How Kevin McClatchy Made Pittsburgh "The City of Champions" Again

In this second generation of Pittsburgh’s “City of Champions” title, it’s time to thank the man who made it all happen.

Kevin McClatchy.

What? The former owner of the Pirates who never produced so much as a winning record? The man who went from being a vibrant, popular young owner to a grey-haired miser in the public’s eyes in just a decade?

How is he responsible for the Steelers winning the Super Bowl and the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup?

By laying the groundwork for the construction of not just PNC Park, but Heinz Field and ultimately the Consul Energy Center as well.

The story begins in 1996, when McClatchy bought the Pirates from Pittsburgh Associates.

At the time, McClatchy was looked upon as a white knight. After Pittsburghmayor Tom Murphy badly mismanaged the Pirates’ sale, McClatchy came in with a large group of investors to rescue the Bucs from any potential move.

Upon the purchase, McClatchy insisted the Pirates needed a new ballpark to replace Three Rivers Stadium.

It was a tough sell. Remember, in 1996 the new stadium boom in professional sports was just starting, and Three Rivers was still only 26 years old.

Five years earlier Mayor Sophie Masloff had announced her desire for a new baseball-only park alongside Three Rivers and was looked upon as delusional by Pittsburghers. Yes, a view of the city’s skyline while watching a baseball game would be nice, but the $219 million price tag would not. Masloff did not run for re-election in 1993.

But McClatchy’s demand spearheaded construction of all the new sports facilities in Pittsburgh. Soon the Pirates didn’t just need a new yard, but the Steelers, stating a new stadium would cost just as much as refurbishing Three Rivers, decided it was the proper time to get into the act.

Since it’s a tough sell to get the government to allot more than $200 million for a new stadium with only 10 scheduled events a year, the University of Pittsburgh was lured to the new football stadium as well, abandoning 74-year old Pitt Stadium and building a new basketball arena in its place.

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