I'm not too sure if he's even known outside the Philadelphia area, but around here, Pat Croce is huge. His wiki page isn't very descriptive, but all you really need to know is that he's a larger-than-life, pull-yourself-up, let's-go-bungee-off-a-bridge, self-help guru. The guy started out as a trainer for some local pro teams, did some radio work, became president of the Sixers for a while (resigning after an unsuccessful and highly publicized coup attempt for his boss's job), started a chain of pirate-themed putt-putt courses, had a Dr. Phil/Trading Spaces-like TV show called Pat Croce: Moving In for about a year, and has written books with titles like I Feel Great and You Will Too!, 110%, Pat Croce's Victory Journal, and Lead or Get Off the Pot.
All that in-your-face exposure and most of Philadelphia still can't get enough of the guy. He can do no wrong.
But now, now, this self-help guru has decided to team up with icky Donald Trump in an attempt to get a slots parlor built in Philly.
I've never been a big fan of gambling and I'm extremely skeptical of the economic benefits Pennsylvania is promising these slots will bring in, but there's no stopping these parlors from being built. I'm resigned to seeing these pathetic little things popping up all over the place, but I'm really bummed that Croce somehow thinks this is a good idea for the people of Philadelphia.
I haven't seen anyone questioning Pat on the apparent hypocrisy of a self-help motivational speaker going into the blow-your-pension business. I'd love to hear his side of the story.
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