Rays’ New Stadium? What About The Bucs’?
February 24th, 2010
Hearing all the buzz about Tampa Bay Rays’ ownership claiming to need a new stadium in order to keep the team competitive for the long haul, Joe couldn’t help but smirk.
Officials in Hillsborough County and Tampa are pretty cold to the idea (exception being Tampa city council candidate Scott Strepina), per yesterday’s St. Pete Times’ report. And there’s little enthusiasm among the political powers in Pinellas County, as well.
Joe wonders whether the Hillsborough and Tampa folks are thinking ahead — without saying anything — to the fact that the fancy stadium that hosts the Bucs and Super Bowls on Dale Mabry Highway won’t always be a jewel and won’t always satisfy the Glazers.
What’s the shelf life on that stadium? Twenty years? This years will be the 13th football season in the “new” stadium, aka The C.I.T.S.
Notice that the Dophins’ stadium in South Florida, which opened in 1987 (a mere 11 years older than the C.I.T.S), has already been deemed unworthy of future Super Bowls by the NFL unless substantial, pricy upgrades are made.
Joe can surely see a scenario in four years that has the rejuvenated and playoff-bound Bucs going public with their need for a stadium, pulling relocation scare tactics and claiming it’s necessary for Tampa to remain a Super Bowl host.
Joe’s not one to give politicians credit for being intelligent and forward-thinking, but the Hillsborough folks have to know that a push for new Bucs stadium — and possibly one for the Yankees — isn’t that far off.
Sorry, Rays.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:50 am
I think the CITS could use a retrofit. But a whole new stadium. Thats crazy
February 24th, 2010 at 11:03 am
lol wtf are you talking about. RayJay is rated one of the best football stadiums in the country. Have you ever been to the Trop? The Rays actually need a new stadium and any new stadium will stay in Pinellas.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Joe.
I actually was thinking about this myself recently. But heres the thing. I think this stadium, CITS as you call it, already has plenty of luxury boxes and many of the ammenities that owners ask for in the new stadiums being built.
I don’t think Joe Robbie, aka Pro Player, aka Dolphin aka Land Shark, aka Sunlife Stadium was built with all of the same considerations.
I can see a scenario in 15 or 20 years with this stadium being in need of remodeling and some udgrades but what else could be added?
Although, in 20 years who knows what the new standard will be In stadium design?
February 24th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Joe here,
d-money and Jason: This isn’t about what Joe thinks. It’s about the reality of the business of the NFL in five years. …Who knows what the new standard will be or the economic climate. …If the CITS is 18 years old and the economy is good, it’s reasonable to think there may be a push for a new stadium. …Something to think about. Stadiums don’t last forever.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Ray Jay will be around for AT LEAST another 10 years.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:26 am
The rays need a new stadium before the bucs and screw the yankees they don’t need a new stadium in tampa they can move for all I care! I love to see the rays geta new stadium but do I see st.pete or pinellas letting that happen I mean I believe the city and county want the rays at the trop an no new stadium because the city of st.pete and pinellas county think the trop should be the rays home for 60years and if not they might just tell the rays to leave the state cuz knowone will ever want a new stadium!
February 24th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Jason:
Two points:
1) The following two sentences are Joe’s personal opinion and not a criticism: While a nice stadium, Joe believes the CITS to be overrated. Joe’s been to other NFL stadiums built about the same time and they are far nicer. Hell, Joe even likes Joe Robbie better, coming from a Caybrew-soaked fan’s perspective.
2) The Fruitdome is an awful pit. Joe doesn’t give a damn where the next Rays stadium is built — Naples, Orlando, wherever, Joe will go. Driving to a ball game is an insignificant factor to Joe — so long as it is not a soulless, satanic dome. Retractable roof? OK. But no friggin’ dome.
Baseball is not arena football. It is not to be played in a warehouse.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Joe u should tell that to st.pete and pinellas county cuz they think the trop is a cash cow and that thell never let the rays leave the trop for a new stadium in st.pete or pinellas or anywhere cuz the city and county believe the trops the best stadium in baseball and they don’t care what bud selieg says!
February 24th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Hey if the glazers pay for it all I would be up for a new bucs stadium! If the glazer pay a billion of its own money then y not. The rays don’t have a billion dollars to spend on a stadium but I would like to see the rays spend 600 million or even 800 million of there own money for a stadium then y not cuz we know the rays can’t compete with the yankees or redsox finacially that’s I think they need to switch to another division!
February 24th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
The Rays do need a stadium. I don’t want them to move out of St. Pete though. The Rays are St. Pete’s team. Tampa already has the Lightning and Bucs, so they should lay off the Rays.
I can’t see the Bucs thinking about building a new stadium already. You got to be kidding me. Let another 10-20 years pass before this discussion takes place. And if it takes place then the Glazers should pay for it all. They can’t fleece the city of Tampa twice.
Who gives a flying crap about the Yankees?! They have basically a major league stadium for their spring training home. That place doesn’t even feel like a spring training stadium. I don’t see them replacing that anytime soon. And if they leave, who cares.
February 24th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
i would love to see the rays stay in st.pete i just hope the city and county gets behind the rays for a new stadium in the area and not hold them hostage to there contract til 2027 cuz by then the rays could afford to pay players cuz they have no new source of revenue cuz the city and county r taking them to the cleaners. ST.PETE and PINELLAS need to pull there heads out of there butts and let the rays build a new stadium in st.pete and pinellas so we can be competive ! but i think the city and county will force the rays to wait til 2027 before they build a new stadium and by then the city and county wont even want a stadium built!!
