tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15573506.post5901986002658215346..comments2008-10-26T23:03:11.433-07:00IntrinsicBenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08222407962228549040noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15573506.post-40174667544793581032008-10-26T23:03:11.433-07:002008-10-26T23:03:11.433-07:00you rays fans don't get it. it is not the fact that you don't show up to games when they are losing but do when they win. it's that you don't pay any attention to them AT ALL. your own players have spoken out against you. your area is just not a sports friendly place. the fact that you have 3 major sports teams is a joke. what's worse is that if any of them left, it would take you 10 years to notice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15573506.post-11810247045315492062008-09-23T14:39:29.195-07:002008-09-23T14:39:29.195-07:00Touche' Knowledge and YES Anonymous IS my real name...LOL. Yes it is sad and VERY frustrating that one needs to defend their beloved team, but someone's gotta do it. The Bucs did have an average of around 30,000 a game when the old "Sombrero" held 72,000. I remember being able to purchase $8.00 tickets on the end zone day of game and I could purchase them in a 7-11....true story! So the old theory rings true..."winning, brings out the fans." This will be true for the Rays and is already showing with advanced season ticket sales for next year already exceeding last years (numbers not on hand at the moment, but a local news source reported it), and the ALDS tix are almost sold out. So give us another 10 years and we will see if a new stadium is built in a better location and if we keep our young talent, then judge us for attendance if it even will be an issue by then.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15573506.post-74746049755393559452008-09-22T22:03:56.665-07:002008-09-22T22:03:56.665-07:00No sleep needed when you are young.<BR/><BR/>The fact that the Professor and Anonymous (If that is your real name)care enough to contest me means they are part of the minority in this issue which, like in the American Revolution, is a great start.<BR/><BR/>You can make numbers say whatever you want to (http://www.9equals8.com/2008/08/understanding-attendance-tampa-bay-rays.html). <BR/><BR/>My post was based on a credited source that I trust you read.<BR/><BR/>The whole thing about the fact the market isn't as big as NY or Boston or there aren't block corporate purchases is missing the point of the award.<BR/><BR/>In America, where bandwagoners rule and "what have you done for me lately" prevails as the norm, I am still at a loss for understanding a community that can't turn out. The Cubs and BoSox, albeit major markets, sucked for decades but sold out for decades.<BR/><BR/>I don't see that same attendance problem with your Buccaneers. Maybe it was like that before your Superbowl, but I don't care enough to research that either. Point is, it can be done.<BR/><BR/>This award was intended to be a wakeup call for lukewarm fans that are missing out on something special. I would have thought that after 10 years of crap, a brownie might attract more interest.<BR/><BR/>The wakeup is obviously not needed for you two.<BR/><BR/>Would either of you want to chronicle the Rays journey through the their first playoffs? I can't make those type (or many others) of decisions, but trust me, the guys I work for get giddy about stuff like that.<BR/><BR/>If you do, comment here or hit the email.<BR/><BR/>Well played gentlemen. Professor, was that picture taken on the set of "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids"?<BR/><BR/>Looking at history,<BR/>KnowledgeDroppingsKnowledge Droppingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575369088033319056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15573506.post-2833950961071084582008-09-22T14:32:11.011-07:002008-09-22T14:32:11.011-07:00Professor got it right, but since everyone wants to compare notes, and I'll be general at this point, then lets compare:<BR/><BR/>1- The Rays are 10 years in existence 10!<BR/> <BR/>2- The teams they are being compared to( Red Sox, Yankees, White Sox..etc), have been around 80+ years and are drawing from bigger metropolitan areas.<BR/><BR/>3- Check your records ans in years past when those hallowed clubs were not doing so well, you will see comparable attendance records.<BR/><BR/>4- Those clubs also have major corporations buying blocks of seats for the season and support the teams year after year with those purchases. This is a major contributor to their sell-outs.<BR/><BR/>5- The Tampa Bay /St. Pete Metro area does not have that backing which is also why we have the biggest walk-up crowd in the bigs.<BR/><BR/>6- For being the worst team in the Majors for the past 10 years, I'd say our attendance isn't too damn bad. Put this product on the field in New York or Boston for 10 straight years, drawing from 4-10 million people in the area, and let's see how long they keep a sell-out.<BR/><BR/>So gimme a break. If you don't live here and don't know your facts, stop spewing negative rhetoric because it stirs the pot. Know your facts and look at history before you label a community as a bunch of "douches", because if you look at history, then the originators of the "douch" fan would be these so -called loyal fans of those Yankee and Red Sox teams of old.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15573506.post-21988902353808905342008-09-22T13:13:05.801-07:002008-09-22T13:13:05.801-07:00Looks like the professor caught the intern sleeping.MoneyMouthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755072042162484773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15573506.post-91757757283782588992008-09-22T05:59:38.831-07:002008-09-22T05:59:38.831-07:00not sure where you got your numbers, but the Rays drew almost 2 million fans this season and averaged over 22,400 per game.<BR/><BR/>Not bad for a team that had never won more than 70 games in a season.<BR/><BR/>And season ticket sales for '09 are way up which will push next season's attendance closer to 30K+.<BR/><BR/>Research is a writer's friendThe Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121988730471875451noreply@blogger.com