"The embarrassment has only just begun."
Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting. Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY SportsLocal NetworksMLBBy Sean Keeley on
Many Pittsburgh Pirates fans have had enough and demand to be heard.
They might have a hard time being heard on SportsNet Pittsburgh this season, however.
The Pirates haven’t been to the postseason since 2015, haven’t won a playoff game since 2013, haven’t been to the NLCS since 1992, and haven’t played in a World Series since 1979. And more often than not, they’re out of playoff contention early thanks to one of the league’s lowest payrolls and a reputation for treating players less than fairly.
The team currently has a glimmer of hope in pitcher Paul Skenes, but everyone fully expects the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year to be wearing Yankees pinstripes or Dodgers Blue within a few years while the Pirates fail to build around him.
The franchise, which hasn’t had a winning record since 2018, is off to a rough start once again in 2025. They’re at the bottom of the NL Central division with a 8-14 record. Even ESPN’s Jeff Passan is pissed off about it.
All of this has prompted Pirates fans to feel like enough is enough and say that 2007 Bob Nutting, who has been the franchise owner since 2007, needs to sell the team so it can get competitive once more.
Those fans voiced their frustrations during Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, but their voice got cut off by the team-owned TV network.
In the top of the 8th, the Pirates trailed 3-0 while Cleveland was threatening to extend their lead. That’s when a “Sell the team!” chant broke out in the crowd, echoing so loud that it was crystal clear on the broadcast. However, SportsNet Pittsburgh eventually cut the audio of the chant, returning to crowd noise only when the chant had died down.
Pirates fans chanting “Sell the team!” briefly disappear from SportsNet Pittsburgh’s audio on Saturday.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing.bsky.social) April 20, 2025 at 7:48 AM
There had actually been similar chants throughout the game (as there have been all season long), but this time it appears to have gotten a little too loud for the network, which is co-owned by Nutting.
Hey @Pirates @SNPittsburgh do you think cutting the crowd mic will silence us? The embarrassment has only just begun. (18 second mark)
SELL! THE! TEAM! Oh, and Happy Easter! pic.twitter.com/yNZ0NVlmOK
— Irate Pirates Fan (@IratePiratesFan) April 20, 2025
If anything, expect this to make Pirates fans get even louder and chant even more. We wish the folks at SportsNet Pittsburgh a lot of luck in drowning out the noise, especially if the season keeps getting worse.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.
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