Rays attendance

[the_narrow_way]

Originally Posted by Maverick9911

Christ, Sportscenter just made it a running joke during the Rays highlights. Buccigross compared last night's game to the final Lightning game this year vs. Atlanta when they drew 17k.

Kudos to the Lighting, for being able to put more butts in the seats for the final game of a bottom-dwelling season, and vs. Atlanta, than the Rays in an AL-leading season.

[Wrong Net Paulie]

Originally Posted by TBFANATIC

I've been to 8 games so far this season. The bullshit to get to the game isn't worth it, I have a much better time going to my local sports bar and cheering with 20 other fans.

Bingo.

Between the effort needed to get to the game (and I was in North Tampa, to go to a 7pm game and fight traffic around Tampa i'd have to leave at 5:30, hell in itself) its just... a royal pain in the ass. Sitting in traffic uses gas. Gas costs money. I haven't worked since April, and the IT industry in this area is garbage. Its a number of factors to have a poor turnout - population density isn't exactly through the roof in St. Pete so you're depending on pull from Tampa (and Zephyrhills, Dade City, PR/NPR, etc) and from Sarasota, Bradenton, etc.... Skyway... not so bad. Coming from Tampa... bit of a pain in the ass.

So thats my first point. Population density. Lower population density means the more people, the more travel by fans, collectively.

Economy. No need for details, people know what I mean. Lower pay than most big cities + ticket prices + drive TIME AND gas... going to a game isn't cheap. I'm in Kenneth City now and as much as I want to go, just not in the budget.

Next - and this will probably piss some people off, but... this is the first season they're actually winning. This is the first season they're doing something worthwhile. Frankly, most people still think they're doing terrible. Most friends of mine have no idea how well or how bad the Rays are doing... when I tell them they're in first, they're shocked.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA THE RAYS ARE WINNING.

Sad but true. Seems most of the population just kind of got numb to the Rays losing. Besides that, even one season of success warrants packing the house? You would hope so, but... *shrug*. I have to remind friends constantly that the Rays are up 4.5 games on the Red Sox.

Tickets as gifts.

This is a two-pronged attack here... first, tickets given away as gifts or tokens of appreciation for hard work, etc. People say, "well, work gives away the bucs tickets and people are all over them", well yes, but the season is a bit more exclusive, only 8 home games, and the Bucs have been winning. Same with the lightning, within reason. Tickets were a bit more exclusive, even if they still have 40+ home games. Baseball feels like it goes on year round, and when they were losing it felt like it was a "here, you take this" situation with tickets instead of a "thanks for your hard work, enjoy a ball game". Face it, over the years, they've lost that lustre of being free tickets. For a while, it was like someone handing you a trash bag and saying "YOU WIN, ENJOY". Even if you won, you still lost. Now that value is back up a bit but they need more exposure for people to realize it can be a great time. I'm not saying its right, but thats how it is. The second part of this is something that was mentioned earlier in the threat - corporate ticket sales are down, for obvious reasons. I won't go into too many details about that but that is a big chunk of sales.

I'll post more later, although after this i'm sure you'll all develop a disdain for reading and would rather toss darts at a photo of my face.

[Sotnos]

Originally Posted by Hoek

Maybe we just are inherently less of a baseball town than a football or even a hockey town!

I am really beginning to wonder. I also agree that there are tons TONS of fans of other teams down here, and maybe their baseball affinities are stronger than their hockey ones.

I think if they keep up the winning, things will get bette, but when? From my understanding they DO make money, so hopefully the owner can just hang on a little longer. I do feel bad for the guys out there playing their butts off though, it's gotta suck.

Originally Posted by jaydeedub

Completely agree. My Dad is a HUGE ball fan, but lives up in Pasco county off of 52 and the Sun Coast, but dreads the drive down to the Trop. I can't blame him. If their stadium was in Tampa it'd take him no time to get to it from the Sun Coast. It'd be even worse if they put it on the water next to the Pier. Just imagine the traffic then getting deeper into StP? Yuck.

I do agree with this. St Pete is decent for points south, but from points north forget it.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Wrong Net Paulie

Next - and this will probably piss some people off, but... this is the first season they're actually winning. This is the first season they're doing something worthwhile. Frankly, most people still think they're doing terrible. Most friends of mine have no idea how well or how bad the Rays are doing... when I tell them they're in first, they're shocked.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA THE RAYS ARE WINNING.

Sad but true. Seems most of the population just kind of got numb to the Rays losing. Besides that, even one season of success warrants packing the house? You would hope so, but... *shrug*. I have to remind friends constantly that the Rays are up 4.5 games on the Red Sox.

