OT - The Pittsburgh Bowl

[Warchtorch]

Why doesn't Pittsburgh have a Bowl Game? We have Heinz Field, plenty of hotels, a decent downtown, and pretty easily drivable for dozens of colleges, and there are lots of potential corporate sponsors.

If PNC were the corp sponsor, they could even use PNC Park instead of Heinz Field.

So why no Pittsburgh Bowl? It seems like there is easy money to be made in terms of taxes and positive PR for the city.

 

[BLH2P]

“The UPMC Steel Bowl”

 

[Upg bobcat]

I don't see why the city doesn't make a serious bid to host a Super Bowl. Let's face it, this is more of a pro sports town. I feel like our city's ability to host the G20 summit in Pittsburgh shows we can pull off a major event that requires serious security (as well as lots of hotel capacity). Yeah the weather might make things interesting in terms of gameplay and uncomfortable for fans, so what? To this day the "ice bowl" is known as a legendary game. And they let NY/NJ host a super bowl.

They could really tie in a Pittsburgh super bowl with the history of professional football. In particular, I would market it as the "Birthplace game." There's that plaque outside the stadium saying that Heinz Field is basically the exact site where the first professional football game was played. And you could also probably have some related events up the turnpike at the Pro football hall of fame. It's perfect.

 

[LambdaChiAlphaPitt21]

Once the Rooney’s get their retractable roof $1B stadium, then we’ll see all of these. 10-15 years from now. Probably in either Butler or Washington county.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I don't see why the city doesn't make a serious bid to host a Super Bowl.

They can bid all they want. If you look at if from an NFL perspective, what does Pittsburgh bring that is even close to, let alone better, than what they get out of places like New Orleans, Tampa, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco?

Nothing. Literally, nothing. And that's why the game isn't coming here unless and until the Rooney's need the lure of a Super Bowl to help fool the locals into giving them a new stadium.

 

[LambdaChiAlphaPitt21]

What do Detroit, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis bring?

 

[9nationalchampionships]

It is the weather… Pick the weather

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

What do Detroit, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis bring?

New stadiums that needed the lure of the Super Bowl to help fool the locals into giving them to the owners.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

What do Detroit, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis bring?

Domes

 

[LambdaChiAlphaPitt21]

Right. That’s what I’m saying. Rooney’s get a retractable roof stadium in Washington County in 10-15 years. Heinz Field is/will be outdated by NFL standards. It’s not because of Pittsburgh or Western PA. It’s because of the stadium itself, in terms of hosting a super bowl or bowl game.

 

[BFo8]

Does Pittsburgh have enough hotel rooms in the area to be able to host a Super Bowl? I know that was one of the biggest complaints about Jacksonville when they played there.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

Does Pittsburgh have enough hotel rooms in the area to be able to host a Super Bowl? I know that was one of the biggest complaints about Jacksonville when they played there.

Do you know what the number is and distance to the stadium? There are quite a few motels/hotels within an hour of the stadium.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Right. That’s what I’m saying. Rooney’s get a retractable roof stadium in Washington County in 10-15 years. Heinz Field is/will be outdated by NFL standards. It’s not because of Pittsburgh or Western PA. It’s because of the stadium itself, in terms of hosting a super bowl or bowl game.

A super bowl in Washington pa. Sounds really fun. I’m sure people across the country would love Washington pa in February. Endless options of fun.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

What do Detroit, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis bring?

Detroit and Minneapolis are much bigger cities. Indianapolis is a city that has been built on big events with various NCAA Hoop Championships, NCAA championships in other sports, Indy 500.......

Pittsburgh's drawback is lack of hotel rooms. Remember the mistake of Jacksonville where they had to bring in Cruise Ships to double as hotel rooms. What would we do here, put cots on the deck of the Gateway Clipper?

 

[LambdaChiAlphaPitt21]

A super bowl in Washington pa. Sounds really fun. I’m sure people across the country would love Washington pa in February. Endless options of fun.

I’m sure the Steelers will pick a good spot for their stadium. Heinz Field will become Pitt’s stadium. Not Pitt Stadium, but Pitt’s stadium.

