Tongue Twister in Pittsburgh

say it fast. penny-pinching pittsburgh pirates. profitable? probably. earlier this week, espn baseball leaked that the most consistently futile baseball team is somehow solidly in the black. $15,008,032 in profit 2007. $14,408,249 in 2008. $5.4 million in 2009. they claim there’s nothing to hide in their dealings. half of the pricetag of their newish stadium came from public funds. their 2010 opening day payroll was baseball’s lowest at $34.9 million. they let their best players go as soon as they command a decent salary. here’s what they don’t get. you haven’t fielded a playoff team since 1992. your fans aren’t excited about that, so they don’t show up at the park. your brand is losing steam. the price for “earning” profits today is likely steeper than you realize.