Big Lead Sports Bar

12/20/2006

PITG Gaming Gets the License

It looks like we're getting a casino on the North Shore, and no free arena from The IOC. Don Barden's PITG Gaming has won the slots license. I think this is a major upset, as no one saw this coming. Thoughts, comments?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Stand up, anyone who's a first-class city.

Not so fast, Pittsburgh!"

Anonymous said...

If IOC pledged a free arena, wouldn't that set the bar for the other 2 plans? Why not make it like an auction---who will help the city the most?

Anonymous said...

I will echo what I said on Pensblog....
----------
Pensblog fans... read between the lines. I cannot believe I didn't realize this before:

"And Mr. Barden, who is black, is also the only minority applicant in the state, which was considered an advantage because the state wanted to include minority-owned businesses in its new casino enterprise." Straight from the PG.

Look, I am not playing the "color card" by any means... this is a fact and how the cookie crumbles. No use crying over the spilt milk.

hyzdufan said...

Experience the evolution of your
Kansas City Penguins!

Anonymous said...

The fix is in.

Anonymous said...

I don't know, nor do I care to know, the details of each of the Pittsburgh gaming license proposals. However, anyone who thought that a gaming license would be awarded based solely upon merit is naive.

The mix of politicians with the gaming industry is a particularly volatile one.

Look no further than the Dirty Jers'.

Not to mention, the only idea more ridiculous than a casino/slots parlor in Pittsburgh is a casino/slots parlor in Bethlehem.

Anonymous said...

amish slots

Anonymous said...

No sense whatsoever...Look south of the border to what slots have accomplished in the "great" state of West Virginia: before slots most-impoverished state in the Union. After...2nd most impoverished state in the Union. At that pace we'll redevelop the Lower Hill in the year 3020, should have at least gotten a free arena out of the deal and been able to use state money for property tax relief. Anyone up for roadtripping to Blue Jackets or Sabres games? That's about as close as we are going to be NHL hockey before long.

Anonymous said...

This wasn't really a surprise, the Post-Gazette gave PITG the same odds as the IOC and better than Harrah.

Anonymous said...

Wait, I thought Harrah's was the group that "the fix was in" for? How did this happen?!

I read the article, I remain optimistic that something for an arena will be worked out either way. I'm not jumping off of a bridge yet.

Remember, Ballsillie backed out of his agreement because the NHL wanted to keep the team in Pittsburgh REGARDLESS of who got the license. That definitely bodes well.

It said in the article that this Barden guy pledged to help redevelop the Hill District and give some loot for an arena, so yeah, I'm still optimistic. Obviously they gave it to him for a reason over "THE FIX IS IN!!!" Harrah's and "free arena" IOC.

I just hope it was a damn good reason.

Steve said...

Now we see why RIM boy pulled his bid for the Pens. The writing was on the wall for months.

Gonna be tough for Mario to sell the team to someone that wants to keep the team in Pittsburgh now. Like buying a car that you have to build a house and a garage for.

If they do have to move I hope it's to Las Vegas where I can road trip to see them or a Canadian city where they'll get the support they deserve. I can't see me going to Kansas City for a game.

Anonymous said...

This makes me sick. End of story.

Jules said...

There is no logic in this....they gave up a free arena to give the license to a guy who is going to put the casino smack next to the Sciene Center on the North Shore, an area that is already being re-developed.

Hopefully something will be worked out...AND the Rooneys are pissed and we all know what kind of pull they have in the 'burgh.

Don't you just love that Bettis and Franco were all over this Barden guy too....thanks fellas!

Anonymous said...

backyardbrawler,

2nd mpst? When did we climb off the mat? It's also worth noting that West Virginia has been run by the Democrats since Sen. Byrd was in the Klan ...

What I want to know is how come they didn't pick the plan that would have built 10 new state of the art schools, five new homeless shelters for the people made indigent by spending their SS checks at the casino, and hired 50 new cops to direct traffic around this monstrosity?

Oh, wait ...