Rays Announce #162Strong Campaign, Discounts

With 10 home games left on their regular season schedule, the Rays announced a new "#162strong" campaign to capitalize on both the excitement of their 2012 playoff push as well as the more-than-exciting 2011 campaign that came down to the 162nd game.

Fans can get three-game ticket packages for as cheap as $25, including ballpark discounts and a #162strong t-shirt. The shirt is neon, as pointed out by team owner Stuart Sternberg during during tonight's Rays telecast.

Sternberg was also taking breaks between questions to keep the scorebook from his front-row seat at Camden Yards.....the true sign of a real baseball fan.

Rays to St. Pete: We Accept Your Offer

The Tampa Bay Rays will accept an offer from St. Pete councilmembers to attend a public presentation of a stadium proposal in Carillon, in the city's Northeast corner.

In a one-paragraph letter to councilmembers Thursday, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg wrote that "I anticipate that members of the Rays organization will attend." No meeting date has been set yet, but it is expected that members of the Pinellas County Commission will attend as well.

"Please understand," Sternberg's letter continues, "that our attendance is a courtesy to you, and it has no bearing on our long-standing position: We will consider any potential ballpark site in Tampa Bay, but only as part of a process that considers every ballpark site in Tampa Bay."

The St. Pete council sent a letter to the team last week following its methodical decision to listen, but not participate, in the stadium presentation.

And while Mayor Bill Foster had indicated the team would need to accept his offer to amend the use agreement to consider a site at Carillon, it may not be the case. Carillon, and much of the "Gateway" region, already fall within St. Petersburg city limits.

Times Editorial Board Hammers Foster....Once Again

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board drills St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster again, this time for not being the one to "break the ice" in the most recent Rays discussions:

It comes as no surprise that the person who has broken the ice on the stalled talks over a new stadium is not St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster or Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg. Real estate developer Darryl LeClair has been quietly working for months on a stadium proposal for mid Pinellas, and the disclosure of his efforts has finally forced some movement. The St. Petersburg City Council will hear LeClair's pitch after the Republican National Convention, and the Rays should attend as a show of good faith. Perhaps the Pinellas County Commission could drop by as well.

Except the conversation is one that Foster tried to have two years ago and the Rays never accepted.

The Times also urges the Rays to accept the city's invitation, despite Foster's unwillingness to consider Hillsborough options:

[T]he Rays should attend the City Council meeting and listen to LeClair. That does not affect Sternberg's reasonable argument that the franchise should look at potential stadium sites in both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
...
Boycotting the meeting would only spur Foster and Wolfe to keep floating their speculation that Sternberg wants to move the team away from Tampa Bay. There is no public evidence to suggest that's likely, and it's not Sternberg whose actions are threatening the future of Major League Baseball here.

But will the editorial board hold the team to the same standard as Foster? In 2011, they suggested Sternberg should "make a reasonable (financial) offer to St. Petersburg after the season" to be able to explore new stadium sites. The board also said Sternberg "should open the Rays' financial books to confirm that the franchise is not making mountains of money."

He didn't - and the Times' issued him a free pass.

Why is a Tampa Law Firm Using a PR Service?

I'm always a little skeptical of law firms that tout lawsuits with PR firms, but a case to keep an eye on is Autography LLC's conspiracy/fraud suit against the Rays and top executives.

Here was the Tampa Bay Times coverage of the issue last week.

Times Editorial Forecasts Possible Doomsday

In a column designed to remind voters that elections matter, Tampa Bay Times Editor of Editorials Tim Nickens writes that a "worst-case" scenario could involve the Rays leaving Tampa Bay by 2015:

Tropicana Field is closed as well. (Mayor Bill) Foster refused to let the Tampa Bay Rays look for new stadium sites in both Pinellas and Hillsborough, so frustrated franchise owner Stuart Sternberg sold the Rays in 2014 and bought the New York Mets. The new Rays owner moved the team to Charlotte, and the resulting lawsuits are winding their way through the courts. So much for that lease requiring the Rays to play in the Trop until 2027.

