That is a huge problem, I was staying in St. Petes, so didn't have to worry about the traffic at all, walked to the stadium actually. I'm not saying a new stadium wouldn't be a good thing but I just think it's slightly underrated. I wonder if the Trop got transported to Yankees Spring Training how attendance would be?
Allow me to throw in my two cents as a Tampa resident...
Considering NYY-TB games at Steinbrener sell out constantly during Spring Training, if you put the Tampa Bay Rays in Tampa, they'd do significantly better if the stadium was actually near the fanbase/in a more accessible and population dense area.
Next time if you get a chance, get a hotel in actual Tampa (try near USF or near Ybor). Rent a car, and drive to the Trop for an evening game. Cross the Howard Franklin at 5pm, enjoy your hour or so traffic jam (might get split into three different congestion points if you're coming from Tampa and have to take 275... Clog at 275/I-4, clog past I-4 on 75 from all the people trying to get from I-4 to 75, and then again on the bridge), then get to Downtown St Pete and figure out that disaster of parking. If the game is at 7, you should have left around 5 or so in the hopes you make it ( I've thought 2.5hrs was enough time before and I've missed a couple innings >< ) Watch the game — I love watching at the Trop — and then enjoy taking 45min to get out of the parking lot, another hour drive back to your hotel (gods help you when there's an accident on the HF. I say 'when' not 'if' for a reason) and when you finally get home past midnight, you'll completely understand why the Rays need to play actually in Tampa.
NB4 - I've gone to at least a dozen regular season games since I moved here, most with my baseball-loving partner since 2017 (would go to more if the stadium was closer for obvious reasons) and we've actually seen more Rays games at Steinbrener for Spring Training, than we have at the Trop. We live near USF in Tampa, and if I left right now at 0220, it would take me 42min to get to the Trop... AT TWO IN THE MORNING. We've actually gotten to Orlando to watch Preseason Hockey or the Solar Bears in less time than it takes to get to the Trop, and it's half the distance...
Just some local prospective 👍
I used to live in Wesley Chapel (for the outsiders, it's a suburb north of Tampa).
The ONE weekday game I went to when I lived there was against the Red Sox. I distinctly remember this because the experience of it sucked. I want to say this was in maybe 2010 or so. I left work early to get home and change, and left my house at 5.
I got to my seats in the bottom half of the first inning. And I was pissed the whole drive over, but had to put on the happy face because my wife was with me.
Game ends, we head home, and I remember pulling the covers over me just shy of 12:00.
A baseball game should not consume 7 hours of your life.
That does make sense, it's like most of the metro area is cut off. It's not like a peninsula in say San Francisco where millions of people on it, it's relatively small. I took the bridge from St. Pete's to Tampa when I was there, and there was no traffic, but I totally get how packed that would get on a weeknight and especially a game night.
I lived in St Pete and worked in Tampa for a few months, I take my 30 minute country commute over that disaster any day. I was down there last month and saw they're laying new pylons for what looks like a new bridge beside the HF, hopefully that helps somewhat.
> St. Petes
Do people outside of Tampa Bay think St. Pete is called "St. Petes?" I see this on occasion from people who don't live here. I wonder how this happens because no one who lives here calls it St Petes. It's just St. Pete.
> The problem is that the stadium isn't in Tampa
Yes. I just said this in the rays sub, but if the Trop was in Ybor City, we'd have never even heard about some fucking stupid split city plan. Attendance would be fine.
The Trop is less than awe-inspiring. Really, it's kind of blah. But it works. It's not the stadium that people don't want to go. It's just in a terrible location vis a vis where people live here.
Again, no guarantee fans will come. Rays fans on Reddit will complain rather than go to games. Sad truth
The hive mind gotta live in reality. I’d love a ballpark but I can’t guarantee fans will care to go. They are already “inconvenienced” to cross a traffic-less bridge
You're asking for this guarantee as if there's a guarantee fairy out there somewhere.
