Big Lead Sports Bar

1/30/2010

LEMIEUX INTERESTED IN OWNING THE PIRATES? YES, PLEASE.



For years, there's been a hope that Mark Cuban would buy/save the Pirates, for the reasons being that A. he was from Pittsburgh and B. he was rich.

As weak as the Pirate ownership has been, I was never on board with the Cuban dream. Call it merely a hunch, but I didn't feel that it was the right fit, although that's certainly open for debate. And I never had a firm grasp of how serious he really was about buying it.

But the news I read last night from Dejan Kovacevic in the PG is something that I can believe in. Believe in, back, support, whatever you can do to push it forward, you can bet that I'll be on board.

Both franchises appear to be telling a different side of what happened, but one thing is for sure: the Pirates' and Penguins' head honchos recently had a closed-door business meeting. The Penguins sources are saying Lemieux's Penguin partner, Ron Burkle, made an offer to buy the Pirates. The Pirates are saying it was about another matter, and continue to insist that the team is not for sale.

Bob Nutting is no dummy. His group has been feeding this cash cow on a diet of revenue sharing and broadcasting rights for a long time, and according to Forbes, it is worth about $288 million. For comparison's sake, Kevin McClatchy paid $95 million for the team back in 1996. So basically, in the last decade-plus of strictly losing baseball, the value of the franchise has nearly tripled. One can only imagine what it would be worth with a winner on the field, selling more tickets, more merchandise, and higher local broadcasting rights.

If anyone has proven to know what they're doing in the field of pro sports ownership, it's the Lemieux/Burkle group. What they've done with the Penguins did take a matter of some luck in the draft, but also needed the right touch to finish what the lottery Gods gave them. That's hiring Ray Shero, that's managing the payroll, that's having a fan relation staff second to none. They know Pittsburgh, they know Pittsburgh sports, and they know Pittsburgh sports fans. Having their people in charge of the Pirates could be a dream come true for the long-suffering Bucco fan.

Where this goes from here is up in the air. To have this news come out during PirateFest is probably the worst-case scenario for that organization, but face it, their existence has been worst-case scenario since Sid Bream crossed the plate in 1992. They're used to dealing with bad news.

But from a fan point of view, now that's where this gets interesting. If you thought there was pressure on Pirate ownership in the past, that's going to pale in comparison to what will happen next. Mario Lemieux has been The Best Thing To Happen To Pittsburgh at least three times by my count - he saved the Penguins on the ice, he saved the Penguins from bankruptcy, and he saved the Penguins from moving. And that's not to mention the Stanley Cups and millions of dollars raised for local charities. How there's not 10 statues of this man around town is a mystery in itself.

Bob Nutting? Let's take the high road and say he's not quite as distinguished with the locals. And that league-low $35 million payroll and likely 18th consecutive losing season isn't going to win him many more friends.

This is a story that began months ago, but is only being talked about now. I think it could be one of the biggest developments in Pittsburgh sports history if it actually comes to fruition. Turning around that franchise just might be the impossible. But if there's one guy who we can count on to do the impossible, it's Mario Lemieux.

Lemieux, Penguins co-owner offer to buy Pirates [PG]

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60 comments:

Koz said...

On it's face this seems like a great thing, but I have a sinking feeling about it.

I don't want the Pirates suckitude to infect the Penguins. But then again, if it all starts at the top, new ownership could make all the difference.

Desmond said...

Francisco Cabrera didn't cross the plate, Sid Bream did. And Nutting will never sell the Pirates as long as his newspaper business is in the tank. The only money he is making is from the Pirates.

The Mad Bubbler said...

Nutting got an $80 million check from MLB for revenue sharing in December, why would he give that up? I hope Mario and Burkle buy the Succos though, they can just keep milking idiot fans out of their money and maybe that will keep my Pens season tickets in the new arena on the cheaper side.

Adam said...

No no no. BOB Nutting's ownership of this club has been nothing but good so far. His dad sucked. His dad milked the fans. Bob has poured resources into the Dominican, the draft, and scouting that his father ignored, so let's give Bob a chance.

