There is no "larger picture" that I'm missing here. The reality is that Bob Nutting owns the team and there is literally nothing fans can do about how he runs the team. There are no protests, articles, letters to politicians or whatever the hell else you can come up with that will change that. It's a fairy tale suggestion.
Not only that, but this idea that politicians should be worried about what a MLB owner is spending because "I want a winner" is so wildly self centered that I can't even begin to bring up the issues with that. Pro sports are a business, that's it. It's playing a game for entertainment and people spend money on that entertainment.
The reality is this:
1. A ton of fans who go to Pirates games are not hardcore fans and are just going there for the environment, to enjoy a nice baseball game on a Sunday afternoon or Friday/Saturday evening. Especially to see an ace like Skenes pitch.
2. A ton of away fans go to Pirates games because of how nice PNC Park is.
3. Nutting still nets a profit even outside of gate receipts due to things like revenue sharing, TV deals and merchandise sales.
People bring up Mark Cuban as if he'd somehow be a savior to Pirates baseball, but he has literally said that he'd run the team in the same exact way that Nutting does. The reality is that this is a baseball wide problem until they implement salary floors and salary caps, which is never going to happen. No amount of fans or media whining is going to change anything. This hypothetical of "let's say everyone strikes against the Pirates" is about as realistic as Livvy Dunne dumping Skenes to date me, it's not going to happen.
Fans can do whatever they want to try to get changes done. It is assuredly a waste of time and pointless, but I'm not one to tell fans how to spend their time. But these ideas of blaming fans for enjoying the Pirates and "enabling the status quo" or saying "either win or move" is nothing short of arrogance. It's an ultimate Karen move of "something upsets me so I'm going to make it everyone's problem".
You're missing literal points I'm making. You cannot comprehend just how sick and tired people are paying for shit product. So I'll just type, to type.
3. Nutting's profits would shrink massively without fans going to games or buying merch. That's tens of millions alone. Any profit would have to come from revenue sharing and TV, though the latter is small potatoes given the lack of market volume.
Furthermore, Nutting would have to drastically cut payroll to keep profits higher, and that guarantees losing 100+ games most years and that doesn't even bring into light the optics of having a graveyard day in and night out. Pressure would mount quickly for a resolution given the horrid history attached to Nutting already.
I acknowledge that this scenario has as close to 0% change of happening as you can get, but in the event it were to, you can bet things would change. That's the lager picture.
Pretending there is nothing anyone can do, is absurd. Advocating that people who are not content to endure the lip service after years of absolute shite, are somehow crazy, is comical to me, as is claiming you somehow get enjoyment in watching a team lose more games than they win, and routinely never make any changes. Year after year.
The Marlins cleaned house. The Reds just hired Francona. The Twins canned the GM who brought them 3 or 4 ALC titles over the last 8 years.
Meanwhile, apparently your enjoyment is knowing the last 5 years of shit = another year of employment for the men responsible for the last 5 years of shit.
I get enjoyment watching my son play the game as a 12 year old. I don't have to pay for that, other than the equipment needed.
I pay to watch the Pirates on TV. I pay to go to the games. I pay to rep their products. Taxpayers in the city/state paid for PNC park.
I expect a winning product from time to time, at the very least. Or the appearance of a franchise trying to get there. I can stomach losing if there is effort and accountability.
We have neither of those in the current regime. And wanting to endure that, just for the sake of having a team to root for, regardless of result, is asinine, to me.
We are a laughingstock. A disgrace.
I'm simply over it. Fix it or move it. They've got 6 years to make it happen.