NewRaysFan

:notworthy Bud Selig just interviewed with Mike Greenberg on ESPN News, Greenie asked if the Marlins are staying in South Florida and Bud said "yes" Greenie "with the current ownership in place" Bud "not if they can't get a stadium deal done" Greenie "can you force them to sell" Bud "if they are not doing what is best for baseball, yes" Greenie "are they doing what is best for baseball by fielding that team" Bud "NO" Greenie "they receive over $25 million in luxury tax, how is it possible to have a $15 million payroll" Bud "teams that don't field a competitive team utilizing the luxury tax money are going to be forced to provide documentation on where the money went to" WAY TO GO BUD, F*CK LORIA & SAMSON!!!! SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET MEDEIVAL ON THEIR ASSES!!

I think the Marlins piss poor play is a given for the next 155 games, it would be like being Pamela Anderson's husband and stating that she has a nice rack everytime you see her. ( I might actually do that, but you get the point)

I agree, this is so friggin embarrassing that MLB and Bud (lite) Selig should step in force the Jack off Loria to sell the team by season's end. Is there any doubt why no one will be at the games this year, but our least favorite owner will spin the lack of attendance on "this just isn't a baseball town". Not the fact that you have a high school team plus two. I seriously thought about going to the game today, but then I remembered how boring the spring training game was and how horrible the first 6 games were to start the season. I can't torchure myself by going to such a pathetic sports franchise. I literally pray that Loria and Samson pull their greedy heads out of their asses and sell the team and move on to something they understand. ONE OTHER THING........Girardi is a joke so far as a manager, but what do you expect, he is probably gettin minimum wage. Just a few stupid moves early in his managerial career: Pitching to a great hitter with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, what happened? Wright tripled knocking in 2. Should have walked him and pitched to the left handed Floyd. Pinch running for Cabrera late in the game with the score 3-2, what happens if that speedy runner scores and we have extra innings without our only major leauge hitter? He fits perfect with this bunch of ignorant players. He's John Boles reincarnated. The Rays look good and if they played in the NL East they could make a run at the division. They are a fun team to watch and they don't threaten to leave plus they have new exciting management with money to spend. Don't you wish we had all of that here???? I just don't know how MLB can turn their backs on Loria and Samson and the mockery they are making of the game in south Florida. Selig needs to step in and take the team from them, let it be run by MLB until they find a solid owner that can afford a decent amount of the new stadium. LORIA YOU SUCK BIG GIANT SAMSON!! I HATE BOTH OF YOU AND I HOPE YOU (&()&)%^&(%&(&$^&^&*&&**&%^

Olivo stinks!! and he may be the every day catcher LOL! Can you see those L's pile up??? :banghead

I all for a "Save the Marlins" push, but Samson and Loria are just going to use it against the fans when it doesn't produce anything and give MLB another reason to move the team. If you can't see what Samson and Loria are trying to do here then you are blind. A stadium will be like hitting the Lotto to them. They barely have enough funds to own a team and are looking for public money to pay for their dream. They don't care where the money comes from; Vegas, San Antonio, Charlotte etc. AND if they can prove to MLB that they can't get a stadium built and the fans aren't interested then MLB will 100% be behind a move to a city that will make Samson and Loria richer. The only way to keep the Marlins is for MLB to force Loria and Samson to sell the team to an investor with MLB cash. I know I would rather start over with a fresh new ownership than to go through the motions with the current bs owners. LORIA AND SAMSON ARE WORTHLESS WHEN WILL YOU PEOPLE SEE THAT!!!??? :mad

Loria never intended on putting up hard cash, his contribution towards a new stadium was money that was to be spent on rent of the stadium. AGAIN, Loria doesn't have what it takes to own a team. Sell this friggin team please!! You're not going to get someone to build you a stadium so that you can get rich off of it.

