These damn Yinzers.

A story at The New York Post says the Pittsburgh Penguins received a $4.8 million COVID-19 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, authorized by the CARES Act. The money was earmarked for small businesses, but the Penguins ended up being the only franchise among the “four major North American sports” to receive funds in this manner.

From Larry Brooks:

The Post contacted the Penguins, who have a $650 million valuation according to Forbes, and who are owned by the Lemieux Group LP, with Mario Lemieux co-owner/chairman and Ron Burkle co-owner, concerning their application of the loan.

The organization responded immediately.

“With our arena being ordered closed since March and without any event revenue, we requested that our landlord, the Sports & Exhibition Authority (SEA), consider a temporary deferral of our annual rent payment due in September. This request was denied,” the Penguins replied.

“Accordingly, we borrowed $4.8M under the CARES Act program in mid-August and applied the funds to our $6.1M September rent payment to the SEA, which was used by the public agency to make its required bond payment.

“The SEA indicated it is facing similar financial difficulties due to the closure of the SEA-owned Convention Center, and we are pleased these funds were used to support an important public agency during these challenging times.”

My understanding is they have to pay it back because the money was spent on a rent payment and not payroll, but that’s not the point.

The point is that the money was supposed to be for “small businesses,” not huge sports franchises.

Mind you, this is the same Ron Burkle who bought Michael Jackson’s “Neverland” Ranch for $22 million. Surely he could have just used that money to keep his franchise afloat during THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES. He could have curbed his billionaire whims for two seconds and put the ranch-buying on the back burner.

But no, let’s borrow taxpayer money to make a rent payment while furloughing Penguin employees at the same time. Great stuff in the optics department.

Yet another reason to dislike the Pittsburgh Penguins. There is only one hockey team worth supporting in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and it ain’t the Yinzers.