Mellon Arena - Home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, originally uploaded by lbraverm.

Leave to a bunch of Democrats (Gov. Ed Rendell, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl) to screw up negotiations for a new arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Mario Lemieux and the team threatening to pack up and move to Kansas City, Las Vegas or Houston, time is quickly running out to get a deal done.

While I’m no proponent of taxpayer-funded stadiums, I’m also a huge believer in the good things a sports franchise offers a city. (I’ve seen it firsthand with the Nationals in Washington.) Losing the Penguins would be devastating to this fan, especially since Sid the Kid and teammates are finally looking like a playoff-caliber team once again.