I will only support the Marlins if they are staying in South Florida, otherwise I am a new Rays fan. Ownership is, without a doubt, the problem with the Marlins. There is a solid Marlins fan base, but continued poor leadership, firesales and threats of leaving town is chipping away at that base. I will follow the team on TV and in the papers, but I'm not going to AAA baseball when I can see a much better team just 3 1/2 hours away. The Marlin's fans deserve better, a new owner with the funds and "know how" to get a stadium deal done is what this team needs. Loria, Samson and the rest don't have what it takes to own a MLB team, that is unquestioned and I'm not going to be the fan that just supports laundry regardless of what they throw out there. Blind loyalty only carries a fan so long, once you actually see the worse team in MLB play a few times you'll understand that Loria and Samson suck! If you combine the rise in attendance since '02 with the great TV ratings you too would see that the Marlin's fan base was growing. IF ownership thought all the fans from '93 were coming back overnight then they are clueless and we don't need them here. South Florida is prime for MLB, Strong ownership and a stadium would be a step in the right direction. To cut your losses now, have a fire sale and threaten to leave town was the actions of a owner without the financial strength needed to own a team. I say that I'm not going to any games now, but I'm a Marlin fan and I'll probably go to a game or two, but your casual fan is not going at all. '06 predictions: Marlins lose over 100 games Attendance is less than 12,000 per game Cabrera and Willis demand trade at sometime during the season.

If there is a computer nerd out there that can get this site done asap you will make a fortune and the silent Marlin's fans will have a voice. Every sports talk show in America will mention it (free advertising) and I smell a nice profit. Every conversation I hear on national radio or TV is off the mark :mad generally the talk show people are upset and disgusted with the way the Marlins are being ripped apart, but then they ALWAYS say "but no one in South Florida cares anyway". Well we do care!! We need to set the record straight as Marlins fans!! Do these talk show hosts ever mention how high the Marlin's TV ratings are???? Do they ever mention all the negatives of "Dolphin's Stadium"? The summer weather??? There is a solid Marlin's base here and we need to point the finger at the problem. Loria can't afford to run a MLB team and he should be forced to sell, new ownership means the Marlins will stay and in a few short years we will be competitive again. :thumbup :cool Someone with more computer knowledge than I please contact me, I can get the advertising to support the site and I can get the word out of the site. :banghead

I'm not capable of creating a website, but if someone can www.loriasellthemarlins.com would be a step in the right direction and you could make money on it too. That site would be on every sports talk show in america and maybe south america too!!! Think of the advertising $$$$$. :thumbup :cool

That was a terrific article, typos happen. No fan in sports has been more abused than the Marlin's fans. I don't care where they build a stadium I just want the Marlins to stay, but I really think new ownership is the only way that is happening. I doubt Selig and MLB will force Loria to sell even though he has no right owning a team. There should be a financial basement to own a sports team, if there were we wouldn't be talking fire sale again, we'd be talking possible FA pick ups and World Series hopes. Remember Selig is an owner himself and he will always side with ownership. :banghead

:blink: $250k for the Mermaids!!! WOW :o this may be the worst marketed championship team in sports history!!! :banghead

MARLINS LOSE 100 GAMES, TAKE THAT TO THE BANK.

I just want what 90% of all MLB cities get; a team that isn't threatening to leave every other year, an owner that can actually afford to field the team, a team President that has a resume that justifies the position, a team that is competitive and a stadium (baseball only and pracitcal for the south Florida fan during typical summer weather in S. Fla (dome or retractable roof)) that allows the owner to turn a profit and keep/attracted some superstar quality players so that the MLB experience is something special. It's unfortunate that being a Marlin's fan is similar to being that red headed stepchild. We have been abused for so long that we actually blame ourselves for what is happening. To me that is so sad! It's not the fans fault at all in this, there is interest in this team and baseball can thrive in South Florida with the right owner. PLEASE SELL THIS TEAM MR. LORIA!!!! :banghead

