And for the team's front office, the next major news won't come in the form of a free agent signing or a David Price contract extension...it will come in the form of the St. Pete mayoral election.
The campaigns are in high swing, and yesterday on the 10 News at noon, Mayor Bill Foster and challenger Rick Kriseman fielded questions on the Stadium Saga.
My 10 News colleague Allison Kropff asked Kriseman if he'd let the Rays look in Tampa if they don't agree to short-term compensation:
#StPete Mayoral Debate on @WTSP10News: Challenger @Kriseman says his top goal is to protect taxpayers & #Rays must pay if they want to look.Then she asked Foster if there was anything St. Pete could do to stop the downward attendance trend at the Trop - and if so, why he hadn't done it yet:
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) October 8, 2013
#StPete Mayoral Debate on @WTSP10News: Bill Foster says #Rays believe in Tampa Bay but #MLB & 29 other owners do not.
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) October 8, 2013
#StPete Mayoral Debate on @WTSP10News: Foster says he'll work the "corporate circuit" w/#Rays to sell tix...if they'll accept his offer.Foster pointed the finger back on the Rays a bit, suggesting a St. Pete/Rays collaborative could sell more tickets. But the skeptic in me believes the damage may be done and Tropicana Field attendance may never reach 20,000 again over the course of a season.
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) October 8, 2013
Not to nitpick, but why is it Mayor Foster's job to compel more people to attend a Rays game? Shouldn't that be something the team and it's mgmt are responsible for?
ReplyDeleteIf I owned a restaurant that didn't get an inflow of customers, shouldn't I work on promoting it and refining the menu/interior instead of relying on a local pol to gin up support?
The Rays are badmouthing their home and their host city, attempting to break legally binding contracts and attempting to play us off Tampa just so they can make more money.
Maybe if they stopped doing one/some/ALL of those, then they might see some fans return. As it is, casual fans like myself are disgusted at their arrogance and have sworn off giving them any money other than what they've already swindled from the city coffers.
Because the Rays is probably St.Pete's biggest employer, and revenue maker for businesses within the city. Though I'm guess you don't understand as much about politics as to pretend, but it's also the Mayor's job to promote business growth, and what their city has to offer to visitors, kind of like how Bob Buckhorn went to New York with Stu to help promote Tampa to NYC. Plus, let's not act like if you (Paula) owned the Rays, and understood the current & probable finances between being in either city, you would be trying to get out of St.Petersburg as well. Though I'm trying to figure out how you can be a "casual" fan, and not help the Rays financially? Even if you just watch a couple games, then your still helping. Though it's probably fair that everyone else go to games, and buy Rays stuff that funnels $ to help with payroll to help have a better team to help make for better TV while you freelance. I think people call those people that fit each decryption as a fake or a poser...
DeleteThe Rays aren't anywhere close to St. Pete's largest employer. Probably not in the top 100.
DeleteA dozen fast food franchises probably employ more people than the Rays, with more hours and (I suspect) higher pay and better benefits. Year-round, too!
DeleteYup, Mcdonald's on 19 employs more people that makes more money, and draws around 10k people out-of-towners spending hundreds over 80 days a year...
Delete(good journalist doesn't use words like probably with numbers, and would know how many people work @ the Trop on game day, and during off days before making assumptions.)