Editorial: The Steelers and Saint Vincent belong together

The coronavirus pandemic isn’t done with the economic gut punches yet.

As more and more people have been vaccinated, the covid-19 precautions have been slowly rolled back. On Monday, Pennsylvania’s mask mandate was lifted. That means the state isn’t requiring the unvaccinated to wear masks in public places anymore.

Individual businesses, however, can and many still are demanding that precaution for their patrons. It is left up to the ownership to make decisions about their own properties.

This mostly comes up with stores or attractions. An amusement park or a theater might ask that those who haven’t gotten their covid shot still mask up — especially in a location that could have a lot of people.

And is there anything that attracts more people in Southwestern Pennsylvania than the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Not in the Latrobe area. Not this year.

For the second year in a row, the pandemic is stealing one of the area’s biggest draws — when Saint Vincent College welcomes the Black and Gold to the campus for summer training camp. Instead, NFL protocols will keep the team in Pittsburgh, doing their training at Heinz Field and the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

This is a decision higher than the Steelers, and they aren’t the only ones falling victim to it. The Buffalo Bills have likewise abandoned St. John Fisher College for their own practice facility. The Green Bay Packers have done the same with St. Norbert College.

Many other NFL teams — including the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles — already use in-house training facilities for their camps.

Maybe it seems like it doesn’t matter where athletes train. It definitely does to the community. The “Friday Night Lights” practice raises vital funds for local programs. In 2019, Greater Latrobe School District netted $21,510. In 2018, it was $34,000.

And that’s without even considering the businesses in the Latrobe area that have come to depend on that influx of Steelers-starved fans that flood the area during camp every year. Hotels, restaurants and more feed off the excitement of the team’s training.

Here’s hoping that the Steelers don’t become too comfortable in the cushy confines of their home training sites. There is much to be said for making the journey to Latrobe every year. Tradition is one thing. The retreat-like focus of a different location is another.

The money the team helps put into the area’s pockets is important, no doubt. But just as valuable is the community connection, on multiple levels — the intangibles that can’t be found on a balance sheet.