Who runs the City of Pittsburgh these days? Given the actions of two Pittsburgh city councilors, it’s pretty obvious that it’s now the National Football League and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As the Tribune-Review reported it on Thursday, “Two Pittsburgh lawmakers, unhappy that the mayor pledged $1 million in city money to the 2026 NFL Draft without first securing City Council approval, softened their stance Wednesday and joined their colleagues in voting unanimously for the funding.”
Why? Because the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers were upset that anybody had the audacity and/or temerity to oppose being shaken down to underwrite the sport’s premier player development event.
Again, from the Trib:
“Over the last week, council members Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, and Bob Charland, D-South Side, criticized Mayor Ed Gainey’s commitment to spend taxpayer money on the NFL’s marquee off-season event … before ever discussing it with [the] council, which must approve such spending.”
But, in a preliminary vote this past week, Coghill and Charland flipped like fish on the North Shore’s dry waterfall feature.
The Trib says Coghill changed his position after someone with the Pittsburgh Steelers told him NFL officials had heard about the dispute among city leaders and were upset their future host city wasn’t unified in its preparations for the draft.
“They’re very sensitive, the NFL, about public conversations and dissent,” Coghill said, expanding on statements he made during the council meeting. “I just know the NFL nor the Steelers were happy with any fighting that might occur over this. My goal was to squash that.”
And quash open inquiry with it, eh, Councilman Coghill?
Well, isn’t that special? A professional sports league and one of its 32 franchise members allegedly holding high the bully cudgel of “Get on board or else!”
So, Coghill and Charland tucked tail and ran to the supporting side.
Never mind that neither the city’s bid to spend $1 million in public money in support of the NFL never has been made public or any indication what the Steelers will spend ever has been made public, the barons of sport have taken to running roughshod over any possible dissenters.
This is putrid behavior. And it reminds us of the tactics used nearly 30 years ago when overlords of professional baseball, football and politics attempted to ram the “Regional Renaissance Initiative” down the throats of those in 11 Southwestern Pennsylvania counties.
VisitPittsburgh, the publicly funded city-region tourism group, now reportedly says it will spend about $2 million on the draft. Allegheny County has been asked to pony up about $3 million. And media reports say $5 million will come “from the corporate side of the host committee, led by PNC Bank”.
So, $6 million in public money will flow to support the NFL Draft. It likely will be more once expected state money is added.
But public officials continue to hide the public bid backed by public money that was made to secure the draft. And the NFL and the Steelers are, by hook and by crook, working behind the scenes to make it appear as if everybody is on board for this bum’s rush to yet again turn out the public’s pockets.
It is shameful behavior for the usual shameful people – those wielding the power of sporting extortion and those all to willing to bend over and shout, “Thank you, sir, may I have another!”
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
