O'Connor on ESPN Radio

[dboss]

Mayor O'Connor is going to be on ESPN 1250 either Tuesday or Wednesday with Tim Benz. Tim is filling in for Mark Madden this week so it would be during the 3 - 7pm timeframe. As Tim releases more details, I'll add them to this post.

Per Tim, Tuesday @ 5pm

[bill from turtle creek]

That should be a good listen. Benz is pretty disgusted with the whole process thus far. I don't think he will be rude, but he won't back down, either.

[imau2fan]

And it's a good thing Tim Benz is hosting, because I suspect O'Connor wouldn't touch MM with a ten-foot pole.

[kovyman1127]

Where is ole MM anyway...he was on after his heart attack?

[penny lane]

Where is ole MM anyway...he was on after his heart attack?

I am sorry for all of you who missed MM's version of
Oh Canada with current olympic verse
"oh Canada you can't win without Lemieux" insert Maple Leaf!
Simon from American Idol would be bowled over. 8)
MM calling in after another heart procedure!

[dboss]

Per Tim, Tuesday @ 5pm

[netwolf]

I am sorry for all of you who missed MM's version of
Oh Canada with current olympic verse
"oh Canada you can't win without Lemieux" insert Maple Leaf!
Simon from American Idol would be bowled over. 8)
MM calling in after another heart procedure!

I haven't listened much lately (I recently got Sirius satellite radio - Backspin rules!), but I did catch that bit. It was excellent; I wish I could remember it all.

[td_ice]

O'Connor had a sound bite on WTAE news tonight.

He blames the Pen's confidentiality agreement with IOC as a problem in forming a PLAN B.

O'Connor, "it takes two to tango."

[netwolf]

O'Connor had a sound bite on WTAE news tonight.

He blames the Pen's confidentiality agreement with IOC as a problem in forming a PLAN B.

O'Connor, "it takes two to tango."

What a shock. I hope that when/if he is interviewed by Benz and spouts that nonsense, that Benz follows up with something about how they were told numerous times over the past several years they had to do it on their own. Also add that if the arena is a key part of the IoC proposal, they had to include that stipulation or they'd otherwise undermine their own proposal. They could have avoided this is they had made arean funds a requirement, but as is typical they lacked the foresight to do that.

That agreement should have no bearing on local government's ability to form an alternate plan on their own. The costs of a new arena are public knowledge, as is the desired location. If they can't figure it out from there without the Penguins being able to talk to them about it, I question whether they have the necessary analytical ability to be in public office.

[imau2fan]

It's also BS because other cities have built facilities before they even had a tenant locked down.

Look at when the Colts moved to Indy two decades ago. The Hoosier Dome was ready and waiting when they left during that infamous snowstorm. Did they need to negotiate with the Colts beforehand? Indy said, "Build it and someone will come." The rest is history.

And more close to home--Kansas City is building the Sprint Center. Do they need input from the Penguins to get it done? Nope. But the parties won't have much problem coming together in about a year, if phonies like O'Connor continue this charade.

Besides, I thought Onorato and O'Connor said a solid, alternate plan would be unveiled by late March. Now suddenly "it takes two to tango."

Uh, which is it? Sounds like more politician double talk to me.

[randy]

O'Connor is an insignificant player in all this, so's Onorato for that much.
Draftnik is right, this will come down to Rendell vs. IoC/Burkle.

[penny lane]

O'Connor had a sound bite on WTAE news tonight.

He blames the Pen's confidentiality agreement with IOC as a problem in forming a PLAN B.

O'Connor, "it takes two to tango."

Since Mario has owned the penguins the city of pittsburgh & county have said, sure/yes to new arena but... YOU are going to have find the funds elsewhere. So now the funds they found don't quite fit in with city's plans.

So Dear Mayor in Superbowl land... why more restrictions to the pens?
Remember, Dear Mayor, when you plan that retirement party for Jerome that Mario too retired.

I couldn't bring myself to vote for B O'connor...

[bill from turtle creek]

O'Connor is well known for being a total idiot. He's a product of the old school Democratic machine, and given the way things are going, he will likely be the last. Benz should, in a very subtle way, show him no mercy. O'Connor is not capable of original thought and is only told what to say by his superiors. His superiors include everyone with an IQ over 70.

[ExPatriatePen]

O'Connor is well known for being a total idiot. He's a product of the old school Democratic machine, and given the way things are going, he will likely be the last. Benz should, in a very subtle way, show him no mercy. O'Connor is not capable of original thought and is only told what to say by his superiors. His superiors include everyone with an IQ over 70.

Let's hope you're right. A simpleton should be easy to turn around. I'm afraid of something more sinister.

My fear is that O'Connor actually believes that advancing the interestes of a politically connected group over the best interests of the local community would actually advance his political career.

[Stoosh]

O'Connor also fails to mention that the Pens/IoC exclusivity agreement was a logical, smart business decision by IoC to protect their own interests. Nothing more. The agreement protects the integrity of the IoC plan as the arena is the lynchpin to the deal. If the Pens were legally allowed to explore alternative financing, it COULD weaken the chances of the IoC plan to get the license.

