May 30, 200620 yr ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. ? (AP) ? Tampa Bay will still be known as the Devil Rays next season. That may change in 2008. Tampa Bay was facing an end-of-the-month deadline to submit proposals to Major League Baseball for any name, uniform or related changes for 2007. Team president Matthew Silverman on Tuesday said the club will continue its review of the matter instead of filing any requests with MLB. "There will be a change for the 2008 season,'' Silverman said. "It could be subtle. It could just be a change to the logo or to the uniforms themselves, but we're going to leave open the possibility for more dramatic changes now that we have the time to investigate it fully.'' One option is dropping Devil from the team name. "To do it before the 2007 season would be premature in order to roll it out properly,'' Silverman said. "We want to make sure that we did it properly, and that's why we decided to wait.'' New York investor Stuart Sternberg became the principal owner last fall of the franchise that has never finished higher than fourth place in the AL East. His ownership group has attempted to reach out to fans, spending $10 million dollars to improve Tropicana Field and offering free parking at home games. "There's a lot of change taking place within the organization and that change will continue for the next couple of years,'' Silverman said. "Some changes take longer, and the name change is one of those. We want to make sure we get it right.''
May 30, 200620 yr I'd prefer them to remain the Devil Rays. However, if they want to draw tons of fans, they should call themselves the "Blue Sox" or something to that effect.
May 30, 200620 yr I'd prefer them to remain the Devil Rays. However, if they want to draw tons of fans, they should call themselves the "Blue Sox" or something to that effect. i like the Devil Rays. i wouldnt mind something like Blue Sox... but if they change their name, they're either going with just The Rays, The Thunder :thumbdown or...... The Tarpons :plain
May 30, 200620 yr I'd prefer them to remain the Devil Rays. However, if they want to draw tons of fans, they should call themselves the "Blue Sox" or something to that effect. i like the Devil Rays. i wouldnt mind something like Blue Sox... but if they change their name, they're either going with just The Rays, The Thunder :thumbdown or...... The Tarpons :plain :plain I bet they will be nicknamed the tampons :lol .
May 30, 200620 yr I'd prefer them to remain the Devil Rays. However, if they want to draw tons of fans, they should call themselves the "Blue Sox" or something to that effect. i like the Devil Rays. i wouldnt mind something like Blue Sox... but if they change their name, they're either going with just The Rays, The Thunder :thumbdown or...... The Tarpons :plain :plain I bet they will be nicknamed the tampons :lol . HOLLY!!! :o
May 31, 200620 yr Tarpons would be horrible. They'd have to rename the Trop and call it the Trojan Con-Dome.
May 31, 200620 yr I'd prefer them to remain the Devil Rays. However, if they want to draw tons of fans, they should call themselves the "Blue Sox" or something to that effect. i like the Devil Rays. i wouldnt mind something like Blue Sox... but if they change their name, they're either going with just The Rays, The Thunder :thumbdown or...... The Tarpons :plain Reds had a farm team in the FSL...The Tampa Tarpons. In fact, I think it was in '99 that the Devil Rays did a "Turn Back The Clock" day where they wore old Tarpon uniforms combined with a cap giveaway. To me, a name change is just a ploy to sell merchandise. Minor league teams have been doing it for years. Isn't what in a name..should be what's on the field. I think the last team to change a name without moving was the Houston Colt .45s becoming the Astros and that was only because of a lawsuit filed by the gun manufacturer...
May 31, 200620 yr I'd prefer them to remain the Devil Rays. However, if they want to draw tons of fans, they should call themselves the "Blue Sox" or something to that effect. i like the Devil Rays. i wouldnt mind something like Blue Sox... but if they change their name, they're either going with just The Rays, The Thunder :thumbdown or...... The Tarpons :plain Reds had a farm team in the FSL...The Tampa Tarpons. In fact, I think it was in '99 that the Devil Rays did a "Turn Back The Clock" day where they wore old Tarpon uniforms combined with a cap giveaway. To me, a name change is just a ploy to sell merchandise. Minor league teams have been doing it for years. Isn't what in a name..should be what's on the field. I think the last team to change a name without moving was the Houston Colt .45s becoming the Astros and that was only because of a lawsuit filed by the gun manufacturer... if you dont count the Angels...
