Attempting to control fallout, the Pirates yesterday preemptively provided their unsubstantiated side of the story (or, in P-G headline terms, 'opened their books') to selected local reporters, who then dutifully regurgitated the Club's version.Summary:
- On-field ineptitude is, as planned, quite profitable (even by accounting standards that likely rival Hollywood's for creativity) consequent to subsidies from taxpayers and from Clubs that profit while trying to win.
- When the Pirates' owners claimed, repeatedly and without qualification, that they had not grabbed money from the
Clubtaxpayers, they lied. - The Pirates also continue to deny they dumped their biggest salaries -- the difference between a profit and loss a season ago, by their reckoning -- for financial reasons. So long as the Pirates have fans older than 12, there might be adults who believe their claims.
- The Pirates, under the Nuttings' control, remain every bit as likely to win a pennant as the Nuttings' newspaper empire is to win a Pulitzer Prize.
- David Berri, president of the North American Association of Sports Economists, recognizes from afar what no local journalist has been willing (or perhaps permitted) to report: "The numbers indicate why people are suspecting they're taking money from baseball and keeping it - they don't spend it on the players. Teams have a choice. They can seek to maximize winning, what the Yankees do, or you can be the Pirates and make as much money as you can in your market. The Pirates aren't trying to win."
- And Pittsburgh's newspapers continue to pursue the Pirates' financial story with the same zeal they devote to identifying 1) who was responsible for that ridiculous hole under the Allegheny, 2) whose idea the drink tax was, and 3) who is lobbying whom with respect to the Great InsolvenCity Parking Garage Sale. Maybe the AP can look into those issues for us, too?
7 comments:
The role of Max Bialystock will be performed by Robert Nutting, while the character Leopold Bloom will be played by Frank Coonelly.
Please remember to turn off all cell phones, pagers, watch alarms, and clicking oxygen tanks during the performance. Thank you.
Well said. Even if none is willing to gather the news, can not a single Pittsburgh newsgathering organization -- with the information handed to it by a source such as the AP -- find a financially literate source willing to assess and explain this information?
The Pirates rely on local reporters (and editors, and readers) being gullible and lame, and so far it is difficult to fault their approach.
Should we expect to learn that a source provided this information to the AP after a local publication wouldn't accept it?
As usual nothing but complaints about everything. The Trib is too conservative. The Post Gazette is too lazy plus they dont hate Onorato. Either start your own paper - as bad as you think the ones we have are it oughta be easy to beat them - or shut the hell up. Don't like the Pirates? Don't watch. Don't like ownership? Buy the team or stay out of it. Either way quit constant complaining.
Looks like we have a pro-Nutter on board.
Bet he/she has season tickets too. Or works in the front office.
Considering that the PG once owned a $2million stake in the Pirates (because of the late John Craig Jr.'s "boosterism") and lent its name to Star Lake Amphitheater, I doubt editorial management will explore further lest they lose "access."
Considering that the local media outlets do not do the investigative reporting they once did then I think that the blogosphere "complaining" is worthwhile, if not justified.
And besides, Anon 3:08, why do you keep bother reading? Methinks the lady dost protest too much.
Hey Infy
A lurker here.
I agree with your anonymous critic at 308-you shouldn't be criticizing the Post Gazette from outside.
That's because you should be writing for the PG or at least handing out some assignments.
No disrespect intended to anyone in any way but your blog is as good as anything they print including their blogs. In fact some people think Infinonymous is some PG writer or writers trying to get out things the paper won't publish for whatever reason. I don't necessarily think so but it has been said. The headlines sure seem like the work of pro's-They always fit and they're full of... wit!
On behalf of the lurkers-Keep on chuggin' Infy!
oh for Gods sake, this blog is a whining pimple on Pittsburgh's ass. every time I see that Insolvensy City crap I really wish someone would shut thhis guy up.
The Washington Post had to find a sports economist to report that the Pirates aren't trying to win? I hope they keep paying attention to Pittsburgh. Coming February 2011, the Post will assemble a team of expert meteorologists to answer the question, "When I take a leak in the alley behind Carson Street, why does my penis get so cold?"
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