This may be the mistake that Forest City made when it announced that it's planning on building those condos with or without the slots license. Those condos could've been viewed as a significant part to the FC plan - you don't get the condos without the license. If the condos are going up anyway, it could ultimately be viewed as just more slots revenue going to line the wallets of the FC people.

I'd like to hear Benz ask O'Connor if he will acknowledge that the exclusivity agreement between the Pens and IoC is simply smart business. I'll email Benz and ask him if he can make sure to bring that up. I'd love to hear McBob dance around that one.

[netwolf]

I'd like to hear Benz ask O'Connor if he will acknowledge that the exclusivity agreement between the Pens and IoC is simply smart business. I'll email Benz and ask him if he can make sure to bring that up. I'd love to hear McBob dance around that one.

My thoughts exactly. I am sure BO (never noticed that before - that's kind of funny) has an answer already queued up, but maybe we'll gain some other insight by how he dances around it...

[bill from turtle creek]

I would not be surprised if O'Connor does not have any answer cued up. In general, if Benz can catch him requiring an original thought, O'Connor is going to come up looking brain-dead.

This might be fun.

[Stoosh]

Emailed Tim Benz with the following (includes direct link to Rendell telling the Pens JUST THIS PAST JUNE that no public money was available for an arena)...
**************************
Tim,

In light of Mr. O'Connor's appearance on your show this afternoon, I'm wondering if you could discuss with him the following items regarding the pursuit of a new arena.

First, according to the article which ran in the Tribune-Review today, Mr. O'Connor is "frustrated by the team's uncooperative stance" when it comes to the Pens' willingness - or more accurately, legal ability - to discuss an alternate "Plan B" for arena funding. The article goes on to state that Gov. Rendell and Allegheny County Chief Exec. Dan Onorato are equally puzzled by the Pens' refusal to discuss any alternates. Gov. Rendell went as far as to call it "baffling," "puzzling" and "crazy".

It's funny that none of these officials took the time to acknowledge the fact that, as part of their agreement with Isle of Capri, the Pens are under an obligation to not discuss alternate funding terms for an arena. Playing Devil's advocate here, this is perfectly sound business practice by Isle of Capri as it protects their interest in the slots license bid. The arena is clearly the lynchpin to the Isle of Capri proposal and if a feasible alternate source of funding is found, it could damage Isle of Capri's chances of getting the bid.

Secondly,...

Not even a year has passed since the Pens were told by Governor Rendell that no public money was going to be made available for an arena project. In fact, according to this article from the Post-Gazette...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05165/521217.stm

the Governor goes as far as to suggest that the Pens pursue the slots license so as to secure the private financing which elected officials had told them up to that point would be necessary to make the arena a reality. In essence, the Pens' "Plan B" should be to seek the slots license and use that revenue to pay for the new arena.

The Pens took that suggested course of action and secured a means of financing the arena completely with private funds. All of sudden, though, they are being told that it's not good enough, and that they should seek a "Plan B" that involves public funding - this only eight months after being told that no public money would be available.

I'm just curious about some things. Would Mr. O'Connor care to try to explain why the elected officials decided to wait so long (basically, the seven years since Lemieux bought the team) to acknowledge that public funding was in fact available? And if said funding was available, why were the Pens told as little as eight months ago that it wasn't, and that they needed to locate private financing for the project? And perhaps he could offer some reason why after securing a means to provide that private financing, they are being told that they should look at alternatives that involve public money?

Finally, perhaps he can also explain how the city expects to fill a $70 million dollar hole in the revenue streams that could exist when the team leaves because the elected officials dragged their feet on this issue?

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

C. J. Jiuliante
Aliquippa, PA

[dboss]

This could be GOOD today!! Benz sounds fired up at Rendell, etc. related to a new arena. Go get them Tim!!!

[dboss]

OMG!! I wish Benz would take over for Madden until the arena thing is squared away. He knows what he is doing. Basically he just said to some caller, when you came on the radio and said the Pens need a new arena, all of the politicians totally tuned out. Benz told him that people need to make this more about Pittsburgh getting a new arena and not just about the Pens.

Benz has just lifted my opinion of him 9 notches!!

[ExPatriatePen]

I can't get the feed from WEAE where I am today ( Firewall isues ) can you keep us posted as much as possible?

TiA

[dboss]

I can't get the feed from WEAE where I am today ( Firewall isues ) can you keep us posted as much as possible?

TiA

No problem. Benz is really ripping Rendell. A lot of people are calling and saying what happened to Plan A vs. Plan B.

Benz is saying there aren't going to be any cupcake questions either.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Madden is a "guest" right now. He said that O'Connor wouldn't go the show with Mark as the host.

[ExPatriatePen]

Madden is a "guest" right now. He said that O'Connor wouldn't go the show with Mark as the host.

This might be Benz's first mistake today.

Let's hope MM keeps things 'real' and doesn't resort to childish Jr. High insults.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Madden won't be interviewing O'Connor. As for the childish remarks, way too late. I won't repeat some of the things he said since this a family board.