First of all, there's no way Charlotte could possibly lure a team like the Rays by 2015...not to mention Charlotte has no money and the Rays are stuck in a seemingly-ironclad contract.

Second of all, everyone should know by now that Stu Sternberg doesn't want to buy the Mets. He's waiting for the Steinbrenners to sell the Yankees, of course!

Pinellas Jumps Into Stadium Saga

Pinellas County commissioners voted Tuesday to invite the Tampa Bay Rays, St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, and the St. Petersburg City Council to a future meeting to discuss the ballclub's future plans. While not a party to the current use agreement between St. Pete and the Rays, Pinellas County is a stakeholder, paying off a portion of the stadium's bonds through tourist taxes.

Pinellas County - like Hillsborough County - had been respecting Foster's threat of legal action if any parties tried to interfere with the binding contract between St. Petersburg and the Rays. But just like Hillsborough commissioners decided, Pinellas commissioners figured the risk of legal action was low...especially if St. Petersburg is in on the discussion.

Read more from WTSP here.

You can also catch up on recent comments made by Rays' owner Stu Sternberg, including his encouragement over the Hillsborough developments and a call to local leaders to "step up to the plate" (my pun, not his).

Buckhorn: "We Need to Start Looking at Other Options"

In one of his most direct comments on the Rays' Stadium Saga since taking office, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn told WTVT today that "we need to start looking at other options" after Commissioner Bud Selig once again criticized Tampa Bay's attendance.

"If the business model doesn't work in St. Petersburg, if the fans are not attending, if the corporations are not buying tickets, if the stadium is outdated, then something needs to change and something will change, whether we like it or not," Buckhorn told the station.

However, as I've said countless times, we still have no evidence that "the business model doesn't work." As WTSP's Adam Freeman reported today, the Rays are one of the league's most profitable teams and the franchise is worth double what it was when Stu Sternberg purchased it.

"Nowhere in our agreement with the Rays has the city accepted responsibility for attendance at the Trop," St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster told WTVT. "Per our agreement that runs through 2027, we build the house. We pay for the house and you play baseball."

Buckhorn acknowledged that he's "got to be careful because they have a contract," but added that "I can't see the Rays continuing to play in that environment with that type of fan support."

Attendance Talk and the Stadium Stalemate

You know it's a slow news day at the Tampa Tribune when they crank out another "attendance watch" story (hey, I do it too!).

Michael Sasso writes:

With the season reaching its midpoint this week, an average of 20,583 fans have turned out for the Rays' 43 games at Tropicana Field. That's up a bit more than 1,300 fans a game, for a 7 percent increase over this time last year, according to the baseball data website Baseball-Reference.com.

More eyeballs also are tuning in to Rays broadcasts on Fox's Sun Sports. Viewership is up 62 percent over this time last year, according to Nielsen figures. The average broadcast is being viewed in about 99,000 homes.

The better turnout at the Trop is encouraging news for fans who want to see the Rays stick around the Tampa area long-term. However, it probably won't quiet the critics who are pushing for a new stadium.

You might have to multiply the 1,300-fan increase by 10 to do that, said one prominent observer.

"Now 13,000, then you've got an article," said St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, who has demanded that the Rays fulfill their contract to play in St. Petersburg.

What we're seeing at Tropicana Field mimics the trend league-wide: more fans taking in games. And while the Rays are still 29th in the league and unlikely to move very much, there could be a little bump at The Trop with more Red Sox and Yankees games on the horizon and only four real weak mid-week series left on the calendar.

But perhaps an even bigger takeaway from the attendance article is that it's been two years since Stu Sternberg issued his ultimatum to St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay, and we still have no real news in the Rays' Stadium Saga.

It may continue that way until the caucus commissioned by the Greater Tampa and St. Pete chambers of commerce releases its inevitable findings. But the effort, initially launched in December 2010, was expected to produce a report in early 2012. That was delayed to June 2012, but has since been delayed again. It's unclear if the delay is related to the complexity of the research or the political climate, still unfriendly to the multi-county tax that may be necessary to get a stadium built.

