Tampa Bay Rays Fans

[Scav]

How does a team that makes the world series and has some serious young talent to watch still draw negative people?

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by Scav

How does a team that makes the world series and has some serious young talent to watch still draw negative people?

Double negative if it wasn't for all the Sox fans there...noticed that too...what gives Leo and Bigs?

[Rudeboyelvis]

Unlike Chicago, most of us have jobs

[gales0678]

Originally Posted by Scav

How does a team that makes the world series and has some serious young talent to watch still draw negative people?

it's florida scavs - north/central florida it's all about football

see - the bucs sell out every week and probably have done so for years, my guess is that cities like chicago and ny the kids have it woven in from birth to root for a baseball team , not so for the rays or marlins

i got to go to florida field this year for a game against hawii , place was packed full

if NW played Hawii does the place fill up to full capacity?

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by Rudeboyelvis

Unlike Chicago, most of us have jobs

More day games then?

[Cannon Shell]

"Eighty five percent of the people in this country work. The other fifteen percent come here and boo my players" - Lee Elia

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Rudeboyelvis

Unlike Chicago, most of us have jobs

at 7pm at night, get the f out of here with that crap

[Scav]

Originally Posted by gales0678

it's florida scavs - north/central florida it's all about football

see - the bucs sell out every week and probably have done so for years, my guess is that cities like chicago and ny the kids have it woven in from birth to root for a baseball team , not so for the rays or marlins

i got to go to florida field this year for a game against hawii , place was packed full

if NW played Hawii does the place fill up to full capacity?

Comparing football and baseball is like comparing my and Drugs sex life, completely opposite.

I am guessing that this is solely based on bad marketing departments and non aggressive pricing, although Bigs could tell me otherwise. People WANT to enjoy a night at the ballpark, you just have to find a way to tell them how it worth the time and money.

[Rudeboyelvis]

Originally Posted by Scav

at 7pm at night, get the f out of here with that crap

Scav - The schedule I saw had it at a 4:05 start - must have been changed since the orig schedule came out - possibly the reason for the sparse crowd

pretty near sold out for the weekend

[Bigsmc]

I can't speak for everyone else, but personally, my schedule precludes me from going to most week night games.

There are several other factors/theories. I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but here goes.

1. For some reason, it has not become the "hip" thing to do in this area. The young people don't want to go to baseball games (unlike the Wrigley crowd). I don't know if any amount of marketing will change that.
2. The location of the dome. It is in the heart of St. Pete and traffic can be difficult to get in and out. (I don't buy this one at all having attended games in other cities with way worse traffic problems) It is tough to go to a game, have it drag on for four hours and then drive for an hour and a half to get home and get up for work the next day.
3. There are several other things to do in the area. We have beaches, a bazillion golf courses, college and pro football, nhl playoffs (sometimes), boating, fishing, thoroughbred horse racing. People are doing other things, moreso, they are spending their discretionary income on other things.
4. They used to blame the dome itself, but that is a piss poor excuse. I don't think anybody wants to sit out in a thunderstorm on a July night with 90 degree temps and 99% humidity. I have been to Marlins games and sat through the rain delays in the heat, it is miserable.
5. There is also the old excuse I hear throughout baseball, that the kids are still in school and it will pick up when school is out.

I think the attendance will pick up (it already is way better than last year) if the team stays competitive. If they go in the tank, they will bail like rats off a sinking ship.

Final answer to your question....no clue.

[gales0678]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

I can't speak for everyone else, but personally, my schedule precludes me from going to most week night games.

There are several other factors/theories. I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but here goes.

1. For some reason, it has not become the "hip" thing to do in this area. The young people don't want to go to baseball games (unlike the Wrigley crowd). I don't know if any amount of marketing will change that.
2. The location of the dome. It is in the heart of St. Pete and traffic can be difficult to get in and out. (I don't buy this one at all having attended games in other cities with way worse traffic problems) It is tough to go to a game, have it drag on for four hours and then drive for an hour and a half to get home and get up for work the next day.
3. There are several other things to do in the area. We have beaches, a bazillion golf courses, college and pro football, nhl playoffs (sometimes), boating, fishing, thoroughbred horse racing. People are doing other things, moreso, they are spending their discretionary income on other things.
4. They used to blame the dome itself, but that is a piss poor excuse. I don't think anybody wants to sit out in a thunderstorm on a July night with 90 degree temps and 99% humidity. I have been to Marlins games and sat through the rain delays in the heat, it is miserable.
5. There is also the old excuse I hear throughout baseball, that the kids are still in school and it will pick up when school is out.