If there comes a time that spending money will help the team and he doesn't do it, then I'll be in line behind all ya'll calling for Lemieux, but to this point BOB Nutting has done nothing that I can complain about as a fan.

The Mad Bubbler said...

Adam you do realize that BOB Nutting has represented his family's interest in the Succos since 2003. That's SEVEN years of milking the fans. What will it take to make you realize he's just in it for the money: 20, 30 years? God, Pirate fans are just the most delusional people on earth.

Adam said...

No, we're just not the most miserable/paranoid.

jmarinara said...

God save these Pirates with the honorable Mr. Lemieux.

The Mad Bubbler said...

I'm a Penguin/Steeler/Pitt fan, I'm the least miserable out of any sports fan in the area right now.

Steve said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Steve said...

I think I speak for just about everyone here in saying: Please, please stop it already, Adam. We really can't take anymore nonsense from someone who's only a big fan of the current state of the Pirates and anything Penn State. That's a very evil combination.

Anyway, it's amazing about how this brillant businessman Nutting (he seams to get smarter by the second) manages to $hit away great opportunities to make money and is content with his little dog and pony show and the meager revenue (by most MLB standards) it creates for him. I honeslty think he would be fine if the only people that came to watch his team were his mom and Adam.

Whether it was true or not...and I say it was. All he had to do was deny comment about the talk of sale and that could have spun a lot of interest in his team from future season ticket sales and walk up sales, with the hopes that things would be changing soon, to more media coverage and national televised games. But no, he had to deny it even happened and firmly say his team is not for sale again. Well Bob, now you're even more hated by the local fan base and will probably sell even fewer tickets this season than you had originally projected.

What makes it more amazing is he is flat out lying on top of it. Every team is for sale, Bob, your team is and so is the Yankees. Every team can be bought with the right amount of money. Obviously you didn't get the right offer yet but saying it's not for sale is just stupid, and with a team as bad as yours, it only pisses everyone off (everyone except Adam)to even suggest it isn't.

Good going Bob, you stupid businessman. Maybe you and Adam can go open a hot dog stand together. I'm sure it will be just good enough to squeak by and you'll make a couple bucks in the process. That is, until you blame Adam for the lack of quality and buy out his shares.

The Mad Bubbler said...

Steve for president.

That is the argument from blind Pirate supporters that pisses me off the most: that Nutting has nothing to do with how bad the team is, that it was all Littlefield/McClatchy, they drove the team into the ground and now our savior Bob Nutting is cleaning up the mess. This guy had no problem with watching this team go from bad to worse because he was making a profit in the process. Then he decided to buy up everyone else's shares and now he makes all the money for himself. They got $20 some million for the all star game, they get $80 million every December in revenue sharing, and their payroll is $30 some million. Do the math, get your head out of your a$$, and quit supporting these crooks.

The Mad Bubbler said...

And also I do agree, supporting Joe Paterno (who's afraid to play Pitt) AND Bob Nutting (who's afraid to spend money) might be the worst combination I've ever heard of.

Adam said...

Gotta love personal attacks from folks who don't even know me ;)

Adam said...

And honestly, making a buc (pun completely intended) is well within Nutting's right. This is America. When you make enough money to own a major league baseball team, then you can tell someone else how to run it. I hold nothing against Nutting even if he IS in it purely for the money. He bought the team fair and square, he can run it how he sees fit.

And I'm not a "blind" follower. I hated Littlefield. I hated Bonifay before him. But as a fan of the game of baseball, I can see that the approach NH is taking is one that has worked around the majors, and until I see him fail, I'm going to support him, because it's a lot more fun than sitting in my mother's basement bitching at Don for running a Pirate story.

NH is going to fail A) Because Nutting doesn't come up with the money to put the team over the top or B) Because his talent evaluation sucks. Neither of those have proven to be true, yet, and until they do, I'm gonna drive the Pirate bandwagon, and not apologize for it.

