Tampa Rays Players rip Fans for not showing up at games. (live in, price)

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by ComSense

Most dont care in Tampa b/c they're all from NY and Boston and couldnt fathom pulling for their new "home team."

This really is the Devil Rays' biggest problem.

[dnvrsoul]

I agree Tampa should not have a baseball team-SAD!

[personalensign79]

Originally Posted by ComSense

Most dont care in Tampa b/c they're all from NY and Boston and couldnt fathom pulling for their new "home team."

I have four generations of Red Sox fans in my family. Just because I move does not mean I will start rooting for the local team in place of the Sox ESPECIALLY when they are in the same division. However, I did go to the Trop at least 3-4 times per season and my parents had a mini season ticket game pack.

I do try to catch a game in any new city I go to. I love visiting new parks whether the Sox are playing or not.

[personalensign79]

But back to the original post, that is the problem down here...Tampa (bay area!) can't hold an MLB team. It has to be a downer as a player to be on the verge of clinching and to only see 12,000 fans!

[kyle19125]

This is a Florida issue and not exclusive to the Tampa Bay area. I grew up in South Florida and was actually on hand at the very first Miami Dolphins game in 1966. I grew up a Dolphins fan and despite their dominance in the 1970s and even the 17-0 season, they struggled to keep the stadium full and this was well before the arrival of the NBA's Miami Heat, MLB's Florida Marlins or NHL's Florida Panthers. Heck, it was even before the huge popularity of the U of Miami Hurricane's football program. So it's not a competition for fan dollars in my opinion, rather an odd lack of allegiance to our new hometown teams as transplants. Maybe I'm wrong, but in other boom towns of the past 30 years (Denver, Charlotte, Atlanta and Phoenix come to mind), there hasn't been the visible lack of locals at home games when not playing a team with a big national presence. I have no other plausible theory other than the heat makes us lazy....anyone?

[gra007]

I think Longo's right for saying what he did. I would of done the same thing. I've never thought of Tampa as a big baseball city. I grew up around St Louis which I think is one of the top 5 baseball cities. People go to Cards games either winning or losing. Great, great baseball city!

Funny thing is people in Tampa have a great baseball team and won't go to games. But if they didn't have a team, they'd complain about not having a team and not being able to go to games.

[kbrkr]

Kudos to the Rays organization who in response to all the media around the attendance, they are giving away 20K tickets to tomorrow's game starting at 4:30.

That's Class....

[HughMcs]

I wouldn't blame the "transplants" for the lack of attendance. If anything if it wasn't for them showing up when the Yanks or Sox's play the team would have went belly up years ago. The price of the tickets are really reasonable at the Trop especially if you compare them with what the Yanks are charging in the Bronx. You really can't blame the economy because there are plenty of people out of work in NY, Boston, Detroit and other major cities. You can't blame the weather since they are in a dome.
I would have thought that with all the retirees in the area a lot of them would be going to the park just to get out of the house for a while.

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by kbrkr

Kudos to the Rays organization who in response to all the media around the attendance, they are giving away 20K tickets to tomorrow's game starting at 4:30.

That's Class....

Rays giving away 20,000 tickets for Wednesday's game

I'm wondering if they're testing the market - people say that going to Rays games is unaffordable. We'll see how many of those 20,000 tickets get taken.

I'm glad Longoria and Price spoke out.

[debidibly]

I'm a transplant and still a loyal Phillies fan but I would go to the Rays games if the field was in Tampa. It's too far for us to go more regularly. We can only get there a few times per year. Can't beat the prices though.