The head of the Pittsburgh area’s official tourism agency believes the Steel City should host the Super Bowl.
Joe McGrath, president of Visit Pittsburgh, says that he thought Pittsburgh should have built a domed stadium in an effort to get a Super Bowl, but now that the NFL has awarded an outdoor Super Bowl to New York/New Jersey, he thinks Heinz Field should be in the mix.
“I’d be more than happy to put in a bid for it,” McGrath told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I tried to convince the Steelers before they built the new stadium to put a dome on it. Frankly they said, ‘Our fans won’t go for that.’ I said, ‘But we can get a Super Bowl.’ They said, ‘Eh, we get enough.’”
But McGrath says he believes the Steelers’ ownership could press the case for Pittsburgh hosting the game.
“Certainly the Rooneys and the Steelers’ organization and those ins with the National Football League -- it can happen,” he said. “I wouldn’t put it out of mind.”
If McGrath is trying to talk up Pittsburgh as a big-time city worthy of attracting big-time events, he’s just doing his job. But if he actually thinks a Super Bowl is coming to town, he’d be wise not to hold his breath.