And if Paterno was afraid to play Pitt, he wouldn't be advocating for them to join the Big Ten, even though Pitt is probably the 3rd or 4th most attractive option at this point.

BURGH08 said...

Is anyone REALLY surprised that Adam doesn't know what the hell he is talking about when it comes to the Pirates?

Let alone Penn State?

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Adam, just bc we haven't personally encountered you doesn't mean we're can't deduce that you are a grade-a D-bag.

We r beating a dead horse with the Nutting conversation and arguing with Adam. The organization is a major league joke and so is Adam

Adam said...

Hey, let's all agree on something.

Pitt currently has both a better football and basketball team than Michigan.

Mahahahahaha

BURGH08 said...

Agree w/ Burress.

Adam said...

The idea that Lemieux would be a better owner for the Pirates is a joke. The Pens are running a $55 million payroll which is where the Pirates are typically hanging around most years. What reason should I have to believe Burkley would spend any more money than Nutting does?

I mean hell, before the lockout, the Penguins couldn't shed payroll fast enough, and they were the same steaming pile the Bucs are now. The only reason people think Lemieux is a good owner is because of #87. If it wasn't for him #1 the Penguins would still suck, and #2 they'd be sucking in Kansas City.

jmarinara said...

Yes Adam,

The magical bouncing ping pong ball saved the franchise. It also drafted Marc-Andre Fluery, Jordan Stall, and Evgeni Malkin. It also managed payroll correctly and played the free agent market shrewdly. That magical ping pong ball is even building them a new arena, right now, all by itself.

Look, I'm not going to sit here and say that the luck in drafting quite possibly the best player ever didn't help them. Sure it did. Sid Crosby instantly makes any team worth watching. You could put him on the Robert Morris team and people would come watch.

The problem with what you said is that the magical ping pong ball doesn't automatically discount all the other good stuff that happened too.

Also, let's suppose for a minute that the Pirates hit the lottery of luck and are in a position to draft the super man first baseman kid who can hit the ball to the moon and is an absolute freak of a baseball player. (Sorry I forgot his name)

Two questions for you A-Bomb:

1) Do you really think that the Nuttings are going to make the good baseball decision and draft the kid knowing that they're going to have to shatter the record signing bonus the Nats gave Strausberg?

2) Do you think Lemieux would?

Adam said...

jmarinara,
Thank God. Finally someone competent enough to debate.

To your first question: It'd have been a dumb buisness decision NOT to sign Strasburg. At the end of the day, that $15 million signing bonus is still a drop in the bucket for a pitcher of his quality, and the hype that'd have followed him here would have easily paid for the contract 3 fold.

What you saw the Nationals do was hold out to the last possible second to see how low they could push Boras, and ultimately, the succeeded, seeing as he wanted $30 million plus before the negotiations began. The Pirates would have probably done the same thing but, just like with Alvarez, would have gotten the deal done because it'd have simply been bad business not to.

The answer to your second question is really answered by the first. Of course Lemieux would have for the same reason Nutting would have outline above. The question is whether Lemieux/Burkle would become a player in free agency, or even pay to keep stars happy.

I can answer that question in 5 words: Jagr, Kasperitis, Straka, Kovalev, Lang.

The truth is, the Penguins were the SAME team the Pirates are today, only the Penguins were so incompetent that they got almost nothing for those guys. How much of that was Craig Patrick and how much of it was ownership is something we'll never know, but what I do know if that before Crosby (BC) the Penguins were worse off than the Pirates are right now. For that reason, I'm just not wrapping my arms around the idea that Lemieux is somehow a savior, and I'm DEFINITELY not sold that he'd be better than Cuban, a dynamic guy who actually built the Mavs on his own, and not with the help of the Second Coming of the NBA.

Cue Yinzr Hate

Adam said...

I mean seriously, the shit hit the fan when Matt Capps walked for nothing, and yet, more than a few actually solid Penguins left in the same fashion, and people just gloss that over because 87 won a Cup.

Lemieux isn't a good owner, or at least hasn't proven to be one to this point. He's just a lucky son of a bitch. At this point, that'd probably be his biggest selling point.

