Rays seem ready to dump Devil

[leedsunited]

And IMO - as a Christian myself - I don't have any kind of problem with the "Devil" part of the name, other than the fact that I think the name "Manta Rays" or "Stingrays" would have been better names to begin with.

I thought this fellow's name was "Manta Ray," but it turns out it was "Ray Fillet." However, since I went through so much work finding an image, I had to post it.

My favorite Ninja Turtles action figure of all time.

Do Never Test RAY FILLET!

[Survival79]

'Can do' replacing old sense of doom

By MARC TOPKIN

Published April 22, 2007

RAYS RUMBLINGS: The Rays have to notify MLB by May 31 of their new name (dropping Devil) and color scheme (blue and yellow?) but don't plan to announce it until after the season.

He's blue and yellow...

[Sir Donald]

I think the name "Manta Rays" or "Stingrays" would have been better names to begin with.

I agree those are much better nicknames. Tampa Bay Stingrays just sounds better full stop. They could still have the current color scheme, even the same logo (with a little modification )

[powersurge]

Its all pretty worthless because its not like they'll keep the team for too long anyway. If the Marlins could win two World Series in a decade and still be on the verge of relocating, the "Devil Rays" don't have chance.

First get educated. Then speak.

For your information the quote was said in jest. Please save your senseless and demeaning replies for another forum. It doesn't make you sound as educated as you wish it did.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Its all pretty worthless because its not like they'll keep the team for too long anyway. If the Marlins could win two World Series in a decade and still be on the verge of relocating, the "Devil Rays" don't have chance.

First get educated. Then speak.

For your information the quote was said in jest. Please save your senseless and demeaning replies for another forum. It doesn't make you sound as educated as you wish it did.

I'll back you up though. The Rays -- Satanic or not -- don't have a chance of ever being successful. Not in that city and certainly not in that stadium.

[Snazel]

I don't have a problem with the name "Devil Rays" or the color scheme.

If the franchise was really serious in improving its current station in baseball, it would blow up that awful stadium and build a real one.

Also if fans in Tampa who root for other teams would stop taunting and ridiculing the poor people actually help fun baseball in the city they live in, by supporting the baseball team there, this would also be a great thing.

As a Seahawk fan, who supported the team with season tickets for years, I sympathize. Getting taunted by a drunk Raider fan from Auburn, Washington, who wants to pick a fight, and then mocks you because you support the NFL in your hometown...gets highly annoying after a while. It can make a sporting event, charge with a lot of confrontation and a lot of ugly incidents in the stands.

If you watched the Yankee/Rays game the other day, you saw brief indications of this when they went to crowd shots.

I don't think these kinds of marketing changes don't add or subtract much in the final equation. The team just needs one decent season, so that when a kid goes to a game, he's actually surrounded by people who support his team, his city and his community.

I really believe a sporting event, is more enjoyable, when the event, and the team give you a sense of community. Not a false sense of community, where don a hat because you like the logo and the color scheme, but a sense of community because you live, work and play in the city...and you realize you are sitting in a stadium full of people who also have the same affection for where you live that you do.

Without that sense of community, its just a TV show, a novelty act...it doesn't translate into anything real or definitive. Right now baseball in Tampa doesn't have it. Football in Tampa probably didn't at first either, but now it clearly does.

[Gothamite]

I'll back you up though. The Rays -- Satanic or not -- don't have a chance of ever being successful. Not in that city and certainly not in that stadium.

By all accounts, the stadium is a terrible drain on the franchise. It's old, ugly and outmoded. Built before the modern ballparks, with all their amenities (and revenue streams). From what I've read, people from Tampa really don't like having to drive over to St. Pete for their baseball games.

It's ironic, because with the pathetic attendance the Devil Rays have had, they would be a prime candidate for relocation. Except for the apparently iron-clad stadium lease, with lots of penalties should they move. And there's obviously no way that St. Petersburg will let them out of the lease early to move to Tampa.

So the thing keeping them in town is the thing holding them down. Ouch.

