Dan Rooney rewarded by Obama
Dan Rooney, the owner of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, has been named Ambassador to Ireland by President Obama. Blogs like Hugging Harold Reynolds and Nice Pick, Cowher have bitten into this nice piece of payola. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2156/2114107356_62e2d4ae71_s.jpgTake nothing away from Dan Rooney as a man or what he’s done for the city of Pittsburgh and the NFL, but let’s also call a spade a spade. Dan Rooney gave Senator Obama a cash advance for his campaign. President Obama is simply paying him back.
“No good deed, or in this case large donation, goes unrewarded,” says Hugging Harold Reynolds. And since it’s St. Patrick’s Day today, perhaps Mr. Rooney can do something about those confiscated shamrock seeds!
Obama’s statement
I am honored and grateful that such a dedicated and accomplished individual has agreed to serve as the representative of the United States to the Irish people. Dan Rooney is an unwavering supporter of Irish peace, culture, and education, and I have every confidence that he and Secretary Clinton will ensure America’s continued close and
unique partnership with Ireland in the years ahead.
It is interesting that Dan Rooney, a lifelong Republican, is in this position. Apparently he changed his stripes at some point, suggests Hugging. Nice Pick, Cowher suggests that Rooney “finally realized the folly of his ways” before implying that somebody had to clean up the mess that was the G.W. Bush administration. It is true that Pennsylvania is a swing state, and Rooney’s change in allegiance likely had something to do with Obama winning that state. Pittsburgh was big for Obama.
And he has more hair than Terry Bradshaw!
I can’t bash too hard, here. Dan Rooney has been involved in worthy causes over the years. According to Nice Pick, Cowher, he co-founded the American Ireland Fund in 1976. That organization provides money and support for peace-oriented programs in Ireland. He’s been a large part of the Steelers since 1960, and that team has brought football fans a great deal of joy since the team’s heyday in the 1970s, when the “Steel Curtain Defense” slammed down on opponents.
The Steelers won the Super Bowl last season (the second in young quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s career) and have remained a competitive force for years. I say that when money changes hands like this but the end result is for the greater good, I’m willing to look the other way. Congratulations, Dan Rooney.
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Payola does seem like the case. It would almost seem as obvious as the referees when the Steelers played the Seahawks. (The refs blew that game, everyone knows it.) I hardly think that ambassadorships should be given out on basis of campaign contributions, but he did start the American Ireland Fund, which at least gives him some credibility to the post.