Can Pittsburgh support an NBA franchise?

[mercurypa]

I think we'd be better off swapping the Pens for a NBA franchise. If we could have both that would be even better! In a sport hysteria region like this I don't know why we don't have a basketball team.

[mjcatl2]

basketball hasn't been big in the region. And the Pens are popular... it really wouldn't make sense to do that, and the city likely can't support a 4th team.

[Death To Johnstown]

I think we'd be better off swapping the Pens for a NBA franchise. If we could have both that would be even better! In a sport hysteria region like this I don't know why we don't have a basketball team.

No way, this is a 'blue-collar region' who loves it's hitting. And, although the NBA can be real physical game at times, forced to choose between the two, the NHL would win hands down here, IMO.

[mercurypa]

I think we could support both. A lot of people here are not "blue-collar", whatever that means anymore. Is it a nice way to say redneck? Why does football have to be shoved down everyone's throats?

[Death To Johnstown]

Blue collar as in "tough", "no quarter asked-none given".

Pittsburgh is not the city of 'Nancys'...

[tooluther]

Leave basketball to Pitt...I wouldn't go to an NBA game even if Pittsburgh had a team

Now Arena Football...that's a whole different story!

[mercurypa]

Im not sure how to respond to the nancy comment, but I guess we haven't progressed as far as is hoped. Good luck to the Pens.

[Death To Johnstown]

Im not sure how to respond to the nancy comment, but I guess we haven't progressed as far as is hoped. Good luck to the Pens.

Geezuz, it was just a joke.

N' at. <---[another joke]

[mercurypa]

The joke is understood. My hope is that there can be more, and I think a basketball team would be a nice option in a sports friendly town.

[Evergrey]

Pittsburgh does not have the market size to support a 4th major sports franchise. NBA basketball has never seemed to be very popular here anyways... I don't think it would be a good fit. College basketball is much more popular (especially with resurgent Pitt).

Pittsburgh already has some of the worst MLB attendence with the woeful Pirates. Pirates attendence has been weak for their entire existence... but I really believe Pittsburgh could put up respectable attendence numbers with PNC Park if the ownership would actually make an effort to put together a quality team for once.

[Death To Johnstown]

Well, Pitt Basketball is really the 'unofficial 4th Major Sport', here. If/When Pittsburgh gets a new arena, you might lure a relocated NBA franchise here - let's not forget we were in the running for the Hornets awhile back.

The Bucs drawing 1.8 million (Top 10 all-time and PNC Park already owns the top three slots) this season --after drawing 1.6 million with the same crappy team and no ASG, last season-- is simply awesome for this market.

23,000 a night average becomes 30,000+ and double-digit sellouts if the Pirates ever field a winner inside PNC, IMO...

[Evergrey]

The Bucs drawing 1.8 million (Top 10 all-time and PNC Park already owns the top three slots) this season --after drawing 1.6 million with the same crappy team and no ASG, last season-- is simply awesome for this market.

23,000 a night average becomes 30,000+ and double-digit sellouts if the Pirates ever field a winner inside PNC, IMO...

Good enough for 27th in average attendence in MLB (hey, we beat Florida, Tampa Bay and Kansas City! ... too bad the Montreal Expos aren't around anymore haha)

I do agree that 1.8 million fans is awesome for a franchise this pathetic, though (FOURTEEN CONSECUTIVE LOSING SEASONS). Give Pirate fans some competative baseball for the first time in a generation... and the jewel of the North Shore would be packed every night.

[Death To Johnstown]

Good enough for 27th in average attendence in MLB (hey, we beat Florida, Tampa Bay and Kansas City! ... too bad the Montreal Expos aren't around anymore haha).

The best the Pirates will ever do will be 15th or 16th overall (much like PNC's first season), because of this market/stadium size. Did you know that's where the Steelers are always around at in the NFL -Where the Penguins are at with 92 - 98% capacity?

It's all about "image". We actually support all of our teams (including Pitt Hoops - maybe someday Pitt Football) really well, it's just that the Steelers reap all of the benefits here of "not being small-market" (which we know is BS) because of who they are...

[facilities man]

Pittsburgh, along with Tampa, is one of the most over stretched sports markets in the country. Population and economics would not support a fourth major team. It is only because Pittsburgh is such a sports crazy town that three sports still make it.

[mercurypa]

I say build it and they will come. My guess is that many people would not have believed we would ever have an Apple software office, or a Google office in the 'burgh. We must build for the future and not the past. Now if they would have just applied that to our outdated freeway system.

[bradsp]

I hope another sports team does not come to Pittsburgh. As a newbie to the area I see too many sports aficionados wrapping their heart and souls around one of the sports teams. Pittsburgh could identify itself as something more if its heart was not draped in black and gold for large parts of the year.

[TheGerbil]

I have to agree, Brad. Nothing wrong with being into sports, but I am kind of bothered by the whole "bleed black and gold" thing. I feel like it does affect the city's image (both locally and from the outside).

[Evergrey]

But doesn't the "bleed black n gold" thing also foster city pride and unity?

[mjcatl2]

It's not realistic to get a 4th pro team. Pittsburgh is in a 3 team tier and that's fine. And I would rather keep the 3 we have than trade one for basketball.

[Death To Johnstown]

I think without our Major Sports teams, Pittsburgh loses some of it's identity & credibility among the rest of America as a 'major city'.

Might as well be considered Omaha, Birmingham, or maybe Akron without them.

[bradsp]

I think without our Major Sports teams, Pittsburgh loses some of it's identity & credibility among the rest of America as a 'major city'.

Might as well be considered Omaha, Birmingham, or maybe Akron without them.

[Death To Johnstown]

Hey, thanks. Those are also city propers of comparable size.

Pittsburgh's unique beauty and style are beyond compare. And, according to Night Talk on PCNC, the secret(s) might be getting out to the rest of the country about our 'burgh as tourism numbers are on the rise.

It's a great place to be, see and visit. It has great people with a myriad of things to do and discover. It's a sports town with Fortune 500 companies that call it home. It's a region that is changing perceptions along with it's look as it builds anew within the 21st Century.

It is a 'major American city'... The Steelers, Penguins and Pirates help reaffirm that.

[TheGerbil]

I am very glad we have the teams, and they certainly do help to inspire civic pride. But it seems like many Pittsburghers take supporting their local teams to a new level. If it looks like that is all we care about it may give the false impression that there is nothing else to be proud of here.

[Death To Johnstown]

I think it shows that we have a great affinity for anything that represents Pittsburgh on a national level - that's not a bad thing.

We love our teams, ex-Pittsburghers still represent their love showing up in droves for "away" games for the Steelers and Penguins. There are worse things out there than this...

[TheGerbil]

Of course, in many ways it is very good. But I have heard out-of-towners snear at Pittsburgh's love for its sports teams, so I am aware of the ways in which it can go too far. I do tend to worry a bit too much about the city's image though.