04/23/24
August 14, 2007
The Smoking Gun Reveals Steelers Secrets!: "Touring rock stars and politicians alike could learn a few things from the Pittsburgh Steelers. When the football team hits the road, hotel personnel are presented with a 17-page document outlining the NFL squad's demands, from chapel services to chicken wings."
I heard Joey Porter was traded away because he pummeled the concierge who told him a sad night-night story and made his Teddy bear Mr. Snugglybumps cry.
posted by tahoemoj at 06:53 PM on August 14, 2007
I've read a bunch of these documents on The Smoking Gun website, and there really is very little that could be considered unusual in this contract. It's interesting that the team doesn't specify pulp or no pulp orange juice. They do mention heavy water requirements. I'm thinking they prefer the Three Mile Island blend. All in all, pretty straightforward.
posted by tommybiden at 07:31 PM on August 14, 2007
I don't think brown M&Ms in a hotel is wise...
posted by bobfoot at 08:25 PM on August 14, 2007
I thought that was a lot more interesting than the average Smoking Gun rider. Not weird or wacky, but intersting. But then I love the arcana of organization.
posted by Smackfu at 11:01 PM on August 14, 2007
I do like the "to go" menu for the equipment personnel. 3 boxes of bacon 3 Filet Mignons 3 carton of hash browns Assorted pastries No juice, no condiments, no fruit, just bacon, steak, hash browns and pastries. Also, it appears that the head coach gets his in-room porn taken care, the assistants have to pony up. It's good to be at the top!
posted by dviking at 11:45 PM on August 14, 2007
That's pretty cool. I've seen this kind of thing with entertainers, but this is the first I've seen for an entire professional team. It's good to be an athlete.
posted by justgary at 12:19 AM on August 15, 2007
what's the difference anyway? pro athletes DO live the rock star life, thanks to their salaries/ I was wondering when someone would come up with an idea like this though. Ridiculous and cool at the same time. I bet the 17 pages is down from 23 pages when the Bus was on the team. (joke)
posted by NerfballPro at 04:02 AM on August 15, 2007
Sort of interesting that a Catholic mass is arranged on a weekly basis...I know that there are a number of franchises that pride themselves on a Christian outlook, but I've never heard of a particular denomination being specifically involved. (I'm sure this has to do with the fact that the Rooneys are Catholics.) I wonder what the attendance is like at the typical Steelers hotel mass?
posted by Venicemenace at 07:14 AM on August 15, 2007
I imagine that trade shows and conventions have similar lists (minus the curfew part). Any time you call a hotel and ask for three floors, three conference rooms and catering for about a hundred or so people, you are going to have to set something like this up. Still way cool to read though. PS They did specify fresh squeezed orange juice which I have never seen with out pulp.
posted by oxocerite at 10:49 AM on August 15, 2007
Fun to read. Thanks!
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:06 PM on August 15, 2007
Seating for 100 for the offense, and seating for 50 for the defense? They know they can only put 11 on either side at one time, right?
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 12:44 PM on August 15, 2007
I particularly like the request for 3 or 4 burners and not one but two omlette chefs. I would venture to say that most professional sports teams would have similar riders. I would like to see the riders for glamerous teams like the Yankee's or Lakers, I am curious how different they are or if this is really just an industry standard.
posted by Steel_Town at 12:45 PM on August 15, 2007
I believe the Liverpool soccer team has a similar set of requests that includes making sure that golf clubs are kept out of the hotel karaoke bar.
posted by holden at 01:50 PM on August 15, 2007
"So there, I am, in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, at about 3 o'clock in the morning, looking for one thousand brown M&Ms to fill a brandy glass, or Ozzy wouldn't go on stage that night. So, Jeff Beck pops his head 'round the door, and mentions there's a little sweets shop on the edge of town. So - we go. And - it's closed. So there's me, and Keith Moon, and David Crosby, breaking into that little sweets shop, eh. Well, instead of a guard dog, they've got this bloody great big Bengal tiger. I managed to take out the tiger with a can of mace, but the shopkeeper and his son... that's a different story altogether. I had to beat them to death with their own shoes. Nasty business, really, but sure enough I got the M&Ms, and Ozzy went on stage and did a great show."
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:50 AM on August 17, 2007
Wayne's World, right Weedy? Love it.
posted by brainofdtrain at 08:33 AM on August 20, 2007
Naturally Heinz Ketchup is required on all banquet tables.