Playoffs are set

[Can_of_corn]

17 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The actual fans who show up and root for them deserve it.   The region as a whole really doesn’t.  

I used to have three or four guys at work that were Rays fans.

I don't have any now.

Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, sure.  Not Rays.

[scOtt]

Congrats to the Rays knocking out the cheaters. Now go ATL! Big money Dodgers can go pound sand.

[scOtt]

12 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I used to have three or four guys at work that were Rays fans.

I don't have any now.

Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, sure.  Not Rays.

New Youk fans? In Florida??? The hell you say!

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm not sure that was something that could have been predicted.

Of course it could have been.  It’s a terrible place to put a team.  The stadium is a disaster and your fan base dies off..literally.  
 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

Of course it could have been.  It’s a terrible place to put a team.  The stadium is a disaster and your fan base dies off..literally.  
 

The stadium is 30 years old.  Unfortunately that was more the norm back then. 

Tampa- St Pete is the #12 market in the US.

The comment about folks dying is pretty tasteless to be honest.

I don't think it was a total no-brainer that the team would struggle to this degree with attendance when the franchise was awarded.

[VaBird1]

2 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

The stadium is 30 years old.  Unfortunately that was more the norm back then. 

Tampa- St Pete is the #12 market in the US.

The comment about folks dying is pretty tasteless to be honest.

I don't think it was a total no-brainer that the team would struggle to this degree with attendance when the franchise was awarded.

People from DC drove to Baltimore for a long time.  I would have assumed people from Tampa would drive to St. Pete but they don’t.  They do watch the games on TV though.  Ratings are good.

[Sports Guy]

2 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

The stadium is 30 years old.  Unfortunately that was more the norm back then. 

Tampa- St Pete is the #12 market in the US.

The comment about folks dying is pretty tasteless to be honest.

I don't think it was a total no-brainer that the team would struggle to this degree with attendance when the franchise was awarded.

It’s true though...that area is littered with a lot of elderly people, many of which have relocated from a different area.

Thats a very difficult area to have a team and the stadium is in a terrible spot.  Everything about it was done poorly.  

Build a stadium in Tampa and then maybe you will be ok but the reality is that the team should be relocated to Vegas, Nashville or Montreal.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

It’s true though...that area is littered with a lot of elderly people, many of which have relocated from a different area.

Thats a very difficult area to have a team and the stadium is in a terrible spot.  Everything about it was done poorly.  
 

Baseball fans trend old.  The age of the population isn't a problem.  You seem to have this idea that the average resident moved down here at 70 and dies at 75.  The Rays are not having an issue with their fanbase dying off.

It's inaccurate and distasteful.

 

 

[Sports Guy]

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Baseball fans trend old.  The age of the population isn't a problem.  You seem to have this idea that the average resident moved down here at 70 and dies at 75.  The Rays are not having an issue with their fanbase dying off.

It's inaccurate and distasteful.

 

 

Well, I was partially joking..I didn’t realize you were this overly sensitive.

That being said, they have a garbage situation down there (it’s just wrong to think otherwise) and the real fans (you know, the ones you distastefully said don’t deserve success) deserve a winner.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/476850-rays-attendance-woes-what-is-the-real-problem-in-tampa-bay

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well, I was partially joking..I didn’t realize you were this overly sensitive.

That being said, they have a garbage situation down there (it’s just wrong to think otherwise) and the real fans (you know, the ones you distastefully said don’t deserve success) deserve a winner.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/476850-rays-attendance-woes-what-is-the-real-problem-in-tampa-bay

I agree it's a garbage situation, but where you and I differ, in this instance, is that I don't think it was as obvious when the franchise was awarded as you are indicating.

Of course I was overseas when the franchise was awarded so maybe I missed something?

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I agree it's a garbage situation, but where you and I differ, in this instance, is that I don't think it was as obvious when the franchise was awarded as you are indicating.

Of course I was overseas when the franchise was awarded so maybe I missed something?

As the article points out, the location is the reason it was going to fail.

It was a poor job by MLB to not research this better than they did.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

As the article points out, the location is the reason it was going to fail.

It was a poor job by MLB to not research this better than they did.

It isn't "the" reason. 

The situation isn't that simple that it can be boiled down to a single cause. 

[Can_of_corn]

Does anyone think that if that downtown Ybor stadium were to magically appear for opening day 2021 that the Rays will be a healthy franchise by 2025?

[Sports Guy]

19 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

It isn't "the" reason. 

The situation isn't that simple that it can be boiled down to a single cause. 

No, of course not..as I said, it’s a garbage situation all around.  The stadium location is probably the biggest reason though

[Sports Guy]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Does anyone think that if that downtown Ybor stadium were to magically appear for opening day 2021 that the Rays will be a healthy franchise by 2025?

It would help immensely.    You still have the issue of so many people living down there who have relocated and other factors as well.  
 

Drawing fans is a probably for a lot of people sports teams in Florida.