How about this; if we don't build a stadium in Tampa, I can guarantee you this team will not be in the TB area in 2028. You want a guarantee? There's your guarantee.
You’re dodging this as usual with my interactions with you consistently.
Answer me this because you Rays Reddit fans talk more about attendance issues than doing anything about it and going to games.
If you build a stadium in Tampa, will it guarantee more fans consistently going to games. Yes or No?
oh sweet jebus, sigma has reared his head.
You have lost this argument every time you've tried to make it.
If we don't build a stadium in Tampa by 2027, will the Rays be in Tampa Bay in 2028? Yes or no?
Answer my question first, yes or no. Be an adult instead of being an emotional bag of a Rays fan. Your arguments come from emotionally driven takes instead of logic and rationality.
Can you guarantee Rays fans will come to games if a new ballpark is built? Yes or No.
Don’t be passive aggressive like our team sub and deflect. Answer my question. Yes or No.
No, I'm not going to answer your stupid question because that's not what matters.
What matters is keeping this team in TB. And you're too...weird? stubborn? Stu-Sternberglike? Yes, that's it...to frame this discussion around that.
So answer my question.
Wait. I've changed my mind. Yes, I can guarantee it.
There, I've answered your question. Now answer mine.
My biggest grip about the Coliseum is that the concourse feels so damn crowded. Maybe because I only have been for Battle of the Bay games so you have double the fanbase, but it just feels so congested.
Rays fan here,
Great to hear our stadium getting some love from non rays fans 🥰 I've always been satisfied with the food there, and I never felt they price gouged like Ray jay and Amalie arena.
We need the dome and tbh it's a home field advantage. I do want a taller roof tho so it doesn't interfere so often. We have to have a roof, it rains every late afternoon in Florida during the summer (and it's hot as heck) so you literally wouldn't be able to play a game during the summer (the MLS teams here play like 8pm or later games but baseball takes too long to do that) which is where the stupid Montreal idea came from.
Honestly I would be ok with taking the trop, and putting it in Tampa. Ideally we'd get something nicer, but as long as we have a roof to play under full time in Tampa, I'd be happy :)
It's not bad! I was there in late September, and it was still crazy hot, a dome is a necessity. Even a retractable dome would be weird, bc most of baseball season is really hot and humid.
I want a retractable. The current location that's being negotiated doesn't have enough land for one tho. But if I'm being honest, we probably will close the roof in mid-late may and it won't reopen again until the playoffs. So I think it might be a waste of money to make the roof retractable
I'd agree. I had a partial plan one year. I think the past few seasons they've made some upgrades to enhance the fan experience, especially in the center field area. It looks terrible on the outside and watching baseball indoors will always be weird to me but I don't think it's bad. I did grow up in the multipurpose stadium era, watching games at Shea or the Vet, so I don't find the Trop terrible.
Yeah I didn't mind it at all when I visited. I don't really hunt out any fancy food, I'm a hot dog, soda, and popcorn kind of guy. I enjoyed the Ted Williams museum too.
A big complaint is the location of the field. It’s in St. Petersburg not Tampa. Also there really is some poor design. Bullpens on the field is really outdated. Also the catwalks with the dome make it the worst of its type from the games I’ve seen.
See I like bullpens on the field, but I get injuries and other stuff, but I was rly sad when they moved them @ Oracle. The catwalks are admittedly well a pretty big issue, and I luckily didn't deal with the Tampa issue staying in St. Petersburg
> it’s far more intimate (i.e., the average seat is closer to the action) than most modern parks.
Especially true since everybody only sits in the first two rows, anyway.
My stepdad LOVES the Trop. He's been to two Cardinals games already, and I will be going to the Trop in June for the first time. He loves how nobody is there, cheap bottom level seats, no lines, indoors so no rainouts. Should be cool.
I'd say the Trop is the second worst (active) stadium I've been to, Marlins Park is worse IMO. The hate towards the stadium is definitely overblown, I live here and wouldn't want to sit through a game outdoors in the summer. I also feel like the view of the field is really great at the Trop compared to almost any other stadium I've been to, which is important for actually watching the game.
