Many Pittsburgh Pirates fans have had enough and are demanding to be heard, but they may struggle to do so on SportsNet Pittsburgh this season. The team hasn’t reached the postseason since 2015, hasn’t won a playoff game since 2013, hasn’t competed in the NLCS since 1992, and hasn’t participated in a World Series since 1979. More often than not, they’re out of playoff contention early due to one of the league’s lowest payrolls and a questionable reputation for treating players unfairly.
Currently, there is a glimmer of hope in pitcher Paul Skenes, yet most fans fully expect the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year to be wearing Yankees pinstripes or Dodgers Blue within a few years, as the Pirates fail to build a competitive team around him. The franchise, which hasn’t had a winning record since 2018, is off to another rough start in 2025 with an 8-14 record, placing them at the bottom of the NL Central division. Even ESPN’s Jeff Passan is upset about the situation. This has led fans to express that enough is enough, calling for 2007 owner Bob Nutting to sell the team so it can become competitive again.
Fans voiced their frustrations during Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, but their voices were muted by the team-owned TV network. In the top of the 8th, as the Pirates trailed 3-0, a “Sell the team!” chant erupted in the crowd, loud enough to be heard clearly on the broadcast. However, SportsNet Pittsburgh cut the audio of the chant, only returning to crowd noise when it subsided.
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
Similar chants had occurred throughout the game (as they have all season), but this time, it appears the network, co-owned by Nutting, couldn’t handle the volume. Fans are likely to become even louder in their demands. Good luck to the folks at SportsNet Pittsburgh as they attempt to drown out the noise, especially if the season continues to decline.
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