Hosting a Super Bowl isn’t even the point. The Steelers will be getting a new stadium in the next 10-15 years. Heinz is already 20 years old. Three Rivers only lasted 30 years.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I’m sure the Steelers will pick a good spot for their stadium. Heinz Field will become Pitt’s stadium. Not Pitt Stadium, but Pitt’s stadium.

Hosting a Super Bowl isn’t even the point. The Steelers will be getting a new stadium in the next 10-15 years. Heinz is already 20 years old. Three Rivers only lasted 30 years.

So the city will just give us Heinz field and the Rooney’s will up and leave the north shore and pick a suburban area and build a new stadium just for the hell of it.

 

[BFo8]

Do you know what the number is and distance to the stadium? There are quite a few motels/hotels within an hour of the stadium.

I believe 20,000 rooms is the minimum number, not sure if that was implemented before or after the Jacksonville debacle.

 

[LambdaChiAlphaPitt21]

So the city will just give us Heinz field and the Rooney’s will up and leave the north shore and pick a suburban area and build a new stadium just for the hell of it.

Yep. Remember where you heard it. Pitt will not own Heinz Field. They’ll just be the only football tenant playing in it.

 

[caleco's]

The primantis's trans fat bowl

 

[9nationalchampionships]

I remember reading once that the SB needed 28K hotel rooms within 30 miles of the venue so yes, Pgh would check that box. It is the weather!

Do you know what the number is and distance to the stadium? There are quite a few motels/hotels within an hour of the stadium.

 

[PharMorNightStocker]

A super bowl in Washington pa. Sounds really fun. I’m sure people across the country would love Washington pa in February. Endless options of fun.

"Ya'll wanna go to Tanger before kickoff?"

 

[PharMorNightStocker]

Wasn't traffic flow mentioned as the main inhibitor last time we put in a bid to host a Super Bowl?

 

[BFo8]

Wasn't traffic flow mentioned as the main inhibitor last time we put in a bid to host a Super Bowl?

Infrastructure is another factor that seems to come up when discussing possible future sites, agree that one would be a tough go for Pittsburgh.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

Wasn't traffic flow mentioned as the main inhibitor last time we put in a bid to host a Super Bowl?

Pittsburgh in February, sitting in an outdoor stadium. To me that is an inhibitor

 

[PharMorNightStocker]

Pittsburgh in February, sitting in an outdoor stadium. To me that is an inhibitor

Not disagreeing, but they had one in New York/New Jersey. I think they'd get over that part if the city was more conducive to hosting a Super Bowl.

I personally think they should all be played in warm weather - dome or not. It was just silly to ever bring them north.

 

[HailtoPitt]

There is no Ketchup Bowl for the same reason there should not be a bowl game in Detroit. No team and it's fans want to play in meaningless bowl game in Pittsburgh during the winter, perhaps even missing Christmas.

 

[Burgh15]

Detroit’s weather sucked for the Super Bowl. I don’t care that it was in a dome, the events leading up to it were not good because of that. Dallas sucked too because the stadium wasn’t anywhere near the events. Fort Worth was a cool city. Dallas not so much. Stadium wasn’t way to corporate and sterile. It only gets hype because of the price tag because otherwise it’s terrible for atmosphere.

As far as a bowl game goes, it should be a reward for the players in a warm climate.

 

[bayardstreet]

Get to work on that Prmanti Brothers trophy.

 

[happjack]

Please stop with the Rooney’s moving the team to Butler or Washington County, thanks to Las Vegas the bare minimum for public money is now $750 million and neither have anywhere near that. The Rooney’s are two invested in the North Shore to move and are playing the long con with improvements every few years like the end zone rebuild.

Detroit had to include hotel rooms in Toledo and Flint to just make the bare minimum for what the NFL needs.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Please stop with the Rooney’s moving the team to Butler or Washington County, thanks to Las Vegas the bare minimum for public money is now $750 million and neither have anywhere near that. The Rooney’s are two invested in the North Shore to move and are playing the long con with improvements every few years like the end zone rebuild.

Detroit had to include hotel rooms in Toledo and Flint to just make the bare minimum for what the NFL needs.

What would a billion dollar stadium offer the HF couldn't?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I’m sure the Steelers will pick a good spot for their stadium. Heinz Field will become Pitt’s stadium. Not Pitt Stadium, but Pitt’s stadium.

