Pittsburgh Media Needs a Villian Desperately,Pirates Fit Perfectly

How does this Pirates veteran reporter feel he is entitled to an interview with two Pirates players after the Pirates loss last night?  Seriously, who in America works like this?  The media request who they want to speak with and when those requests aren’t granted…. an article comes out bashing the leadership, the players?

Whose job works like this?  Seriously, who has a job like this?

So in your line of work, let’s say you are in sales.  You don’t get a sale at work.

What do you do?  Roll up the sleeves and dig deeper into why you didn’t get it?  Ask more questions?  Turn that prospect into a buyer?  Turn that prospect into a life long friend, a client that would do anything for you.  Your family.  The hard work pays off.

And if you still don’t get the business, what do you do?  You write an article about the client that didn’t buy?  It’s obviously the clients fault they didn’t buy the product.  Correct?

So if your a reporter, I would believe it is your job to report.  Maybe not.  With the Steelers and Penguins being the star studded baby faces in town, the Pittsburgh media really could use a heel, hmmmm….easy stuff Vince, the Pirates play perfectly in that role.

Read below…

From Pirates Report:

Covering the Pirates is not the easiest job in the world. 

REALLY?  No kidding?  You call yourself a reporter?  Nah, you just obviously want sympathy.  It’s not the easiest job in the world?  Why not do your best, give your all to the Pirates Report?  Sweat a little, hustle…ahh, never mind.

Granted, it’s not the same as being deployed in Iraq or trying to catch crab in the Bering Sea but there are some drawbacks.

Now what would you know about being a soldier?  Seriously, leave out the Vets man.  When you have done a pushup on the sand, come talk with some vets, like myself, until then, don’t even throw a half-ass, bitch slap compliment like this in your article because you can’t get an interview?  You can’t get an interview because Y-O-U you didn’t make it happen.   Look in the mirror.  It was your fault.  You want an interview? Go get it.  Don’t write a ‘story’ about your inability to get an interview.

For one, it’s a low-profile beat. Only a handful of fans clamor for every bit of information about the Pirates unlike the team down the street from PNC Park, the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers.

Only a handful of fans?  Oh really?  So now, it’s the fans that don’t want information?  Really?   Fans aren’t clamoring?  Really?  So correct me if I am wrong here, but fans aren’t clamoring, so screw it.  The player left without talking to me.

I think 20 percent of Pirate fans know where the players exit the locker room, wouldn’t you hustle down and GET the story?   It seems that you didn’t, it was simply easier to bash the player.

I have covered the Pirates for 22 years and have missed less than a dozen home games. I have covered, at most, 25 Steelers games. Yet, I’ve had as many comments on Steelers’ stories as Pirates’ stories.

I applaud your near perfect attendance.  Seriously, that is some powerful stuff man.

Furthermore, while improved, the press facilities at PNC Park are still among the worst in professional sports. It was as if former Pirates chief executive officer Kevin McClatchy went out of his way to stick it to the media when the plans for PNC Park were drawn up.

Among the worst in professional sports?  Good Lord…who didn’t replenish the roast beef?  Gladys, get your butt in here!!!???   I know there have been fewer and fewer ”reporters,” that don’t report here lately, but the roast beef must be replenished sweetheart.

What in the name of heaven does the press facilities have to do with getting an interview?  Holy jumping jingle balls Santa Claus, now the press desk isn’t nice enough for you?

At least, the open hostility that existed between the Pirates and the media has subsided since McClatchy was thankfully kicked to the curb, albeit with a handsome financial settlement, by current chairman Bob Nutting. Boy, how I miss those days when McClatchy would call and scream at me, a real classy move for a CEO of a multi-million dollar business.

Perhaps the hostility isn’t open, but I seriously doubt anyone has forgotten about it.  Those wounds don’t heal easily kid.  Especially after trash like this. 

Kevin screamed at you.  So sorry to hear that John.  No professional deserves that treatment.

Nice plug for current chairman Mr. Nutting.  Very carefully worded.  Genius wordsmithing.

Then, there are nights like Thursday when the Pirates’ players decided to be downright uncooperative after an 11-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 12 innings.

Downright uncooperative.  Hilarious.  Welcome to the world of work.

The two Pirates the media wanted to talk with were starter Kevin Hart, who made his major-league debut by pitching six effective innings, and rookie right-hander reliever Steven Jackson, who gave up five runs in the 12th then was immediately optioned to Class AAA Indianapolis.

Hart bolted the clubhouse without speaking to the media. Jackson sent word through Pirates media relations director Jim Trdinich that he had no comment, despite having all of 22 1/3 innings in the major leagues.

The last thing the Pirates need in their latest rebuilding plan is a group of players who have an attitude. The press box is already empty on most game nights as almost all of the non-metro newspapers in Western Pennsylvania have stopped covering the team, such as the Beaver County Times (my alma mater), the Washington Observer-Reporter, the McKeesport Daily News and the Uniontown Herald-Standard.

I think the thing the Pirates need is players with attitude.  Who gives a flying crap if we hear what Jackson had to say?  Seriously, there aren’t many fans clamoring for information anyway, so cover something else like Tabata, Alvarez, hell cover KC and the Damn Sunshine Band coming to town, something, anything, but this god awful foot stomping.

So if all of the other papers you just called out aren’t at the game, shouldn’t you be able to secure more time with the players?   Sounds like an opportunity to control the market share to me.  What in the world happened John?  I think you blew it. 

If Jackson had more innings pitched in the majors it sounds like you would be ok with him not talking to you, but because he only has 22.1 IP he is required to talk with you?  Holy Obama Batman, I wasn’t sure that was the case in America.

Less media=More time for you to dominate.  More time for you to forge long lasting relationships with all of the Pirates players.   Sounds to me like nobody wants to talk with you because you don’t have a relationship with either player?

With Hart and Jackson I am certain your excuse is that you haven’t been around long enough to generate such a relationship.  And this article will really help that cause.

Of course, not many fans are clamoring for information, so it’s ok to be average and just bitch about not getting an interview.

If it wasn’t for rights holder FSN Pittsburgh, television coverage would be almost non-existent as the four network affiliates in Pittsburgh rarely send reporters to the games.

Even less competition for the interviews.  Wow.  This is getting to be some good stuff.

Considering how far the Pirates have fallen behind the Steelers and Penguins in terms of visibility and interest, they should have players visiting media members’ homes for interviews.

Oh yeh John, work that villian role, I am certain Labor Day at your house is exactly where Mr. Trdinich will send the players.  What time does the party start?  Put the steaks on, the guys will be right there…