Survival79

40 minutes ago, FlyEaglesFly76 said:

random thing: my brain's been so conditioned to Tampa ''Bay''  didn't even realize at first that the Vipers are just Tampa

They're not just Tampa... they're the Tampa Bay Vipers.

50 minutes ago, missouri tigers said:

Assuming the logos posted on the main site are the final, official logos, the vector work is incredibly sloppy. There's vector points that should connect but don't and nearly all of the corners are rounded for no apparent reason. The curves are almost all wonky as well and the logos that should be symmetrical (St. Louis, Tampa Bay) for some reason appear to have each side drawn separately instead of being mirrored.

I don't think they're official. This copy of the Vipers logo from the team's Twitter account doesn't appear to have those issues.

It looks like there are secondary logos buried in the XFL's website.

4 minutes ago, daniel75 said:

God I really hope Gargoyles isn’t a team name, that’s just bad. Try saying “Go Gargoyles” out loud, it’s not pretty.

GO GOYLES!

9 hours ago, Scrumptious Ham said:

Now no one wants to go to the games.

Announced attendance for first home game after the Montreal plan was revealed: 13,955. 

7 hours ago, Maroon said:

Considering two people on this page alone used the word "floundering" to describe the Florida franchises and their attendance, how about move the Rays to Montreal and split the Marlins between St. Pete and Miami and call them the Florida Flounders. Heck, have them play a few games in Orlando and they could get licensing rights from Disney for this bad boy to appear in their logo:

 

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

3 minutes ago, CardsFan79 said:

Thank you Survival79!

You're welcome! Here's an email the team just sent out.

Subject: Tampa Bay Rays Sister City Concept

6 hours ago, CardsFan79 said:

I thought I read in some of the articles about yesterday's press conference that the Montreal Group was going to have their own press conference today, but I can't find any info on it.  Did they hold one or did I make all that up in my mind?

Montreal businessman on Rays' future: 'It's a full-time team played in 2 places'

Montreal, QC — Canadian businessmen Stephen Bronfman and Pierre Boivin acknowledged Wednesday St. Petersburg’s mayor would have to give the Tampa Bay Rays approval to begin pursuing the possibility of splitting home games between two cities.

Bronfman’s investment company, Claridge, and development company Devimco are teaming up to try to bring Major League Baseball back to Montreal.

"We really have a real chance to have a team in Montreal today," Bronfman said.

The Rays’ lease runs through the 2027 season at Tropicana Field. Under the team’s current agreement, the Rays can’t pursue hosting home games outside of St. Petersburg during that time period.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said Tuesday the city would "not participate in the funding of a new stadium for a part-time team."

"It’s a full-time team," Bronfman said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference. "It’s just played in two places."

The Rays would have to reach a memorandum of understanding with the city of St. Petersburg before they could negotiate playing home games elsewhere, in this case between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal.

The Montreal group needs approval from St. Petersburg before devising a business model, Bronfman said.

The Montreal Expos left Canada after the 2004 season when the franchise moved to Washington, D.C.

Bronfman and Boivin have gotten MLB’s approval to pursue the two-city plan while they wait for St. Petersburg.

"We've got an opportunity to explore and study this sister-city concept," Bronfman said. "Hats off to MLB for their innovative thinking."

Bronfman called the split-city concept "groundbreaking," comparing it to massive sharing-economy companies like Airbnb and Uber.

A North American professional sports team – which includes MLB, the NFL, the NHL and the NBA – has never had a team evenly split its home games for an entire season.

Before the Montreal Expos moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C. in 2005, the team played 22 home games in Puerto Rico in 2003 and 2004.

Bronfman admitted to having conversations with Rays owner Stuart Sternberg. Bronfman said he didn't ask Sternberg to buy the team, but he did ask about relocating the Rays.

During Wednesday’s news conference, Bronfman and Boivin didn’t say how much an open-air stadium would cost or how it would be financed.

"We’re not going to start building a stadium without a definitive plan," Boivin said.

Bronfman said it might make more fiscal sense to build an open-air stadium used for part of the year because the seats higher up in any stadium or arena don’t provide as much return on investment as the closer, more expensive seats. He also admitted inclement weather in both Tampa Bay and Montreal could lead to postponed games and doubleheaders.

