Levine, a long-time Cleveland sports broadcaster, taped an interview with Shapiro which aired on Nov. 20. Typically, the program features live calls from viewers, but on this occasion Shapiro only fielded emails sent to Levine when he promoted the interview the day before.
Time Warner declined to make available Shapiro?s initial comments, but there is no dispute from anyone involved about Shapiro?s answer to a critical emailer, who asked why they should renew their season tickets for 2013.
Shapiro told the emailer that if their only reason for purchasing was to see the Indians win, ?Don?t come.?
No business owner, or executive, should ever approach telling their customers to stay away. The Indians certainly can?t afford that dismissive attitude given their dismal home attendance last season.
Shapiro, when contacted yesterday, clarified his stance, but largely defended his comment to the disgruntled season-ticket holder.
?I told him if the sole reason, the only reason, for renewing is predicated on us winning, then they shouldn?t come,? Shapiro said. ?I stand by that. Baseball has to mean more than just being a fan when you win.
?No where are we spending more of our time, more of our energy or more money in trying to win. We all understand that the single-most important thing in baseball is winning and losing. But we are always going to have cycles to when we can win.?
This is a familiar refrain, tiresome to Indians? fans.
Call it the, Small-Market, Can?t-Sign-or-Retain-Marquee-Free-Agent Blues, and no one sings it with more regularity than Shapiro, the Dolan ownership?s articulate front man.
The Indians grouse privately about fans? allegiance to the Browns, and how the Tribe has won more recently and more prolifically than the comedy act which has played out for 14 seasons down on the Lakefront.
While that double standard might be unfair, it nevertheless exists, and no amount of Indians? whining will change it.
Ever.
She was reporting from the Ohio State basketball game this past Friday evening which was broadcast by BTN. At least she was pleasant to the eyes when the Indians were stinking up the joint this past season.
announcers out there now.