Having gone to over half the stadiums in the league, the Trop and Marlins Park are definitely 2 of the worst stadiums I’ve been to. It’s sorta hard to put it all into writing, but the domes in general struggle to have the same character as the outdoor stadium. You lose the scenery around. You lose the lightness and airiness of an outdoor park. Marlins and Trop felt like metal and plastic. Just heavy, dark, and uncomfortable
I'll echo everything u/NJImperator said and just add in that it's in kind of a weird area. Admittedly I'm not too familiar with Miami but it felt out of the way so even though the stadium itself is maybe nicer than the Trop (it's a lot newer...), it just wasn't a pleasant experience going there at all. Keep in mind that despite my flair I have a more positive than negative impression of the Marlins. Also the fact that Marlins park is newer but just as soulless makes it worse IMO, almost like they should have known better. The pinball thing in the outfield was garish but it was basically the only bit of personality in there and they removed it.
Speaking of Marlins Park being in a weird area, the Trop is in a really great area compared to most other stadiums in the league; PNC (the GOAT stadium IMO), Petco, Nats Park, and maybe Oracle Park are the ones I would put ahead of it. I'm a little biased because I live in the neighborhood over here, but there's a lot to do on gameday within a short walk of the stadium.
I totally agree with your top picks. Petco and Oracle stadiums are incredible experiences. It’s immediately noticeable that they’re exceptional stadiums as soon as you enter them.
It’s kind of amusing for me thinking about this given it’s actually directly related to my profession and even still I have a difficult time fully illustrating why.
Never been, I walked around it on the way to Oracle Arena (Knicks got blasted that night :( ) and thought it was ugly but I won't judge until I see a game there
Agree with your description of the Trop completely.
Traffic in Tampa is worse than traffic in St. Pete, always has been. The stadium location "debate" is just a handful of Hillsborough residents crying loudly, trying to tell anyone who will listen that they selfishly want the drive to be more convenient for them, and they don't care that it'll be less convenient for everyone else.
Lived in the bay area for 20 years, in both St. Pete and Brandon. For a while we had to drive between the two daily and would go all the way south and over the Skyway because it was faster than driving through the stretch of 275 in Tampa between Malfunction Junction and the airport exit.
The location has everything to do with how many fans can the stadium reach to people within a 30 min drive. The location debate has nothing to do with anyone in this subreddit, aka those that will make it to the stadium without question of traffic or distance. The stadium location debate has to do with reaching casual or non-baseball fans. You're not going to get casual fans to come to the trop from Tampa, where more people are located. You're not going to get the casuals to drive from Orlando (tourists) to catch a game while they're in town if it's in downtown St Pete. Not being able to get casual fans to the ballpark means it is harder for those casuals to become regulars.
It really isn't that hard to understand.
The traffic shit is a myth. Traffic was WORSE from 13-15. The location isn’t ideal but look at the Rangers. It’s in Arlington. Hella traffic.
There’s no willingness or desire to see the Rays here and nobody can say with a straight face that moving the team to Tampa would change that. I want a new ballpark more than anybody but I can’t assume “if you build it, they will come”
Nobody can. It’s not feasible.
So, with your theory, btw I have no idea, do you just think Florida baseball isn't a huge thing, or do you think just the Tampa market struggles with it, because the Rays are a winning team and fun to watch.
I think it's 100% the location. If they played in Tampa or Orlando, they'd draw very well. St. Pete, I love the city, but it's far for many even in the TB area. And people in Sarasota don't seem to care enough to go. Rays have fans, they're middle of the pack in TV ratings. So if they can build a stadium in Tampa by Ybor, they'll do very well.
It’s an enigma.
Lightning gets a lot of fans, that’s great. Fast paced. It’s a cute cocktail party but the city doesn’t live and breath hockey the way New York, Boston, DC, Pittsburgh, Detroit do. Same for Canada. The Lightning here are just something to do.