SantoGold said...

Not that lone-wolf Adam needs my help, but I agree with one of his main points that Bob Nutting isn't the evil mustache-twirling villan that everyone wants him to be.

(1) He's technically been the boss for 3 years and has had involvement in the teams decisions for at most 7 years. Mob's response: But we've sucked for 17 years, so lets blame him for all 17 of those seasons.

(2)At the time of their hire, both Bonifay and Littlefield were considered solid, but not spectacular GM material. Their results were cataclsymic personel failures. They were the baseball men the organization to build the on-field product. They failed. Mob's response: But its still all Nutting's fault.

(3)We've had awful teams for 17 straight years, but at least the owner has kept the team solvent and not tried to unload it to an out-of-town buyer. Anyone remember the 17 years prior to that when, even in good years, the team was often rumored to be looking to leave Pittsburgh? Mob's response: 17 years of losing isn't bad enough. We demand that Nutting lose money as well as have a losing team.

Conspiracy theories are a lot of fun, but they rarely are true. Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one. And the answer as to why we've had 17 losing seasons is that we've had really lousy players. We've spent big money on the wrong people (Kendall, Morris), not spent enough on the right people, made horrible trades and made even worse draft picks. None of these disasters were intentional or most of it wasn't bad luck either. Just piss-poor GM/scouting talent evaluation.

jmarinara said...

Yes A-Bomb (Can I call you A-Bomb?), the pens sucked for a while. Point conceded.

Here's the difference. When Lemieux was letting Straka, Kovalev, et. al. go, the Penguins were absolutely hemorrhaging money. They hadn't had a profit in years.

The Pirates are a profitable ball club.

The difference is that one owner, once he was in a good financial position, made good hockey decisions (Drafting Fluery, Stall, Malkin, signing Gonchar, trading for Guerin, etc.) and had the guts to back them up.

The other owner is making sound business decisions and maximizing his profits through providing good entertainment and bad sports.

The greatest business men alive can't make a team win if they don't have the right kind of capital to pay the ticket vendors, let alone a left winger. But even a yinzer like me can take $80 million dollars and win 90 baseball games.

Lemieux seems to have a knack for knowing how to take care of his customers and get the most hockey bang for his buck at the same time. Everyone loves the Pens. Why? Because dealing with them is an absolute joy. They make almost every aspect of being around that team fun, exciting, interesting and enjoyable. The Pirates are awful in every sense of the word, not just on the diamond.

Also, my final point is that you continue to make the assertion that Crosby built the team, not Lemieux. Where was Crosby when Fluery and Malkin were drafted? Juniors. And, correct me if I'm wrong (and I could be, I was out of Pittsburgh for ten years or so and missed it every day), but wasn't Gonchar here before the magical ping pong ball bounced our way?

Adam said...

To your "lone-wolf" comment, I welcome the title. The dominant ideologies in this town are so often out of whack with reality because of rift-raft like BURGH and NickDawg, and I just grow tired of it.

A lot of people read this blog to hear what they want to hear and always say "HEEEEELZZZ YA PIXBURGH RULES N'AT!!!! IF YOU AIN'T A PITTSBURGH FAN, YOU AIN'T SHIT...AND EVEN IF YOU ARE A PITTSBURGH FAN BUT YOU LIKE THE PIRATES YOU'RE SHIT TOO."

I just get tired of all the sniping. There's no reason Pitt and Penn State fans can't coexist and root for eachother. If Pitt fans would just swallow they're pride and admit that the rivalry is dead, I'd have no problem rooting for solid athletes they have like Dion and Baldwin, and adopting Wanny as my absent-minded uncle.

(Note: Levance Fields is still a douche)

Adam said...

@jmarinra,
Call me whatever you want. I've been called much, much worse around here.

Anyway, what bad decisions has Nutting made since he took over the team and got his guys, Frank and NH, in there? He ponied up for Alvarez, and he's given Frank and NH every dime they've asked for in scouting and player development, the draft, and Latin America.

