As Tampa Bay sportstalk station 98.7 "The Fan" launches its "Save Baseball in Tampa Bay" campaign today (3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ferg's), the station's program director, John O'Connell, answered a few questions about the campaign:
Q: There's contentious debate about where a new stadium should go and who should pay for it. How is 98.7 The Fan approaching the touchy subjects?
A: To start, we don't shy away from touchy subjects. But our goal isn't to determine where the new stadium should be built, as long as it remains in the Tampa Bay area. Our mission is to do everything we can to rally Rays fans to come to games, get behind their team and let Major League Baseball know that this is a very viable market for baseball, and that we care about this team.
Q: There hasn't been a hostile relocation of an MLB team in decades. What does 98.7 The Fan think Tampa Bay Baseball needs saving from?
A: True, and a lot of fans believe that no one is ever going to move their team. In reality, anything is possible. Go back a few decades when the Baltimore Colts left town in the middle of the night. We're pretty sure the majority of Colts fans never expected that to happen to a heritage team, their team - but it did. Save is another word for "keep" and that's our goal, to keep the Rays here.
The kickoff event runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Ferg's in St. Petersburg; you can head to WTSP.com to read more of the Q&A.
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Lol, what a publicity stunts for exposure for there radio station as if they don't set-up a lil' table, and pass out 98.7 the fan stuff anyways, I've seen'em at Ferg's many of times. You know all to well Noah, if you mix the Rays, and issue that effects the Tampa Bay people, and some blown out of proportion drama you get an audience (lol). I would love to of heard the jokes in 620am's broad room about this...
ReplyDelete(I commented before I read the whole article) Dude, you let him (or her) sidestep the meat of your questions. Though we know they couldn't answer them, especially concidering the real purpose of their "rally"... lol
ReplyDeleteThere were no follow-up questions; it was a simple one-time e-mail exchange.
DeleteOha, though I know you know they danced around your question knowing it was a publicity stunt to gain exposure in a 620am market, lol...
DeleteThe Colts reference is a disingenuous one, Indianapolis already had a viable (for that time) facility the franchise could (and did) move into
ReplyDeleteovernight.
Nowhere in N. America is there an already existing MLB ready facility that the Rayz could move into quickly, bypassing the several year lame duck period that would make current attendance levels look prosperous.
This is the "...OMG, IF WE DON'T GIVE THEM WHAT THEY DEMAND THEY'LL LEAVE!!!!..." inferiority complex mentality that just confirms the hick-town perception of Tampa Bay that is already in place among the powerful in MLB.
As in any negotiation, the perception of weakness will only be exploited by opposing side (MLB, Rayz).
Yah, but you can't blame the Rays, let's keep it real, if you owned the Rays you would be playing the same game to! You'd feel like they do, they don't owe St.Pete nothing even if Billy ripped up the signed lease. The Rays made the city St.Pete more money then could of imagined 20 years ago when the Sundome didn't have a tendant, AND helped pay-off most of the cost of the stadium. Though St.Pete was a different place in the 80's & early 90's. But, again you would be playing the political game if you knew what Stu knows about a situation in Channelside to, so do us a favor, and drop the act...
DeleteThe only city that can provide a reasonable temporary home would be Montreal (the O). But obviously a lot of things would have to go right for Montreal. A vocal potential new owner who's got the gov't on board and ready to commit to a new downtown stadium. I'm not holding my breath on that. But its why I'll watch the attendance # for those exhibition games.
DeleteNot "reasonable" in '04 but can be in the future?
DeleteCome on! The slow pace of acting on the Rayz mallpark
demands will seem like rocket speed compared to the morass that local Montreal, Quebec provincial and national Canadien politics will turn a Mtl. mallpark debate into.
MLB won't allow a franchise transfer to Mtl. unless the shovels aren't already in the ground and the locals pick up ever dime of the cost. That won't happen.
Why would Stu want to own a business in Canada with it's significantly different tax, labor and business laws?
Why would Stu want to sell a business that is operating in the black just so it can be moved?
One-shot exhibition games in non-MLB locations bear no semblance of reality of having to sell MLB to corporate and individual customers year-round.
These ex. games are pushed by the Jays to expand THEIR BRAND, not to bring a competitor to a neighboring city.
Sorry Expo- necrophiliacs, but that's the way it is.