One Pittsburgh sports star isn’t thrilled about John Henry buying the Penguins
On Thursday, Steelers lineman Cam Heyward told reporters he’s uneasy with Henry inserting himself into the Pittsburgh sports scene.
“I was kind of shocked,” Heyward said, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “I was like, man, I want a Pittsburgh-based or someone outside of Boston. I know we don't play Boston too often, but there's some bad blood there.”
Heyward is right about that: there is bad blood between Boston and Pittsburgh. The Bruins and Penguins are rivals, and the animosity between the two organizations goes back decades. Former Bruins president Harry Sinden once protested the Penguins’ color change to black and gold.
Of course, the Patriots and history have quite the history, too. They’ve faced off in three AFC Championships over the last 20 years, with the Patriots winning all of them.
Earlier this week, Fenway Sports Group, the Red Sox’ parent company, confirmed it was close to buying the Penguins. Sportico values the franchise at $845 million.
In addition to the Red Sox, FSG owns Liverpool F.C. and Roush Fenway Racing. LeBron James is also a partner.
It promises to be awkward around here if the Penguins outbid the Bruins for a prized free agent under Henry’s watch. But as Heyward points, the discomfort is mutual.
It’s apparent Henry views his sports teams as assets in his portfolio. While we know sports are a multibillion-dollar business with few allegiances, he's given up all pretense.