PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a year of milestones and transition in Pittsburgh sports, a look at the 93.7 The Fan Top 10 stories of 2025.
10. Dave Parker finally into Baseball Hall of Fame
· One of the most feared players of his era, Dave Parker could do it all. He said he shed tears as he got the news that baseball finally puts his excellence on display in Cooperstown. Sadly, he would die of Parkinson’s Disease weeks before his enshirement
9. Riverhounds win USL title, Robert Morris wins Horizon League
· In operation for 26 years and switching coaches late in the year, the Riverhounds became Pittsburgh’s professional champion in 2025.
· Robert Morris won the Horizon League for the first time, beating Youngstown State in the final winning 16 of its last 17 games. “The sense of pride is immeasurable,” said head coach Andy Toole, his fifth time qualifying while at Robert Morris.
8. Aaron Donald’s number 97 retired at Pitt
· The 2013 winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award and the 2013 National Player of the Year had his number 97 retired during a ceremony at the Notre Dame game.
“So, nobody else is ever going to wear that number again,” Donald said. “It’s like wow. You talk about legacy, it’s special. That’s forever. It will never be taken away.”
7. JJ Spaun wins US Open
· As the big names succumbed to the Oakmont Country Club conditions, little known JJ Spaun kept battling. Tied for the lead with Robert MacIntyre with two holes to play, the 34-year-old, with one PGA Tour win, drove the Par 4 17th for a two-putt birdie and then muscled one out of the rough to get it on the green on 18 and buried a 64-foot putt to win his first major at 1-under.
6. Pens sold to Hoffmann Family of Companies from Chicago
· Purchased from Ron Burkle, Mario Lemieux and others in 2021 by Fenway Sports Group, FSG would turn a healthy profit agreeing to a deal estimated between $1.7 and $1.8 billion. The Hoffmann group owns a variety of businesses including an ECHL team in Florida.
“We’ve long admired the Pittsburgh Penguins – not just for their championship legacy and history, but for the culture, passion, and loyalty that define the organization,” CEO Geoff Hoffmann said.
Hopefully that ends the feud between Lemieux and Pens ownership
5. Steelers offseason-Watt, Metcalf paid, trade for Jonnu, Ramsey, new QBs
· Steelers made TJ Watt the highest paid non-QB 3 years, $123 million
“I’ll be picking up the check for quite some time I’m sure. I got no problem doing that.”
· Traded Minkah Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith
· What ended up being the shrewd move was Kenneth Gainwell, 1-year, $1.79 million
· All three quarterbacks on the roster were not re-signed-Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen
4. Sidney Crosby passed Mario Lemieux
· An assist to Rickard Rakell on a power play gave Sidney Crosby 1,724 points, passing Mario Lemieux as the Pens all-time scoring leader
“It’s really special,” Crosby said. “You’re trying to stay in the game, but also just trying to enjoy the moment, too. It’s hard to balance that sometimes, especially as you get older.”
· In April, Crosby became the only player in NHL history to average at least a point a game over 20 consecutive seasons.
· Crosby also shutdown talk of him wanting a trade, saying he wants to stay in Pittsburgh
3. Fans revolt during Buffalo game, booing Renegade & ‘Fire Tomlin’ chants
· At one point 4-1 on the season , it was during a blowout loss at home to the Bills, where the defense gave up an Acrisure Stadium record 249 rushing yards, where the boos started growing. At one point the fans booed the team hype video ‘Renegade’ for the first time. It was also the loudest chants ever of ‘Fire Tomlin’, so much so even Tomlin had to acknowledge them postgame
2. Paul Skenes wins Cy Young Award
· Paul Skenes joined Vern Law and Doug Drabek as the only winners of the award. The 23-year-old was dominant, leading baseball with a 1.97 ERA and led the National League with a 0.95 WHIP, along with 216 strikeouts, a franchise record for right-handers.
· Skenes then said he was on the Pirates and wanted to win in Pittsburgh
“I love the city of Pittsburgh,” Skenes said. “The fans are hungry to have a winner in Pittsburgh and I want to be a part of the group that did that.”
· Pirates also fired manager Derek Shelton & hired bench coach Don Kelly
· Bucs would keep Kelly and GM Ben Cherington after the season
1-Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers
· Needing the next franchise quarterback, the Steelers didn’t bring back 26-year-old Justin Fields or use a high draft pick for a quarterback, instead signed 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers. While the Steelers have acquired big-name players previously, never has the team added a player like Rodgers. From his first days, Rodgers embraced being a Steeler and showed leadership from training camp until the end of the season. The future Hall of Famer led the team to nine wins and was praised by Mike Tomlin for what he brought to the organization