Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Pirates Call for Boycott of Local Bar

Paul Van Osdol and Estelle Aversa courtesy of thepittsburghchannel.com
When the Pirates lose, customers of Kennedy Township's Stroll Inn win.  A promotion was created by the bar for dejected Pirate fans to ease the pain of each loss by getting a nickel off a pitcher of beer.  This is a cumulative promotion, according to Randy Baumann of 102.5 WDVE.  If this year was anything like last year the customer would get $5.00 off a pitcher of beer for a 100 loss season.  Pirate executives caught wind of this promotion and sent an email out asking fans to boycott the establishment, stating, "An occasional joke and jab is expected here and there, but to create business by ripping on the home team is ridiculous and in my opinion distasteful.  Take your business away from the Stroll Inn and to other local restaurants instead."  Bar owner Estelle Aversa, an avid Pittsburgh sports fan was in disbelief over the boycotting campaign telling WTAE's Team 4 investigative reporter Paul Van Osdol, "I was sick to my stomach that the Pirate organization would condone that kind of behavior."   In an interview Tuesday morning interview with the 'DVE Morning Show, Eversa even claimed the Pirates President Frank Coonelly called her on the phone to discourage the promotion.  Eversa told him, "I'm not one of your peons," and referred to Coonelly as an "arrogant ass."

The intent of the promotion, according to Aversa was to make Pirate fans feel better about a loss, a consolation, not to mock the team.  The Stroll Inn has discontinued the promotion after learning of the boycott.  Pirates spokesman Brian Warecki said the team was unaware the employees were urging a boycott, but he said they are "free to share with their friends their feelings about an establishment that would root against its home team."  After 18 losing seasons, Pirate fans need something even if it is just a nickle off a pitcher of beer.

The Pittsburgh sports bar is located on Fairhaven Road.

Read more: http://www.wtae.com/sports/27910677/detail.html#ixzz1MccybObK

9 comments:

  1. Only the Pirates management could make their image with the public worse than it already is.

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  2. I heard the interview on DVE this morning. It was a classic and should def be on their next cd.
    Coonelly and the Pirates have nothing better to do?! I've been boycotting the hypocritical Pirates and their joke of an organization for years. My only wish is everyone else would do the same so they play in front of an empty stadium.

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  3. So does the nickle discount accumulate with the number of losses? Or does one loss equal one nickle off on that day? If it is the latter, then I think I'll continue my unofficial boycott of having never patronized the place on the grounds of having such a lame promotion. Seriously, a nickle? Are times really that tough in Kennedy?

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  4. Also, isn't it nickel? I followed Rob's spelling, but I think we're wrong. i'm going to check...yep, it's nickel.

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  5. Doesn't matter now.... breaking Pittsburgh blast furnace update.... the Bar will not be offering the promotion anymore due to the publicity and the reaction of the Pirates

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  6. ok that was me with the last post... lots of problems with blogspot right now!

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  7. It is a cumulative promotion. $5.00 off a pitcher of beer for a 100 loss season. Just heard it on 'DVE. Sounds like a good deal assuming a bar in Kennedy Twp would sell them b/w $5-$9

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  8. I heard that on DVE this morning as well. That makes more sense. Either way, this story doesn't bother me that much. Seems more like an informal boycott that started with some random employees, rather than an institutional boycott by the Pirates. It still serves as a bad example of how the Pirates just can't help falling all over themselves when it comes to PR.

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