New York Times on Stadium Saga

Last week, it was Stu Sternberg. Today, it was Mayor Bill Foster's turn to appear in the New York Times.

In a recap of the last three years of the Stadium Saga, the Times quotes the typical voices on the debate without the typical cliches:

“Everyone has an opinion, but not one of the people running their mouths are paying the freight on the stadium, and they were not here when the team was the laughingstock of the league,” Foster said in his office not far from Tropicana Field. “I put a lot in contracts, commitments and loyalty. All I’m asking is for them to abide by the contract.”

Hillsborough Co. Commissioner Ken Hagen was also quoted:

"If they left our region, it would have a devastating effect on our community from a quality-of-life and economic perspective,” said Ken Hagan, a Hillsborough County commissioner who has pushed to speak directly to the Rays. “To stick our heads in the sand and hope the stadium issue resolves itself is shortsighted."

While losing the Rays would be a huge emotional blow to the region, I'm not sure how much it would hurt Hillsborough Co. economically. It might even help since Tampa residents would be a little more likely to spend their disposable income in the county.

One other paragraph jumped out at me from writer Ken Belson:

The concession stands are buried in rotundas far from the seats, the scoreboard is tiny and the surrounding neighborhood is about as far from Wrigleyville as possible. On occasion, the stadium’s catwalks have deflected balls hit high in the air, making the whole stadium — it is the only one in baseball with a roof that does not open — feel like a Rube Goldberg contraption.

I guess I try to see the cup half-full: the Trop has plenty of concession stands near the seats; the scoreboard is visible from most seats; and the neighborhood around the Trop provides countless more options than even the MLB's newest park in Miami. (Personal guilty pleasure: ordering Taco Bus pre-game then bringing it into the stadium - they allow it!)

It's another tired knock on the Trop and the Stadium Saga from a national news outlet. But at least this story acknowledges the arguments against a new stadium while pointing out all of its flaws.

Guillen Wants a Rays Stadium, Too

Marlins' manager Ozzie Guillen, who has never said anything controversial before, said this weekend that the Rays "deserve" a new stadium and joked that he'd foot the first few million it would cost to get it done:

"Build the ballpark for them, please. Why not?" Guillen said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. "They're playing well. They've got a great organization. I think now they deserve that. They earned it. They play the game good, play the game right, and play the game hard, and in a very tough division....If one team deserves a new ballpark, it's them, because I think fans will support it a little bit better, and I think it'll be great for the city."

It should come as no surprise a MLB manager thinks a new stadium built on public subsidies is a good idea. And it should come as no surprise by now nobody asked Guillen who he thought should pay for it.

But Creative Loafing's Mitch Perry, who seldom wades into the deep end of the stadium debate, managed to do what few others are capable of: he celebrates a beautiful building while admonishing the way it was financed.

The newly opened Marlins Park in the Little Havana section of Miami is Major League Baseball’s newest edifice, and impressive it is.

Of course, at a cost of $634 million, it had better be. Although the 19-year-old franchise (née Florida Marlins, now Miami) has taken two World Series in its relatively short history (in ’97 and 2003), its attendance at home games has always been weak. Part of that problem had to be the fact that the team played in a huge, open-air football stadium, where humidity and the threat of rain put a crimp on advance sales.

While the Tampa Bay Rays negotiations for a new stadium are currently in limbo, the Marlins were able to suck vigorously from the teat of the taxpayer, with Miami Dade County selling approximately $377 million in bonds and the city of Miami kicking in another $102 million for the park and adjacent parking garages (the Marlins management graciously spent $120 million of its own money).

So what can you expect if you visit Marlins Park this summer? First of all, most of the “official” public parking comes from four large parking garages built next to the park that charge $15 a spot. But, like Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, the park is in a residential neighborhood. That means you’ll see all types of people holding signs that say “Parking.” We saw a lot of $15 signs initially, but after circling around the park found a less greedy homeowner who was willing to charge only $10 to drive up on his grass and park (as tightly as possible) next to another car already lodged there.

