Yes, Bob Nutting Is to Blame for This Too
Kavan Markwood’s fall from the Clemente Wall at PNC Park should have shaken the foundations of Major League Baseball, but in Pittsburgh, it also laid bare a local truth fans have known for years. Pirates owner Bob Nutting prioritizes profit over people. As the 20-year-old fan recovers in the hospital, his fall becomes a chilling metaphor for what it means to be a Pirates fan in 2025. Clinging to loyalty while the team’s leadership flirts with danger in the name of revenue.
According to the team, Markwood consumed two beers during the game, purchased by a friend. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts; some said he seemed fine, others thought he was drunk. What is not up for debate, however, is that he fell 21 feet and could have died. The Pirates issued a carefully worded statement saying all alcohol protocols were followed. While this may be true, what does it say when “protocol” allows a young man to fall over a ledge in a ballpark environment where blending alcohol and excitement goes unchecked? When stadiums are increasingly engineered not for safety or fan experience, but for maximizing profits? This exacerbated a terrible week for Pittsburgh, winning just one of six after gaining momentum out West. Coming back home has been a sort of tragedy in its own right for Pittsburgh, scoring just 12 runs in their previous six outings. In the same period, the Pirates have given up 35 runs with a run differential of -23.
This isn’t just a Pirates problem, it’s an MLB-wide one, worsened by recent decisions to extend beer sales into the eighth inning to recover money lost to shorter games. In Pittsburgh, it’s hitting differently. Bob Nutting, infamous for running the Pirates like a discount business venture rather than a baseball team, continues to insult fans with low payrolls, fire sales, and hollow marketing campaigns. His reputation for squeezing every last dollar out of the franchise while delivering nothing resembling a championship product has turned PNC Park, a jewel of fans domestically and internationally, into a cautionary tale. In this light, late-inning alcohol sales are not a surprise; they are a symptom.
Safety takes a backseat when the owner views the ballpark as a cash register, not a community. Beer, cocktails, and merchandise are the products. The team? An afterthought. Pirates fans, some of the most loyal in the sport, have tolerated this for years. When the chase for revenue starts creating real danger for people like Kavan Markwood, the consequences are no longer just emotional or symbolic; they’re life-threatening.
Sociocultural norms, crowd dynamics, venue design, and lax enforcement all contribute to fan violence and injury. Incidents such as last week's fall are a symptom of irresponsible alcohol policy. Pittsburgh’s ownership refuses to invest in anything but the bottom line. Markwood did not fall because of a rogue drink. He fell into an environment carefully calibrated to generate excitement and spending without sufficient safeguards.
It’s time to get serious. Ban beer after the seventh inning. Reassess stadium safety barriers. Increase sober ride campaigns. Hold ownership accountable for creating a safe fan environment. Don’t expect Bob Nutting to lead the charge. He is too busy calculating concession margins to consider the fallout when one of his fans lands face-down on the warning track. Pittsburgh deserves better. So does Kavan Markwood.