[BigShoop]

I'll back you up though. The Rays -- Satanic or not -- don't have a chance of ever being successful. Not in that city and certainly not in that stadium.

By all accounts, the stadium is a terrible drain on the franchise. It's old, ugly and outmoded. Built before the modern ballparks, with all their amenities (and revenue streams). From what I've read, people from Tampa really don't like having to drive over to St. Pete for their baseball games.

It's ironic, because with the pathetic attendance the Devil Rays have had, they would be a prime candidate for relocation. Except for the apparently iron-clad stadium lease, with lots of penalties should they move. And there's obviously no way that St. Petersburg will let them out of the lease early to move to Tampa.

So the thing keeping them in town is the thing holding them down. Ouch.

Has anyone ever BEEN to the stadium? And if you have, have you been in '06 or '07?........

For the love of god, PLEASE stop punishing the new ownership for the old ownership's mistakes. Take a look at what the new ownership has done to the organization in their short tenure, and THEN form your opinion.

[Gothamite]

For the love of god, PLEASE stop punishing the new ownership for the old ownership's mistakes. Take a look at what the new ownership has done to the organization in their short tenure, and THEN form your opinion.

You don't need to talk to me about that, you need to talk to Tampa Bay area baseball fans.

New ownership, stadium improvements, same terrible support.

Last year, 29th out of 30. This year so far - 29th out of 30. And the only team below them in this young season is Cleveland, who had weather problems so bad they cancelled or moved seven games.

The proof is in the pudding.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Has anyone ever BEEN to the stadium? And if you have, have you been in '06 or '07?........

For the love of god, PLEASE stop punishing the new ownership for the old ownership's mistakes. Take a look at what the new ownership has done to the organization in their short tenure, and THEN form your opinion.

I have. Three times from 2001 - 2003. Every time was a miserable experience. You escape the splendid sunshine of St. Petersburg for the dank, miserable interior of the Trop. The home team always sucks, so you basically go to see the other team's best players. The sight lines are okay for the price of the tickets, but the carpet is so drab you find yourself looking for something bright, something lively, anything to take your mind away from the fact that you paid good money to see one barely major-league team get trounced by another. Plus, I lived in Tampa and it took 45 minutes to go see the supposed home team.

I will give the Tropicana Dome this, however. The entranceway into the stadium is pretty nice, the concourse areas are nice and lively (lots of murals), and it's neat when they project lights onto the lid of the dome to make it orange.

Otherwise, it's by far the worst professional stadium I've ever been to, and that includes standing outside of RFK.

[Survival79]

[TBGKon]

Has anyone ever BEEN to the stadium? And if you have, have you been in '06 or '07?........

For the love of god, PLEASE stop punishing the new ownership for the old ownership's mistakes. Take a look at what the new ownership has done to the organization in their short tenure, and THEN form your opinion.

I have. Three times from 2001 - 2003. Every time was a miserable experience. You escape the splendid sunshine of St. Petersburg for the dank, miserable interior of the Trop. The home team always sucks, so you basically go to see the other team's best players. The sight lines are okay for the price of the tickets, but the carpet is so drab you find yourself looking for something bright, something lively, anything to take your mind away from the fact that you paid good money to see one barely major-league team get trounced by another. Plus, I lived in Tampa and it took 45 minutes to go see the supposed home team.

I will give the Tropicana Dome this, however. The entranceway into the stadium is pretty nice, the concourse areas are nice and lively (lots of murals), and it's neat when they project lights onto the lid of the dome to make it orange.

Otherwise, it's by far the worst professional stadium I've ever been to, and that includes standing outside of RFK.

Shoop's point is that there have been many renovations to the Trop in over the past 2 seasons (06 and 07). The turf was replaced for the 07 season. I dont have any pics of the current stuff, but it does look much better.

[CubsFanBudMan]

I've been to Tropicana several times, and I have no problem with it other than the fact that the rafters can be home runs. However, that never came into play in any the games I went to. It's a dome. WIN and they will come.

