Mayor Corey O'Connor

Whoever said, you can please. I guess, you know, you touched on a little bit, but just what does it mean to have an exhibit here at the Hall of Honor celebrating what was such a money-menace event for the City of Pittsburgh? I mean, I think it's iconic. When you look around the hall, you see obviously the history of the Steelers and, you know, amazing moments that we all grew up either watching or got to see in person, but now you get to talk about not just football, but about what this did for the community. And I think that's something that we wanted to. touch upon. Again, the millions and millions of people that watched, as well as the hundreds of thousands that showed up, it was really an iconic day for Pittsburgh. And it also puts us on the national and international map to say, Pittsburgh can do these things. And I think that was why this is such a special event for all of us. So this is probably similar, but the impact, what do you think the long-term impact is of those three days? Yeah, I mean, I think the long-term impact. I mean, I think I said it to most people. If you've never been to Pittsburgh, we're going to surprise you. And I think, you know, talking just about neighborhoods that didn't see that bump from the draft, especially the strip, well, guess what? All of the visitors that came here are going to come back. And I think that's why that's a long-term game, because when you're coming here specifically for a game, specifically for the draft, you're coming straight here, but now you're going to come back and visit Pittsburgh. And I think that was the biggest win for us. And the amount of revenue that was put in, the amount of support from everybody, that's a long-term win. And when you could be in front of millions and millions of people and have 800,000 show up, that's priceless. And I think we got to tell our story. And I think that was the biggest thing to get those 800,000 people here, to see Pittsburgh and experience it. But then also, if you haven't really seen Pittsburgh on TV except at night for a Monday night game, you really got to see the beauty throughout the day. And I think that was a big win for all of us. More specifically, what have you done to kind of seize that momentum? I mean, I know I spoke with the national football that you say now. us in Pittsburgh's hands. So what do you do to do that? Yeah, great question. So, I mean, obviously looking at other events that could be hosted here, but then from there, it's also the people that were here, the connections that were made that week, when it comes to small businesses, when it comes to large corporations, when it comes to businesses that are looking now at Pittsburgh, because they didn't know that we had all of these AI, robotics, life sciences right in our backyard, you know, now we're competing on that worldwide stage because they came to Pittsburgh for the draft. And now it's on us to make those follow-ups, which is why every week I call 10 companies, whether they're local, national, or international, just to talk about Pittsburgh. And a lot of the times, especially right after, they said, Pittsburgh look beautiful on TV. And I think if you can get in a conversation and you get to Pittsburgh, we're going to win. Because we have everything that you want in our city, and it's now about us just continuing to build that momentum. So you're having conversations at this point, but nothing. Well, there's, you know, there's startups. There's companies that could spin off and stay here or come here. But I think that's the big win. And if you weren't here, you know, we had calls not only to companies. I mean, we're calling conventions that were on their short list. And it's like, okay, well, why not? You saw what we can do. Now, you know, we have a new hotel that's going to be built in downtown, first time in 17 years since the Fairmont. So the more we can build off of that momentum, the better off we all are. Or is it hit you that a kid from Greenfield was going to walk the sideline? It's a great story. I mean, I think that's something that, you know, we're all excited about. And it's ironic that they're playing Green Bay tonight. But because we even, I mean, we all remember the Super Bowl where we lost, but then the feeling was, well, at least we lost to a guy from Greenfield. So, you know, not that we ever like to lose, but I think it's a great Pittsburgh story. And I think, you know, when you talk to him, he is Pittsburgh through.

and through. And I think, you know, he gets, when he walks in the strip district, he's the Steeler fan. And I think when you have that fan coaching the team, you have a lot more pride and passion. I think he's going to do a very good job. You have one quick one. Just, you know, if you mentioned those hotels, I think that's a big part of bringing more sports things here, bringing more sports events here. How much does that play into kind of a long-term future vision of what you guys want to do with these big style sports events? Yeah, I mean, it's big not just for, you know, obviously the Steelers in the NFL who, you know, look for hotels to have, you know, their executives stay in when we're hosting a playoff game and various things like that, but then other teams. And when they're coming, you know, looking at other All-Star games that we've hosted in the past, can we now get you? here. We're looking at flag football leagues that the NFL runs to try to pursue those for a couple year plans. And by having more amenities to do that, we can host those things. And let's not forget, the convention center hosts a number of basketball tournaments all summer that bring thousands of families to Pittsburgh. And then now, based on the draft, you know, we also got a brand new football stadium at Hayswood Green, which could hopefully host some NFL activity in the future as well. I'm Anna Garcia, host of True Crime News, the podcast. Every week, we bring you in-depth coverage on cases making headlines, as well as those that go under the radar. Tune in for murders that defy explanation, mystery seeking exploration, and shocking secrets that will leave you breathless. Each week, we honor the victims by going beyond the salacious in our search for justice. Crime never stops, and neither do we. Listen to True Crime News available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.