The Rays draw 19,000?

[Joe]

Freak, it's NOT guys like you. I'd only do ahalf if I lived in Tampa. I have a mini plan with the Reds.

[Donno]

Thought about going to the game...

then realized my 4 year old daughter, I would get to see 3 innings of the game in order to get her home at decent time because the hour drive to stadium on the tip of a peninsula.

So I sat down and watched the game on TV for 3 innings as it was over after 2 with my daughter.

Sorry I am not investing 2 hour car ride during the week to watch a game!  And that is the case for many people.  

Excuses... no I think right now it is reality.  You can ***** at people making excuses all you want and hope that changes the situation or you can accept it as reality and try to change the premise.

So right now there are 2 options...

1)  Tampa Bay will never support a team

2)  Tampa Bay will support a team when the stadium is located centrally and not in the middle of water.

I hope it is 2

Just so you know... I haven't been to a Ray's game in approximately 4 years... But watched around 50% of the games last couple years on TV.  How many other's do you think are in my boat?  Quite a bit I imagine.  And I am a baseball fan.  I have been to more baseball games on the road (Houston, Washington, Chicago...) than I have at St. Pete.

[Donno]

Freak, it's NOT guys like you. I'd only do ahalf if I lived in Tampa. I have a mini plan with the Reds.

Wait a minute... So all everyone has is excuses.... Location shouldn't matter for this game?

but you then say you would only do a mini-plan if you lived in Tampa?  Why not a full season?  Come on, there is no excuse?

[Joe]

Read what I said.

I'm not asking fans to come out every night. In fact for a mid week Royals game 15000 doesn't bother me.

We have a rare in season world series rematch and  the crowds have been pitiful

This game should be circled, bolded, and highlighted for most Ray fans.

Instead we get 19000 and 18000 with a crapload of excuses.

It's one series in the middle of the week that does mean something...

[BullsWinBucsWin]

The comments were made for the eventual new stadium.

The statistics speak for themselves.  Where the current stadium is located at, the feasibility studies, one done by the Rays and Pinellas County, both showed that within 30 minutes of the Trop there are just over 600k fans available.  However, if they moved to a stadium in the Gateway/Carillon Area that 20 mile hike alone would put them in a range where nearly 1.4M fans would be within that range.

The MLB average for stadiums based on location is 1.4M....so effectively it is presumed attendance could nearly double by just relocating the stadium to a more optimal, and visible location.  The point is this stadium is remote, and couldn't have been located in a worse place if it was trying to attract the true urban core of Tampa Bay.  In the downtown St. Pete area, many of those 600k also comprise of retirees, and seasonal inhabitants, unlike areas like Tampa.  For example, Ray Jay's location is within 30 minutes of nearly 1.6M people.  The idea is you located close to the most people for convenience, and the fringe fans will still drive on a occasion to fill the gaps.  Not locate so remotely that it isn't convenient to the family urban core of the city.

I am glad the downtown waterfront idea failed, St. Petersburg was stupid not to get completely behind it because it was there only way to keep the Rays in that area.  Now you can almost guarantee that within 10 years they'll be somewhere in North Pinellas or Hillsborough.  The ownership group sees it, the statistics from feasibility studies by both sides are mindboggling how badly this stadium is located in relation to the urban core.  There is no way in the world that if the stadium moved to Carillon/Gateway, or even in Hillsborough...that the attendance wouldn't jump by an average of 25-30% immediately.

That move would be great for me.  I live approximately 1 hour away from the stadium now in Land-O-Lakes.  I am avid fan, have already attended 4 games, with 4-6 more at least this year, and average 10-15 each year.  However they're so far away it isn't even an option to consider for me on many occasions.  And it sucks because my wife loves them too, and would go to a game in a heartbeat.  Put it in Carillon Area, and that cuts 20+ minutes off my commute.

What he said.

if they built a ballpark in Channelside it would be a huge boom for the city of Tampa. Yeah parking would be an issue but it's always an issue at nice parks in the center of everything, all those empty condos/apartments might start filling up when you have the choice of 40 home hockey games, concerts, and 81 home Major League baseball games a walk a way, more restaurants/bars would open up around downtown...property values start rising even more...it's nothing but a positive....Tampa needs to find a way to steal that team from Pinellas before the Rays end up out of the market completely

And what he said

[Donno]

Read what I said.

I'm not asking fans to come out every night. In fact for a mid week Royals game 15000 doesn't bother me.

We have a rare in season world series rematch and  the crowds have been pitiful

This game should be circled, bolded, and highlighted for most Ray fans.

Instead we get 19000 and 18000 with a crapload of excuses.

It's one series in the middle of the week that does mean something...

So in other words, only your excuses count...

The fact is everyone has an excuse why they don't go... your excuse is the Royals... My excuse is the distance... 

Fact is if the game was in my backyard, I would probably go to a game against the Royals and I venture to guess you would too!

[Joe]

No, I am not making excuses. Very few people can make all 81 games...it's **** near impossible.

What is possible is making 5-6 games a year. This should be one, no excuse not to get a big crowd out for these games...

[flsportsfan83]

ill be there all weekend. go fish

[Triple B]

embarrasing to be a Rays fan right now.

People get embarassed over the damnedest things. Why, as a fan, should I be embarassed over this?? The fans who can go to the games, go. Those who can't, support in other ways.

If the current situation isn't economically feasible for the owners, I don't blame them one bit for doing what they have to do ...

[Triple B]

ill be there all weekend. go fish

Great!! ... and bring as many friends as you can with you.