Steelers fans still willing to open wallets

People were huddled under bridges on the North Shore, trying to stop the gusting wind from… People were huddled under bridges on the North Shore, trying to stop the gusting wind from stealing their belongings. The stench of spilled beer and greasy food wafted over dozens of people using crevices in the old retaining walls as bathrooms. This would be a depressing sight any other day. But not on this sunny Sunday afternoon. This was Steelers Sunday on the North Shore, where tens of thousands of people invaded the parking lots around the stadium and under Interstate-279. Music blasted at such high decibels from so many different vehicles that songs blended together, creating an entirely new genre. Beer pong tables spilled out from the backs of SUVs, and cornhole game boards covered what little pavement was left, creating an obstacle course for anyone trying to walk through. Larry West, a husky, middle-aged man, sucked on an Art Rooney-inspired cigar as his wife, Julie, munched on a sub while sitting on the bumper of their SUV. West explained how he’d been attending Steelers games since the 1970s ‘mdash; the glory days for the Steelers. His wife, though, wasn’t the same. ‘I only come when the weather is fair,’ she said, laughing. ‘I don’t like when it’s cold or when they lose.’ Weeks after one of the worst financial collapses in the nation’s history, nearly 65,000 people gathered at Heinz Field to prepare for a marquee matchup between the Steelers and the reigning Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants. It was obvious that the Wests, among others, weren’t about to give up game day to save some cash. ‘It’s hard to cut back on going to games and buying stuff for our kids,’ said Mr. West. ‘I guess you just have to suck it up.’ The Wests said that while they’re trying to cut back on spending as much as possible, they’re not trying to sacrifice much. Still, they make sure not to waste money on the little things. ‘Why do you think I’m eating in the car?’ asked Mrs. West. ‘It’s ridiculously expensive [inside the stadium].’ ‘I’m eating inside,’ replied her husband. His wife shot him a glance and said that there would be no way he could spend that kind of money in the game. But inside the stadium, along with the expensive food, there was more than just a football game. It wasn’t just a matchup of two football teams. It was a contest between a city whose major economic base ‘mdash; Wall Street ‘mdash; sat on the brink of disaster while the other’s ‘mdash; Pittsburgh’s steel industry ‘mdash; had fallen a long time ago. James Kenkel, an economics professor at Pitt, explained how the housing sector ‘is kind of what screwed everything up’ and how Pittsburgh is being affected less than other cities. ‘The housing industry of Pittsburgh doesn’t drive Pittsburgh like it drives a state like Colorado,’ said Kenkel. ‘[It’s] just like when the steel industry collapsed. It had a big impact on Pennsylvania. The house lending collapse impacts New York and areas that are booming in house construction, like Denver.’ The people of Pittsburgh might not have been affected directly by the mortgage fiasco, but they have suffered from higher gas prices in recent years, which have caused some people to cut back. Mr. West said he drives to work Downtown every day, and he said the cost of fuel is taking a large chunk out of his paycheck. Mrs. West is noticing it, too. ‘I’ve noticed it around the tailgates,’ she said. ‘Before, everyone would bring bottles of beer. But now most people just drink cans.” Kenkel believes cutting back on spending will only hinder the economy more. ‘In recessions, politicians need to tell people, ‘If you can, go buy a TV, go buy a refrigerator, go buy a car,” he said. ‘Then this helps create more jobs.’ Kenkel said this was the reason for the stimulus package last summer. If people don’t spend money, he said, jobs are lost, and the economy worsens. ‘We’re not getting people to work by saying, ‘Don’t buy anything,” he said. Still, Kenkel said buying tickets to a football game in Pittsburgh isn’t going to help create more jobs, because those jobs are already in a stable industry. But buying cases of Iron City for the tailgates and eating Primanti’s sandwiches at the games will help keep those industries alive in the city. While some can afford to spend their money, there will always be people who simply can’t afford to spend and help create jobs. Politicians frequently speak about a shrinking middle class ‘mdash; the idea that the middle class is getting poorer while the rich get richer. Kenkel said he doesn’t agree with this notion. ‘Most politicians are horrible economists. They don’t even define what the middle class is,’ he said. ‘And they don’t realize that an uneven distribution of income is normal.’ He added that most people’s income fluctuates throughout their life. While the Wests aren’t giving up any football, another avid tailgater, Phillip Simons, said he eventually might have to. Simons, who works in a bank in southeastern Ohio, has season tickets to Pittsburgh games and drives an hour and a half for each game. ‘It becomes harder and harder to come up with the money to pay for the tickets each year,’ he said. ‘The price of gas isn’t helping much, either.’ He said in past years he came early to tailgate, but now he is trying to cut back on expenses and now eats fast food on his way home after the games. ‘I hate missing a game, but I might have to start selling some of the tickets if I want to be able to afford keeping them,’ he said. Kenkel, however, insisted that people need to spend money if they ever want this country to escape recession. ‘By all means, spend more,’ he said. For those like Simons and the Wests, it’s not so clear-cut. But they’re definitely trying. ‘I would love to be able to come to every game and host elaborate tailgates,’ said Simons. ‘But it’s just not practical anymore.’