It is an open secret that many residents are coming to despise the ownership of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A common fantasy is that Major League Baseball will eventually step forward and force McClatchy to sell the team, a la Marge Schott. Until that time, we shake our collective heads in despair and watch fewer games.
Both J and I grew up as Pirates fans. J is actively rooting against the team this year. I have decided that it is just not worth it to attend any more games. I suspect we will go to Altoona Curve games this year instead. A pity, because PNC Park is a fantastic ball park. Nothing quite compares to Outfield Reserved on a sunny afternoon, as long as one has sunblock, a pair of sunglasses and a ball cap.
I was delighted to read Michael Keaton's remarks this afternoon in the Post Gazette. Before throwing out the first pitch, Keaton criticized McClatchy for his cavalier attitude towards Pirates fans.
In contrast to Keaton's remarks about McClatchy's penchant for screwing over the fans, is a second article about the opening of the Montecristo Club at PNC Park. For $4,500 (the cost of a season ticket – 81 games), a fan can access premium cigars, fine wines, top shelf liquors and a buffet of gourmet food. Single game access can be purchased for a mere $70.00 a person. But access is not guaranteed and some nights are already sold out. Naturally Kevin McClatchy attended the opening reception.
I am the last person to argue that a team must have a large payroll in order to be successful. The Penguins have one of the lowest payrolls in the NHL. Despite being dead last in the league, they averaged a 90% capacity this year at Mellon Arena and had one of the highest away team attendance rates. J and I come up with the money every year to buy into a share of season tickets and feel the cost is well worth it. Why? Because the ownership was upfront about the reasons why they gutted the payroll and the ability of their young players. Young and still developing essential skills, it is well worth the cost when they come onto the ice with that competitive spark, even if they lose at the end of the night.
McClatchy has robbed fans of the joy of competition. He has repeatedly traded away the few players who showed any passion, hung onto big contracts for players who never performed to expectations and robbed his current players of rightful profits, all in pursuit of an extra buck.
So bravo to Michael Keaton, for saying what so many, including myself, have been thinking.
Having grown up in Cincinnati during the Marge Schott years, I can attest that despite her penchant to say the stupidest things, she at least loved her players and the fans. Doesn't sound like that is happening in Pittsburgh.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon.
JD,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I'm working on it.
No, it is not happening in Pittsburgh. It is especially painful when contrasted with what the Rooney's (Steelers) or Mario Lemiuex (Penguins) have done to maintain the goodwill of the community.
It takes a lot to turn a Pittsburgh native against his home team.
Well my suggestion if you ever get tired of the endless stream of newspaper articles, talks shows, and television broadcasts about the woes of small market sports teams, inept owners, etc. is to move. Once I got out of Cincinnati, I found I didn't care about the Reds or Bengals as much as I once did since they weren't in my face all the time. Now I am a fair weather fan and only tune in when they are winning.
ReplyDeleteWe settled for a third option - listen to local media rarely. Easy decision when you live in a city where Bill Cowher's decision to buy a house is the lead story on every local newscast.
ReplyDeleteI read the papers every morning to keep up to date with current local news without having to slog through dreck, and to check the hockey scores.