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Tampa Bay Devil Rays Name Change?


Survival79

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Devil Rays fan cries foul over 'Tampa' label; [LATE TAMPA Edition]

CARRIE JOHNSON. St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Fla.: Sep 21, 2005. pg. 3.B

He began scribbling. When he finished, [bill Foster] had written a resolution asking the Rays to consider changing the team name to include St. Petersburg.

"All I want to do is ask nicely," Foster said. "Every time someone gets it wrong, we're losing a marketing opportunity. . . . I don't think there's any downside for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays."

Foster said the team could become the St. Petersburg Devil Rays or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at St. Petersburg.According to the Rays' contract with the city, the team has the right to pick its own name, said City Attorney John Wolfe. That means the city can't compel a name change until the contract expires, which isn't for more than 20 years, Wolfe said.

Does this joker understand the region where he lives?

NO team plays IN Tampa Bay, which was a body of water the last time I was down there. There is not city of Tampa Bay, unlike the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I was always led to believe that the name "Tampa Bay" referred to the metropolitan area around the aforementioned body of water, including the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg. In the same way, the Carolina Panthers represent both North and South Carolina, the Minnesota teams represent the Twin Cities (and in fact, the entire state of Minnesota), and the New England Patriots and Revolution cover a whopping SIX states.

And the word "Devil" has worked out okay for that hockey team from East Rutherford. You know, the one that has the 3 Stanley Cups.

Yeah... but it didn't stop one of our attention-hungry State Assemblymen (not from down my way, Thank Gawd!!) from proposing legislation in the NJ Assembly this year tieing state money for the Devils' new Newark Arena to a name change. This guy is a minister as well. But as any native New Jerseyite knows, the Jersey Devil is not the anti-Christ, but a mythological creature that terrorizes the people of the state. Just as the Devil Rays are named for a fish and not the Prince of Darkness. These fools just want some attention, so we give it to them, even though they're factually DEAD WRONG and should do a little research before spouting off at the mouth in front of a microphone.

"Start spreading the news... They're leavin' today... Won't get to be a part of it... In old New York..."

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In order for the Mets' run of 12 losses in 17 games to mean something, the Phillies still had to win 13 of 17.

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Let's not forget that not too long ago, the NBA Washington Bullets changed its name to the Wizards because it wanted to be disassociated with the murder capital of the USA (D.C.)

The Bullets actually changed their name to the Wizards because team owner Abe Pollin's friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated. Pollin didn't want his team's name to represent the way his friend was murdered.

On January 16, 2013 at 3:49 PM, NJTank said:

Btw this is old hat for Notre Dame. Knits Rockne made up George Tip's death bed speech.

 

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Let's not forget that not too long ago, the NBA Washington Bullets changed its name to the Wizards because it wanted to be disassociated with the murder capital of the USA (D.C.)

The Bullets actually changed their name to the Wizards because team owner Abe Pollin's friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated. Pollin didn't want his team's name to represent the way his friend was murdered.

It also didn't hurt that the Bullets were dead last in NBA merchandise sales before they changed.

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Wellp, one tiny event kinda pushed the name change to "Astros" through in 1965...

Seems Colt Firearms was gonna sue the bejeezus out of the ballclub unless they did change the name...something about "copyright infringement"....

Actually that's not entirely accurate.

When the team was founded they had signed a 3-year deal with Colt Firearms to use the name (the team wanted to use it, and paid Colt for it, unlike a deal like the Memphis Grizzlies tried to do with FedEx to become the "Memphis Express" a few years back).

At the end of the 3 years, Colt Firearms saw Houston Colt .45's merchandise being sold and what-not, and having not seen a dime of it asked, "Can we have a cut of that revenue, please?"

Judge Roy Hofheinz & Co. told Colt to piss up a rope, and the opening of the Astrodome was a perfect opportunity for the team to be rechristened the Astros.

OH, and there was apparently serious back-channel discussion about changing the team's name again when they moved out of the Astrodome, becoming the Houston Diesel or Houston Diesels. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

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so, does anyone want to think of REAL new name ideas?

How about?

Tampa Bay Blue Sox (white and red? we need blue!)

Tampa Bay Barracuda

St. Petersburg Swashbucklers (pirate theme to go with Bucs)

Tampa Navigators (they can play up sailing and GATORS theme)

St. Petersburg Pilots (home of world's first airline)

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so, does anyone want to think of REAL new name ideas?