February 24th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Joe, just last week JT the Brick was talking about Dallass’ new stadium hosting Super Bowls, and he mentioned how Tampa wouldn’t be a player for future Super Bowls in another five years due to RJ being out of date by then.
February 24th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Ah, so the Dallass spelling is intentional……………………..clever.
February 24th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Greg:
Joe can see where J.T. is going, but the Cowboys stadium is so far above others, for J.T.’s theory to come true, there would have to be four or five other stadiums almost as nice in the south.
San Diego will be out of the mix before Tampa (and Joe believes they also got the same edict as Miami did).
Dallass is better.
Phoenix is probably better.
Houston is better.
What other stadiums in the south are better than the CITS? (Again, Joe thinks the CITS is nice, just not that nice… from a Caybrew-soaked fan’s perspective).
February 24th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Hey if the glazers really care about the bucs then they should pay for a new stadium and how much they spend on the standium will show how much they value the bucs and the fan base!
February 24th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Roads are deteriorating & bridges are unsafe;levees cannot be relied on & dams are leaking. But we replace 25 year old stadiums because owners can’t sell enough clubseats & add to their wealth.
What a country.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:02 am
I wanna see they glazers build the biggest and best stadium in football with there own money and I would want the same from the rays! I wanna see 50,000 seat stadium for the rays and paid for by the rays in st.pete and 110,000 seat stadium in tampa bay and paid for by the glazers!!
February 25th, 2010 at 3:27 am
Let’s get something straight–our teams don’t need new stadiums. They WANT new stadiums.
Don’t buy into the garbage about the Rays needing a new stadium. That’s MLB propaganda. I have been to ballparks around the country and I love the Trop. People (Bud Selig) who do not live in Tampa are trying to tell us that we need an outdoor stadium–have these people ever been to Florida during the summer? The Trop is only insufficient because you buy into their propaganda.
Moreover, have we learned NOTHING from the financial crisis? We cannot continue to spend beyond our means. That’s why Iorio demanded a certain private fundraising level before she could back a new Tampa museum. The county doesn’t have the money for new stadiums.
We need to decide what is most important as tax paying citizens. Do we continue to spend beyond our means, or do we take a stand and choose financial independence and stability over maybe having sports?
I’d hate–absolutely, hate–to lose the Rays or the Bucs. But I would hate myself even more to bankrupt the county over private enterprise that is flush with enough cash to build a stadium if they so choose.
If a sports team threatens to leave, that may not be legal extortion, but it’s extortion of history, community, and entertainment. They should be free to up and move if they want as long as their contract allows. But would you let any other group or person extort you in the same way? We may lose a team, but that’s better than losing our freedom. Way better.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Justin do u think the rays r makeing money handover fist at the trop I doubt it cuz the gotta pay taxes to st.pete and they gotta pay the rent on the stadium to st.pete. I wanna see the rays get a retractable roof 60,000 seat stadium so they can make money so we can compete every year with the yankees and redsox fo freeagents but of course I would want them to wait 10 or 12 years before they decide to build a stadium! As for the buc if the glazers want a new stadium they should pay for it all them self without our help!
February 25th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Joe, should have added that JT said that San Diego is already out of future Super Bowls (but the Charger owners have been screaming for a new stadium out there ever since they lost all the revenue they made off the Padres for years). JT said the same thing about Miami as he did Tampa, that after 5 yrs, neither stadiums would be nice enough to host a Super Bowl (I personally think JT is full of it about Tampa, it’s a pretty nice stadium for 13 yrs old, and Miami’s isn’t bad either!)
February 25th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Zech, if you think we can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox in regard to money, you are out of your mind. Do you have any idea how large the fanbase is for the New York and Boston respectively? Hell, half the fans in Tampa are Yankees and Sox fans.
You doubt the Rays are making money? They would have moved or been sold otherwise.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Greg:
Oddly enough, the NFL has deemed Joe Robbie Stadium not fit for another Super Bowl unless it is upgraded; not J.T. the Brick. But realistically, if the NFL thinks Joe Robbie is subpar, how many years before the same label is slapped on the CITS?
Personally, Joe likes Joe Robbie Stadium better than the CITS. Hell, Joe even likes Doak Campbell Stadium better than the CITS (there’s a bar right across the street in fact!).
For Joe, the CITS is very, eh. Joe believes the upper deck seating to be very poor. Again, Joe doesn’t think the CITS is a bad stadium, please do not misunderstand. It could have been, and still could be, so much more.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Yea that’s y I say the rays need a new stadium of their own and that’s not own by st.pete or pinellas ! A stadium owned by the rays and ownly the rays! How much u all wanna bet that the rays had to press and plea with the city and county to make any additions to the trop! The only way I see the rays gettn a new stadium if the trop fell apart!
February 25th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
zech:
Keep your fingers crossed zech.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Joe I so much want the rays to suceed in st.pete ! I love baseball and it seems to me that the city of st.pete and county of pinellas really don’t care about baseball and that they rather hold the rays hostage because they really don’t want baseball only the money! What I’m sayn is that there holdin them hostage because there a cash cow and they really don’t care if the suceed or not!
February 25th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Joe, maybe JT was repeating what the NFL said about Joe Robbie, I caught what he was saying just as I got in my car leaving work last week. His comments just kind of caught me by surprise because RayJ isn’t that old yet. I will say I’d take RayJ over Joe Robbie, only because the only game I went to there was the Fins-Jets game in SEP, and it was absolutely BRUTAL heat-wise! At least RayJ has some air moving through it most of the time (unless you’re in the lower bowl), but Joe Robbie has absolutely NO AIR moving through it!