Big East News

[xudash]

My wife is with BNY Mellon and has a team in Pittsburgh. Gets there roughly monthly, but hope that (and all travel) lessens with time. Flight out to marketing team in Boston in about 7 hours. I don’t envy that, but she loves it. Go figure, good for her.

Absolutely good for her! I am sure you're very proud of her. A lot of travel, but the job content side of it must be very challenging and fascinating for her.

I was long gone before the "merger" took place. Mellon had always fancied itself a money center bank, so when the Bank of New York deal happened, that pretty much sealed that notion.

You guys would be interested in one deal, in particular, I was involved in while at Mellon. There was this little Cincinnati company that wanted to build a new headquarters and processing facility in Mason, Ohio in the late 80s. They decided they wanted to go in the direction of a private placement as opposed to pursuing senior bank debt financing. I brought my capital markets team in and we were successful in engaging as their agent for a $20 million senior secured private placement notes issue with an insurance company.

Once completed and funded, Cintas Corporation built their new home!

[xu82]

Absolutely good for her! I am sure you're very proud of her. A lot of travel, but the job content side of it must be very challenging and fascinating for her.

I was long gone before the "merger" took place. Mellon had always fancied itself a money center bank, so when the Bank of New York deal happened, that pretty much sealed that notion.

You guys would be interested in one deal, in particular, I was involved in while at Mellon. There was this little Cincinnati company that wanted to build a new headquarters and processing facility in Mason, Ohio in the late 80s. They decided they wanted to go in the direction of a private placement as opposed to pursuing senior bank debt financing. I brought my capital markets team in and we were successful in engaging as their agent for a $20 million senior secured private placement notes issue with an insurance company.

Once completed and funded, Cintas Corporation built their new home!

I must say....that name rings a bell for some reason! Pretty cool.

[surfxu]

Sounds like all you guys may have hooked up with Snooky's mom at some point... Don't answer the phone if Maury Povich calls and wants you all to be on an upcoming episode.

[IM4X]

That's wild. How long were you in the 'burgh?

I was there for about 15 years. Was with Mellon and then a subsidiary of Merrill Lynch. Lived in Upper St. Clair. Pittsburgh was something else: a lot of money mixed in with Yunzers hanging out duhntun, cheerun for the Stillers.

Get aht! You lived in Upper St. Clair. Nut-uh. That’s a rill nice part of tahn up air. Buaful hauses and a rillwe good school district. But yinz probably knew that when yinz moved there, huh. I’m glad you appreciated the charm of Pixburgh. Some people make fun of the way people from the burgh talk n’at, but they’s just mostly being jag offs.

In all seriousness, I was born there and raised there. I left for college and returned briefly before leaving again for grad school. I still have family there and get back a few times a year. I love my home town and my Stillers.

Have you converted? Are you now a Terrible Towel waving member of Stiller Nation?

Full disclosure: I enjoy my Stillers beating up on the Bengals almost as much as I enjoy my Musketeers beating up on UC.

[xudash]

Get aht! You lived in Upper St. Clair. Nut-uh. That’s a rill nice part of tahn up air. Buaful hauses and a rillwe good school district. But yinz probably knew that when yinz moved there, huh. I’m glad you appreciated the charm of Pixburgh. Some people make fun of the way people from the burgh talk n’at, but they’s just mostly being jag offs.

In all seriousness, I was born there and raised there. I left for college and returned briefly before leaving again for grad school. I still have family there and get back a few times a year. I love my home town and my Stillers.

Have you converted? Are you now a Terrible Towel waving member of Stiller Nation?

Full disclosure: I enjoy my Stillers beating up on the Bengals almost as much as I enjoy my Musketeers beating up on UC.

I grew up in Portsmouth, OH. My Dad was a big Browns fan - - this is prior to Paul Brown heading down I-71 to create the Bengals. So, at first, it was about Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Howard Cossel, Jim Brown, et al. When the Bengals came around, we followed both the Browns and the Bengals.