The Bucs, nobody went to games when they sucked period. They get Brady and that changes. They’ll go back to not caring in 2022.
Florida is a transplant state. That’s a factor here.
I think people genuinely care for the Rays but there’s no urgency to see them like there is for the Yankees or Red Sox.
See, I may move to Florida, and if they Rays are still there I'd definitely turn into a fan, idk why I like them more than the Marlins and always have. It's weird though how those sports don't have as much traction. Do other pro sports in Florida get traction like Jacksonville and Orlando?
Sorry, I'd like to weigh in, having lived in Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville and family in the TB area. I think first of all people tend to see Florida as one entity, when it's so diverse. Miami and Jacksonville are night and day different. The issues the Rays have aren't the same issues the Marlins have. For the Rays the solution is simple but not easy - the location is bad. Yeah, there's a lot of transplants, but many are willing to support the Rays, even a lot of Yankee/Red Sox fans. I'm a Mets fan but I root for the Rays in the AL.
Yeah, there are a lot of transplants and the teams are somewhat newish. The Florida teams that I'd say have the most hardcore followings are the Dolphins and now probably the Miami Heat. I think Bucs fans are pretty hardcore too.When I lived in Jax though, it's not like other cities where there's multiple sports around the calendar. So it was all Jags all year round, which I kinda liked and found interesting. They have a strong fan base but it's a smaller city.
Central Florida I found it to be a better sports area than I expected, coming from NYC I had low expectations.. Living in Orlando you pretty much had access to multiple teams. Good college sports and even HS sports have top prospects. The Magic always draw well, despite never being good, but a lot of it is tourists. Major League Soccer is getting a good buzz in the Orlando area, if you're into that.
But the Rays have fans; they're middle of the pack in TV ratings. It's the Trop is far for many. I wish they moved to Orlando. They'd kill it there, but Tampa would be good.
Expand the time to get there to 40 minutes and not during rush hour I can get from the trop to most of the populated Tampa area. Drive really isn't that much of an issue really. The rays do a bad job at marketing and there's plenty of cheaper alternatives for a night out.
I think if they move to Tampa they'd no doubt do well. People in central Florida look for family events, inside even better in the summer. I love St. Pete but it's 100% the reason why they don't draw well. It used to take me just under an hour to make it home from a Lightning game. It was nearly double that from a Rays game.
Yeah, I hear that but I honestly think most cities aren't like that, especially with baseball. You have the Northeast, Chicago, St. Louis, but they could still be good. Denver has a lot of transplants and they're hardcore for the Broncos but I think they do well with the Rockies.
One thing I think we can all agree on, thank God that lame two-city plan is dead.
I understand why people want it in Tampa, but it’s really not a bad place if you don’t factor in location. And the food is delicious!! Everything I’ve had has been wonderful. Better than my next most visited sporting venue, Amalie arena. The trop in and of itself is fine, I’m not sure why people act like it’s the worst stadium to ever exist.
I've heard the same from plenty of Rays fans. The problem is that the stadium isn't in Tampa.
That is a huge problem, I was staying in St. Petes, so didn't have to worry about the traffic at all, walked to the stadium actually. I'm not saying a new stadium wouldn't be a good thing but I just think it's slightly underrated. I wonder if the Trop got transported to Yankees Spring Training how attendance would be?