In short:

• The Marlins' biggest problems with their old stadium were humidity and the threat of rain, even though those arguments don't hold water in Tampa Bay.
• Being near a "downtown corridor" wasn't important to the Marlins, even though in Tampa Bay, it's seen as one of the biggest reasons for attendance failures.
• Miami fans have to pay $10-$15 to park, even though the are already paying tax premiums to pay for the garages.

Perry goes on to compliment the Marlins' dining options and access to concesions, but implies a retractable roof is a $100 million waste in certain cities:

The inside of the enclosed stadium resembles a large basketball arena more than, say, Tropicana Field (and now that it’s summer, good luck ever seeing the retractable dome opened up again any time soon).

One of the things Perry (who typically covers politics) does best is present both sides of the argument, as he does with attendance analysis:

Through 26 home games this season, (Marlins) attendance is averaging 28,543, which puts them right in the middle of the pack of the 30 Major League teams — roughly an increase of 67 percent from the first 24 games of 2011.

However, there’s this cautionary note: According to Baseball-Reference.com, of the nine teams that have opened new parks in the last decade, only the 2003 Cincinnati Reds had a smaller average at this point in the first year occupying their new digs.

Rays owner Stu Sternberg and other management, as well as St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster, have downplayed any talk of a new park in order to concentrate on getting more people into the seats at the Trop this year. But even though the Rays still have one of the top records in baseball through the first two months of 2012, their average home attendance of 19,504 was second to last (behind only Cleveland) as of June 4.

Going to Marlins Park really does throw into stark relief how lousy a ballpark Tropicana Field really is. It was built in 1990, a year before Baltimore’s Camden Yards led the revolution toward newer, more intimate downtown-situated structures. When the Rays franchise first began playing games there nine years later, the stadium was already out of date. Fourteen years later, it’s really out of date.

But it’s all we’ve got for now, and it behooves Rays fans to start attending more games. Otherwise, the arguments for Stu Sternberg to look somewhere outside of Tampa Bay will have more and more legitimacy.

It's a little surprising there hasn't been more chaos in the stadium saga as we approach the two-year anniversary of Sternberg's ultimatum (compliments to all parties involved), but in the 9-inning game of getting a new stadium built, we're probably just getting into the bottom of the 3rd.

Odds & Ends: Yanks Pinching Pennies, Sternberg Has Heart

Our friends at the Biz of Baseball have written how the luxury tax has succeeded (a little bit) in reining in the Yankees' league-leading payroll. From 2003-2011, the Yankees have accounted for 95% of the league's luxury tax payments, or more than $206 million. The Red Sox are second at just $18.8 million. That probably explains why Derek Jeter is only making $16 million this year.

Compounding the Yankees' terrible money problems (tongue firmly planted in cheek), the team thinks its attendance is suffering (down 3.6% this year) because StubHub has cheapened their product. But Field of Schemes debunks that theory.

Also in the Big Apple, the New York Times had a pleasant profile of Rays owner Stu Sternberg. The story paraphrases Sternberg by saying his biggest focus is on winning, not making money; and that he doesn't think the Rays are really worth $323 million.

Speaking of the Rays, they head into mid-June with the 28th-best/3rd-worst attendance average in the bigs. However, it is up a touch from last year.

Finally, a hat tip to the Sports Biz Miss, who directed me to Orlando's efforts to use tourist tax dollars to increase bowl payouts. I get what Mayor Buddy Dyer is trying to do, but it doesn't feel right to re-direct a few bucks from every Orlando hotel room night to the Big 10 or SEC. My very inside confidential sources (tongue still planted firmly in cheek) tell me both conferences are doing just fine financially.

Floridians Love Yankees More Than Rays; Steinbrenners Say They Do Too

Smacking down rumors that his family would put the Yankees up for sale now that dad has passed away, Hank Steinbrenner said Thursday that the team is most definitely not for sale. But as Ted DiBiase said, "every man has his price."

As much as Hank may love the Yankees, he also loves billions of dollars. And if a powerful group in baseball's inner circle quietly put together a $3.5-$4 billion bid for the team and its properties, you'd better believe Hank would listen. And if that were to happen, as I've been saying for years, you can bet Stu Sternberg's name would at least be mentioned in the conversation.