So, when I first moved to Pittsburgh, I was quiet about it all, though the passion for the Steelers amazed me and was impressive. As I went along, I got to witness how impressive the Rooney family was - is - and came to respect the Steelers. My first wife's family were huge Steelers fans. My former father-in-law was a member at Oakmont, so I had to basically put up with it if I wanted to get a round of golf in out there. Having noted that, I can honestly tell you that I actively cheer for the Bengals, Steelers and Browns. When they play each other it's been easy: the Browns are finally waking up after three centuries of ineptitude, the Bengals will find a way to be inept when they're good, and the Steelers know how to win. Finally, now that I live in Jacksonville and am married to my Texas-centric wife who loves the Cowboys, I can't EVER look like I'm cheering for the Steelers. Some real hatred there.

Pittsburgh has become an even more fascinating city. It's rebirth, coming out of the days of the destruction of the steel mills has been extraordinary.

I hate to say it, but Pittsburgh's skyline is more impressive than Cincinnati's skyline - and I am a Cincinnati homer all the way. The three rivers make the 'burgh interesting. The view from Mt. Washington is striking.

I try to describe coming out of the Fort Pitt Tunnels to people and they just can't get it until they do it themselves. What a view and ride!

USC school district is top shelf. My son went on to Alfred in New York and the Rhode Island School of Design and now is an educational lobbyist and strategist living outside of Boston. And my daughter went on to William and Mary, then Pitt Med School and now is an orthopedic surgeon, finishing up a six year residency program at PENN in Philly. Those property taxes were brutal, but worth it.

[IM4X]

I grew up in Portsmouth, OH. My Dad was a big Browns fan - - this is prior to Paul Brown heading down I-71 to create the Bengals. So, at first, it was about Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Howard Cossel, Jim Brown, et al. When the Bengals came around, we followed both the Browns and the Bengals.

So, when I first moved to Pittsburgh, I was quiet about it all, though the passion for the Steelers amazed me and was impressive. As I went along, I got to witness how impressive the Rooney family was - is - and came to respect the Steelers. My first wife's family were huge Steelers fans. My former father-in-law was a member at Oakmont, so I had to basically put up with it if I wanted to get a round of golf in out there. Having noted that, I can honestly tell you that I actively cheer for the Bengals, Steelers and Browns. When they play each other it's been easy: the Browns are finally waking up after three centuries of ineptitude, the Bengals will find a way to be inept when they're good, and the Steelers know how to win. Finally, now that I live in Jacksonville and am married to my Texas-centric wife who loves the Cowboys, I can't EVER look like I'm cheering for the Steelers. Some real hatred there.

Pittsburgh has become an even more fascinating city. It's rebirth, coming out of the days of the destruction of the steel mills has been extraordinary.

I hate to say it, but Pittsburgh's skyline is more impressive than Cincinnati's skyline - and I am a Cincinnati homer all the way. The three rivers make the 'burgh interesting. The view from Mt. Washington is striking.

I try to describe coming out of the Fort Pitt Tunnels to people and they just can't get it until they do it themselves. What a view and ride!

USC school district is top shelf. My son went on to Alfred in New York and the Rhode Island School of Design and now is an educational lobbyist and strategist living outside of Boston. And my daughter went on to William and Mary, then Pitt Med School and now is an orthopedic surgeon, finishing up a six year residency program at PENN in Philly. Those property taxes were brutal, but worth it.

Thanks for sharing.

It must have been pretty special to be a Browns fan during the Jim Brown era, watching him do his thing. I had the fortune of being a kid in Pittsburgh when they were dubbed “City of Champions.” I experienced a glorious decade that included the Steelers winning 4 Super Bowl and the Pirates winning a World Series. During that time, my father also had season tickets for Pitt football. Pitt was pretty darn good back then. They won a National Championship with Tony Dorsett and came close to doing it again several more times with players like Dan Marino and Hugh Green.

