I want this guy as my mayor.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is temporarily, and legally, changing his name to Luke Steelerstahl. The Mayor said that the idea was not his own, but rather came from callers to a radio show who suggested it. “As soon as I hear it, I thought it was a great idea,” Mayor Ravenstahl (Steelerstahl) is quoted as saying.
The Mayor began a Verified Petition for a Name Change this morning, but did not yet complete it. He must still provide a check in the amount of $108 and undergo a police background check and other steps.
“On behalf of the Steelers Nation, I’ve decided to remove the word ‘Ravens’ from my name just like the Steelers will remove them from the AFC Championship,” he said, referring to Sunday’s playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.
To someone who is not a sports fan, or who only casually follows a sports, this may seem kind of cheesy and even ridiculous. And you know what, it kind of is. But I don’t care. If I lived in Pittsburgh and was a Steelers fan, this guy would pretty much have to murder someone for me to not vote for him.
If nothing else, this is definitely a savvy move politically for the Mayor. He knows how passionate the city of Pittsburgh is for its Steelers. This is the type of story that will gain way more traction city-wide than any policy proposal or legislative issue.
I guess we’ll see if he follows through with the rest of processes necessary to formally complete the change. If he lets it just hang there, I think it is safe to say this was more politically motivated than anything else and could backfire on him long-term. If he completes it though, and shows that he’s serious, he can pretty much already reserve his spot in the Pittsburgh Politics Hall of Honor (if there was such a thing). This is the kind of move that will be talked about 30, 40 years down the road, especially if the Steelers win.
What I really want to see what he will do if the Steelers end up playing the Eagles in the Super Bowl. He could either go back to Ravenstahl or keep Steelerstahl through the big game. Or he could make Pittsburgh fans really happy and just change his name to Eaglessuck.
I think he should just stay Steelerstahl as long as he is mayor of Pittsburgh. Why not? Could anyone ever beat him in an election with a name like that?
I just suggest that he actually follow through with it and not stop halfway. Otherwise, he just looks like another turdly politician putting on a stunt for publicity. This is great if it’s genuine, and really lame if it is just a stunt. It’s a great story though, so please follow through Mayor Ravenstahl (Steelerstahl) and provide a great example to other mayors for how to use sports to facilitate civic pride.
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