May 31, 200620 yr I'd prefer them to remain the Devil Rays. However, if they want to draw tons of fans, they should call themselves the "Blue Sox" or something to that effect. i like the Devil Rays. i wouldnt mind something like Blue Sox... but if they change their name, they're either going with just The Rays, The Thunder :thumbdown or...... The Tarpons :plain Reds had a farm team in the FSL...The Tampa Tarpons. In fact, I think it was in '99 that the Devil Rays did a "Turn Back The Clock" day where they wore old Tarpon uniforms combined with a cap giveaway. To me, a name change is just a ploy to sell merchandise. Minor league teams have been doing it for years. Isn't what in a name..should be what's on the field. I think the last team to change a name without moving was the Houston Colt .45s becoming the Astros and that was only because of a lawsuit filed by the gun manufacturer... if you dont count the Angels... The Angels have always been the Angels. Houston came in as the Colt .45s aka The Houston Colts in the 1962 NL expansion. They decided to change their name a few years later when the Colt Firearm Company wanted a big piece of the team's marketing pie. http://www.athomeplate.com/astrosname.shtml
May 31, 200620 yr Let me guess...pressure from the right to not have a team with "Devil" in their name? That would be sad. And "Trojan Con-Dome", that's classic.
May 31, 200620 yr Supposedly there's been opposition to the name from the bible-thumpers in this area because of the "Devil" in "Devil Rays." I'll assume they don't like the New Jersey Devils or Islanders center Miroslav Satan either It's the name of the fish, dang it!
May 31, 200620 yr Let me guess...pressure from the right to not have a team with "Devil" in their name? That would be sad. Wow, is this really how liberals view the Christian Right? Sad. Actually, when we see quotes like this from the Christian Reich--oops--Right, it's more than sad. It's downright scary.... In an interview with Jerry Falwell on Robertson's 700 Club, Falwell said, "God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve." Robertson replied, "Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror." Falwell then went on to blame the abortionists, pagans, feminists, gays and lesbians and the ACLU for the terrorist attacks. "I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'" Robertson quickly chimed in, "I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government." "He has destroyed the Venezuelan economy, and he?s going to make that a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent. You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war, and I don't think any oil shipments will stop, but this man is a terrific danger, and the United States -- this is in our sphere of influence. We can't let this happen. We have the Monroe Doctrine. We have other doctrines that we have announced, and without question, this is a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us very badly. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."--Pat Robertson "There should be absolutely no 'Separation of Church and State' in America."--David Barton of "Wallbuilders." "The long-term goal of Christians in politics should be to gain exclusive control over the franchise. Those who refuse to submit publicly to the eternal sanctions of God by submitting to His Church's public marks of the covenant?baptism and holy communion?must be denied citizenship."--Gary North, Insitutite of Christian Economics. "We are to make Bible-obeying disciples of anybody that gets in our way."--Jay Grimstead (Coalition on Revival) "If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being."--Jerry Falwell "Atheistic secular humanists should be removed from office and Christians should be elected...Government and true Christianity are inseparable."--Robert Simonds (Citizens for Excellence in Education) "Democracy originated in the mind of a rational being who has the deepest hatred for God."... "Do you realize that the only thing that gives democracy existence is sin? The absence of democracy is perfect obedience to God."--Robert T. Lee (Society for the Practical Establishment of the Ten Commandments) That's pretty damn scary to me, son...
May 31, 200620 yr Hey pal...this is a baseball forum. We have a separate forum for this crap. Get a clue...
May 31, 200620 yr Florida has a lot of people in the Central FL area that hate hearing the word "Devil". This is not the first time I have heard people opposed to taking the name 'devil' out of a team's name. There was discussion about that a few years ago regarding the New Jersey Devils, which some people found offensive. They should really have tougher skin than that. If 'devil' gets removed, then the Redskins should have to change their name.
May 31, 200620 yr Florida has a lot of people in the Central FL area that hate hearing the word "Devil". This is not the first time I have heard people opposed to taking the name 'devil' out of a team's name. There was discussion about that a few years ago regarding the New Jersey Devils, which some people found offensive. They should really have tougher skin than that. If 'devil' gets removed, then the Redskins should have to change their name. Damn..good thing none of them have seen the Dirt Devil my wife bought..they'll EXORCISE us On a serious note..the former Devil Ray AA team in Orlando was just called The Orlando Rays..same logo/color scheme as the pre 2001 D-Rays but the team was officially known as the Orlando Rays.
