It has been a frustrating 2016 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates and their fan base. With recently nonexistent expectations raised by a couple brief postseason appearances, the Pirates unexpectedly find themselves below .500 after being swept by the Cubs and Brewers. How did the Pirates get here, and what might their short-term future hold?The Pirates have been one of the games feel-good stories in recent seasons. It wasnt long ago that they finally broke their seemingly interminable streak of sub-.500 seasons and turned things around to the point that their current losing streak is more than a bit off-putting, though they remain in the race for the second wild-card spot that seemingly no team wants to win.One of the factors that held the Bucs back during their generation of futility was a relatively low team payroll, and their standing in that regard has changed only modestly. Their Opening Day payroll checked in at just below $100 million ($99.945 million, to be exact), 19th in the majors. Their year-end ranking likely will fall a couple notches, thanks to the money-saving trades of Francisco Liriano and Mark Melancon.In 2012-15, the Pirates ranked 29th, 25th, 27th and 24th in team payroll, respectively. Over that span, the Rays and Astros were the only other teams to rank 24th or lower each season, and only two other clubs, the Indians and As, ranked below 20th in each of those four seasons.The Pirates have a superb and still relatively new ballpark, and their attendance has trended up in recent seasons, but the fact is they will never be near the top of the games salary rankings. They have flexibility to make a big strategic add if the competitive situation dictates it, but there will never be much margin for error.Its pretty simple. If the Pittsburgh Pirates wish to be perennial contenders, they have two primary tasks.1) They must grow their own superstars. This is because they simply are not able to compete for players at the top, or even upper-middle region, of the free-agent market.2) They must outsmart other clubs in an environment in which everyone is getting smarter. They must be creative, anticipate trends and zig when others are zagging.Before we look at how the Pirates currently grade out in those two areas, lets take a step back and assess how the Pirates have arrived at the intersection of Contention Street and Mediocrity Avenue. Air Max 720 Canada Outlet . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Wholesale Air Max 720 Canada . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. http://www.wholesaleairmax720canada.com/ . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. Cheap Air Max 720 Canada On Sale . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. Air Max 720 Canada Shoes . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. A member of the Mercedes F1 team was robbed at gunpoint ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.The harrowing incident, involving two gunmen, occurred as the individual was travelling in a chauffeur-driven vehicle from Mexico City Airport to the teams hotel on Wednesday. While both the member of the Mercedes team, who was not wearing branded apparel, and driver were unhurt in the ordeal, the incident is likely to raise security concerns ahead of Sundays race.The member of Mercedes staff has chosen to stay in Mexico for the race.A team member was robbed while travelling from the airport towards the city on Wednesday when in heavy stationary traffic, a Mercedes spokesperson told Press Association Sport. Wallets and watches were taken and there were no physical injuries, but they were a little shaken up for obvious reasons.The spokesperson declined to elaborate on whether the team would take further safety precautions, and that the Mercedes personnel was unnamed but not of high profile.dddddddddddd In the latest security guidelines issued by the British government, crime and violence is recorded as a serious problem in Mexico, while visitors are urged to keep car doors locked and windows closed, especially at traffic lights.The ordeal is not the first of its kind in Formula One.Jenson Button was threatened by gunmen in Sao Paolo ahead of the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix. Button, then the reigning world champion, was returning to his hotel following qualifying at the Interlagos circuit when his vehicle was approached by at least three men brandishing machine guns. Button, who was travelling with his late father John, trainer Mike Collier and manager Richard Goddard, managed to flee the scene unharmed in the incident.Meanwhile, three Sauber engineers were robbed at gunpoint on the same evening. They were also unhurt. ' ' '