When it comes to supporting candidates financially, Pittsburgh’s sports franchises are far from the biggest players in the political arena.
Late Steelers owner Dan Rooney was a noted supporter of Barack Obama, and later served as Mr. Obama’s ambassador to Ireland. But data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics shows that with the exception of coach Mike Tomlin, the team’s core ownership largely sat out the 2016 election season.
According to Federal Elections Commission data, Mr. Tomlin gave Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign $2,700 last year, plus $25,000 to the Democratic National Committee and another $25,000 to a joint Clinton/DNC fundraising committee.