True CRaysball

I'm 20 today!

Predictions? I pick the Rays over the Rangers, the Twins over the Yankees for the ALDS and the Rays over the twins in the ALCS, as for the NL....Phillies over the Reds and the Giants over the Braves for the NLDS and the Giants over the Phillies in the NLCS.

You guys are missing the point...many people DON'T go to dinner and a movie cause they can't afford it. People can't just crap out money, jeez. So you can't judge one area on another area, the economy differs. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHH! BUT PLACES WITH WORSE ECONOMIES HAVE BETTER ATTENDANCE! We understand perfectly man, according to your own study we're worse off than you guys are. And secondly, THAT'S NOT THE POINT! It doesn't matter WHY they don't show up, it matters that they don't show up. You go and talk about people having to spend smartly because they have less income and then you criticize your ownership for the exact same thing? That's just stupid. And I get that, I'm just saying the economy really is factoring in to why people don't attend more games. Seriously, ask yourself, if you had to choose between attending a baseball game and having food on the table, which would you choose? And as for the places with worst economies but have better attendance, the list I looked at shows cities that have a HELL of a lot more history than 12 years.

You guys are missing the point...many people DON'T go to dinner and a movie cause they can't afford it. People can't just crap out money, jeez. So you can't judge one area on another area, the economy differs.

Detroit has a major league baseball team that has been mediocre this season. They were harder hit by that recession, and they have higher attendance. San Diego was harder hit by the recession, and has had a comparable team to Tampa. Their attendance is better. Blaming it on the recession is silly. No it's not, just because people in other areas have extra money to spend doesn't mean everyone does, and it was proven Wednesday that it was the recession.

According to Forbes.com the Tampa metropolitan area is the 10th worst hit area in this recession so don't ever tell me it's hitting this hard everywhere else. That's not true, facts say otherwise.

Why is it so hard to admit that perhaps Rays fans just aren't that loyal? Is it really that painful for you to say? A lot of people here certainly criticize the Marlins' attendance and I wouldn't say we betray our team by doing so. I myself have repeatedly voiced the opinion here that the "threat of rain" excuse is probably too overstated. I genuinely believe that the Marlins haven't cultivated a good fanbase yet and I'm not afraid to say it. I never understood why people need to be unflinching optimists for teams. People do the same for political parties and I never understood that either. Because it simply isn't true. it takes more than reading Peter Gammons and ESPN to get all the facts. Do a search on Google. Read this blog. People are highly loyal to the Rays. What I don't get is why having you priorities straight is grounds for having your sports team taken away.

Look I'm done with this, you keep ignoring what I'm saying and I keep repeating myself, so from this point forth, you wanna know why Rays fans don't attend, see signature... :banghead Wow...did you write that? Seriously, the schedule? Last I checked, every team plays 162 games (not 160 as the article stated, btw). The only legit excuse is the crappy dome, and it's really not legit. The stadium sucks, but at least there's no weather excuse because of the dome. No I didn't found it linked to on a Rays blog.

Look I'm done with this, you keep ignoring what I'm saying and I keep repeating myself, so from this point forth, you wanna know why Rays fans don't attend, see signature... :banghead

I just love how Rays fans are demonized for having their money spending priorities in order (i.e. Food, Bills, and clothes come first). Last night Rays fans proved it's the bad economy the reason they don't attend more game. And the fact they're getting attacked for spending what little money they have in this economy on the essentials instead of baseball is pathetic. Most that have been interviewed in this area have said they're saving for the playoffs. Jeez. 17,000 is nothing. 33,215 saw the Marlins clinch in 2003, and our attendance sucks. That was a Friday though, so lets make it fair. The Tuesday before we clinched the Marlins brought in 25,311. The attendance on that last homestand averaged 29,452. There wasn't a recession in 2003. So how come other playoff bound teams are still drawing much better crowds? They are just as likely as Rays fans to be suffering a bit financially You haven't been paying attention then, look at the Reds and Braves, and if you read/watch the news you read that Tampa Bay is one of the areas that has been hit the worst.

Not demonized. Just not in a position to complain when payroll is being lowered (especially on a Marlins message board lolol). Freedom's a B**** isn't it? And I didn't start the thread, only commented in it.

