10 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jennifer
13 years ago

If you lived in the Tampa Bay area, you would understand why the stadium is empty during the week, yet full on weekends…they need a place where the fans in Hillsborough County can get to without an hour+ commute after work…

Mark Sanders
13 years ago

Fans in St. Louis routinely have one hour-plus after work commutes, and they still have better than 40,000 fans during weeknight games. It’s about priorities, not convenience. It’s a giant pain-in-the-neck to get in and out of downtown St. Louis, but the place is still packed. The Rays have done the right thing in building a genuinely competitive team; that area’s fans should reward them by showing up to support them, otherwise they are likely to a) move elsewhere, or b) disassemble the team every 2-3 years like the Marlins.

Fly over Country
13 years ago

“Fans in St. Louis routinely have one hour-plus after work commutes”

Prove it.

Fly over Country
13 years ago

“Fans in St. Louis routinely have one hour-plus after work commutes”

Jennifer
13 years ago

@Mark—I’ve lived in St. Louis and it is nothing like living in the Tampa Bay area.  There is one team for two large counties, so we are not just talking rush hour traffic, but sheer distance—(and to emphasize the point, the Hillsborough County school district is the 8th largest in the country). It is literally not doable to make a 7:10 game during the week depending on where you live. This is why the people in Tampa want a stadium built in a more central location to the two counties…which won’t happen with the current attendance…which is largely due to the stadium’s location…(you get the idea)

Jennifer
13 years ago

Thanks “Dude” for the backup!  Maybe this will help those not familiar with the area: http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/tb/ballpark/parking_directions.jsp

Jennifer
13 years ago

You have to click onto “Regional View” after going to the link listed above.

The Dude
13 years ago

I have had season tix to the Rays and have now settled on a 22 game package.  I have had Texas Ranger season tix, NY Yankee tix and NY Mets tix and nothing is harder to make than a 7 pm game at the Trop. I live in Tampa and the drive to The Trop is 22 miles in heavy traffic. 

It’s funny that St Louis is weighing in as I have spent many nights/days at lightly attended Cards games in the 70’s and 80’s.  Every franchise has had attendance struggles at various times.  We are 12 – every Ray’s fan had a different favorite team 13 years ago.

The Rays will be fine – unfortunately ownership will need to threaten a move to get the stadium they should have…just like the Bucs did and just like the Lightning did.

The Dude
13 years ago

I have had season tix to the Rays and have now settled on a 22 game package.  I have had Texas Ranger season tix, NY Yankee tix and NY Mets tix and nothing is harder to make than a 7 pm game at the Trop. I live in Tampa and the drive to The Trop is 22 miles in heavy traffic. 

It’s funny that St Louis is weighing in as I have spent many nights/days at lightly attended Cards games in the 70’s and 80’s.  Every franchise has had attendance struggles at various times.  We are 12 – every Ray’s fan had a different favorite team 13 years ago.

The Rays will be fine – unfortunately ownership will need to threaten a move to get the stadium they should have…just like the Bucs did and just like the Lightning did.

The Dude
13 years ago

I have had season tix to the Rays and have now settled on a 22 game package.  I have had Texas Ranger season tix, NY Yankee tix and NY Mets tix and nothing is harder to make than a 7 pm game at the Trop. I live in Tampa and the drive to The Trop is 22 miles in heavy traffic. 

It’s funny that St Louis is weighing in as I have spent many nights/days at lightly attended Cards games in the 70’s and 80’s.  Every franchise has had attendance struggles at various times.  We are 12 – every Ray’s fan had a different favorite team 13 years ago.

The Rays will be fine – unfortunately ownership will need to threaten a move to get the stadium they should have…just like the Bucs did and just like the Lightning did.