Big Lead Sports Bar

6/12/2007

Did Ravenstahl Sneak in to See Tiger?

There's a budding he said-he said controversy in the city between Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and KDKA's Jon Delano. As you know, the U.S. Open is at Oakmont this year, and the city is excited to host the first relevant June sporting event in more than a decade. According to Delano's sources, Ravenstahl was a little too excited:

Sources tell KDKA’s Jon Delano that when the mayor learned that Tiger Woods was out at Oakmont practicing, he had his office call the club to secure an invitation. The club told him politely, but firmly, that this was a private affair, and he was not invited. Nonetheless, the mayor got in his car, drove out, and tried to crash the club.
Sources say Ravenstahl was stopped by Oakmont’s security guards who told him the golf outing was a private event for American Express and its customers. But he talked his way into the club. Once inside, Ravenstahl was recognized and invited to dine with members of the club’s board of directors where, once again, he was told the event with Tiger Woods was private and not open to him.
But after lunch, sources say Ravenstahl got his hands on an American Express golf shirt, slipped the shirt on like he was part of the Am-Ex event and strolled onto the golf course looking for Woods.

Sienna, Tiger...just another day in the life of Mayor Ravenstahl

The other shoe fell this morning on the WDVE Morning Show, where Ravenstahl called in to completely deny Delano's story. He confirmed that he was at Oakmont and that he did talk to Tiger for roughly a minute, but not under the circumstances that he "crashed" the event. Ravenstahl added that as the Mayor, it's difficult for him to go anywhere without getting noticed, which does make sense. Naturally, WDVE hosts Jim Krenn and Randy Baumann were distraught over the fact that the story appeared to be untrue.

My take? We can only hope that Delano and KDKA fire back and further paint the picture of our mayor running around town, sneaking into events like a frat boy in his prime. It's great blog material.

14 comments:

HotDog_Zanzabar said...

Tough call on this one. On one hand, I don't know why a reporter would make this up, but on the other hand, why would a mayor of a metropolitan city do something so juvenile?

RizzoSports said...

This is an old story at least 2 weeks old, and what i've heard is it's very very close to the KDKA story.

Sassy Poker said...

Hotdog, it makes perfect sense because the mayor is a juvenile.

The Duke from Dukes Court said...

Why would anyone make this up hotdog? Had you ever heard of Joe Delano until this story broke?

--

I hate the local news.

HotDog_Zanzabar said...

I haven't heard of Joe or Jon Delano before this broke even though I don't watch KDKA.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

If it's true though, isn't it pretty shitty to go barging into town with your golf tournament and not even let the mayor in?

HotDog_Zanzabar said...

No, it is not "shitty." It was a private function and Tiger (or anyone who has a corporate function thrown for them) shouldn't have to be bothered by every Tom, Dick, and Luke in town that wants to meet him regardless of their position.

The problem I have is that the mayor of this city is using his name for personal gain. It makes the constiuents wonder what other lenghts he'll go to on the taxpayers dime for personal gain.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

Hey, there was no political reasoning behind what I said hotdog, I could care less because I don't live there and politics are lame. Sounds like there's some in your response though.

I'm just saying, if I'm the fucking mayor and you come into my town, you're gonna say hi to my ass or leave.

It's just respectfull. Any president, governor, etc etc should be afforded that.

Sorry, celebrities and sports figures and their sponsors should be above the people who, you know, actually run the place.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

And by the way, tell me one even somewhat famous person that never used who they were to get what they wanted?

And I think using your name recognition to get what you want is part of the job in politics.

BD said...

Luke is the Mayor of Pittsburgh, not Oakmont or Plum Boro. He wasn't invited, he shouldn't have been there. End of story.

Anonymous said...

So he goes to meet Tiger...OK. But where is he when Molly Hatchet plays at Star Lake? Gotta take the good with the bad, Luke.

HotDog_Zanzabar said...

Well said ntylions (it pained me to type that). Luke has mastered the fine art of being a douche bag from Governor GiftBag and DisOnorato. It looks like this is yet another example of Little Boy Luke getting caught in a lie. Anyone else remember the Ron Burkle party in NYC that Luke blew off a few minorities for? Stellar start to his political career

Unknown said...

"If it's true though, isn't it pretty shitty to go barging into town with your golf tournament and not even let the mayor in?"

Oakmont is it's own seperate town, the last time I checked.

I could see the County Executive being invited, but the mayor of Pittsburgh "crashing" the party - if he did, indeed, crash it - would be like any other person crashing - the mayor of Monroeville or mayor of Greensburg, for instance. Oakmont is Oakmont, it's not Pittsburgh.