As proud residents and sports enthusiasts of Pittsburgh, we understand the spirit of competition and the value it brings to our cherished city. Yet, for 30+ years, the Pittsburgh Pirates have sadly not done justice to our hardworking community's winning attitude. The team's consistently subpar performance, largely driven by a risk-averse ownership prioritizing business over sporting achievement, mirrors a disregard for the well-deserved return on taxpayer dollars.

Bob Nutting, the team's owner, has consistently neglected his responsibility to uphold the city's winning spirit and develop an environment conducive to fostering the next generation of baseball fans. It is heartbreaking that our city's proud taxpayer dollars have not been respected to provide a quality product on the baseball field.

Consequently, we insist that public funding to the Pittsburgh Pirates be withdrawn and no leases renewed until there is a reset in the organization's priorities and Bob Nutting sells the franchise. We demand an emphasis on competitiveness, a competent product on the field, and a determined focus on providing a valuable return for hard-earned taxpayer's dollars.

Now is the time for long-needed change, not for the sake of just our beloved sport, but for the outstanding people of Pittsburgh who deserve nothing less than a winning team to rally around. Our pride is at stake, Pittsburgh's future generations of baseball fans are at stake. It's time our voice was heard. We urge you to sign this petition for the change we need.

In addition, the Pittsburgh Sports Exhibition Authority, who lease PNC Park to Nutting, are not happy with him not holding up his end of the agreement. By being risk-averse and noncompetitive, he has lessened the overall potential tax revenue generated from games and the team. The group is wanting the public to push this exact issue to their level and make it on their board agenda.