Looking For A Place To Watch Steelers Games?

Steelers drive-in a neighborhood hit

By Richard Byrne ReillyTRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, September 23, 2006

The best Steelers party in Western Pennsylvania could be the one at the end of Rocky and Jimmy Diulus' Brentwood driveway.
The brothers and next door neighbor Jim Sauro have set up what they're calling a Steelers drive-in: a 20-foot-by-20-foot viewing screen made of high-quality polyurethane where Black and Gold games are broadcast in high-definition television amplified by a professional-grade Bose audio system.
The outdoor showings are a hit. More than 200 people showed up for the Steelers' Monday night loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Guests munched on free pizza and hors d'oeuvres washed down with soda, beer and cocktails while lounging on lawn chairs and blankets. Many could be heard praising the screen's high quality, where blades of grass from the playing field and the pores on coach Bill Cowher's nose were visible from 10 feet away.
"It's almost better than being at the stadium," said Doreen Joyce, a nurse from Carrick.
Her husband, Bill, nodded.
"Jimmy really knows how to throw a party," he said.
Rocky Diulus said this is the second time they've opened up their driveway to fans. The first was the Sept. 7 game against the Miami Dolphins, when about 65 people showed up, including many parents with young children. Judging by the high turnouts, the men have vowed to show every Steelers night game this season free of charge.
"This is the second official game we've shown. We'll be showing every night game from here on out," said Sauro, who shares a common driveway with the Diulus brothers.
Monday's game attracted a diverse crowd. One viewer remarked that half of Brentwood High School seemed to be watching. Mothers could be seen snuggling with sleeping babies. College sweethearts held hands while drinking Red Bull. Two sisters from Italy ate pizza. Someone set up a crib where a 16-month-old girl dozed comfortably during the second quarter.
As the first quarter got under way, a woman stood at the top of the driveway, where the crowd was spilling out to the street, and could not contain her excitement.
"Oh, my God, this is awesome," she said.
The idea for the drive-in was born at a block party in August. Neighbors threw together a rudimentary 10-foot screen made of plywood and showed a movie.
"It was Flinstones-esque at first," Rocky Diulus said.
Then, Rocky, Jimmy and neighbors Dan Koch, Sauro and Joel Brennan, an electrician at Kennywood, decided a better setup was needed. Someone brought up the idea of showing Steelers night games.
"We got to thinking, 'Wouldn't it be nice to have a bigger screen?'" Brennan said.
The result is a marvel of Steel City ingenuity. Two holes three feet deep support 20-foot-tall flagpoles, secured with 400 pounds of concrete. The huge screen is secured to the flagpoles by guide wires affixed to the rear.
Cables hooked up to DirecTV and running from the Diulus house power the large projector unit. Dan Koch, a DJ who lives across the street, supplied the audio system, which could be heard for blocks.
"It was partially my brainchild," Koch said.
The Brentwood police say they have received a few calls complaining about the crowd. After Monday's game ended, a police cruiser stopped by. Neighbors had a friendly chat with the officer, who said he wished he, too, was able to watch the game.
"As far as I'm concerned," the officer said, "the neighborhood needs more of this kind of thing."

Richard Byrne Reilly can be reached at rreilly@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5625.