How about?

Tampa Bay Blue Sox (white and red? we need blue!)

Tampa Bay Barracuda

St. Petersburg Swashbucklers (pirate theme to go with Bucs)

Tampa Navigators (they can play up sailing and GATORS theme)

St. Petersburg Pilots (home of world's first airline)

I love the name Navigators, but I also love the way St. Petersburg Pilots sound (but don't the Brewers still own that name?). Barracudas is just too far out there, and Blue Sox, hell no...the "Sox" names are oldies, but not necessarily goodies. No way in hell Blue Sox flies as a new team name.

The St. Pete Sharks would go a long way. I smell a rename the Devil Rays contest.

Let's do that shizzle, dizzle!

On January 16, 2013 at 3:49 PM, NJTank said:

Btw this is old hat for Notre Dame. Knits Rockne made up George Tip's death bed speech.

 

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The St. Pete Sharks would go a long way. I smell a rename the Devil Rays contest.

The best name is sports:

Tampa Bay Tiburons

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I like St. Petersburg Pilots too.

As far as the Brewers owning the name, if the Seligs can make a buck on it, I am sure they would sell it. Do they still own the Brewers?

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As far as the Brewers owning the name, if the Seligs can make a buck on it, I am sure they would sell it. Do they still own the Brewers?

No, Mark Attanasio bought the Brewers before this past season. Thank God.

Maybe the Tampa Bay Skyways, after the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Would lend itself to a nifty logo.

And don't forget there is another Pilots team out there - the University of Portland.

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it's only because the fact is inescapable that Tampa Bay has proven to be a lousy baseball market.

Tampa/St. Pete is not a lousy baseball market. There are 3 single A teams in the market as well as the D-Rays.

The problem is simple. Bad team, horrific park.

Tropicana Field is a horrible place to watch a game. Add to that the outrageous prices on everything coupled with a lousy team and it's easy to see why no one goes there. Here's an example. I bought a coke there and it cost me 6 bucks. At Jacobs Field that same coke is 3.75. A New Era hat at Tropicana's gift shop (which was a joke) is $35.00. At Jacobs field it's $25.00. It's not due to prices being higher in Florida than Ohio because outside Tropicana Field, the prices on anything were the same or lower than they are in Ohio. Everything is way over priced Tropicana Field. And as I mentioned earlier it's like watching a game in a huge basement. I love baseball and I love St. Petersburg but I'll never go back to Tropicana. I can't blame the locals for staying away. Who can afford it?

Build an actual ballpark, put the prices in line with the market, build a team with a future and the fans will come. It's that simple.

 

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so, does anyone want to think of REAL new name ideas?

How about?

Tampa Bay Blue Sox (white and red? we need blue!)

Tampa Bay Barracuda

St. Petersburg Swashbucklers (pirate theme to go with Bucs)

Tampa Navigators (they can play up sailing and GATORS theme)

St. Petersburg Pilots (home of world's first airline)

Since teams like to name themselves after something associated with their area, with tongue firmly in cheek I humbly submit the following proposals for the D-Rays new name...

Tampa Bay Tourists

Tampa Bay Snowbirds

Tampa Bay Traffic Jam (this is by far the most representative name)

Tampa Bay Nudists (for the nudist colonies and camps in the area) just think, flesh colored unis!

Tampa Bay 89ers (As in age of the average citizen)

Tampa Bay Transplants

Tampa Bay Daily Afternoon Thunderstorms or simply The "Dats" :D

 

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So how do you explain the lack of interest in their first season?

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that damn gradient!

On January 16, 2013 at 3:49 PM, NJTank said:

Btw this is old hat for Notre Dame. Knits Rockne made up George Tip's death bed speech.

 

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Tampa Bay Renegades(goes well with name and they have a minor league team with that name)

Tampa Torpedos(just looks good)

Tampa Fishermen(maybe they could finally reel in wins when they play the Marlins)

or my favorite

The Tampa Bay Old Chain Smoking Retired People.(old people retire in Florida and they could have a name that beats Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem)

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This is a Major League Baseball team, y'all. The name should be classy and refined. None of that Matrix or Krunk new-age stuff.

On January 16, 2013 at 3:49 PM, NJTank said:

Btw this is old hat for Notre Dame. Knits Rockne made up George Tip's death bed speech.

 

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