From The Editor's Desk
Pittsburgh's '09 Final Four
By Tony DeFazio

DeFazio ranks 'em, PSR counts 'em down. The past 12 months featured plenty of memories in the world of Pittsburgh sports. A sixth Lombardi Trophy and a third Stanley Cup found there way back to town. Two college teams came within a breath of glory - but fell short, and fell hard. The top Pittsburgh sports moments of 2009 were the living embodiment of the classic sports phrase "thrill of victory and agony of defeat." Some of the top "moments" were just that - a moment, over in the blink of an eye. Others lasted hours, others days. But all were unforgettable.

4. Cincinnati beats Pitt 45-44 in college football's game of the year.

In front of a rare full house at Heinz Field, Pitt stormed to a 31-10 second quarter lead against unbeaten Cincinnati. But the Bearcats' receiver Mardy Gilyard had other ideas. Gilyard totaled 496 total yards, 118 through the air and an incredible 278 on kick returns, including a 99-yard touchdown before halftime that swung momentum in Cincinnati's favor. Pitt running back Dion Lewis was legendary, carrying a Pitt-record 47 times for 194 yards, including a five-yard TD with 1:36 left to give Pitt a short-lived 44-38 lead. After another Gilyard kick return gave Cincinnati excellent field position, quarterback Tony Pike found receiver Armon Binns for the winning score. Media outlets across the country called it the best college football game of the season, and numerous local writers said the affair was the greatest game ever played at Heinz Field.

3. Scottie Reynolds' last-second lay-up crushes Pitt's hoops dreams.

In the best game of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, Pitt and Villanova went back and forth for an exhilarating 40 minutes. Pitt led 67-63 with three minutes remaining when Jermaine Dixon turned the ball over in the backcourt, resulting in a three-point play for Villanova. The Wildcats then took control and had a four-point lead with 11 seconds to go. Incredibly-after a DeJuan Blair dunk and two clutch free throws by Levance Fields-the Panthers tied the game. Villanova stood 94 feet away from the basket with 5.5 seconds remaining when Scottie Reynolds made the play of his life. The junior guard made an incredible catch on the inbounds pass from Dante Cunningham, dribbled across midcourt, parted the defense and dropped a runner in the lane for the win, the Final Four, and a heartbreaking end to Pitt's season.

2. The Pens wins Games 6 and 7 to win the Stanley Cup

For the second consecutive season, the Penguins and Red Wings battled it out for Lord Stanley's Cup, and for the second consecutive season the Wings took the upper hand. Even after the Penguins won Games 3 and 4 to knot the series at two, Detroit looked every bit the repeat champs in a Game 5 rout. But desperate to keep the Wings from celebrating on Igloo ice again, defenseman Rob Scuderi made what will live on as the highlight of his NHL career. Scuds made not one, not two, but three saves in front of an open Penguins net, preserving a 2-1 lead and forcing a final game in Detroit. Max Talbot was the hero, Fleury made a diving save to his right to stone Hall-of-Famer Nicklas Lidstrom from point-blank range, and the Penguins won four of five games against the NHL's greatest. The Stanley Cup returned to Pittsburgh.

1. Roethlisberger-to-Holmes delivers the Steelers sixth Super Bowl championship.

The game had everything, including three absolutely thrilling, jaw-dropping plays, each one more dramatic than the next. First, James Harrison's 100-yard interception return to end the first half-one of the greatest individual efforts in the history of the NFL-gave the Steelers a 10-point halftime lead that they extended into the final quarter. But the Cardinals comeback-capped by an electric catch-and-run by the NFL's best receiver, former Pitt star Larry Fitzgerald-was simply shocking; the fact that it occurred against the fabled Steelers defense made it even more so. But then Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes made everything else fade into the background. The drive. The pass. The catch. The win. It's why we watch sports.

Tony DeFazio is the editor of the Pittsburgh Sports Report.