Pittsburgh Pisces Jersey History and the Legacy of Pittsburgh Sports

The city of Pittsburgh boasts a rich sports history, filled with memorable teams and iconic moments. While many associate the city with the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates, there's another team, albeit fictional, that has captured the hearts of many: the Pittsburgh Pisces from the movie "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh."

The Fictional Pittsburgh Pisces

No, you can't count the Pittsburgh Pisces, because they were fictional, in the movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Although, like the real-life Pirates and Steelers, they did win a league championship in 1979!

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh

Directed by Gilbert Moses and featuring a script that feels like it was written during a late-night astrology binge, the film centers around the fictional Pittsburgh Pythons - a struggling ABA-style basketball team in desperate need of a miracle. That miracle comes in the form of astrology, as a teenage water sign and a flamboyant cosmic consultant (Stockard Channing, decked in sequins and sass) suggest the team rebuild its roster around players who are all Pisces. Yes, Pisces. Hence, the team is reborn as the Pittsburgh Pisces.

The film doesn’t really try to make much sense - and it’s better for it. This is a sports movie where basketball is more of a setting than a subject, and character arcs are replaced with afros, funk music, and glittery uniforms. And what a cast it has. NBA legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving stars as Moses Guthrie, the team’s only original bright spot, bringing real charisma and athleticism to the role. He’s not just phoning it in - he’s having fun, and it shows.

Joining him are an eclectic group of co-stars, including Meadowlark Lemon of Harlem Globetrotters fame, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (in a brief but memorable cameo), Flip Wilson, and Jonathan Winters playing dual roles as both the team’s owner and his own twin brother.

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Musically, the film is a time capsule of late-’70s funk and disco. The soundtrack - featuring The Spinners, Phyllis Hyman, and even the original theme song by Thom Bell - grooves harder than most of the plot ever does.

A “good movie” by traditional standards would be generous. It’s disjointed, ridiculous, and at times cringe-inducing. But that’s hardly the point. This is a cult classic born not of excellence, but of audacity. A cosmic misfire that shoots for the stars and lands somewhere in funky, fishy fun. So bad it’s good? Maybe. So weird it’s unforgettable?

Julius Erving and the Pisces

NBA legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving stars as Moses Guthrie, the team’s only original bright spot, bringing real charisma and athleticism to the role. He’s not just phoning it in - he’s having fun, and it shows.

Items related to Julius Erving have garnered significant attention, including:

• JULIUS "DR. J" ERVING'S AUTOGRAPHED "DR. J" JERSEY
• ARTIS GILMORE GAME USED SNEAKER SIGNED AND PRESENTED TO JULIUS "DR. J" ERVING
• MUHAMMAD ALI VINTAGE TRAINING USED GLOVES PRESENTED TO DR. J AND INSCRIBED "TO DR. JULIUS ERVING"
• JULIUS "DR. J" ERVING'S "ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD" FROM PHOTOGRAPHING SPORTS OF ST.
• MAGIC JOHNSON EARLY 1980'S GAME SNEAKER SIGNED AND PRESENTED TO JULIUS "DR. J" ERVING
• JULIUS "DR. J" ERVING'S PAIR OF 1980'S CONVERSE "DR. J" PRO SHOES
• 1983 NBA FINALS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NET CUT DOWN BY JULIUS "DR. J" ERVING

These items highlight the impact and legacy of Dr. J, both on and off the court.

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Honorable Mentions: Other Pittsburgh Teams

While the Pisces are fictional, Pittsburgh boasts a number of successful sports franchises. Here are a few honorable mentions:

• 1967-68 Pittsburgh Pipers: It was the 1st season of the American Basketball Association, and they won the Championship.
• 1969-71 Pittsburgh Penguins
• 1990-92 Pittsburgh Pirates
• 2013-15 Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1992-97 Pittsburgh Steelers
• 2014-17 Pittsburgh Steelers: They've made the Playoffs the last 4 seasons, and reached the AFC Championship Game for the 2016 season.

Top Pittsburgh Teams

Here are some of the top Pittsburgh teams throughout history:

1. 1972-79 Pittsburgh Steelers: In 8 seasons, the Steel Curtain played 41 games against teams that finished with a record of .500 or worse, and won 40 of them. That's getting the job done: 40-1 against teams you should beat. Here's the results: 8 seasons, 8 trips to the Playoffs, 7 AFC Central Division titles, 4 AFC Championships, and 4-0 in Super Bowls: IX, X, XIII and XIV -- 2 sets of back-to-back titles.
2. 2004-11 Pittsburgh Steelers
3. 1990-98 Pittsburgh Penguins
4. 2015-17 Pittsburgh Penguins: Back-to-back Stanley Cups, matching the feat of 1991-92.
5. 1970-75 Pittsburgh Pirates: 6 seasons, 5 NL East titles, but only 1 Pennant, the 1971 World Series win.
6. 1901-09 Pittsburgh Pirates: 9 seasons, 4 Pennants, and won the 1909 World Series.
7. 1924-27 Pittsburgh Pirates: 4 seasons, 2 near-misses, 2 Pennants, and won the 1925 World Series.
8. 1976-79 Pittsburgh Pirates: In 4 seasons, they won 92, 96, 88 and 98 games, but only in 1979 could they get past the Philadelphia Phillies, and "The Family" went all the way.
9. 2007-09 Pittsburgh Penguins
10. 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates: World Champions.

The Civic Arena (Mellon Arena)

The Civic Arena, formerly the Civic Auditorium and later Mellon Arena, was an arena located in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1961 for use by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO), it was the brainchild of department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann. It was the first retractable roof major-sports venue in the world, covering 170,000 square feet (16,000 m2), constructed with nearly 3,000 tons of Pittsburgh steel and supported solely by a massive 260-foot-long (79 m) cantilevered arm on the exterior.

The $22 million ($234 million in 2024 dollars) arena was completed for the CLO in 1961. The Arena was designed for the CLO, which previously held productions at Pitt Stadium. The roof, which was supported by a 260-foot (79 m) arch, was free of internal support leaving no obstruction for the seats within. The roof, which had a diameter of 415 feet (126 m), was divided into eight sections. Six of the sections could fold underneath two-in 2½ minutes-making the Civic Arena the world's first major indoor sports stadium with a retractable roof.

Key Events Hosted at the Civic Arena

• The Civic Arena hosted numerous concerts, the circus, political and religious rallies, roller derbies as well as contests in hockey, basketball, fish tournament weigh-ins, pro tennis, boxing, wrestling, lacrosse, football, ice skating championships, kennel shows, and soccer.
• On September 14, 1964, the Beatles played the arena during their first United States tour.
• Elvis Presley played his final New Year's Eve show at the Civic Arena on December 31, 1976, and played to a sellout on June 25 and 26, 1973.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins debuted at the Civic Arena on October 11, 1967, in a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Civic Arena closed on June 26, 2010, and was demolished between September 2011 and March 2012.

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