Trash talk journalism gone too far? Pittsburgher & Denver fans may want to see this!

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by 33girl
Like Danielle said, some of the things he said are just UNTRUE. That's the major gripe here. Yeah, some of the outlying suburbs are not the prettiest, but as far as Downtown the things he said are just off (like the old mills dotting the "town" - there are NO steel mills within Downtown limits). It's like saying Lincoln Park = Chicago. If he wants to write about the MSA, fine, but say that's what you're doing. We're all very sick here of reading lies about our city and having people believe that's what it's about.

And it's THE South Side. grrrrr.

If some columnist from Pittsburgh or wherever wants to say that Lincoln Park = Chicago, who cares? Why would that bother anybody?

Of course dude is just talking crap about a rival. Anybody who takes something like that seriously and forms an opinion on Pittsburgh as a result isn't that bright anyway, so who in the hell cares.

Honestly, I'd be happy if people talked shit about Denver. If more people knew how awesome it was, they'd all move here. I like to perpetuate the myth that it's always freezing and covered with snow, and that the only beer is Coors. That'll scare people away.

[honeychile]

First of all, ye unfortunates who have not seen Pittsburgh within the past 20 years, you must realize that as citizens, we collectively bristle like porcupines on steroids when outsiders insist on calling this a steel town. Or punctuate every sentence with a reference to "shot and a beer", "a hard town", "dark and forbidding skyline" or of course, any mention of the long-gone steel mills. I can personally name three people with whom I am no longer speaking because of such an incident involving hard hats (n'nat). In fact, I saw my very first steel mill near Pittsburgh just THIS SUMMER.

No weeds grow out of steel mills because they have all been torn down, and replaced by either the medical or data processing industries. Pittsburgh is in the top ten of the country in both areas. Dr. Christian Barnard may have done the first heart transplant, but it was perfected here!

The columnist is trying to stir the pot with old, worn out myths in order to make his point, and in doing so, ends up making himself look ridiculous. Yes, this is Steeler Nation - but I don't see him talking about the number of buildings with black & gold windows, with every third person in black & gold, or pets dyed black & gold (yeah, that last one's pretty unfortunate). Yes, a man's heart did stop when Jerome Bettis fumbled - but he did live. This is the very first modern article about Pittsburgh which does NOT mention the friendliness of the people - think he may have been a bit obnoxious during his stay?

Pittsburgh is a vital, friendly, and yes, football town. USA Today rated us the second most beautiful in the USA - after Red Rocks, CO. If you act like a jerk about our Steelers, expect to be treated like the jerk you are. We have four Super Bowl trophies to back up how we feel about our Steelers, and we'll probably even lend you a Terrible Towel to dry your tears as you look at them.

Oh, and for those who insist that Pittsburgh is so ugly, this photo is the viewpoint from which this columnist wrote:



I tried to be fair and post a dark image, but none are available which aren't over 50 years old.

[33girl]

And today, the dork attempts to backpedal. Although not very well.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...399014,00.html

[valkyrie]

LOL Yinz.

[KSigkid]

Again - I understand that if facts were incorrect, that is a problem.

However, I don't think ANY city is above criticism. Pittsburgh may be a great place to live and work; I've heard lots of good things about it, on this board and through other people. That doesn't mean that there aren't some people that find it dark or whatever, or who have bad experiences with the people.

Maybe I've just been exposed too much to criticism like that in cities where I've lived or lived near. I guess I'm just immune to it at this point, no matter the pride I have in my current city or home state...

[33girl]

Well, I'll put it this way:

I'm going to Chicago. I hope I don't get shot by Al Capone and his mob.

I'm going to Boston. I will see people dressed like Indians dumping tea in the harbor.

You would think someone was an idiot if they said that - so why isn't it the same when someone makes similar references that are almost as outdated about someplace else?

[BobbyTheDon]

Hey, I hear there are alot of strip clubs in Pittsburgh. Is that true?

This one chick I met from the Burgh was tellin me how there are strip clubs everywhere. She also told me how everyone is obsessed and people shut down their businesses on Sunday for the Steelers.

[KSigkid]

Originally posted by 33girl
Well, I'll put it this way:

I'm going to Chicago. I hope I don't get shot by Al Capone and his mob.

I'm going to Boston. I will see people dressed like Indians dumping tea in the harbor.

You would think someone was an idiot if they said that - so why isn't it the same when someone makes similar references that are almost as outdated about someplace else?

I'm not saying he's all that smart for making those statements - since there are no mills in Pittsburgh, it's not a bright statement to say that there are. If he's making up facts about the city, that's wrong. I've maintained that in all of my posts, and I'm not defending his right to make up factual information.