No hatred for you, don't worry.

I just have to wonder if your friends are sports fans at all. Certainly I have friends who don't follow sports at all and I don't expect them to know Tampa even has a baseball team. My friends who hate baseball but still follow sports casually know the Rays are doing well this season. I mean the Rays are constantly on the front of the sports page, lead off sports in the local news, and are even the top story on newspapers/newscasts. ESPN talks about them on a regular basis now that they're winning. If your friends do follow sports, are they blind and deaf? No offense to your friends, but that seems far fetched that if they follow sports even a little that they would have no idea the Rays are doing well this year. Maybe not that they know how many games the Rays are up on the Sox, but that they have a decent team this season. I don't think a majority of people having no clue the Rays are winning isn't true and I don't think it's a reason they don't draw.

I think the bigger problems are the stadium and getting to it, the history of the team, the lack of corporate sponsors, and a small season ticket holder base. The first one isn't going to change for some time. The second is starting to change. The third and fourth will improve next season because the team is starting to win. I think(hope) we'll start seeing a bigger jump in attendance next year.

[KyleFreadrich43]

Most people in this area are already into the Lightning and Buccaneers financially, of the 3 sports, baseball is most boring. Unless it's a competitive game between the better teams, even a 13-3 home win is boring with nothing on the line.

The average fan doesn't make enough in a year to support all 3 teams, and the other 2 offer much more fan friendly options.

Football and hockey are physical and mental, leading to a better viewing experience, whereas baseball is strategy, and that's been a lost art for about 2 decades.

Baseball was an enjoyable spring thing to do, hang out with the guys, skip work, fathers take their sons, families enjoy an afternoon out, and it's very, very inexpensive. Sports speculators took the interest in spring training as a definite that baseball would work here full time, they were wrong.

It's not anything having to do with high prices, as they have the lower prices of the 3 sports, but again, when you factor in excitement and watch ability, as well as best reward for your already spent dollar, baseball loses out almost all the time.

The games for the BoSox, Yankees and Twins will be sell-outs, but I doubt any of the others will be, outside of Saturday black-outs or exciting shows like LL Cool J and the Village People....

[Donnie D]

I think you are right, baseball is another culture up north.

Up north, baseball means summer - those 3 or 4 months that you don't have to be cooped up in your home. People go to the games like you go to a park. They don't care if the game is boring, you are sitting outside having a beer and a hot dog with your friends and family. It doesn't matter if they win or lose, becuase you get to be outside.

You play softball at family reunions with 30 people on each team and the 4 year olds run the wrong way when they hit the ball. It's just different.

[Sotnos]

Originally Posted by Donnie D

I think you are right, baseball is another culture up north.

Up north, baseball means summer - those 3 or 4 months that you don't have to be cooped up in your home. People go to the games like you go to a park.

Wellllll maybe, but you're also talking about years (and years and years) of having a local MLB team as part of the culture in northern cities. So are we sure it's the weather & not the culture?

I also do think that KF43 might have a point with baseball having the least amount of action of the local sports. I've wondered before if young kids now are into baseball or if it's too slow for their short attention spans.

[TexasBolt]

The other thing that sucks: Where do most people seem to move to Tampa from? New York, Boston, Chicago, and Minnesota.

Who are four of the other five teams in playoff contention in the AL? New York, Boston, Chicago, and Minnesota.

Then you have all the Philly transplants still rooting for the Phillies because they're in the mix in the National League, plus the Mets and Cubs fans from the groups I already listed. I can't see people getting on the bandwagon when their hometown teams are still very much in the race. I mean, if the Rays and Rangers were battling for a playoff spot, I don't think I'd be jumping on the Texas bandwagon just because I live here. It would be counterproductive.

[missK]

I have to say I was a BIG baseball fan before I moved to FL in '92. Since I moved and became a Lightning season ticket holder in '93, hockey has ruined me to sit through a baseball or football game, live or on TV. I get too bored waiting for something to happen and all the stupid and illegal antics of the players have turned me off. Plus since I spend 95% of my entertainment budget on hockey, I can't afford to pay for baseball tickets to be bored out of mind. It's less expensive for me to go to a movie and be really entertained for a couple hours or stay home and watch some videos. It's just the reality of my life. Hockey ruined me!

[Donnie D]

I'm going to the Rays game today. I think it's my fifth of the season. I've only gone twice before, when our church went for a concert and when my wife won tickets in a box.

Tickets were more difficult to get this week. We have been sitting in the press level buying tickets the Friday before the game. Always been in 2 - 3 sections from home plate. This time, we are past the dugout.