A new open-air stadium in Montreal could also be used for concerts and football, according to Bronfman.

Bronfman said it wasn’t his call for how soon it could be until Montreal hosts MLB games again. He said it would take about three years to build a new stadium.

Bronfman said he would like for his 88-year-old father to see the first pitch if MLB returns to Montreal.

While Bronfman didn’t dismiss the possibility of playing at the Expos’ old home, Olympic Stadium, for the first few years, he said MLB prefers a new downtown stadium before bringing a team to Montreal.

Bronfman also acknowledged the necessity of getting the MLB Players’ Association on board with a split-city concept.

Sports agent Scott Boras told the Tampa Bay Times he didn’t think any player moving midseason was "workable." Boras said he couldn’t envision the Players’ Association agreeing to the split season because he said it would affect players, their performance and their families.

Bronfman said while Boras was one key voice, it would be a "team effort" to get the Players’ Association to agree to a team hosting home games in two cities. It would take a "lot of lobbying and a lot of work," Bronfman said.

Like Sternberg and Rays management suggested Tuesday, Bronfman said the team could have a higher player payroll by splitting the season between two cities.

"It's hard to fight against a behemoth [the New York Yankees]," Bronfman said.

1 hour ago, spartacat_12 said:

I think if the MLB is actually serious about having a two city team (which I doubt they are), it would make the most sense to move the Rays to Montreal full time, and to have the Marlins split their home games between Miami & the Tampa Bay area.

 

These are the two worst markets when it comes to attendance, so in theory they'd both draw better with half as many games to sell, plus the logistics would be much simpler (players live in the same state all season, no tax/tv/radio complications).

 

They could either revert back to being the Florida Marlins, or come up with something new that would still appease both fanbases.

1. Give Sternberg an expansion team.

2. Merge the Rays and the Marlins. Rename the team the Florida Largemouths (the state freshwater fish). Largemouth bass logo with sun rays. The shared history serves as a foundation for the new team.

3. Hold an expansion/merger draft with the former Rays and Marlins players. The Florida team and Sternberg's expansion team rotate picks.

4. This is all no more ridiculous than Sternberg's Tampa Bay/Montreal model.

14 minutes ago, Marlins93 said:

As soon as you start splitting the season between two different cities (even what the Expos were doing in Puerto Rico), you signal that the franchise is floundering with the writing on the wall for relocation/contraction.

Both franchises are floundering.

14 minutes ago, Marlins93 said:

Neither Miami nor Tampa would embrace a shared team.

I'd totally embrace a team shared among Florida locales.

14 minutes ago, Marlins93 said:

And why would the Marlins be better off playing half their games in the Trop, which we've all concluded is poorly located and provides a subpar baseball experience?

Under this scenario, a new stadium would be built in St. Petersburg/Tampa just like the proposed Tampa Bay/Montreal model.

37 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

He claims it won't be a prolonged exit from Tampa

Hello, Mr. Sternberg.
How are you today?
Seems the rumors are abound, your team might move away.
Now, me I'm sentimental, but I'm not one to cry.

6 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

He said a renovation/expansion of "Al Lang Stadium" is a possibility

Quote

One reporter asked what Sternberg thought about the fans in the Tampa Bay area who would want the team all to their own. "All to their own just isn't gonna be an option going forward," Sternberg replied.

 

“I don't see it happening in St. Petersburg and would be hard-pressed to see it working in Tampa as well given what I know," Sternberg said.

17 hours ago, AstroBull21 said:

Press conference Tuesday the 25th at 1pm eastern about the Rays.  Assumingly to clear the air about this Montreal stuff.

It'll be interesting to see what Sternberg has to say today. Hopefully, someone will remind him of his promise.

May 2007: Principal owner Stuart Sternberg clarified comments in a The New York Times story, saying there is no deadline for a new ballpark and he will stick to his promise to never demand one. When Sternberg took over the team in October 2005 he pledged he would never demand a new stadium, and Tuesday he reiterated that promise. "Absolutely,'' he said. "I was extra clear a year and a half ago, and nothing has changed.''

never adverb

nev·er | \ ˈne-vər \

Definition of never

1: not ever : at no time

2: not in any degree : not under any condition

2 hours ago, Championship Sports Rings said:

I see all of the Cardinals rings made up the arch and the Rams ring is on the far right but what is the ring on the far left?? I cant see what it says and I just found out that  St Louis had an NBA team that turned into the Hawks and they beat the Celtics in 1958 but would that ring be the 1958 NBA Champinship Ring?  

