The Rays draw 19,000?

[Joe]

Agreed, but I'm talking THREE huge games...not a whole season

[flsportsfan83]

Then why'd they draw so well in 1998 or 1999?

It's an excuse.

Economy was a [glow=red,2,300]hell[/glow] of a lot better in 1998 & 1999!!!!!

I dont want to really get into this. BUT GIVE ME A BREAK. The economy is not the problem here. The economy was doing well in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. How was Rays attendance then?

[Held_AccountaBull]

Matt,

You're talking to a guy in the biz, you know who else sold out last night? The Pirates.

The Rays drew 1 game over 30000 in 6 games this week which included a World Series rematch and an instate interleague matcup.

it doesnt matter what "biz" you are in.  you complain about excuses when there are logical reasons why the team doesnt draw during the week.

and today drew 29,500. 

guess what the pirates have....a great stadium in a great central location.  so how can you compare them to what the rays draw. 

then you go ahead and quote sports business daily which again doesnt change the fact that the trop is not in a good location to be able to draw consistant support.

agreed. if the team wants to get better draws then they will build a new stadium in tampa. driving all the way out there to an outdated stadium in the ghetto is a major reason why attendance is low.

[Held_AccountaBull]

Then why'd they draw so well in 1998 or 1999?

It's an excuse.

Economy was a [glow=red,2,300]hell[/glow] of a lot better in 1998 & 1999!!!!!

I dont want to really get into this. BUT GIVE ME A BREAK. The economy is not the problem here. The economy was doing well in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. How was Rays attendance then?

uh HELLO they sucked back then. and don't talk to me about attendance. last time i checked marlins attendance wasn't much better if at all

[Economics_Nerd82]

I am for a downtown Tampa stadium. But, we should realize that it's not a fix all for fan attendance. There are plenty of towns that have great stadiums in downtown and they are having attendance issues. Baltimore comes to mind. (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/current_attendance.shtml)

The Bolts are in downtown and they weren't exactly a powerhouse when it comes to attendance.

[flsportsfan83]

Then why'd they draw so well in 1998 or 1999?

It's an excuse.

Economy was a [glow=red,2,300]hell[/glow] of a lot better in 1998 & 1999!!!!!

I dont want to really get into this. BUT GIVE ME A BREAK. The economy is not the problem here. The economy was doing well in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. How was Rays attendance then?

uh HELLO they sucked back then. and don't talk to me about attendance. last time i checked marlins attendance wasn't much better if at all

I agree the Marlins fans are horrible at attending games. And you just proved my point. The only reason the Rays have any fans is because they are good. They will all become Yankees and Red Sox fans again if the Rays start losing. Tampa is a banwagon town.

[Economics_Nerd82]

Then why'd they draw so well in 1998 or 1999?

It's an excuse.

Economy was a [glow=red,2,300]hell[/glow] of a lot better in 1998 & 1999!!!!!

I dont want to really get into this. BUT GIVE ME A BREAK. The economy is not the problem here. The economy was doing well in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. How was Rays attendance then?

uh HELLO they sucked back then. and don't talk to me about attendance. last time i checked marlins attendance wasn't much better if at all

I agree the Marlins fans are horrible at attending games. And you just proved my point. The only reason the Rays have any fans is because they are good. They will all become Yankees and Red Sox fans again if the Rays start losing. Tampa is a banwagon town.

No matter how great a city, attendance will always suffer when the team sucks. Attendance for the Philadelphia 76ers was crap this year (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance?sort=home_pct&year=2009&seasonType=2) and they were a PLAYOFF team! Do you consider Philadelphia a bandwagon town?

[Cow Pie]

The Bolts are in downtown and they weren't exactly a powerhouse when it comes to attendance.

True but their attendance spiked and has maintained a steady number (even during awful seasons) after leaving the ole Thunder Dome (Tropicana Field). I was a Bolts season ticket holder 1992 (1st season) until 2005 when I chose to not renew them out of protest due to Feaster letting Habby walk off to Chicago... but that's neither here nor there.

The St. Pete Times Forum's attendance is 19,500 (max for hockey) and they average between 11,000 (week day game) and 16,500 (weekend game).

If the Rays built a stadium downtown, preferably between Tampa and Ybor, then the attendance would spike and average out like the attendance did for the Bolts.

[Bruce Blingstein]

Then why'd they draw so well in 1998 or 1999?

It's an excuse.

Economy was a [glow=red,2,300]hell[/glow] of a lot better in 1998 & 1999!!!!!

I dont want to really get into this. BUT GIVE ME A BREAK. The economy is not the problem here. The economy was doing well in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. How was Rays attendance then?

uh HELLO they sucked back then. and don't talk to me about attendance. last time i checked marlins attendance wasn't much better if at all

oh they sucked? so you admit they are fairweather fans

Keyshawn Johnson is hosting Rome today and was talking about something that happened with Romero, relief pitcher from the Phillies and a Rays fan.  HE said first off its astonishing to find a rays fan.  Thats what the stigma of the rays and the rays fans are.  Write your 7 paragraph excuses of location, and when they were good, blah blah blah.  The fans, marketing, whole look of the Rays and their fans is sad. 

Keyshawn lived in Tampa, he knows and so does EVERYONE, besides the apologist...of course...

[Matt]

i, for one, could careless what keyshawn johnson thinks or says.  the fact that you are citing his opinion on ANY is down right hilirious.

rays might not have the most fans in the world but keyshawn is not an authoritive figure on ANY topic other than pouting like a baby maybe.