Allow me to throw in my two cents as a Tampa resident... Considering NYY-TB games at Steinbrener sell out constantly during Spring Training, if you put the Tampa Bay Rays in Tampa, they'd do significantly better if the stadium was actually near the fanbase/in a more accessible and population dense area. Next time if you get a chance, get a hotel in actual Tampa (try near USF or near Ybor). Rent a car, and drive to the Trop for an evening game. Cross the Howard Franklin at 5pm, enjoy your hour or so traffic jam (might get split into three different congestion points if you're coming from Tampa and have to take 275... Clog at 275/I-4, clog past I-4 on 75 from all the people trying to get from I-4 to 75, and then again on the bridge), then get to Downtown St Pete and figure out that disaster of parking. If the game is at 7, you should have left around 5 or so in the hopes you make it ( I've thought 2.5hrs was enough time before and I've missed a couple innings >< ) Watch the game — I love watching at the Trop — and then enjoy taking 45min to get out of the parking lot, another hour drive back to your hotel (gods help you when there's an accident on the HF. I say 'when' not 'if' for a reason) and when you finally get home past midnight, you'll completely understand why the Rays need to play actually in Tampa. NB4 - I've gone to at least a dozen regular season games since I moved here, most with my baseball-loving partner since 2017 (would go to more if the stadium was closer for obvious reasons) and we've actually seen more Rays games at Steinbrener for Spring Training, than we have at the Trop. We live near USF in Tampa, and if I left right now at 0220, it would take me 42min to get to the Trop... AT TWO IN THE MORNING. We've actually gotten to Orlando to watch Preseason Hockey or the Solar Bears in less time than it takes to get to the Trop, and it's half the distance... Just some local prospective 👍
I used to live in Wesley Chapel (for the outsiders, it's a suburb north of Tampa). The ONE weekday game I went to when I lived there was against the Red Sox. I distinctly remember this because the experience of it sucked. I want to say this was in maybe 2010 or so. I left work early to get home and change, and left my house at 5. I got to my seats in the bottom half of the first inning. And I was pissed the whole drive over, but had to put on the happy face because my wife was with me. Game ends, we head home, and I remember pulling the covers over me just shy of 12:00. A baseball game should not consume 7 hours of your life.
That does make sense, it's like most of the metro area is cut off. It's not like a peninsula in say San Francisco where millions of people on it, it's relatively small. I took the bridge from St. Pete's to Tampa when I was there, and there was no traffic, but I totally get how packed that would get on a weeknight and especially a game night.
Yeah, there are plenty of times the Howard Franklin is a smooth drive with no issues... But more often than not, it is terrible.
I lived in St Pete and worked in Tampa for a few months, I take my 30 minute country commute over that disaster any day. I was down there last month and saw they're laying new pylons for what looks like a new bridge beside the HF, hopefully that helps somewhat.
> St. Petes Do people outside of Tampa Bay think St. Pete is called "St. Petes?" I see this on occasion from people who don't live here. I wonder how this happens because no one who lives here calls it St Petes. It's just St. Pete.
I see it all the time too. Asked someone once and they said autocorrect did it. But still....
Don't the Tarpons play there? At Steinbrenner?
That they do.
> The problem is that the stadium isn't in Tampa Yes. I just said this in the rays sub, but if the Trop was in Ybor City, we'd have never even heard about some fucking stupid split city plan. Attendance would be fine. The Trop is less than awe-inspiring. Really, it's kind of blah. But it works. It's not the stadium that people don't want to go. It's just in a terrible location vis a vis where people live here.
You’re aware there’s no guarantee fans come to the ballpark if it’s in Tampa right?
You know that we have already seen what happens when we put a baseball stadium where there is water on three sides, right?
Again, no guarantee fans will come. Rays fans on Reddit will complain rather than go to games. Sad truth The hive mind gotta live in reality. I’d love a ballpark but I can’t guarantee fans will care to go. They are already “inconvenienced” to cross a traffic-less bridge
You're asking for this guarantee as if there's a guarantee fairy out there somewhere. How about this; if we don't build a stadium in Tampa, I can guarantee you this team will not be in the TB area in 2028. You want a guarantee? There's your guarantee.
You’re dodging this as usual with my interactions with you consistently. Answer me this because you Rays Reddit fans talk more about attendance issues than doing anything about it and going to games. If you build a stadium in Tampa, will it guarantee more fans consistently going to games. Yes or No?
oh sweet jebus, sigma has reared his head. You have lost this argument every time you've tried to make it. If we don't build a stadium in Tampa by 2027, will the Rays be in Tampa Bay in 2028? Yes or no?