The only potentially bad decision he's made is hiring Neal Huntington and putting his complete trust in a rookie GM to purge the roster to build the farm system. There's a change NH just sucks at talent evaluation, and then we'll be really boned, but other than that, I fail to see where BOB Nutting has gone wrong (though I'll concede his dad sucked).

As far as how the Pirates treat their fans, I can tell you that in every non-baseball matter, the Pirates have been absolutely outstanding in the way they've treated me. The people know you by name, and they go out of their way to make sure the investment you make in the team goes beyond the baseball games you go to. I've probably been to more non-gameday events at the ballpark in the past year than I've been to with the Steelers, Pens, and Penn State combined in my life.

And to the final point, Malkin and Fleury were the same no-brainers Crosby was. And Gonchar's first year was the first post-lockout season.

Koz said...

I don't see how Pitt/PSU has anything to do with this discussion.

Trying to compare the Pens with the Pirates is absurd for the specific reason of profit & loss vs. athletic performance.

As for Fleury being a no brainer, firstly he's only the second goalie taken #1 overall and if I'm thinking straight, the Pens made moves to be able to select him. It wasn't like he fell in their lap.

You trying to cut down the Pens to make the Pirates look taller is a farce. If you want to defend Nutting by "innocent until proven guilty" that's fine, but don't even try to compare the Pittsburgh Baseball Club's ineptitude to anyone else because it is unequaled.

Adam said...

http://slam.canoe.ca/StatsHKN/BC-HKN-LGNS-PITTSBURGHROS-R.html

That last pre-Crosby team had nice completmentary pieces in Malone and Orpik, a broken Mario, and a steaming pile of crap. I see no Andrew McCutchen on skates. I don't even see anyone with the potential of Milledge, Andy LaRoche, or Jeff Clement.

The Pirates are unrivaled in their longevity, but those post-Jagr, pre-Crosby Pens teams were every bit as bad as many of the Pirate teams over the last decade, and they were put together on Lemieux's watch.

Cups don't change history, they just give you rose colored glasses to see it through.

Dallas Mike said...

Every business is for sale, but if you put yourself in Bob Nutting's shoes, why on Earth would you sell the Pirates? You have 2 struggling businesses (newspapers and a resort) which require significant capital expenditures for uncertain returns. These businesses are at historical lows in terms of valuation, so the Nuttings are not going to sell these 2 at the bottom. However, the Pirates are a cash machine when you factor in the subsidies coming from MLB. The major capital expenditures in this low-risk business are Zambelli fireworks and a hard-working PR staff. Your business model has proven to be successful because even after 17 consecutive losing seasons, the loyal Western PA fans will still support the team. You can utilize this baseball team to absorb losses from your other ventures while lowering the cost of capital on all of your bank debt from the other businesses. All this AND your investment triples in value every 10-15 years. It is a no brainer from an owners perspective. It is not news that Pirate fans want to hear, but it is reality. Baseball is no different than owning a movie theater. The Nuttings don't have any obligation to win, they only have to provide an enjoyable family entertainment experience. PNC Park does the heavy lifting and the Nutting's reap the benefits. For this childhood Pirate fan that lives outside the market, I choose apathy intead of outrage.

The Mad Bubbler said...

You cut up on Mario Lemieux and defend Bob Nutting. I don't care if it sounds personal or not: You truly are the most clueless person I've never met.

BURGH08 said...

More evidence of what a Penn State education gets you.

Adam said...

Bubbler, I'm just going to keep posting this roster and waiting for someone to tell me how it's better than the Pirates today.

http://slam.canoe.ca/StatsHKN/BC-HKN-LGNS-PITTSBURGHROS-R.html

Lemieux won a lottery. He's no God off the ice.

Adam said...

Hey BURGH, at least I have enough pride to tell the world where I go to school, and not name call behind a fake ID.

Adam said...

http://slam.canoe.ca/StatsHKN/BC-HKN-LGNS-PITTSBURGHROS-R.html

LASSE PIRJETA WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?!?!

