Dave Crawley captures the color of Pirates’ opening day at PNC Park before and after the afternoon game against Roy Halladay and the Phillies. Comments (in quotes) come from fans.

Ode to Opening Day, 2012

Drum up support! It’s opening day!
Bucco and Phillies fans enter the fray.
For vendors, the elements all come together.
“Sold out game. Beautiful weather.”

Spring training’s over. And now, the Big Dance.
“I think actually we do have a chance.”
The Phillies could write a sad end to this rhyme.
“If we’re gonna play with the big boys, it’s time.”

John Wray never misses the opening show.
“This is number 55 in a row.”
Though nineteen straight seasons left little to cheer,
“I think we’re gonna go over .500 this year.”

For young Pirate fans, a sad situation.
“It takes a lot of dedication.”
Will the Bucco youth movement be the right touch
To brighten the future, with Walker and Cutch?

Roy Halladay, shmalladay! This won’t be hard.
The Buccos will counter with Erik Bedard.
Erik Buh who? Though we have word of him,
I gotta think that nobody’s heard of him.

Can’t think of any reason to doubt him.
“I don’t know that much about him.”
Fear not, Buc faithful. The future is his.
“I don’t even know who he is.”

Bedard’s gonna do it. The Phillies will yield.
Or does my prediction come out of left field?
1:34. The Anthem draws near.
Three hours from now, still reason to cheer?

Turns out two hours were more than enough.
Bucs lose. But Bedard? He had the right stuff.
Just gave up one run. But the sad fact rings true:
To win such a game, you gotta score two.