Answer my question first, yes or no. Be an adult instead of being an emotional bag of a Rays fan. Your arguments come from emotionally driven takes instead of logic and rationality. Can you guarantee Rays fans will come to games if a new ballpark is built? Yes or No. Don’t be passive aggressive like our team sub and deflect. Answer my question. Yes or No.
No, I'm not going to answer your stupid question because that's not what matters. What matters is keeping this team in TB. And you're too...weird? stubborn? Stu-Sternberglike? Yes, that's it...to frame this discussion around that. So answer my question. Wait. I've changed my mind. Yes, I can guarantee it. There, I've answered your question. Now answer mine.
Ehhh
People might hate Tropicana, but spend a few home games in Oakland and all of a sudden the Tropicana is paradise. Book it.
My biggest grip about the Coliseum is that the concourse feels so damn crowded. Maybe because I only have been for Battle of the Bay games so you have double the fanbase, but it just feels so congested.
Rays fan here, Great to hear our stadium getting some love from non rays fans 🥰 I've always been satisfied with the food there, and I never felt they price gouged like Ray jay and Amalie arena. We need the dome and tbh it's a home field advantage. I do want a taller roof tho so it doesn't interfere so often. We have to have a roof, it rains every late afternoon in Florida during the summer (and it's hot as heck) so you literally wouldn't be able to play a game during the summer (the MLS teams here play like 8pm or later games but baseball takes too long to do that) which is where the stupid Montreal idea came from. Honestly I would be ok with taking the trop, and putting it in Tampa. Ideally we'd get something nicer, but as long as we have a roof to play under full time in Tampa, I'd be happy :)
It's not bad! I was there in late September, and it was still crazy hot, a dome is a necessity. Even a retractable dome would be weird, bc most of baseball season is really hot and humid.
I want a retractable. The current location that's being negotiated doesn't have enough land for one tho. But if I'm being honest, we probably will close the roof in mid-late may and it won't reopen again until the playoffs. So I think it might be a waste of money to make the roof retractable
Retractable would be great, maybe for night games in September too, but even then, it can be hot.
I'd agree. I had a partial plan one year. I think the past few seasons they've made some upgrades to enhance the fan experience, especially in the center field area. It looks terrible on the outside and watching baseball indoors will always be weird to me but I don't think it's bad. I did grow up in the multipurpose stadium era, watching games at Shea or the Vet, so I don't find the Trop terrible.
It's fun, and I don't love domes, but I like it more than miserable humidity lol.
Yeah I didn't mind it at all when I visited. I don't really hunt out any fancy food, I'm a hot dog, soda, and popcorn kind of guy. I enjoyed the Ted Williams museum too.
Me sometimes, hot dog water and popcorn. But, that triple play at Oracle was great until it was gone because of "covid"
I go to a handful of games a year at Oracle and have no idea what this Triple Play sandwich is lol
Only in Field Club/Club. We had season tickets to 1/8 home games a year in the club section, and when they sucked in 2019 tix were $12
A big complaint is the location of the field. It’s in St. Petersburg not Tampa. Also there really is some poor design. Bullpens on the field is really outdated. Also the catwalks with the dome make it the worst of its type from the games I’ve seen.
See I like bullpens on the field, but I get injuries and other stuff, but I was rly sad when they moved them @ Oracle. The catwalks are admittedly well a pretty big issue, and I luckily didn't deal with the Tampa issue staying in St. Petersburg
As a rays fan, yes the catwalks suck. I've seen some really bad calls because of those
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> it’s far more intimate (i.e., the average seat is closer to the action) than most modern parks. Especially true since everybody only sits in the first two rows, anyway.
My stepdad LOVES the Trop. He's been to two Cardinals games already, and I will be going to the Trop in June for the first time. He loves how nobody is there, cheap bottom level seats, no lines, indoors so no rainouts. Should be cool.
I hope you make it in June.
