Pittsburgh vs. Philly

Great. Lynn Swann is now a sure bet to win the GOP nomination for Pennsylvania Governor, and the Philly papers want to make it a choice of choosing whether your loyalty lies with Philly or Pittsburgh...

The 2006 governor's race has quickly come down to this: A sports-infused smackdown pitting East vs. West, Pat's cheesesteaks vs. Primanti Bros. sandwiches, Eagles vs. Steelers.

Gov. Rendell vs. ex-Steeler Lynn Swann.

The abrupt departure yesterday of former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton from the Republican field, and the impending endorsement of Swann by the state GOP committee this weekend, clear the way for a two-man celebrity-driven race.

Pennsylvania has "an unusually fascinating contest of two media stars, one from the east, one from the west, setting up what looks like the battle of the titans," said G. Terry Madonna, professor and pollster at Franklin and Marshall College.

The stage was set shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday when Scranton announced he was withdrawing from the race after repeatedly saying he would run in the primary. Scranton said he did not think he could overcome Swann's solid GOP backing.

The most recent polls showed a potential matchup between Rendell and Swann as a virtual tie. The same polls had shown Scranton trailing Rendell by almost 10 points.
Still, Rendell eclipses Swann in fund-raising, heading into the election year with $12 million in the bank compared with Swann's $1 million.

But this year's race is unique in being the first time a national celebrity like Swann, a Hall of Famer, is entering Pennsylvania politics. Swann, who would be the first African American nominated for governor by a major party in the state, wants to make history by unseating an incumbent.

Rendell is considered a seasoned campaigner and voracious fund-raiser who has spent most of his adult career in elected office, but who also moonlights as a sports commentator for the Eagles postgame show on Comcast.

I'd rather spend 100 years in Philly than one weekend in Pittsburgh, but that's native loyalty. Primanti Bros.' sandwiches are an affront to good taste, while each Pat's Cheesesteak is a work of art and beauty. And while I have nothing but respect for the Super Bowl champion Steelers, my heart bleeds green-and-white.

However, this is one time, possibly the only one, when I will happily back a Steeler fan over an Eagles supporter. Perhaps the only one, but it's the exception that proves the rule, as it were. With that being said, I'm glad I'm not living in Pennsylvania right now.

One more thing -- if Swann wants to do humanity a favor, his first act as Governor will be tearing down Primanti Bros. Coleslaw and fries do not belong within the sandwich, heathens.