When it comes to the much-ballyhooed NFL Draft – that would be the event for which VisitPittsburgh has refused to release the real McCoy economic impact “studies” claiming grand economic benefits — the City of Pittsburgh is finding out you should be careful about what you wish for.
At least in one metric. Reported WESA-FM’s Julia Maruca this past week:
“A new look at Pittsburgh’s mid-year finances suggests the city’s fiscal picture is getting worse — partially because of parking tax revenues that came in well below expectations during the NFL draft this spring.”
Oops.
Citing the city Office of Management and Budget’s second-quarter financial and performance report, Maruca says “revenues and expenses both came in below expectations for the second quarter, but with revenue shortfalls outweighing below-budget spending.”
“The report notes that parking tax revenue decreased by 24 percent between the second quarter of 2025 and the same period this year.” It found that the downturn “is due to poor collections in April,” when Pittsburgh hosted the 2026 NFL Draft.
As the WESA story continues:
“Previously, city officials estimated that Pittsburgh would earn $16.1 million from the parking tax between April and June. Actual revenues during that time amounted to just $10.1 million — $6 million below expectations.
Oops.
And, oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy, let the rationalizations begin:
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor conceded to the radio station that the lower parking tax revenue was “actually a blessing in disguise. More people started using public transit, which is a win for all of us.”
Uhm, Mr. Mayor, the estimated 180,000 folks who used public transit during the NFL Draft had to bribed to do so – with free rides, paid for by Sheetz, the Pittsburgh Foundation and something called the “Pittsburgh Organizing Committee.” The latter managed public and private funding allocations for the event.
Oops.
And lest we forget, Pittsburgh Regional Transit paid its union drivers a tribute, er, a premium, to make sure those dedicated public servants did not call off in such a “stressful” environment, the poor things. (Yeah, it was a cartel’s shakedown, forcing a public agency to buy union peace.)
Oops.
As WESA further reported:
“VisitPittsburgh sounded a similarly optimistic note. In a statement, it said that event organizers had ‘intentionally encouraged fans and residents not to drive and park downtown. … Pittsburghers and visitors responded.’ The fact that they did so, the statement said, was ‘one of the Draft’s operational success stories.’”
Ah, bribery as success. Sell it, sweethearts.
You’ll recall that VisitPittsburgh cited economic studies it will not release to claim that the NFL Draft led to $1.5 billion in “public relations publicity value” for the city and $177 million in regional “benefits.”
“Withholding the information ‘is consistent with standard practice among destinations hosting major sporting events,’ said Emily Hatfield, the nonprofit’s vice president of marketing and communications,” told Pittsburgh’s Public Source.
So the truth can be obfuscated? Slick, eh? No, just another oops.
Oh, by the way, the very same Mayor O’Connor told the private oneBURGH social media network that the city essentially “broke even” hosting the NFL Draft.
Oops.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