Hosting a Super Bowl isn’t even the point. The Steelers will be getting a new stadium in the next 10-15 years. Heinz is already 20 years old. Three Rivers only lasted 30 years.

I'd pump the breaks on this. First off, who knows what American habits are like in 25 years. Who'd ever think that millennials and Gen Z would kill golf courses. Secondly, who also knows the long term ramifications on the $$ and power of big time sports.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

IMO the Steelers and Pitt will be playing at Heinz for a long time.

 

[pittdan77]

Not disagreeing, but they had one in New York/New Jersey. I think they'd get over that part if the city was more conducive to hosting a Super Bowl.

I personally think they should all be played in warm weather - dome or not. It was just silly to ever bring them north.

I think just about everyone decided that was a mistake. If you remember, they had a near miss with a big storm. It's not even the weather outside. Remember the SB in Dallas with the extra seating debacle? There was a big ice storm and the weather sucked all week. The other thing is that the stadium in NJ is located close to other venues that are more or less built for hosting big events. PGH really isn't built around hosting a huge event like that.

I'm also going to LOL at the notion that the Steelers are moving to the suburbs. Not happening. If they get around to building another stadium, they'll just move across the parking lot, again. And guess where Pitt will play, then? Yup, the new stadium.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Please stop with the Rooney’s moving the team to Butler or Washington County, thanks to Las Vegas the bare minimum for public money is now $750 million and neither have anywhere near that. The Rooney’s are two invested in the North Shore to move and are playing the long con with improvements every few years like the end zone rebuild.

Detroit had to include hotel rooms in Toledo and Flint to just make the bare minimum for what the NFL needs.

I went to the Super Bowl in Detroit. It was as much work as it was fun. We stayed at a $300 a night extended stay in Troy which isn't so far away. But hardly the French Quarter or South Beach or LA. I had friends who had to stay in Toledo, which is like staying in Wheeling for a game in Pittsburgh.

 

[Las Panteras]

PNC will soon be getting into the College Bowl sponsorship business.

And given that they are now the 5th largest bank in America, I doubt the bowl will be played in Shreveport.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

Please stop with the Rooney’s moving the team to Butler or Washington County, thanks to Las Vegas the bare minimum for public money is now $750 million and neither have anywhere near that. The Rooney’s are two invested in the North Shore to move and are playing the long con with improvements every few years like the end zone rebuild.

Detroit had to include hotel rooms in Toledo and Flint to just make the bare minimum for what the NFL needs.

Exactly. The north side is as much of an ancestral home to the Rooney's as Ireland

 

[Zombieking]

There was talk of a bowl game about 10-15 years ago. I believe it was considered for the “armed forces bowl” which also considered the redskins Stadium, philly and then Annapolis

I believe the Rooney’s actually voteod it over concerns of how it could impact the turf and potential playoffs and either have the rights to do it or pushed the people in charge to say no

It has been an ongoing debate regarding the turf grass/field combo.

I am a big believer in natural grass but the artificial turf is so much better now and most northern teams use it for a reason and have far less games played on them than we do.

but if the pinstripe bowl can exist one can for sure exists here.

I wonder if they could retrofit pnc like they do with other stadiums to get that done, but weather and hotels aren’t the reason.

 

[Burgh15]

The only grass/turf debate is among the fans. The Steelers management and players have never considered anything else.

Also, a trip to NYC in December is a little different than Pittsburgh or any other cold weather city. I have nothing against a bowl game here as it’s be a boost for hotels and restaurants, but I don’t see the point of adding another game which would feature two bad teams.

 

[Zombieking]

The only grass/turf debate is among the fans. The Steelers management and players have never considered anything else.

Also, a trip to NYC in December is a little different than Pittsburgh or any other cold weather city. I have nothing against a bowl game here as it’s be a boost for hotels and restaurants, but I don’t see the point of adding another game which would feature two bad teams.

actuallyI know graham pushed for turf...so really it’s not just fans...

The big argument was with injuries which had gone down with the newer turf..

just another reason though playing second fiddle to the Rooney’s sucks

 

[Burgh15]

Todd Graham? lol

There’s no reason football should be played on turf beyond high school where you have up to 8 teams playing in that field per year.