I'm the biggest Marlin's fan in South Florida, so you are probably as ignorant as your comments. After winning a World Series and you can't get butts in the seats you have a marketing problem. You don't need to market to the FANS (like you and I) The people who watch the games on TV aren't showing up they are the ones that need some incentive supergenious!! People in South Florida love the Marlins just look at the TV ratings, if they are watching the games on TV and you can't get them to the park then it's marketing problem, not lack of fans. This team has been f*cked with too much for anyone to take them seriously. '93 and '94 they averaged over 35k per game. What happened then??? Maybe the sh!t park, heat, rain all sent fans to watching the games at home. I would sit on the 7th ring of hell to watch a game, but Average Joe and his family will not. Then great the Marlins win a World Series and eveyone thought this is the begining of a great tradition, but NO..........firesale, no defending the Championship. That tarnished the trophy you referred too. Then piss poor owners, managers and players for 3 years. Loria comes in and things seem to be looking up and the Marlins win AGAIN. He defends the Championship for a whole 2 seasons, then cries I can't afford it. AND what do we get as fans................FIRESALE AGAIN!!! Why would anyone continue to support a team that is holding you as a fan hostage and is shopping it's self around like a whore???? '04, '05 '06 '07 should have been the best years in Marlins history because the fans are there, Samson and his schmucks can't get them to the stadium. AND when they get there it's a sh!t experience!!! As a kid growing up in NJ I remember going to numerous Yankee and Mets games, I couldn't tell you who they played in any of the games I just loved the experience. DOLPHIN'S STADIUM you don't get a great baseball feel. Sorry if that rocks your world, but the fans are there, check the TV ratings, Samson's unqualified ass just can't figure out how to make the experience fun for everyone. THAT IS MARKETING, not a billboard 5 miles from the stadium. New ownership with Major League baseball funds and a new stadium would make the fans forget how poorly this team has been handled. I pray that the Marlins stay and get a stadium AND I would go to games and watch them lose 100+ games if it meant a stadium and being competitive in 3 years. Accept the facts, Loria has no right owning a team because he doesn't have the funds necessary; Samson's only qualification for being a MLB team President is the silver spoon in his mouth. Is it any wonder why they don't know how to get butts in the seats???!!

Samson is a dick! The Marlins can be a profit center, the team has been market poorly since winning the World Series in '03 and the "Marlin experience" is pure hell to the potential fan. Too hot, rain, underachieving team with complaining bitches like A.J.. If and that is a big IF Loria would sell this team he and we had ownership that actually didn't cry when they lose a few bucks and we got ourselves a nice retractible roof baseball only stadium. ALL THOSE IF's but you would easily get 30k plus on an avg. Samson is a dick!

Gov. Bush has already said he would do his part in keeping the Marlins in Florida. The problem is GREED!! With the Jackoff Samson trying to hold South Florida hostage while shopping the Marlins to the highest bidding city all while not having adequate funds to even own a team. The best solution for us Marlins fans is for the current ownership to sell the team to someone/group with some REAL money. Fans would come out and support the Marlins if they had a new stadium. The current situation makes for a horrible baseball experience. August heat, rain and a AAA team on the field will not bring the fans out. AND I think that is what Samson wants in his effort to get rich on taxpayer's money. If the attendance is way down and it will be, then Samson can go to MLB and say "look, there is absolutely no interest in South Florida for baseball". I don't think that, when the Marlins win and play good teams the place draws. I've been there, but when the Pittsburghs and Milwaukees of the world then only the die hards are coming out, but if we had a nice new stadium with a retractible roof then it would be a FUN experience to come to the park. Get it!! It's more about the experience then the team and the sport. I ask this question: What is the difference if you have a $65 mill payroll and draw 25k per game or if you have a $20 mill payroll and draw 5k per??? roughly the same percentage of loss. I don't know exactly what the lease is at the stadium, but wouldn't you make a lot more from food, drink, parking & etc with the better team and higher payroll?

'06 is going to be a long year for the Marlins ('07 won't be much better either, if nothing changes), I wonder why anyone would accept to manage a 100 loss team as his first managerial position??? Did Girardi know this was going to happen???? 10K per game maybe optimistic!