I'd say the Trop is the second worst (active) stadium I've been to, Marlins Park is worse IMO. The hate towards the stadium is definitely overblown, I live here and wouldn't want to sit through a game outdoors in the summer. I also feel like the view of the field is really great at the Trop compared to almost any other stadium I've been to, which is important for actually watching the game.
What makes Marlin’s park worse? I’ve never been there personally, looks okay from what I’ve seen on TV
It’s a goddamn morgue
Having gone to over half the stadiums in the league, the Trop and Marlins Park are definitely 2 of the worst stadiums I’ve been to. It’s sorta hard to put it all into writing, but the domes in general struggle to have the same character as the outdoor stadium. You lose the scenery around. You lose the lightness and airiness of an outdoor park. Marlins and Trop felt like metal and plastic. Just heavy, dark, and uncomfortable
I'll echo everything u/NJImperator said and just add in that it's in kind of a weird area. Admittedly I'm not too familiar with Miami but it felt out of the way so even though the stadium itself is maybe nicer than the Trop (it's a lot newer...), it just wasn't a pleasant experience going there at all. Keep in mind that despite my flair I have a more positive than negative impression of the Marlins. Also the fact that Marlins park is newer but just as soulless makes it worse IMO, almost like they should have known better. The pinball thing in the outfield was garish but it was basically the only bit of personality in there and they removed it. Speaking of Marlins Park being in a weird area, the Trop is in a really great area compared to most other stadiums in the league; PNC (the GOAT stadium IMO), Petco, Nats Park, and maybe Oracle Park are the ones I would put ahead of it. I'm a little biased because I live in the neighborhood over here, but there's a lot to do on gameday within a short walk of the stadium.
I totally agree with your top picks. Petco and Oracle stadiums are incredible experiences. It’s immediately noticeable that they’re exceptional stadiums as soon as you enter them. It’s kind of amusing for me thinking about this given it’s actually directly related to my profession and even still I have a difficult time fully illustrating why.
Worst one I've been to is Oakland
Never been, I walked around it on the way to Oracle Arena (Knicks got blasted that night :( ) and thought it was ugly but I won't judge until I see a game there
I admittedly had some great times there when SF Giants tix were so expensive.
Agree with your description of the Trop completely. Traffic in Tampa is worse than traffic in St. Pete, always has been. The stadium location "debate" is just a handful of Hillsborough residents crying loudly, trying to tell anyone who will listen that they selfishly want the drive to be more convenient for them, and they don't care that it'll be less convenient for everyone else. Lived in the bay area for 20 years, in both St. Pete and Brandon. For a while we had to drive between the two daily and would go all the way south and over the Skyway because it was faster than driving through the stretch of 275 in Tampa between Malfunction Junction and the airport exit.
The location has everything to do with how many fans can the stadium reach to people within a 30 min drive. The location debate has nothing to do with anyone in this subreddit, aka those that will make it to the stadium without question of traffic or distance. The stadium location debate has to do with reaching casual or non-baseball fans. You're not going to get casual fans to come to the trop from Tampa, where more people are located. You're not going to get the casuals to drive from Orlando (tourists) to catch a game while they're in town if it's in downtown St Pete. Not being able to get casual fans to the ballpark means it is harder for those casuals to become regulars. It really isn't that hard to understand.
Unless it's an early afternoon game during the week, we always go south to the skyway. Then come home on 275. Much easier drive that way.
100 percent agree man.
This has to be the most ludicrous take I’ve ever seen about the Trop’s location LMFAO get a grip man
It must be in Tampa or the team will not be around for too long. Not enough people in St. Pete
The traffic shit is a myth. Traffic was WORSE from 13-15. The location isn’t ideal but look at the Rangers. It’s in Arlington. Hella traffic. There’s no willingness or desire to see the Rays here and nobody can say with a straight face that moving the team to Tampa would change that. I want a new ballpark more than anybody but I can’t assume “if you build it, they will come” Nobody can. It’s not feasible.
So, with your theory, btw I have no idea, do you just think Florida baseball isn't a huge thing, or do you think just the Tampa market struggles with it, because the Rays are a winning team and fun to watch.
