UPDATE: The 10 Most Important Tweets from the stadium deal rejection
Here were some other reports and opinions this morning ahead of the 3 p.m. vote:
Times' Charlie Frago: "No rubber stamp from City Council for St. Petersburg's deal with Rays"
Today's vote will be close. Potentially very close. It's something I also talked about on SportsTalk Florida yesterday afternoon.
Times' Editorial Board: "Deal before St. Petersburg is a good one to keep baseball in the region"
The latest example of the paper's heavy pressure for a stadium deal contends the region needs to work together on a new stadium. It also seemingly contradicts previous editorials in saying the Rays may ultimately choose a suburban St. Pete stadium over one in a downtown core...and downtown land may be more valuable as non-baseball development, rather than a stadium.
Times' Romano: "Rays deal is a risk for St. Pete, but one that a city on the rise can handle"
The columnist writes St. Pete should approve the deal and may even have the leg-up in keeping the Rays.
Buckhorn to WUSF: "If you ask me now how we'd pay for it, I couldn't tell you"
This could have everything in the world to do with Jeff Vinik's need for city dollars, which I wrote about yesterday.
Businessman Ed Montanari: The influential St. Pete leader sends letter to mayor, council urging a step back from deciding on the MOU, favoring a more thorough analysis on its effects to the city.
Former mayoral candidate Kathleen Ford: The former St. Pete councilwoman also sent a letter to council urging a veto, saying "everything is negotiable" and "baloney" to the claim the Rays will reject any potential tweaks to the contract, as I also suggested last week. Her other claims are very interesting as well...worth a read.
And here are the most relevant posts from this blog in the last 10 days since the proposed deal was announced:
- Key Tweets from the Rays' Press Conference with St. Pete Leaders
- What We Should Really Read Into Sternberg's Non-Threat Threat
- What Could a New Rays Stadium Really Cost Taxpayers?
- Big Surprises from Thursday's Council Non-Vote
- A Brief History of Sternberg's Threats to Tampa Bay
- 6 Brutally Honest Stadium Statements from Mayor Buckhorn
- How the Rays Are Playing Hardball...and Winning
- If St. Pete's contract isn't ironclad, could Tampa's ever be?
What a backwards city St.Pete if they continue to decline a way for the Rays to stay in the region. The city doesn't support the team. The majority of season ticket holders dint belong in St.Pete. MLB TOLD THR CITY NOT TO BUIKD THAT DUMP (THE TROP). Stadiums are expensive, but when a city doesn't support a team and declined the waterfront stadium. What can the Rays do? Let's face it, this is is sour grapes completely. People say St.Pete is aas beautiful area are not living in reality. It us the the beach towns that make Pinellas great. St. Peterbrurg a minor league city in a major league world. Also,.a low class city with a low class population!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree people don't visit Pinellas County for baseball, they go for the beaches. A no vote, will continue to push the Rays to move. Businesses like Ferguson's are a dump. There is a very ssmall amount of businesses around the stadium. If people from St.Pete don't show up to games. How can the Rays going to Tampa effect the city. The answer is it can't. Besides if the Rays move move to Tampa, these ungrateful non-supportive fans will be off the hook for funding a new stadium. St.Pete residents who read this. Accept your status as the joke of the baseball world!!!!
ReplyDeleteJust move this team to Montreal already!!
ReplyDeleteMr. Anonymous ,
ReplyDeleteYou are the problem. The answer is simple. Come to more games. Leave your attitude at home.
JP I HAVE SEASON TICKETS. I LIVE IN TAMPA. THE LOW CLASS RESIDENTS OF ST. PETE ARE THE PROBLEM. IT IS CLEAR JP IS A ST. PETE RESIDENT. ST. PETE IS THE JOKE OF THE BASEBALL WORLD. HONESTLY JP PLEASE SHUT UP!!! OH DO YOU HAVE SEASON TICKETS?
ReplyDeleteNot a full season pack but a ticket package. I live within five minutes of the stadium in beautiful St. Petersburg.
ReplyDeleteAnybody who reads these comments will clearly see that there is a low class person commenting here. They'll likely pick the person calling entire city low class and telling people to "shut up".
Does someone (journalist, specialist, ...) ever discussed the fact that the Rays have the rights to refuse any development on the 85 acres site of the Trop OR to get 50% of the benefits of any developments?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important element in the "ironclad" use agreement that give the Rays some negotiation power.
And that's why council vetoed the deal!
DeleteThis is a very good summary of the TURNING POINT.
Deletehttp://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/romano-city-council-says-no-when-tampa-bay-rays-seek-an-even-sweeter-deal/2210793
This is a very good curve ball that no ones saw. Now, the Rays can use such development clause to negotiate a termination agreement especially that this is clear that they can't re-re-re-re-negotiate again. As per their comments, that was the last round. If the Rays re-negotiate again, they send the wrong message. They must "Walk the Talk"!
DeleteWith the attendance that will probably drop in 2015 and with a new MLD Commissionner, it will be a very interesting process.
Can't wait to attend the Jays vs Reds game in the Big "O" in April 2015 and to watch live on TV the documentary "The Perfect Storm" coming soon!
St. Petersburg is such a nasty city with a hick population!!!
ReplyDeletePreying they move this team to a high class city!!!!
ReplyDeletethis team is moving to Montreal
DeleteThat's it the rays will not be staying in the area for the long haul. It's a said day. St. Pete is a dumb city.
ReplyDeleteOnly 8 citizens were in front of the Council to share their opinion. 4 of them were against the MOU!
ReplyDeleteCompared to the dozens and dozens of fans that were in Phoenix to save the Coyotes (NHL) in front of the city Council.
Oh yeah, I forgot. Thousands of Rays fans watched the city Council in front of their TV. This is why the TV rights are so valuable in Tampa Bay!
Don't ask why Sternberg was not attending the Council. I think the big picture is clear.