May 31, 200620 yr The "Devil" thing has really had nothing to do with this. This is a dumb conversation that has no relevance. Anyways, changing names of teams is a sign of a team that wants to sell more merchandise. If you ask me maybe they should focus on making money by putting a good team on the field.
May 31, 200620 yr Actually, the new Rays ownership is doing a hell of a lot to make everything fan-friendly. First off, they made parking at The Trop free..no more $10 a pop. They now allow outside food and drink to be brought in. They cut some concession prices. They've re-trained the ushers to not be like seat nazis...if during the game, you want to move down to some unoccupied seats, you can and you won't get the death penalty for it. They've taken the time personally to talk to fans and they do listen. I met Sternberg at the Rays Fan Fest and told him that there were fans like me who are loyal to our teams of origin...Red Sox for me, Mets for my wife, Yankee fans are prevalent here as well (They do train here, after all). They realize that some loyalties can't be changed and they will make sure that those fans won't be hassled like before. Used to be a double standard. They'd scream at visiting fans to put their signs down but say nothing if Rays fans held theirs up. New management knows that fans like me will stay loyal...but they are concentrating on our kids. I'll give the Marlins credit..the Bark In The Park game. The Clearwater Threshers (Phillies farm team in the FSL) does it twice a season. Wouldn't mind seeing the Rays do it as well. Samson and Loria could learn a few things from Sternberg and Friedman...
June 1, 200620 yr Actually, the new Rays ownership is doing a hell of a lot to make everything fan-friendly. First off, they made parking at The Trop free..no more $10 a pop. They now allow outside food and drink to be brought in. They cut some concession prices. They've re-trained the ushers to not be like seat nazis...if during the game, you want to move down to some unoccupied seats, you can and you won't get the death penalty for it. They've taken the time personally to talk to fans and they do listen. I met Sternberg at the Rays Fan Fest and told him that there were fans like me who are loyal to our teams of origin...Red Sox for me, Mets for my wife, Yankee fans are prevalent here as well (They do train here, after all). They realize that some loyalties can't be changed and they will make sure that those fans won't be hassled like before. Used to be a double standard. They'd scream at visiting fans to put their signs down but say nothing if Rays fans held theirs up. New management knows that fans like me will stay loyal...but they are concentrating on our kids. I'll give the Marlins credit..the Bark In The Park game. The Clearwater Threshers (Phillies farm team in the FSL) does it twice a season. Wouldn't mind seeing the Rays do it as well. Samson and Loria could learn a few things from Sternberg and Friedman... id love that...problem is they dont control concession prices, parking prices, or the ushers the trop may be a piece of sh*t, but at least they dont have to deal with H. Wayne
June 1, 200620 yr Actually, the new Rays ownership is doing a hell of a lot to make everything fan-friendly. First off, they made parking at The Trop free..no more $10 a pop. They now allow outside food and drink to be brought in. They cut some concession prices. They've re-trained the ushers to not be like seat nazis...if during the game, you want to move down to some unoccupied seats, you can and you won't get the death penalty for it. They've taken the time personally to talk to fans and they do listen. I met Sternberg at the Rays Fan Fest and told him that there were fans like me who are loyal to our teams of origin...Red Sox for me, Mets for my wife, Yankee fans are prevalent here as well (They do train here, after all). They realize that some loyalties can't be changed and they will make sure that those fans won't be hassled like before. Used to be a double standard. They'd scream at visiting fans to put their signs down but say nothing if Rays fans held theirs up. New management knows that fans like me will stay loyal...but they are concentrating on our kids. I'll give the Marlins credit..the Bark In The Park game. The Clearwater Threshers (Phillies farm team in the FSL) does it twice a season. Wouldn't mind seeing the Rays do it as well. Samson and Loria could learn a few things from Sternberg and Friedman... id love that...problem is they dont control concession prices, parking prices, or the ushers the trop may be a piece of sh*t, but at least they dont have to deal with H. Wayne That's so true. Ol' Baldy/Crater Face as Neil calls him. He must still be pissed that he couldn't con Dade into building him a park for the Marlins the way he conned Broward into buiding him the Panther's Arena... A salute to Wayne http://sounds1.neilrogers.com/sounds/bonr1995/18.mp3 http://sounds1.neilrogers.com/sounds/dat001/107.mp3 The Trop ain't perfect; it's a bitch to see a ball against the ceiling at first, but..no rainouts
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