I think the attendance will pick up (it already is way better than last year) if the team stays competitive. If they go in the tank, they will bail like rats off a sinking ship.

Final answer to your question....no clue.

bigs in NY a lot of seats at Citifield and The New Yankee stadium are corporate , i'm guessing that the corporate seats as % of total seats is a lot higher in NY than it is in TB

[Bigsmc]

I see the Yanks were 7,000 below capacity for their second home game ever in their new palace.....

[docicu3]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

I can't speak for everyone else, but personally, my schedule precludes me from going to most week night games.

There are several other factors/theories. I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but here goes.

1. For some reason, it has not become the "hip" thing to do in this area. The young people don't want to go to baseball games (unlike the Wrigley crowd). I don't know if any amount of marketing will change that.
2. The location of the dome. It is in the heart of St. Pete and traffic can be difficult to get in and out. (I don't buy this one at all having attended games in other cities with way worse traffic problems) It is tough to go to a game, have it drag on for four hours and then drive for an hour and a half to get home and get up for work the next day.
3. There are several other things to do in the area. We have beaches, a bazillion golf courses, college and pro football, nhl playoffs (sometimes), boating, fishing, thoroughbred horse racing. People are doing other things, moreso, they are spending their discretionary income on other things.
4. They used to blame the dome itself, but that is a piss poor excuse. I don't think anybody wants to sit out in a thunderstorm on a July night with 90 degree temps and 99% humidity. I have been to Marlins games and sat through the rain delays in the heat, it is miserable.
5. There is also the old excuse I hear throughout baseball, that the kids are still in school and it will pick up when school is out.

I think the attendance will pick up (it already is way better than last year) if the team stays competitive. If they go in the tank, they will bail like rats off a sinking ship.

Final answer to your question....no clue.

A sleepy thought....

Is there any chance that with the current economy, new success...like the Rays, is unlikely to sustain any momentum until it is maintained for a longer period of time because "disposable income" isn't there.... If this was 10 years ago a World Series appearance gets you definable carryover in next season attendance, but in this time and market it will take years for improved attendance to be a consequence of play on the field.

[MaTH716]

I think it also has to due with the fact that this is only their 11 season in existance. Their own generation of fans are probably just learning to drive about now. They are probably the adopted team by fans in the area. People who lived their before the Rays were in existance and already had favorite teams. I'm not sure how many of these people go to the games. But now as the kids get older with them always watching and rooting for the Rays, you would think that the fan base would get stronger.
Also with the economy being what it is. If you wanted to go to a game or two. Would you want to wait until maybe after the all star games when things are heating up? Or would you rather go to game #14 against the A's?
Throw into the mix that you have the NHL (I know the bolts & panthers are out) & NBA (2 florida teams in) playoffs going on. Me personally would much rather watch playoff action then schlep to a baseball game. But then again I really don't get into it until after the All Star break.

[Rudeboyelvis]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

2. The location of the dome. It is in the heart of St. Pete and traffic can be difficult to get in and out. (I don't buy this one at all having attended games in other cities with way worse traffic problems) It is tough to go to a game, have it drag on for four hours and then drive for an hour and a half to get home and get up for work the next day.

Cannot agree more - getting there is impossible with out leaving at 4:30 for a 7:05 start, unless you take a half day vac and get there early enough to hang at Ferg's for a few hours. Getting home is better, but still at least an hour - hour and a half to most of the suburbia parts of Tampa - Brandon, Carrolwood/Northdale, New Tampa, Palm Harbor/Tarpon Springs, Trinity/NPR, etc.

Tampa residents get it the worse by having to traverse the bay by one of only two bridges that are an absolute cluster foxtrot at rush hour.

Zero public transportation, though as spread out as everything is it isn't viable anyway.

Matt has an excellent point as well - they are a new team in a city of transients who carry their loyalties with them. The Yankees have been here for ages in the spring and Steinbrenner has at least have the town named after him for his philanthropic endeavors. Doubt you will ever sway the local New York/Boston/Philly population to start donning Rays gear.

Hockey is the lone exception; the area flocked to the Lightning and even as horrid as they are, still draw a well defined local fan base.

30 years after the arrival of the Bucs, there is still a noticeable array of opposing team support each game - but it is no different than what you'd see in Carolina, Phoenix, Jacksonville, etc. where the teams were bought in to accomodate the growing population.

A new dome, more centrally located to the population that supports them, would go miles in garnering attendance - put it will never be NY, CHI, St.L or Boston.

[brianwspencer]

It should pick up when school gets out.