The Pirates this year have dealt with “PR nightmare after PR nightmare off the field,” and while at 12-26 they continue “to struggle on it,” according to a front-page piece by Madaleine Rubin of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. The latest incident stems from a “fistfight between a stadium employee and a fan” at Sunday’s game during which the employee “removed his belt and whipped the fan repeatedly.” That joins other off-field dealings including:
- A fan-funded plane flying a “Sell the team, Bob” banner over PNC Park during the home opener.
- The “quiet covering” of a sign honoring Baseball HOFer Roberto Clemente.
- The removal of fan-funded bricks outside the stadium.
- A fan being critically injured after falling 21 feet from the bleachers to the field.
Pittsburgh-based crisis communications consultant Jessica Towhey said, “The saying is very true -- perception is reality. They’re already in the situation where the perception of the organization is very poor.” Rubin noted the Pirates issued a “series of statements and pledges in response to each episode this season,” including suspending the employee involved in the fight over the weekend. However, some fans “see these incidents as a pattern” -- and the team having the third-worst record ion MLB “likely does not help.” Duquesne Univ. professor Robert Healy III said, “Anything that’s happening right now to them is going to be blown out of proportion because of the ongoing, prominent trend [of] their misfortunes” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/8).
