around outside and even walk around downtown.<br /><br />I've heard a lot of stories from friends and family about how downtown Youngstown used to be something really special. Being down there on Sunday afternoon, I had a chance to sort of imagine what that might have been like. It's been a while since I was able to walk around downtown in broad daylight, too. The daylight, of course, is particularly harsh on Youngstown, since you can see every crack in the sidewalk, every broken window, and every abandoned building. However, it was the first time in as long as I can remember that I felt really optimistic as I walked around there- I could point to a lot of the buildings- the State Theatre, the Paramount, the Realty Building- and know there was a legitimate plan in store for restoration or improvement. Plus, those buildings that are new- the courthouses, the Voinovich building- look great. Granted, I'm much more "Pro-Yo" than most, but I couldn't help but feel really good about downtown in the daytime (which is admittedly very different from downtown at night, which has already made some great strides.) If you don't share my optimism, I can understand- we've certainly been let down in the past- but honestly, things are really looking good down there.<br /></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-45733114649004576212007-06-03T23:29:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:03.296-05:00An Eventful Day at Stambaugh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_EKk0IQLSMy96rc7XTE1hbsrV6qwnfGnpbsxDedvHJREclJem8WlU4pumlvEk3iy0ozVjUu4jzSpJonmCD2gLjzRs4gJ_sJa3f8FnVkoNhHKCi9rJwxiqBmu5k5h3YG_ZUBs/s1600-h/a_stamL.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_EKk0IQLSMy96rc7XTE1hbsrV6qwnfGnpbsxDedvHJREclJem8WlU4pumlvEk3iy0ozVjUu4jzSpJonmCD2gLjzRs4gJ_sJa3f8FnVkoNhHKCi9rJwxiqBmu5k5h3YG_ZUBs/s200/a_stamL.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072053661660322050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yesterday, Stambaugh Auditorium hosted the graduation ceremonies for the city's two Catholic high schools, Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline, as it does each year. Graduation ceremonies are, by their nature, exciting events. Two graduations in the same day, of course, makes for an eventful day. However, even after the final graduate walked across the stage yesterday afternoon, the excitement at Stambaugh was just beginning. Apparently, an evening storm caused a section of the auditorium's roof to blow off into the street. Although there is not much information available at the moment, I'm pretty confident that the </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://youngstownpride.blogspot.com/">Youngstown Pride</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> website will have more information sometime tomorrow.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Stambaugh Auditorium has been an important part of the city and a Northside landmark since its opening in 1926. Will Rogers, believe it or not, was the first act to perform there and the auditorium still hosts a number of events and concerts every year. I was lucky enough myself to see Bruce Springsteen perform there during his "Ghost of Tom Joad" tour.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Maintaining a building like Stambaugh is both costly and time-consuming, and as a result, a lot of similar structures have been abandoned or demolished. Detroit, for example, is home to a number of once-great buildings from the same time period which have been left to crumble and decay (</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.detroityes.com/home.htm">This site</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> has an excellent photo tour of what can sometimes seem like Youngstown's sister city up north). Organizations like the Stambaugh Pillars have been an integral part of the building's longevity, and now, unfortunately, they have a new challenge on their hands. Damage to any structure's roof can be a major setback. Hopefully, the roof issue can be resolved soon.</span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-6125885696593012862007-06-03T23:15:00.000-04:002007-07-05T11:37:16.725-04:00Update: Canfield Wins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.highschoolsports.net/images/logos/OH444067216.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.highschoolsports.net/images/logos/OH444067216.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Canfield Cardinals beat Springfield Kenton Ridge yesterday afternoon to earn the State Championship in Division II. Although their title run was not without controversy, the Cardinals put together an impressive run and Mighty Mahoning congratulates them on their success.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ursuline, the area's other state semifinalist and the only city team to advance that far, was eliminated on Friday.</span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-37176272583644511132007-06-01T08:03:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:03.940-05:00Ursuline and Canfield Advance to State Baseball Semis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCzH2rwkXqTih3qHI4IWbp8nm9hQuStOZDWEo9gWFD_FXmTgocRJn6w6CrTagRVKoAsE4XEbgTZTuCxEIa_CGJxA75TiLmNO3J40-psrN80CUX7iHMJ2Hs0eHm3m-vM4Ut-qP/s1600-h/cardinal-small-r.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 56px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCzH2rwkXqTih3qHI4IWbp8nm9hQuStOZDWEo9gWFD_FXmTgocRJn6w6CrTagRVKoAsE4XEbgTZTuCxEIa_CGJxA75TiLmNO3J40-psrN80CUX7iHMJ2Hs0eHm3m-vM4Ut-qP/s320/cardinal-small-r.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071067902241380578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iTKXMI-Ln55z-R6Ch27hfn7_yEgFm55-0gIRjaXLWAvvAi-T0f5lI33d-uSEVvrLcL2Xa6w-YHqLXTJXVpDFmUALS1VvuNXRpKm6gl0tslpbqVdEtDyXugVIA8Dnu9ejR4_q/s1600-h/UHS+Mascot.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iTKXMI-Ln55z-R6Ch27hfn7_yEgFm55-0gIRjaXLWAvvAi-T0f5lI33d-uSEVvrLcL2Xa6w-YHqLXTJXVpDFmUALS1VvuNXRpKm6gl0tslpbqVdEtDyXugVIA8Dnu9ejR4_q/s320/UHS+Mascot.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071067902241380562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Two local teams remain in the OHSAA baseball tournament in Columbus- Canfield in</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Division II, and Ursuline in Division III.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Canfield Cardinals play this morning and, should they win, will advance to the State Championship game to be played tomorrow, June 2, at 2pm at Cooper Stadium. The Ursuline Fighting Irish take the field today as well, and a victory will put them into the State Championship at 5pm tomorrow.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">A win tomorrow would earn the Irish baseball program its third State Championship.</span></span>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-69982700485075026592007-05-22T08:30:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:24:04.319-05:00"Bat Boy" Continues at the Oakland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZ_-fQps288fDN6FnTWYC9mHbh-Qk-1iYsDmgIjl64BSrjitxbsFhBzs4T9TdHKTRlKiJiPreDKQVkxZ6iaYy8JgBEZnKC-g7nnvVBs5pTNeApsRFAEdv8ga5lX9OgZzew5VW/s1600-h/l_9ab85174afe7fc806af6ae38d9b3b817.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZ_-fQps288fDN6FnTWYC9mHbh-Qk-1iYsDmgIjl64BSrjitxbsFhBzs4T9TdHKTRlKiJiPreDKQVkxZ6iaYy8JgBEZnKC-g7nnvVBs5pTNeApsRFAEdv8ga5lX9OgZzew5VW/s200/l_9ab85174afe7fc806af6ae38d9b3b817.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067361847976106178" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /></div>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21125453.post-13342312130623846542007-05-21T08:08:00.000-04:002007-07-05T11:37:41.941-04:00Pavlik Wins<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >If you hadn't already heard, Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik defeated Edison Miranda in a 7th round TKO this past Saturday night in Memphis, TN. In honor of Pavlik's win, I've posted a few videos from his website. A much more comprehensive look at the Pavlik fight and its importance to the Valley is available over at the <a href="http://www.defendyoungstown.com/">Defend Youngstown</a> site.<br /><br />The STO documentary trailer:</span><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gSnxznyp-FI"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gSnxznyp-FI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><br />Youngstown band Tilt 360's Pavlik tribute video:</span><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/twidZp1ePUk"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/twidZp1ePUk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object>Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323508817191325478noreply@blogger.com0