Pittsburgh is a great city. I enjoy going back to visit and I hope that we’ll be able to move back sometime in the not-too-distant future. However, the people in the city are very excited about sports and this love of sports can manifest itself in strange ways. Case in point is at the Pittsburgh airport as you leave the air-side terminal. Just before the escalators that take you down to the train between the air-side and land-side terminals are two statues of people who figure prominently in the history of the region:
- A young George Washington, who led troops in western Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War.
- Franco Harris, whose so-called “Immaculate Reception” won a 1972 AFC Divisional Playoff game for the Steelers against the Oakland Raiders.
While I don’t dispute that the immaculate reception figures prominently in the collective psyche of those in Steelers country, it just seems incongruous to me to have a statue of one of the fathers of our country next to a football player with the implication that these are the two most important individuals connected to the region that could be depicted in that space. I began thinking about who might be more appropriate. Andrew Carnegie? Any other suggestions?
Terry Bradshaw, Jerome Bettis, Mario Lemieux, Roberto Clemente
Colin, did I talk to you about this while I was home? Or was that Mike? I had the exact same reaction when I saw those statues.
Somebody was talking to me about this – I thought it was you Colin but maybe it was you Adrian!?!?!
I think I talked to someone about it, too… Hmmm. Maybe we were all involved in the conversation – perhaps at the bachelor party?
Yeah I think we were in the garage and all talking about it