There is no discussion that Loria should sell the team, he doesn't have what it takes to seriously own a team. I could buy a $1 mill. home, but I couldn't get any furniture or pay taxes for it, that is how Loria went into buying the Marlins, he can afford the sticker price of the team, but the operating expeses are just too much for what he wants to spend. Samson truly believes that the fans, city, county and state should be picking up the tab on their shortcomings for the financing needed to keep the Marlins here. Samson is not qualified to be a team President, that is one of the major issues with this ownership team. Plus I only half hearted believe that Loria has done everything he could to keep the Marlins here and competitive. I want the Marlins to stay and would accept them fielding a minor league caliber team if that is what it will take to get a stadium built, but I will not be held hostage by an owner that wants everything done for him so that he can reap the rewards.

The way the Marlins as a business has been handled since the end of 1997 is the perfect example of how not to attract fans. I blame David Samson for the recent failures of the Marlins, not the fans! Samson's only qualifications for being a MLB team President is that he is related to the owner. He actually brags about the fact that he watches 3 movies per day and takes the time to rank them in his "top 100". I guess being born with the silver spoon is all it takes to be a team President. How in the hell can a winning team be marketed any poorly than the Marlins have Since '03, plus Samson's poor efforts at getting the proper financing for a stadium shows he does not have any idea what is required of a team president. He has said that the Marlin's were as close as $30 million to getting a stadium built. How in 2005 can $30 mill. hold up the construction of a retractable roof stadium??? A-Rod gets nearly than much annually!!! I look forward to watching the average attendance of the Marlins in '06 dip below 10,000 per game and as far as moving the team..........GOOD LUCK! The grass is not greener in Portland, Charlotte or Vegas!! Location is not going to cover up that Samson is not qualified to be anything more than a bag carrier for his father in law! I look forward to the day when the Samson has to come crawling back to the South Florida fans for support again. LOL! He will not get any sympathy here. :thumbdown Samson has also stated that he would not sell the team, WHY???? It is obvious that just having enough money to buy a team doesn't mean much, do yourself a favor and sell the team to an owner that would keep the Marlins here and get a stadium deal done. I have heard on sports talk that there are groups that have the financial ability to buy the Marlins and build a stadium, but Loria and Samson will not sell. Talk about hard headed!! I would assume that Loria made his money from his parents and/or some family business venture that was built by his relatives. Samson obviously has never worked a day in his life. Putting such incompetence together you can only expect poor management decisions, feeble marketing and piss poor results when is comes to getting things done. It's sad that Samson has resorted to name calling with the people that he unsuccessfully dealt with in his lame attempts to get stadium funding secured. PLEASE DO YOURSELF AND THE MARLIN'S FANS A FAVOR AND SELL THE TEAM TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO KEEP THEM HERE.

Thanks to Samson and that group of morons I have officially turned my back on the team I loved! I am no longer going to be played with by Samson and his group of weakminded minions. I am officially a Rays fan!! The Rays will be here for years to come and have never played games with their fans, you always knew what you were getting and that's all I have ever asked of the Marlins. Those World Championship years were great, but will mean nothing when Loria packs up and leaves town where he will think the grass is greener. With the piss poor marketing of this group and a President that actually spends his days watching 3 movies per day and takes the time to rank those movies really is the example of being born with a silver spoon..............he has no right to be in the position of president for anything, definitely not a major league baseball organization. There are Marlins fans out there, but they would rather sit in their air conditioned home watching the games (the tv ratings are the best of anything on tv in south Florida during baseball season) But who wants to sit in 95 degree, 100% humidity and possible rain for 6 hours of delays to watch the Brewers. If you think by giving away your best most loved players for prospects is going to bring these fans back you are nuts!! I predict a less than 15K per game avg. home attendance for the Marlins in '06. I will not be at another game!! I will travel to Tampa before watching the marlins in person, yes I will not be able to turn my back comletely and I will watch on tv, but I will not go to another game until they have a new stadium and make the statement that they are staying in South Florida the next 50 years at a minimum. I would watch a bunch of prospects for awhile if it meant a new stadium now. Otherwise take that group of gutless management and move to Portland, yeah that's where you deserve to be, PORTLAND OREGON LOL!! Go gettem Samson!! :banghead :thumbdown :lol I hope they dump Pierre, LoDuca, Willis, Castillo, Cabrera too!! The Rays always need more people on the bandwagon, we'll be here!!