Well, howdy there! Let’s gab a bit about somethin’ folks ’round here been jawin’ about – whether Pittsburgh’s gonna get itself an NBA team. Folks keep askin’ me, “Hey, is Pittsburgh gonna get a basketball team?” And I say, “Well, hold your horses, it ain’t that simple.”
First off, they hired some fancy-pants fellas, you know, consultants, to figure this thing out. Sounds expensive to me, but what do I know? These city folks got money to burn, I guess. They’re supposed to be lookin’ at whether Pittsburgh’s a good fit for a team. Heck, I coulda told ’em that for free! Pittsburgh folks love their Steelers, yeah, but they like other sports too, you know? Baseball, hockey… why not basketball?
Now, some folks say Pittsburgh ain’t a “basketball city.” What’s that even mean? We got hoops at the park, kids playin’ all the time. Just ’cause we ain’t got a big fancy team right now don’t mean we don’t like the game. I remember seein’ some fellas play basketball, runnin’ and jumpin’ like crazy, way back when. It was somethin’ else.
- They gotta figure out where the team would play. Got that big arena, but is it free? Probably not. These things always cost a pretty penny.
- Then they gotta get a team to actually *want* to come here. That’s the tricky part, see? These team owners, they’re all about the money. They wanna go where they can make a buck.
And let’s not forget about that WNBA team they’re talkin’ about. That’s women’s basketball, for those of you who don’t know. Seems like they’re lookin’ into both at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone, I guess. Smart thinkin’, maybe.
They’re even askin’ folks like me what we think! Can you believe it? Me, givin’ my opinion on a basketball team. Well, I told ’em, “If it brings folks together and gives ’em somethin’ to cheer about, then why not?” Life’s too short to be fussin’ all the time. A little fun never hurt nobody.
But here’s the thing, it ain’t gonna happen overnight. These things take time. They gotta do their studies, make their plans, and then, maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a team. And if we do, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be there, cheerin’ ’em on, even if I don’t understand half of what’s goin’ on!
It all boils down to money, really. Can Pittsburgh support a team? Will folks buy tickets? Will those fancy TV channels wanna show our games? That’s what them consultants are tryin’ to figure out. I hope they do a good job, ’cause it’d be mighty nice to have somethin’ new to get excited about.
This whole thing reminds me of that time they wanted to build that new highway. Same kinda fuss, same kinda talk about money and whether it was worth it. Took ’em forever, but they finally got it done. Maybe this basketball thing will be the same. Just gotta be patient, I guess.
So, will Pittsburgh get an NBA team? I ain’t got a crystal ball, so I can’t say for sure. But I got a good feelin’ about it. We’re a tough bunch here in Pittsburgh, we don’t give up easy. If we want a team, we’ll figure out a way to get one. And if we do, it’ll be somethin’ to see, that’s for sure.
And heck, even if we don’t get an NBA team, maybe we’ll get that WNBA team. That’d be just as good. Women can play ball just as good as the men, sometimes even better! I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
Anyway, that’s my two cents on this whole basketball business. Don’t take my word as gospel, but that’s what I think, based on what I’ve heard and seen. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens, and hope for the best.
Tags: [Pittsburgh NBA, Pittsburgh WNBA, Sports Exhibition Authority, Basketball, Pittsburgh Sports, NBA Expansion, WNBA Expansion, City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County]
