https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2021/09/25/rays-will-tout-montreal-plan-during-postseason-with-sign/
this. Uh. Seems like a big middle finger to the local rays fan base.
Rays will tout Montreal plan during postseason with sign
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this. Uh. Seems like a big middle finger to the local rays fan base.
Why would Tampa want a stadium that is only used through June?
I haven't followed any of this, but wtf is this plan?
The article seems to indicate a ‘Vagabond’ plan. The Ray’s marketing department might have another name for it.
Yah. Just ask SD charger fans about Dean Spanos. You will get their thoughts mixed in with some swear words about the chargers owner.
Why would they want to play open air playoff games in late October in Montreal?
Only think that makes sense to me (if you had to use both cities) would be June-August in Montreal and rest in Tamper
Only think that makes sense to me (if you had to use both cities) would be June-August in Montreal and rest in Tamper
Montreal is nothing compared to Minneapolis. Of course, they may not see playoff baseball again either, but the weather isn't the issue.
Has a similar plan worked anywhere else in any major sport? I remember the Expos played some of their games in Puerto Rico but as i remember it that was a pretty desperate and temporary solution.
That said, at the risk of bringing up attendance yet again, the Rays have only drawn 18,000+ four times this season (never more than 24,000 — they got 23K to clinch the AL East yesterday, but the rest seem to be when Boston/Chicago/Detroit visited).
Last I saw in 2019 the Rays were something like 19th in TV viewership? I’m having trouble finding anything more recent:https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2019/07/22/Research-and-Ratings/MLB-RSNs.aspx
That said, at the risk of bringing up attendance yet again, the Rays have only drawn 18,000+ four times this season (never more than 24,000 — they got 23K to clinch the AL East yesterday, but the rest seem to be when Boston/Chicago/Detroit visited).
Last I saw in 2019 the Rays were something like 19th in TV viewership? I’m having trouble finding anything more recent:https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2019/07/22/Research-and-Ratings/MLB-RSNs.aspx
The lease agreement for one. They are locked into Tropicana Field until 2027.
https://law.marquette.edu/assets/sports-law/pdf/ls-mlb-tampa-bay.pdf
It doesn't seem to say how many games per year. It's clearly not 100% of them if they're talking about splitting time in Montreal. I wonder what the lower limit is.
One supposes the purpose is two fold. It puts pressure on the local Tampa powers that be to build them a new stadium. Secondly, it IS a viable exit route. Given a decent downtown stadium (there are a couple of very promising sites) I think baseball will thrive in Montreal. The sharing plan would be window dressing for the leasing legal issues.
Who cares? They have historically averaged about 15k fans a game the last decade, and with one of the best teams in baseball this year that went to the WS last year, they have averaged 8,000 (covid considerations of course). It is not a market that supports the team — and is not a market that can probably support a team. I have no problem with ownership doing whatever they think they have to do to try to run a viable business. I mean, they’re trying to find ways to keep the team in Tampa with this Montreal deal — they could just be trying to leave altogether.
The issue is not that the market can‘t support a team, the issue is that the stadium sucks and it’s in a very poor location. I’m sure they would draw a lot more if they played in a proper ball park, located in an easily accessible location.
This is a big fuck you to the locals and even in a relationship where the fuck youze get thrown around a lot, this is like using the special word that probably sets it off for good--at least until the stadium/relocation situation is finally resolved. I'd love for the Rays to blossom in a downtown Tampa stadium, but if they don't, it's because of ownership not the market.
Someone asked upthread if there would be a parade if they won, and the answer is yes. But if there was a way to signal appreciation for the players and vitriol for the ownership I think it would gain plenty of steam.
Someone asked upthread if there would be a parade if they won, and the answer is yes. But if there was a way to signal appreciation for the players and vitriol for the ownership I think it would gain plenty of steam.
I really don't understand how it's a big FU to the locals. Go watch your team. You're not the only stadium where it's hard to park your car and it takes more than 20 minutes to get there. You've got a chance to see MLB games at a few bucks a ticket and your team is amazing and you sit on your ass.
And if it is a big FU, they deserve it. Team is winning and winning and winning and nobody gives a shit. Go to a Florida bar and NY sports are on the TV half the time.
And if it is a big FU, they deserve it. Team is winning and winning and winning and nobody gives a shit. Go to a Florida bar and NY sports are on the TV half the time.
The Rays must have decided internally they want to leave after the lease ends in 2027, right? Now seems like the time to butter up Montreal to get that city to build something in time for 2028.
I do feel somewhat bad for the very few Tampa fans who actually care about this team but it seems clear the team should leave. There is just so little fan support and I don't know if I would want to bet a new park in a better location would help enough.