Meanwhile, as well as the Rays may play, they aren't nearly as popular as the Yankees...even in Florida. More proof that building a real fan base takes time.

Odds & Ends: Malcolm Glazer Alive, Stu Sternberg Spending

While Malcolm Glazer may not be in the best of health (he hasn't been seen in public in years), Manchester United is claiming rumors about its owner's stroke are just that: rumors.

The Glazer family, who years ago could have topped the list of "Best Jewish Owners in Sports," did not crack the Top-10 this year, according to JewishJournal.com. The Rays' Stu Sternberg, however, was ranked No. 3. Take it all with a grain of salt, however, since the Patriots' Robert Kraft came in just 10th while the Redskins' Dan Snyder was No. 1?!?

Speaking of Sternberg, he deserves props for making a long-term committment to the Tampa Bay region.....in the form of academic scholarships. It may be a long time before he helps build a new stadium here (or he may not), but at least he'll be building something significant soon: scholars.

Finally, for those of you hoping Hillsborough County moves forward with the proposed port-for-Rays swap, don't hold your breath. The topic was shot down at a recent board meeting before it could even be brought up, and many "in-the-know" players in Tampa Bay say the idea is nothing more than a pipe dream. But it is a pleasant dream....

More Stu on Opening Day

Rays owner Stu Sternberg held court before Friday's first pitch of the season at The Trop and there's lots of ways to interpret his comments...but here is the correct way:

"I think the ball is rolling (on a stadium search)...It's a huge boulder, but it's moving. The nice thing is it's not static, it's not going backwards, and you've got people on both sides of the Bay, business people, working on it."

Sternberg knows how long and painful the process is going to be (see: June '09 story)...and he has accepted it.

"The political people, they come, they go. I'm into my second (Tampa) mayor now. Business people on both sides recognize they need to get involved a little bit. We'll keep doing our part."

He may get frustrated by the political posturing, but at least his fellow CEO-types understand.

"The M.O. up to this point in our sport and every other sport is that winning cures the ills...We're in brave new ground, where winning hasn't cured the ills, so to speak. If people don't come out, I need to know the reason why not."

It's been almost two years since Sternberg said Downtown St. Pete was too remote of a location for the Rays (and almost three years since I wrote it). So he knows why people aren't coming; you could even argue he's contributed to the problem, not helped. However, for what it's worth, the Rays have contributed serious dough toward an effort to improve transit in Tampa Bay.

"I like my stadium...We put $30 million bucks into this place. I love the place. I would challenge anyone to come in here and say it's not a great experience. It's not an ideal experience, but something is keeping people from coming in."

He's frustrated. For good reason.

"(MLB)are getting less tolerant as time goes by, but I don't think (the Rays will relocated)...It could turn out that way, but I don't envision it that way. A lot of it comes down to business. We have some great corporate supporters, but we don't have enough corporate support."

Tampa Bay's corporate problem was first identified by the ABC Coalition in 2009 but could be improved if the stadium was closer to Downtown Tampa.

"We have a good amount of individual support and our core fans are tremendous. We're not even in the ballpark, relative to what's necessary corporate-wise to support this franchise."

Sternberg wants to make more profits - any baseball owner does - and a new stadium is his best opportunity for that. Nevermind the fact that Forbes indicates the Rays have been one of the most profitable teams the last five years. And nevermind the fact that the Rays have yet to actually prove their financial struggles. Sternberg and Rays fans alike are sick of seeing their team at the bottom of league standings when it comes to attendance and payroll and a new stadium is their preferred method of improving both indicators.

A Softer Side of Stu (Pt. II)

Stu Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times' Michael Van Sickler today that, while he's envious of the Marlins' new stadium, he's seemingly content right now at The Trop:

"I like my stadium. I love the place. I'd challenge anyone, and we have, to come in and say it's not a great experience. It's not an ideal experience. Something is keeping people from coming in."