I'm just saying that columns like this are par for the course. When he's saying things like that the skyline is dark or that the people he met acted a certain way, you'll hear things like that about any city. Opinions like that, right or wrong, are made about cities on a daily basis. People come to Boston and say that the people are cold, that the nightlife is weak, and that the sports fans are desperate. People go to Hartford and wonder how anyone could possibly like Connecticut.

[33girl]

Originally posted by BobbyTheDon
Hey, I hear there are alot of strip clubs in Pittsburgh. Is that true?

That's McKees Rocks. Not Pittsburgh.

[ISUKappa]

Originally posted by 33girl
Well, I'll put it this way:

I'm going to Chicago. I hope I don't get shot by Al Capone and his mob.

I'm going to Boston. I will see people dressed like Indians dumping tea in the harbor.

You would think someone was an idiot if they said that - so why isn't it the same when someone makes similar references that are almost as outdated about someplace else?

I would think "Damn, Shelia's got some cracked-out opinions, but whatev, that's her deal."

Those aren't really good examples because one refers to events 80 years ago and the other refers to events 250+ years ago; according to Dani, the steel mills only shut down 25 or so years ago and I bet many people who don't live in Pittsburgh or even Pennsylvania are aware of this. I wasn't and it looks like I'm not the only one.

If the guy would have read his own column, he should have realized the kind of feedback he was going to get -- he basically says the people of Pittsburgh live, breathe and die Steelers football and to say anything different to a fan is taking your own life into your hands.

But I still maintain the whole point of his first column isn't about how dirty or dark the city is, it's about how much that city loves its football. That what I, as a person who has very little knowledge about Pittsburgh or Steelers football, came away with after reading it.

And I'm not saying you don't have the right to be offended by his column, or sing the praises of your city, you certainly do.

[BobbyTheDon]

Dude that article is hilarious. Kddanni, my heart, do you want me to write an article back bashing Denver? Seriously, I can say how Denver is not really that big of a deal, and that everything about Denver is brokeback.

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by ISUKappa
Key word - column. This is simply one guy's opinion on the city. He can describe it however he wants, really, including the embellishments. That's how he sets the tone of his column.

Exactly.

And I hate to be the voice of dissent, but from what I recall of Pittsburgh, "dark and forbidding" would not be that big of a stretch. Obviously not the whole city -- there were some lovely parts -- and granted this was 8-10 years ago, but I was not that impressed. I travelled a lot as a kid, and I had a more negative gut reaction to Pittsburgh than I've ever had to any other city . . . including Detroit. So I tend to defend the Pittsburgh-haters because I know where they're coming from.

It's a newspaper sports column. It's not the height of responsible journalism, and it's not supposed to be. You want to read something nice about Pittsburgh, go pick up a book of Jack Gilbert poems or something.

[KillarneyRose]

I'm dating myself, but I remember steel mills!

I remember driving over the bridge to get to Kennywood and seeing the Homestead works where Waterside is now.

I even remember when I lived out near the county airport for awhile that we actually didn't have some school some days because the air quality was so bad because of the US Steel Clairton works.

And I can definitely remember walking down the hill from my house to my elementary school and seeing the Blawnox works with the Allegheny River behind it and wondering if the water would rush into the mill when the back door was open. (so, maybe I didn't have the greatest depth perception...that's not the point of the story!)

Steel mills really weren't such a bad thing (aside from that whole air quality thing which was eventually addressed by the EPA). They provided well-paying jobs for many of the men in my family and Pittsburghers in general.

That said, Dani, Sheila and Honey are right that there aren't any mills within the city. So even if this an opinion piece we're discussing, he was still wrong to write that.

Pittsburghers do love their football, though, no way to deny that. And I think that was really the gist of the column.

[Rudey]

Is Pittsburgh as bright and pretty as San Diego? It didn't look like it on Flash Dance.

-Rudey

[BobbyTheDon]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
Exactly.

And I hate to be the voice of dissent, but from what I recall of Pittsburgh, "dark and forbidding" would not be that big of a stretch. Obviously not the whole city -- there were some lovely parts -- and granted this was 8-10 years ago, but I was not that impressed. I travelled a lot as a kid, and I had a more negative gut reaction to Pittsburgh than I've ever had to any other city . . . including Detroit. So I tend to defend the Pittsburgh-haters because I know where they're coming from.

Wait, what city sucks more? Detroit or Pittsburgh? I would guess Detroit right? Isn't Detroit filled with mutants?