I do feel somewhat bad for the very few Tampa fans who actually care about this team but it seems clear the team should leave. There is just so little fan support and I don't know if I would want to bet a new park in a better location would help enough.
This is where I'm at too. I live less than 20 miles from Fenway. If I want to go to a 7:05 game on the weekdays and want to be in my seat by first pitch, I leave my house at about 5:00. It takes an hour to fight traffic, a few minutes to find parking, about ten minutes to walk to the park. I don't think it would take much less time if I took the T. It's what happens when you try to jam 35,000 people into a place during rush hour in a city. Until there's technology that beams you to a place in a few seconds, it's going to suck getting to the ballpark.
And they're not bringing in huge viewership either.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2021/08/06/mlb-seeing-local-tv-households-decline-dramatically-compared-to-last-full-season/?sh=42523b8d56f7
They are in line with the worst teams in the league.
The Rays are consistently middle of the pack in local TV ratings. It's a solid TV market and also one that is growing rapidly. Stu wants 2 local TV deals, that's what's behind all of this.
Rays reverse course surprisingly:
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2021/09/28/rays-change-plans-wont-post-sign-about-montreal-at-trop/?itm_source=parsely-api
There could be any number of reasons, but it's almost certainly not related to the split city proposal itself. (The last club that did this was - wait for it - the Montreal Expos, who played a limited schedule of "home games" in San Juan before moving to Washington and becoming the Nats.)
It would not surprise me at all to learn that MLB is simply pissed at Canada for the restrictions they put on the Blue Jays during the pandemic. Or maybe there's another equally stupid reason.
It would not surprise me at all to learn that MLB is simply pissed at Canada for the restrictions they put on the Blue Jays during the pandemic. Or maybe there's another equally stupid reason.
Maybe Canada quietly said no because they can see the border being closed again before the end of a potential MLB season? Maybe Montreal quietly said no when the Rays decided they weren't going to put up that sign?
I mean, unless Canada is waiting for the NHL season to end in June before they re-institute a border lockdown (which seems implausible for a couple of reasons), then I don't think the pandemic has anything to do with it.
I'm guessing MLB was contacted by state and local politicians from Florida and told this was a bad idea and that the Rays need to stick around in Tampa.
My guess is that the owners either realized that this was a very dumb idea or that they thought that there was no way in hell that the MLBPA would go for this. From what I recall, the plan was something like play in Tampa for the first three months, spend the next three months in Montreal and then ping-pong back-and-forth for the playoffs (one series in TB, one series in Canada, one series in TB--or vice versa). If you're a player, why would you want to move twice a year, uproot your family twice a year and also play 81 games on the road?
I think that there's a lot of cool things about being a Major Leaguer, but one of the worst is being away from your family for 100+ days a year (not including Spring Training), this can add even more travel, expense and time away from loved ones and for what? A divide fan base?
This was such a stupid plan, I'm glad it blew up in their face.
My WAG is that the owners finally started paying attention and decided that any leverage on local gov'ts gained by threatening to become a split-city team is outweighed by having more potential cities to relocate to. This is among other considerations of course.
As a Rays fan (Sox still #1 but I get to 5-10 games/season, mostly Sox!) it's quite poetic that the league let them twist in the wind for 2.5 years before finally putting the kibosh on this. Hopefully this spurs Stu to give Tampa another real look and pony up for a roofed stadium which is absolutely needed in FL (unless the shaded stadium models can actually be kept cool--which is unlikely because humidity not temp is the problem here). Or more likely, sell the team to someone who has the money for it.
As a Rays fan (Sox still #1 but I get to 5-10 games/season, mostly Sox!) it's quite poetic that the league let them twist in the wind for 2.5 years before finally putting the kibosh on this. Hopefully this spurs Stu to give Tampa another real look and pony up for a roofed stadium which is absolutely needed in FL (unless the shaded stadium models can actually be kept cool--which is unlikely because humidity not temp is the problem here). Or more likely, sell the team to someone who has the money for it.
And my dream of a regular Red Sox road trip to one of my favorite cities crashes and burns. I hope the idea of an eventual permanent move away from that godforsaken market, and to Montreal, hasn't completely died as well.
Montreal is still on the table, right? Just the dual city part has been nuked.
I don’t think the Rays are in Florida in eight years.
I don’t think the Rays are in Florida in eight years.
If that’s the case about one-quarter of the fans won’t notice until 2035.
I see this as MLB just saying to just get on with getting out of Tampa
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Hope I have this right. Federal tax rates in Canada for amounts over $216,511 is 33%. Provincial income tax in Quebec for amounts over $109,755 come in at 25.75%. US Federal tax rates for amounts over $523,601 is at 37% while Florida state tax is 0. Can't imagine Rays players being on board with that.
https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/learn/quebec-tax-brackets
https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/learn/quebec-tax-brackets