Football and prayer don't belong in the same backfield, says a Florida dad who wants his hometown to stop a Pee Wee football league from having kids perform voluntary pregame prayers. Louie Fromm, an assistant coach for the Holmes County Pee Wee Football Association, formally requested on Monday that the Vernon, Fla., City Council end the league's traditional 50-yard-line pregame prayer ritual, alleging that his and his son's First Amendment rights are being violated. League officials say they are a private organization that takes no government money, and the city has no right to prevent them from saying prayers on the field before games. But Fromm says the league may be private, but the field on which it plays its games isn't. It's public property, Fromm says, and the city must order the pregame prayers to stop. The case presents a conundrum for city officials, who say the prayers will continue as "business as usual" until the city's attorney delivers his opinion. Debbie Gunter, the league's president, said a petition with nearly 500 signatures has been circulating in support of continuing the prayer. "We have been saying prayers for four years and [Fromm] started complaining last year," Gunter told Fox News. "He has a problem with prayer, but while I don't have a problem with his non-beliefs, he shouldn't have a problem with ours." But Fromm, who could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, told WJHG-TV that his son has been the target of isolation and ridicule from other players because he does not participate in the prayer. He told the City Council: "So those of you here tonight to hear the terms and conditions required to appease a single upset individual, I say to you that you have been grossly misinformed and blinded by a small group of religious fundamentalists who would like to convince you that a single individual is attempting to take away, of all phrases, your First Amendment rights -- when I am, in fact, here to make you aware that yours and your children's rights to religious freedom under the U.S. Constitution have already been hijacked by that very same group." Gunter said the two-minute prayer is to stress good sportsmanship and faith in the 400-player league. "We are Americans," she continued. "My husband and son have both served in the military and we stand for our beliefs." Kerry Adkison, Vernon's city attorney, told NewsHerald.com that the matter was brought before the council because the city-funded Vernon Sportsplex is used for practice. Council Chairman Trey Hawkins told attendees at Monday's meeting that "business as usual" would continue until a decision is finalized, the website reported. "I apologize if most of you came thinking there was going to be a decision made tonight, but this is the first we’ve heard of this complaint," Hawkins told NewsHerald.com. "Until there is a decision made, it will be business as usual at the Sportsplex." A Vernon city spokesman declined to comment further when contacted by FoxNews.com on Wednesday. http://www.foxnews.c...football-games/ *facepalm*

I just love how Rays fans are demonized for having their money spending priorities in order (i.e. Food, Bills, and clothes come first). Last night Rays fans proved it's the bad economy the reason they don't attend more game. And the fact they're getting attacked for spending what little money they have in this economy on the essentials instead of baseball is pathetic. Most that have been interviewed in this area have said they're saving for the playoffs. Jeez. 17,000 is nothing. 33,215 saw the Marlins clinch in 2003, and our attendance sucks. That was a Friday though, so lets make it fair. The Tuesday before we clinched the Marlins brought in 25,311. The attendance on that last homestand averaged 29,452. There wasn't a recession in 2003.

17,000 people in person saw it and the TV rating was around 10.2 Plenty of people saw it

I'm sensing that you're quite an arrogant person, Raysfan. While I do want the Rays to do well in the playoffs [#2 team for me], I really dislike your attitude about how things are playing out at the moment. If the Rays get swept in the first round, I'm blaming you. No, not arrogant, just competitive...

Is everyone still satisfied with their picks for AL East and AL WC? I don't see why not. Yankees are struggling....while the Rays have just reclaimed first place. They've been in first place for all of 15 seconds. So were you satisfied with you picks 24 hours ago? They could easily switch places today, will you then be satisfied? Regardless of what happens, it will be so close that I'll be satisfied with the pick I made, right or wrong. How about this, The Rays own all tie breakers should the Rays and Yankees end the season tied, not to mention their lead grew to 1.5 games today while they retook possession of the best record in baseball.

what happened to the color scheme?!:blink:

Is everyone still satisfied with their picks for AL East and AL WC? I don't see why not. Yankees are struggling....while the Rays have just reclaimed first place.