Maybe a softer side of Stu? Last time I said that, it lasted about a month before the stadium saga went sour again.

Sternberg was all smiles, but also acknowledged he has more staying power than the political leaders who are stalling the stadium search:

"You know, the political people, they come, they go," he said. "I'm into my second mayor now."

Forbes: Rays' Value Down 2%

A disappointing year at the box office has the Rays' team value down 2% to $323 million, according to Forbes.

Of course, it's all relative since the team was valued at $176 million in 2005 when Stu Sternberg assumed majority control of the club. And, Forbes estimates the team is raking in $26.2 million annually in operating expenses - the fifth-best margin in the majors, thanks to revenue sharing.

Also chew on this: Sternberg & co. have seen their investment grow by 65% since 2005. The stock market, over the same time, has grown by just 18%.

And what does a new stadium mean to a team's bottom line? In the Miami Marlins case, $90 million; the team surges to No. 21 in the majors at $450 million total value.

The Biz of Baseball has more here, as well as historical values here.

PS - it's worth noting Forbes' writer on the MLB values article is Mike Ozanian, who thinks there are only three more seasons of baseball at Tropicana Field.

Sternberg Holds Pre-Season Court

As hope springs eternal across the Grapefruit League, Tampa Bay is preparing to embark upon its fifth season in the Stadium Saga. In fact, the Rays' original plans in 2007 called for the infamous sailboat stadium to open in 2012.

It's become a ritual for reporters to ask Rays' owner Stu Sternberg for his newest take on the stadium impasse at the start of each season. And much like he did at the start of 2011, Sternberg kicked off this season by toning down the rhetoric that had angered so many the previous year:

Times - Sternberg 'pretty certain' area can be viable long term
Trib - Payroll bump reflects faith in Tampa market
MLB.com - Sternberg has faith in Tampa Bay market
ABC - Sternberg appears to have called off the MLB dogs

Most of the analysis was complimentary, and, why not? Sternberg has managed to create the most successful team in baseball based on salary spent-per-win. He re-signed his much-wanted general manager and manager on "home"town discounts and heads into 2012 with one of the most respected teams in baseball.

All with one of the worst revenue streams in the bigs.

The success is not lost on the fans of Tampa Bay either, but Sternberg still risks leaving a Naimoli-like legacy on the region if he returns to his hard stances on the stadium talk. He toed a fine line Wednesday:

"We're sustaining [financial] losses," he told MLB.com's Bill Chastain. "That's got to end. The money we're putting toward [the team and this year's payroll] shows the faith we have in this market. I'm optimistic, and my belief since Day 1, was that it can and will work in this market, but we've got more challenges ahead of us and we've got things to do."

Sternberg seemed to then tip his hat to fans and acknowledge some of the team's responsibility in the revenue dilemma. But he also did the same thing last February, six weeks before he made his next set of frustrated comments:

"[B]aseball is just not going to stand for it anymore. And they'll find a place for me. They won't find a place here though. So it's up to us, to everybody, to figure out how to get it right."

The Rays and their owner deserve credit for taking the high road here, but they've also learned there's no way to sour fans on a successful season faster than expressing their frustrations over the Stadium Saga.

MLB.com Columnist Sympathetic to Rays' Cause

Richard Justice, new to MLB.com, joined the chorus of Trop-bashers this week with a column applauding the Rays' handing of the stadium saga. To call the story one-sided would be generous, but NBC Sports' Hardball Talk writer Craig Calcaterra digs in appropriately:

Yes, the Rays have said almost nothing about their stadium situation and how it puts them at a financial disadvantage. The have said almost nothing. Except, you know, for when they have.
...
(L)et’s not pretend that they’ve said “almost nothing” about it, always taking the high road and never getting involved in the politics of it all. They’ve been agitating about it for years.

Justice misses other points too. He writes:

The Rays' bottom line is that they can't remain competitive at Tropicana Field. Reasonable people may disagree on how to change things, but the problem itself is right there in black and white. Despite having one of baseball's best teams, Tampa Bay remains near the bottom of baseball in home attendance and revenues.