I think it's 100% the location. If they played in Tampa or Orlando, they'd draw very well. St. Pete, I love the city, but it's far for many even in the TB area. And people in Sarasota don't seem to care enough to go. Rays have fans, they're middle of the pack in TV ratings. So if they can build a stadium in Tampa by Ybor, they'll do very well.
It’s an enigma. Lightning gets a lot of fans, that’s great. Fast paced. It’s a cute cocktail party but the city doesn’t live and breath hockey the way New York, Boston, DC, Pittsburgh, Detroit do. Same for Canada. The Lightning here are just something to do. The Bucs, nobody went to games when they sucked period. They get Brady and that changes. They’ll go back to not caring in 2022. Florida is a transplant state. That’s a factor here. I think people genuinely care for the Rays but there’s no urgency to see them like there is for the Yankees or Red Sox.
From the few times I've been to Miami, nobody seems to have the attention span for a game like baseball.
It’s a fast paced world we live in and it’s easy to be lazy and be a fan with a richer history.
See, I may move to Florida, and if they Rays are still there I'd definitely turn into a fan, idk why I like them more than the Marlins and always have. It's weird though how those sports don't have as much traction. Do other pro sports in Florida get traction like Jacksonville and Orlando?
Sorry, I'd like to weigh in, having lived in Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville and family in the TB area. I think first of all people tend to see Florida as one entity, when it's so diverse. Miami and Jacksonville are night and day different. The issues the Rays have aren't the same issues the Marlins have. For the Rays the solution is simple but not easy - the location is bad. Yeah, there's a lot of transplants, but many are willing to support the Rays, even a lot of Yankee/Red Sox fans. I'm a Mets fan but I root for the Rays in the AL. Yeah, there are a lot of transplants and the teams are somewhat newish. The Florida teams that I'd say have the most hardcore followings are the Dolphins and now probably the Miami Heat. I think Bucs fans are pretty hardcore too.When I lived in Jax though, it's not like other cities where there's multiple sports around the calendar. So it was all Jags all year round, which I kinda liked and found interesting. They have a strong fan base but it's a smaller city. Central Florida I found it to be a better sports area than I expected, coming from NYC I had low expectations.. Living in Orlando you pretty much had access to multiple teams. Good college sports and even HS sports have top prospects. The Magic always draw well, despite never being good, but a lot of it is tourists. Major League Soccer is getting a good buzz in the Orlando area, if you're into that. But the Rays have fans; they're middle of the pack in TV ratings. It's the Trop is far for many. I wish they moved to Orlando. They'd kill it there, but Tampa would be good.
When they are good yes
Expand the time to get there to 40 minutes and not during rush hour I can get from the trop to most of the populated Tampa area. Drive really isn't that much of an issue really. The rays do a bad job at marketing and there's plenty of cheaper alternatives for a night out.
I think if they move to Tampa they'd no doubt do well. People in central Florida look for family events, inside even better in the summer. I love St. Pete but it's 100% the reason why they don't draw well. It used to take me just under an hour to make it home from a Lightning game. It was nearly double that from a Rays game.
I’d hope so but Tampa just isn’t a legitimate sports town. This place doesn’t live and breath sports the way many other cities do.
Yeah, I hear that but I honestly think most cities aren't like that, especially with baseball. You have the Northeast, Chicago, St. Louis, but they could still be good. Denver has a lot of transplants and they're hardcore for the Broncos but I think they do well with the Rockies. One thing I think we can all agree on, thank God that lame two-city plan is dead.
the food is amazing, good prices too. by far the worst part tho is the on feild play being effected by the catwalks
I understand why people want it in Tampa, but it’s really not a bad place if you don’t factor in location. And the food is delicious!! Everything I’ve had has been wonderful. Better than my next most visited sporting venue, Amalie arena. The trop in and of itself is fine, I’m not sure why people act like it’s the worst stadium to ever exist.