The P-G Q&A is all about why folks don't buy tickets. The Pirates will sell out consistently if they establish a winning tradition. It's not enough to be on the upswing; it's not enough to play .500 ball. They need to play better than .500 ball for two or three years straight. They need to be in first or second place in the NL Central for two or three years straight.
Four games under .500 will not bring the crowds. Fans identify with the team. Right now the team is a Loser fourteen years straight. There is nothing cool about that kind of losing. No one goes to the movies to watch stories about how it is exciting to blow out your knees and back while working, without insurance, for minimum wage, or about how great it was when a poor victim filed a fair lawsuit and was denied justice, or how it was cool when this plain-looking guy asked six girls to the prom and was rejected every time. The Pirates are Losers until the standings say otherwise not for one day, or for half a season, but for several years running. Only then will the attendance come back. Only then will large numbers of fans identify with the team.
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