And you can't blame the stadium for a lack of winning. Had the Giants or White Sox moved into that stadium as threatened they no doubt would have at least had an occasional up year as an established franchise. Wrigley Field, of all places, plays the bad stadium card with the "we need to put up more ads to be competitive" routine (see the new drawings on the walls courtesy of an unnamed sportswear company).

That said, I think the Rays should have kept the green and either lightened the blue or dropped it all together.

[Gothamite]

Survival79, you need more than a clever graphic to avoid the truth.

[Survival79]

Survival79, you need more than a clever graphic to avoid the truth.

Since you seem to have trouble understanding the purpose of the Sports Logos forum, and this thread in particular, I'll help send you on your way.

[powersurge]

Has anyone ever BEEN to the stadium? And if you have, have you been in '06 or '07?........

For the love of god, PLEASE stop punishing the new ownership for the old ownership's mistakes. Take a look at what the new ownership has done to the organization in their short tenure, and THEN form your opinion.

I have. Three times from 2001 - 2003. Every time was a miserable experience. You escape the splendid sunshine of St. Petersburg for the dank, miserable interior of the Trop. The home team always sucks, so you basically go to see the other team's best players. The sight lines are okay for the price of the tickets, but the carpet is so drab you find yourself looking for something bright, something lively, anything to take your mind away from the fact that you paid good money to see one barely major-league team get trounced by another. Plus, I lived in Tampa and it took 45 minutes to go see the supposed home team.

I will give the Tropicana Dome this, however. The entranceway into the stadium is pretty nice, the concourse areas are nice and lively (lots of murals), and it's neat when they project lights onto the lid of the dome to make it orange.

Otherwise, it's by far the worst professional stadium I've ever been to, and that includes standing outside of RFK.

Shoop's point is that there have been many renovations to the Trop in over the past 2 seasons (06 and 07). The turf was replaced for the 07 season. I dont have any pics of the current stuff, but it does look much better.

"You can paint a piece of :censored: any color you want but its still a piece of :censored:"

Not the most eloquent saying, but I think it fits in this case.

Las Vegas Rays sounds pretty good to me.

[FiddySicks]

Has anyone ever BEEN to the stadium? And if you have, have you been in '06 or '07?........

For the love of god, PLEASE stop punishing the new ownership for the old ownership's mistakes. Take a look at what the new ownership has done to the organization in their short tenure, and THEN form your opinion.

I have. Three times from 2001 - 2003. Every time was a miserable experience. You escape the splendid sunshine of St. Petersburg for the dank, miserable interior of the Trop. The home team always sucks, so you basically go to see the other team's best players. The sight lines are okay for the price of the tickets, but the carpet is so drab you find yourself looking for something bright, something lively, anything to take your mind away from the fact that you paid good money to see one barely major-league team get trounced by another. Plus, I lived in Tampa and it took 45 minutes to go see the supposed home team.

I will give the Tropicana Dome this, however. The entranceway into the stadium is pretty nice, the concourse areas are nice and lively (lots of murals), and it's neat when they project lights onto the lid of the dome to make it orange.

Otherwise, it's by far the worst professional stadium I've ever been to, and that includes standing outside of RFK.

Shoop's point is that there have been many renovations to the Trop in over the past 2 seasons (06 and 07). The turf was replaced for the 07 season. I dont have any pics of the current stuff, but it does look much better.

"You can paint a piece of :censored: any color you want but its still a piece of :censored:"

Not the most eloquent saying, but I think it fits in this case.

Las Vegas Rays sounds pretty good to me.

You think the Trop is bad, just try to imagine a team playing at that POS that is Cashman.

[Gothamite]

Survival79, you need more than a clever graphic to avoid the truth.

Since you seem to have trouble understanding the purpose of the Sports Logos forum, and this thread in particular, I'll help send you on your way.

I am enjoying a solid conversation with other posters. If you do not want to participate, you don't have to.

Smarmy personal comments are neither needed, required nor particularly flattering to you.

[Survival79]

The truth hurts, my friend.

The truth hurts.

[Gothamite]

Ah, well. Only time will tell.

Great Caesar's Ghost, I thought Brewers fans were defensive....