I mean seriously, get a grip people. Build Mario a statue for what he did on the ice. Kiss his feet for taking the team out of bankruptcy. But don't sit here and tell he made the team competitive by pouring the money you all crave into it, because the FACT is, his pre-Crosby teams sucked incredible ass on the cheap for years, and even with Crosby, Malkin, and the whole she-bang he's running a Pirate-like $55 million payroll.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

The NHL as a whole was in a state of the disarray from the early part of this decade through the lockout. A few teams in the NHL spent unprecedented amounts on marginal players so that other teams simply could not have them and that lead to minimal chance for smaller to mid market teams to compete on a yearly basis.

The Penguins were in the process of paying for trying to compete with those major markets using a limited budget. They had a couple of seasons with some less than desirable players, but not 18. They made the playoffs 11 seasons in a row and 14 out of the last 18 seasons.

I honestly do not see how there can be much of a parallel between the Pirates and the Penguins in any manner because of one or two seasons with a low payroll prior to the lockout. The Penguins spent money throughout the 90's, money they clearly didn't have, but they competed and made the playoffs every year. They didn't make 5-year plan after 5-year plan after 5-year plan to mask that they were simply running the team for personal gain.

Also, the Pirates were the ones who snaked a new ballpark out of the SEA by claiming they needed a better facility to compete and promised they would. The Penguins were the team in dire need of new facilities and here we are 9 years later finally getting the CEC and still waiting for the Pirates to not lose 90+ games on a yearly basis.

Adam,

I know you think that everything you say should be taken as gospel, but you are little more than an erudite stats geek who probably does little else outside of praying towards Beaver Stadium 6 times a day and trolling on blogs for anything related to Penn State.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

And yes, he is running a $55 million dollar payroll, why don't you use your little expert internet research abilities and look up what the NHL's salary cap is for this season.

I think it is somewhere in the $56-$57 million range, so once again, eff you. Stick to shanking off to old pics of JoePA and the drum major.

bscott415 said...

Should someone tell Adam that there is a salary cap in the NHL and that the Pens are and have been damn close to it for most of the years the Mario has owned the team. So to compare across leagues is inappropriate.

To address specifically the 2003 - 2004 season, yes, the Pens sucked, they sucked hard. But leading up to that year they had made the playoffs for every season since 1990 and shortly thereafter they emerged from bankruptcy, endured a year long work stoppage, got a new arena built and have done OK in the playoffs recently if my memory serves correctly.

Yes, some of that was built on the luck of a ping pong ball. But have the Pirates not had the same opportunity to draft "lottery" picks during Nuttings' tenure? Instead of Crosby the Pirates take Daniel Moskos and instead of Fleury we get Neil Walker.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

I noted the salary cap. I am sure he will come back and say that Bryan Bullington and JJ Davis were far better first-round draft picks than Orpik, Armstrong, and Whitney and that was just an example of the Penguins getting lucky.

I know 2 of those 3 arent here anymore, but we used one of them to get Marian Hossa and the other to bring in Kunitz and Tangradi. Not such bad deals, and we didn't have to use a 5-year plan to see it pan out.

Going out and signing Gonchar, trading for Hal Gill, trading for Guerin, re-signing Staal when his trade value was through the roof, signing Rupp this year, signing Cooke last year to replace Ruutu, need I go on? Clearly all of those were maneuvers by a clueless and cheap owner, though.

Adam said...

Burress,
Stats geek? Um...ok.

If you're going to give Lemieux credit for playoff berths his ownership wasn't responsible for, you need to stop holding all 17 years against Bob Nutting and his management.

Mario bought the team in '99. In 2002, the 11 year streak ended. So if anything Lemieux and his posse broke the momentum.

Revisionist history.

BURGH08 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
the nigerian nightmare said...

I'm staying out of this one (for the record though I side on Team Lemieux 100% here.......the Pirates are a joke) but have to add my 2 cents on something.

The shots taken at a Penn State education are ridiculous. As an alum, it pisses me off. I'm not going to get into all the different rankings and whatnot as that's probably all been debated before. You don't like Adam, that's fine, but you sound just as moronic and childish as anyone when you pull shit like that.

