While most of the Steelers are not from Pennsylvania, the Rooney family hired Bill Cowher as head coach partly because he grew up outside Pittsburgh, and they wanted a coach with ties to the city. Runner-up Dave Wannstedt was also from Western Pennsylvania.
I provided cites, you didn’t. And most bars in Pittsburgh ARE sports bars. Or even if that isn’t their main attraction, if one of our teams are playing that night, it’ll be on at any bar you go to. I can almost guarantee it.
And the people who worked at the arena lost a lot of work as well. It’s interesting to note here that the old Civic Arena wasn’t actually built for hockey, but for the Civic Light Opera. (In fact, the Pens didn’t even exist when it was built) It’s primary purpose was to be a concert venue. Oh sure, they planned to have sports games played there, but that was the main purpose. That’s where the Beatles played the only time they came to Pittsburgh, the Doors released an album titled Live in Pittsburgh, when they played there (considered one of their greatest live albums).
And I don’t even have to tell you how much the STEELERS have meant to Pittsburgh. We’re basically a drinking town with a sports problem, as they say. And proud of it. 