1957-1958 St. Louis Hawks World Championship Ring - Front-Office Provenance!

34 minutes ago, McCall said:

Let Jeter and Co. take the Marlins wherever and move the Rays personnel (Players, Ownership, FO, etc) to Miami to become the “new” Marlins. They at least have a well run organization and thus may be the only hope of saving baseball in Florida. And the league can’t abandon Miami altogether after finally getting a new stadium. This way the better of the two is playing in it and fans will finally have a reason to show up and watch.

16 minutes ago, kimball said:

I like the idea of the Rays merging with the Marlins, rebrand to back to the Florida Marlins and play home games throughout the state -- Tampa Bay, Orlando, Miami, etc. That's the only way I see Florida baseball working. They can't carry the load of a 162 game season.

Step 1: Move the Marlins to Montreal.

Step 2: Split the Rays between Tampa Bay and Miami.

Step 3: The Florida Rays.

OR

Step 1: Move the Rays to Montreal.

Step 2: Split the Marlins between Miami and Tampa Bay.

Step 3: The Florida Marlins.

OR

Step 1: Move the Rays or Marlins to Montreal.

Step 2: Move whichever team is left to Orlando.

Step 3: The Florida Rays or the Florida Marlins.

On 4/15/2019 at 11:21 AM, sc49erfan15 said:

Charleston Southern University (Big South Conference) unveiled a new logo today.

 

Why is he wearing sunglasses?

9 hours ago, panthers_2012 said:

Maybe it's suppose to represent this?

Yes, that is what it is based on. Chris's article mentioned it and I posted this in the College Football Uniforms - 2019 thread.

Quote

The new number font and striping pattern pays tribute to Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, a historic landmark and centerpiece of the university, while the new secondary logo is based on the fountain at the entrance of the building.

12 hours ago, infrared41 said:

I remember Tony LaRussa wearing an AL Champs ring years ago on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I tried to find a picture, but I couldn't find one with a clear enough shot of the ring.

It was his 1988 American League Champions ring.

3 hours ago, AstroBull21 said:

No, that's an old stock photo.  I cant find a pic, but it has been updated.

3 hours ago, dont care said:

What does 2005 and 2006 have to do with Kobe?

Between the dates on each side is a jersey with his number for those years.

1996-2005: 8

2006-2016: 24

Question for the group: in the collective knowledge of all you fellow ring junkies, does anyone know why Bobby Bowden never wore any of his actual championship rings ? He always wore that one same ring with a red stone In The middle surrounded by diamonds?

I thought I read somewhere that he had that ring made up early in his career before FSU became a national power so that he would have bling to match other coaches that went into the homes of recruits. But I'm not sure.......any of you know about that?

TIA,

Karl

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?page=Mag15playforkeeps

"Bowden doesn't bother to wear his 1993 championship ring. He doesn't want his players to think he's satisfied. He doesn't wear any of his ACC title rings either, or the stash of bowl rings and watches he has hidden away in a dresser drawer. Those are for his 21 grandchildren. He wears only a ring given to him by Burt Reynolds, who was once an FSU running back."

I'm pretty sure this is the ring...

There's three trophies on the side of the ring

Still doesn't change my thought process behind my comment. They are making it more about LeBron and less about the franchise. There should be THREE trophies on the FRONT of the ring. If they want to make a note about LeBron or the three players coming together or whatever, then do it on the SIDE. I'm not a fan of what they did...maybe its just me.

I'm no fan of his, but I think you're wrong here. When you've got back-to-back championships, I'm okay with celebrating that on the front of the ring at the expense of all prior titles.

We agree to disagree then. I feel that it should always be about the franchise on the front and the individual stories on the sides. I believe it has been that way for years and I don't know of any other professional ring that mimics this trend. I could be totally wrong, but I don't remember a team doing anything similar to this. I'm not against a team bucking the trend and creating something new. I'm just not a fan of this. It seems way too pretentious for my liking.

The Lakers have done it with their recent rings.