Where did you go to school? Harvard? MIT? Something tells me no.

BURGH08 said...

I doubt Penn State is proud of you Adam. Not sure if that's your real name either.

How about holding the profits Nutting has made against him? Or the lack of putting money back into the product on the field? Or them failing to sign Sano for not much more than he was signed?

As Dallas Mike said, I don't blame him at all for not selling, but the Pens ownership would bring credibility and money to a team that needs it to compete.

Mario is the one getting the attention and public face, but Burkle is the key. He is the one that invested 20 million dollars to keep it out of bankruptcy. Burkle is the one that really helped seal the deal on the arena, as he is tied with Rendell and the DNC. In other words, if they run something, chances are it will be successful, and newspapers and ski resorts are small potatoes to him.

I know it falls on deaf ears, especially after other posters dissected your opinions of Nutting, Mario, etc. Of course, this is after your tenure here of dissecting most of your opinions.

I have a hard time buying that you are a college student. Hell, I have a hard time buying the soft spot in your head has never hardened.

You are the reason abortions should still be legal. Not to be critical.

the nigerian nightmare said...

I'm staying out of this one (for the record though I side on Team Lemieux 100% here.......the Pirates are a joke) but have to add my 2 cents on something.

The shots taken at a Penn State education are ridiculous. As an alum, it pisses me off. I'm not going to get into all the different rankings and whatnot as that's probably all been debated before. You don't like Adam, that's fine, but you sound just as moronic and childish as anyone when you pull shit like that.

Where did you go to school? Harvard? MIT? Something tells me no.

BURGH08 said...

Nigerian-I went to the same school the owner of this blog did for undergrad. Also have a graduate degree from Carnegie Mellon.

My favorite color is blue, and my skin isn't as thin as yours.

Lighten up Francis.

Adam said...

No one has "disected" anything BURGH.

The fact remains that Lemieux Group has been successful for the simple reason that they hit the lottery. Good for them. They did the things they needed to do to surround the big names with the talent to go out and compete for Cups every year. They're certainly not bad owners.

But the idea that Burkle is going to come in here and turn us into the Chicago Cubs is a farce. Nothing Lemieux group has done with the Penguins suggests they're going to put any more money into the major league payroll than Nutting, so treating him like the anointed savior of the Pittsburgh Pirates makes no sense.

If Lemieux group bought the Penguins, they fix things the same way they fixed the Penguins and the same way the Pirates are already fixing themselves now: stockpiling prospects, excellent player development, and complemetary pieces like Hossa, Guerin, etc., to put things over the top.

BURGH08 said...

You obviously haven't been reading the AP stories regarding what sources have said Burkle/Mario would do if they bought the team. Go do your homework, much like your volleyball attendance, it's wild assumption on your part.

Also it's interesting you are bypassing how the Pirates were in the Sano sweepstakes, as they talked about being a player in it, and not only fell flat on their face, but blamed the agent and whined about other factors.

Burkle would be working in a league without a cap, which with a billionaire and partner used to success, would be a dream.

That's where it will stay though, and I can't blame Nutting because suckers like you will continue to buy what he is selling.

P.S. You are missing an 's'.

Adam said...

Sucker?

No the difference between you and I is that they could lose till judgement day and I'd be happy. I'm not really concerned with whether they win or lose. I live in a major league city and can pay $9 to watch a game on a summer evening, and instead of bitching and moaning about how the team sucks, I try to enjoy things.

If Nutting turns out to be a fraud, and NH turns out to be a horrible talent evaluator, I'll call them on it. But I'm not going to stop going to the ballpark, because ultimately the black and gold jersey and gorgeous ballpark that our tax dollars paid for is all that matters.

As far as Sano goes, it's a tough break, but there will be others. When Huntington says the agent screwed him, I believe him. I'm not worried about it.

SmokeyMaverick said...

Whoa! 46 comments!?! Is that a new record or what??