The Rays have never demonstrated they can't remain competitive at Tropicana Field (in fact, their recent success has proven otherwise). They have never demonstrated they are "near the bottom of baseball" in revenues (although it's safe to assume). But without revealing their finances, we can only take the team's word for it.

There is no proof in "black and white," as Justice suggests, when there is no evidence provided by the Rays.

Tampa Bay has done it the right way, with a homegrown team that's great fun to watch, led by stars like third baseman Evan Longoria and pitcher David Price. The club has a general manager, Andrew Friedman, and a manager, Joe Maddon, who are among the very best in the business.

Beginning with Sternberg and team president Matt Silverman and extending right down the masthead, the Rays are smart, decisive and successful.

Justice is absolutely right on those comments. But later makes either a large assumption or repeats ignorant hearsay:

One plan to build a waterfront park in St. Petersburg fizzled for lack of public support, even though the Rays offered to pay $150 million of the construction costs and cost overruns.

It's not that the plan died so quickly that bothered the organization. If it had been about the details of the deal, they were willing to negotiate all of them. What bothered the Rays most of all was that St. Petersburg officials wouldn't even acknowledge a problem.

If they weren't acknowledging a problem, St. Pete officials wouldn't have gotten on-board with the proposed open-aired stadium. If now-Mayor Bill Foster wasn't acknowledging a problem, he wouldn't have campaigned on promises of a new stadium, albeit in Pinellas County.

Justice continues:

To maintain success, the team must be able to keep some of its best players and allow success to build upon success.

He's probably right.

Doing this requires bigger crowds and a stadium that produces more revenues.0

Or simply spending more and profiting less. Or just continuing to make wise front office decisions to overcome the hurdles.

At the moment, the Rays have just about run out of ideas. They'll continue to attempt to drum up support for their situation and to explore sites St. Petersburg officials might agree to.

Once again, the national columnist exposes his unfamiliarity with the situation. Sternberg has said he's not interested in St. Pete sites unless he can look in and around Tampa too.

So take the column for what it's worth - at best a simple view of why the Rays deserve a new stadium; at worst, an uneducated view of the stadium saga through the eyes of an outsider.

Athletes and Political Contributions

You root for your favorite players on the field, but do you know whom they're rooting for off of it?

The 10 News Investigators identified more than 200 individual political contributions since 2007 from Tampa Bay athletes, teams, and sports executives. Hundreds more were identified from previous years.

Dave Andreychuk, Ronde Barber, Warren Sapp, Wade Boggs, George Steinbrenner, the Glazers, and Stu Sternberg are all among the names you'll find in the database.

You'll also learn how much teams and leagues pour into PACs and lobbying to maintain their comfortable "way of life," such as anti-trust and tax exemptions, blackout policies, relationships with gambling, and even the BCS.

Search the contributions and read about the trends here.

Could Rays Piggyback a Rail Referndum?

Last week, I wrote that Tampa Bay stadium talk may be entirely premature considering the giant leaps forward the region may make in the next few years when it comes to transit.

Monday, Trib reporter Michael Sasso wrote that light rail could be seen as a remedy to the Rays’ attendance ills.

Eighteen months ago, the Rays took a rare public political position in donating $50,000 to rail advocacy group "Moving Hillsborough Forward." And they may be willing to do it again.

In an era where few prominent sports figures are willing to speak their minds politically (new Rays slugger Luke Scott not included), it would be refreshing to see Stu Sternberg use his leverage to push for better transit in Tampa Bay.

Of course, it could potentially help the Rays too. While St. Pete politicians may think rail could keep the Trop relevant long-term, I have a feeling Sternberg & co. have already discussed the possibility of a Rail & Rays referendum.

Just as the Bucs piggybacked their stadium efforts onto a schools referendum in 1995, the Rays could potentially tout the region-changing benefits of getting both rail and a stadium for one "low" price.

Of course, the price would likely be somewhere near $2 billion over 30 years in the form of a penny-per-dollar regional sales tax. And such a project would require significant legislative finagling. But it's happened time and time again in Florida and history could certainly repeat itself.