You are very confrontational. It's one of my adoring quirks ^_^

And when you think a first baseman with a .745 OPS is something of substance, it shows you don't know what something of substance is. Yeah let's just ignore the Gold Glove and the fact he leads the team in HRs, if you want to prove your point that way. The accusation you made is that the attendance is better than the perception, which isn't true at all. The attendance sucks. Also, that tells me that you have fans that don't feel like showing up to the games, just like the Marlins. SHOW UP. You want them to pay for the team on the field, SHOW UP TO THE FIELD. You were complaining about Gammons but you've proven his point, you have fans, you have a winning team, and yet you're still not showing up! Until you show up you don't deserve a high payroll team. Rays fans don't deserve to have an owner that spends more money than the team takes in, nor does any other team. Until you guys start appreciating your ownership, which is pretty freaking awesome, and showing them that you care, you deserve to have your payroll drop. The Marlins are in the exact same situation with good ratings and low attendance. The only difference is that we don't have a team that's gone to the playoffs two out of the last 3 years. Just like you guys, we don't deserve to bitch about money when we don't show up. Look, I don't claim to KNOW why fans don't go, all I can do is repeat what other fans say seeing as I've never been in the 3 1/2 years I've been interested in baseball. All I KNOW is why I haven't been which is a combination of being broke, medical problems and the fact I'm 80 miles from the park. That does not mean I don't want to go, I just can't. I actually wanted to be at a game of the Rays/Arizona series in June but was too broke to go. Peter Gammon's has not had his point proved, he's just butt hurt that his Red Sox are finished. And no that is not the accusation I made. Try looking again.

Is everyone still satisfied with their picks for AL East and AL WC?

We could always stage a beatdown of a Phillies fan. That'll scare them away. Of course we'd need someone to play the Phillies fan. I know a Phillies fan....

I disagree. A couple of reasons...First, I think both teams have been victims of bad stadium situations. The Marlins play in a football stadium and have always needed stadium with protection from the elements. Thankfully, we only have one season left at Sun Life. Most fans down here have never been to a game at a real MLB Ballpark. That really does make the experience so much better. The Rays at least have assurance their games will be played on time and in comfort, but the stadium is in the wrong part of town. As a result of these poor stadium situations, the teams have operated on shoe-string budgets, and that will certainly never endear the teams to the fans. Also, both teams play in areas of the country with a lot of transplants from other places. There are just too many Mets/Yankee/Phillies/Red Sox fans living in this state. Those people aren't just going to give up being fans of their teams....it will be their children and grandchildren that grow up here that will become the fanbase. It will take a generation or two of fans growing up with these teams for them to take hold. In our case though, we will soon have a final answer to this question. I personally think the stadium will go a long way toward fixing our problems. It will add the stability that the Marlins have never had. It's hard to root for a team that lives under the constant threat of potentially leaving the state. That threat is gone. The rain and heat will no longer be an issue. With the increased revenue streams, the payroll should no longer be an issue. Miami will be out of excuses not to support this team. I'm hopeful that we will. I agree with ya, you made me want to watch how the Marlins' new stadium plays out in attendance and payroll areas, it may help the Rays argument for a new stadium.

I hate this. I disagree with Stuart. Why cut the payroll?! Do you WANT to end up back as the doorstep of baseball?! Unbelievable. I don't want to end up the '98 Marlins (no offense). Of course you disagree with him. It's not your money that's being lost, it's his. He's losing a TON of money to have the product that's on the field this year on the field, yet you complain that he won't do it again? Plus, again, nothing of substance outside of Crawford is being lost; And one of the best prospects in baseball is going tot ake his place, and one player a team does not make. It's not a firesale. Your comments on tv ratings or whatever, and? You sound just like a Marlins fan lol. the leaked financial reports shows just how important attendance is to the teams revenue. Good for you that you have good tv ratings like we do. That doesn't do jack sh*t to revenue. Like rab said, it's plain and simple: You want your team to have a payroll? Show up. Excuses as to why or explanations of how there really is a fan base doesn't actually add money to revenue. Action does. First off, nice double post. Second I call Benoit and Soriano pretty big substance, as well as Pena.

Do you agree? I know I don't and I think both Rays and Marlins fans need to prove them wrong.