No way the fix was in here.
The grand jury is certain to see it that way, once it fully investigates the circumstances surrounding the 2006 awarding of Pittsburgh's lone casino license.
The grand jury is examining whether the local license and one for a casino in the Poconos might have been steered toward the winning applicants.
I can't speak to whatever happened in Poconos. But the idea that the Pittsburgh license might have been improperly awarded to Detroit businessman Don Barden is entirely off-base.
OK, so not only didn't Barden have the money to actually build the Rivers Casino on the North Shore, his Majestic Star Casinos company filed for bankruptcy Monday.
And true, Barden's inability to pay contractors temporarily shut down casino construction and allowed Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm -- a generous campaign contributor to Gov. Ed Rendell -- to swoop in and take control of the project.
But if you'll recall, when the license was awarded in December 2006, Barden's qualifications and proposal clearly were superior to those of the two other finalists.
• Harrah's
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board would have been irresponsible in giving this no-name operation the license.
Harrah's only operated casinos in jerkwater towns such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New Orleans, St. Louis, Biloxi, Miss., and Windsor, Ontario. That track record hardly guaranteed them success in the ultra-cosmopolitan environment of Pittsburgh.
Additionally, Harrah's wanted to put the casino in the middle of a retail-restaurant-office complex. Who possibly could have thought a casino would thrive at Station Square?
• Isle of Capri
This company pledged to pick up the entire cost of a new arena for the Penguins if it won the license, a laughably inadequate offer that prompted much guffawing from state and local politicians.
The Islers never could sufficiently answer this pertinent question from the politicos: Why should we accept a free $321 million arena when we can use taxpayer money to partially finance one?
• Majestic Star
Barden's history of pumping as much of his own money into his casinos as it took to keep them afloat was commendable.
During his vetting by the gaming board, Barden admitted to personal gambling losses of $11 million over a five-year period. That kind of passion for his product had to have left a positive impression.
Also aiding Barden was an investment team that included retired Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who had just helped the team to an NFL championship. Who was going to deny the Bus in the Super Bowl afterglow?
But what probably clinched the deal was Barden's pledge to have another investor, Smokey Robinson, personally appear at the casino groundbreaking.
Let the grand jury probe to its collective heart's content, but facts are facts. All Harrah's could offer was a Station Square slots mecca, all the Isle of Capri could provide was a privately-financed arena.
No way those applicants could compete with one boasting a Steelers' great, a Motown legend and grossly insufficient capital.