Who wouldn't want this? I'd like to hear a counter point to all this positive spin. It sounds amazing, but I'd like to make sure we see both sides (if there is another side?).

As for "why isn't there 10 statues to Lemieux" - ESPN Radio had a good comment on The Drive on Friday: Lemieux probably would not want a statue of himself, and he's got the clout to make sure it doesn't happen.

In separate blag news: Love love LOVE the "Up Coming Games" section in the right column - this is the first time I've seen it. I always have to google their schedules quickly, but this is a perfect one stop shop for checking upcoming games, especially for Pens/Pitt games that aren't just always on Sundays.

BURGH08 said...

Adam-The first paragraph in your last post is definitely a sucker, and why enough people like you give Nutting no true motivation for improving the on the field product.

I'll at least give you credit for describing yourself as that type of 'fan'.

Adam said...

Nutting doesn't owe me anything.

BURGH08 said...

You are too kind. They owe you something.

A bobblehead perhaps. Or a fireworks show.

Adam said...

I got a bobblehead at Piratefest for free.

WKC said...

I don't think this guy went to PSU either. If he did they must have added a special needs wing.

He says he would still be happy if they lost, yet says it isn't a blind follower. This of course after trying to argue that Nutting is doing things right and throwing stats that have nothing to do with the topic.

Dude is a clown. Ignore him.

Dallas Mike said...

If Adam's comment is true, I find it hilarious that the Pirates actually gave out free Bobbleheads at Piratefest? Talk about fueling the stereotypes. Sooner or later that marketing team will have to go outside the box or bobblehead revolution is imminent. But hey, I guess it works, so who am I to laugh.

NickDawg said...

adam - glad to see you were thinking about me. Keep picking your boggers in your moms basement and drinking nut(tings)Kool aid.

Pirates and their ownership a joke and not comaprable to the pens organization...period

jmarinara said...

Adam, it's comments like this that kill me . . .

"I'm not really concerned with whether they win or lose. I live in a major league city and can pay $9 to watch a game on a summer evening"

Wow dude. That is just plain ridiculous. If you just love paying $9 to see "a game" it's clear to me that you are more interested in entertainment than the sport itself.

I go to the games because it makes my son smile and he looks forward to it for weeks. We go to about 10 a year.

But had I not the immense blessing of my little boy in my life, I wouldn't go near PNC park because I literally have to grit my teeth and bear the awful product that is on the field. Frankly, without the benefit of father/son time, it would be an utter waste of my money.

But go ahead Adam, go ahead and enjoy your little pierogie race, and play some "press your buc", maybe pig out in the all you can eat section. . . whatever makes you happy. But please, if that's ALL that you want out of the ballclub, don't get on this blog and pontificate about the finer points of running a baseball team. Clearly it's not your passion, and even more clearly, you don't have a clue what you are talking about.

Adam said...

O I never said a word about the promotions or any of that stuff. I frankly don't care. I'd go without them.

I like the baseball. I'm as entertained with seeing how we can blow a 5 run lead as how we can build one. We're GOOD at being a bad baseball team. And sure, there are some nights that are really kicks in the crotches. But #22 gave us our share of good memories last year two, from the walkoffs against Cleveland and Philly, to the 3 HR game against DC.

Just because I don't mind the losing doesn't mean I love the promotions. Although I am looking forward to Snuggie night.

Adam said...

Dear Pitt fans,
Welcome to the Big 10. I'm going to skip the whole "JoePa just made you his bitch for all eternity" speech and just say, glad to have you aboard, you're one of us now. Here's the welcome video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80v5Wueed10

And to WVU. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHA

Anonymous said...

So far that's only been reported on message boards and the thought that Pitt would tell every student athlete before the media doesn't make much sense, of course news would get out then. Plus there is no need to tell athletes, not like their opinion would matter. Let's just wait until its official and not a message board rumor.

jmarinara said...

Could someone point me to a link about this whole Pitt thing?

Also, when did this become a Pitt post?

Lastly, anyone want to bet me $10 that Don will mention the insane comments on this post in his next entry?