I completely get how your wife, a cowboys fan, might not be crazy about you cheering for the Steelers. You can always reminder her that her team got the best of the Steelers the last time the they met in a Super Bowl (thanks in part to Neil O'Donnell).

USC does have an amazing reputation. I am not at all surprised that your kids have gone on to do so well. No question you had a major influence on them too. You must be proud. My sister went to Law School at Pitt and her kids all go to or have graduated from Quaker Valley, another tremendous school in Pittsburgh.

The Rooney’s have done so much to bring pride and passion to the people of Western Pennsylvania and to Steeler Nation everywhere. As you seem well aware, they have always run that organization with class. Art ll May not have quite the charisma or gravitas as his father (Dan) or his grandfather (Art Sr.), but then it would be next to impossible for him to be able to measure up to those larger than life figures in the eyes of Steeler fans. Art Sr. And Dan were true pioneers and so instrumental in shaping the NFL.

The rivers that frame the city, the mountain that overlooks it, the bridges that connect to it, and the tunnels that lead to it really do add to the charm of the city. The views from Mount Washington and from Fort Pitt Bridge (as you exit the tunnel), really do need to be experienced in person to truly be appreciated. You’ve nailed it.

I really loved my 4 years in Cincinnati, while attending Xavier. In many ways it did feel a bit like Pittsburgh. Similar size. Similar friendly people. The Clifton area even reminded me a bit of Oakland. Clifton has UC and a section with night clubs and places to eat similar to that stretch of Forbes Ave where the University of Pittsburgh is located. I do miss Cincinnati and the Xavier campus (and going to Xavier games there). The last X game I went to in Cincinnati was the “Zip ‘em up” game against UC. I was fortunate to have a buddy give me give me one of his tickets a few row behind the UC bench. So close to all of action on the floor, including the fight.

Now I am going to sound like a homer when I agree with you that the views of Pittsburgh may be a tad more pleasing to the eyes than those of Cincinnati. I must then also admit that sounds of Pittsburgh are likely not as pleasing to the ears of most people, n’at.

[xnatic03]

Get aht! You lived in Upper St. Clair. Nut-uh. That’s a rill nice part of tahn up air. Buaful hauses and a rillwe good school district. But yinz probably knew that when yinz moved there, huh. I’m glad you appreciated the charm of Pixburgh. Some people make fun of the way people from the burgh talk n’at, but they’s just mostly being jag offs.

In all seriousness, I was born there and raised there. I left for college and returned briefly before leaving again for grad school. I still have family there and get back a few times a year. I love my home town and my Stillers.

Have you converted? Are you now a Terrible Towel waving member of Stiller Nation?

Full disclosure: I enjoy my Stillers beating up on the Bengals almost as much as I enjoy my Musketeers beating up on UC.

My wife grew up in Mt. Lebanon until she was 9 (with some time mixed in out near the airport before it was really built up). Most of her extended family is still in the Sahth Hills but like to go Dahntahn occasionally. I'm familiar with Pittsburgh-ese, as it is very distinctive. My wife's uncle used to be pretty high up at Mellon. He was there for a long time and even a little while past the merger.

[xudash]

My wife grew up in Mt. Lebanon until she was 9 (with some time mixed in out near the airport before it was really built up). Most of her extended family is still in the Sahth Hills but like to go Dahntahn occasionally. I'm familiar with Pittsburgh-ese, as it is very distinctive. My wife's uncle used to be pretty high up at Mellon. He was there for a long time and even a little while past the merger.

IM4X and you are cracking me up with the PIttsburgh-ese lingo.

[JTG]

Pittsburgh was part of my territory for 5 years. People were nice, but it's one of the worst cities in America to drive in. I've had easier driving in LA and Chicago.

[xnatic03]

Pittsburgh was part of my territory for 5 years. People were nice, but it's one of the worst cities in America to drive in. I've had easier driving in LA and Chicago.

Driving Pittsburgh sucks. It takes 30 minutes to get somewhere 5 miles away. The roads are steep, narrow, and full of potholes.