[jacobystealshome]

dont see mexico city, solely because of air quality (LA looks like clean mountain air in comparison) and the level of violence. i think it will happen eventually, but it will be a while

Charlottle was always the talk before the Nats got a team. there might not be enough of a market share with DC and atlanta. it's possible

Portland could happen...no major obstacles.

however, the most likely location is Tampa. theyll do well with better location. it will take a while and continued success to burn through dispersed fan loyalties, but given their level of success, and a better stadium, in a better location, i think the rays could do well

[nasty boy]

Seriously, where are they suppose to go?

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater is the 17th biggest metro area in the US. 13th biggest Television Market.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach area is the 8th biggest. The 16th biggest Television Market.

So where do you suggest they go?

Here are some cities without a MLB team that would make a case for a MLB team:

Portland
Sacramento
San Antonio
Las Vegas
Charlotte
Indianapolis
Louisville
Puerto Rico
Virignia Beach/Richmond
Nashville
Memphis
Providence
New Orleans
Buffalo
Birmingham
Salt Lake City
Oklahoma City
Hartford

I don't really want to waste time and go into details of why won't they fit there. You guys can already figure out why this short list doesn't make anymore sense than Tampa or Miami.

[jblaze1718]

Tampa might have a big market but it doesn't mean the people there and big fans. Everything that seems to go to OKC gets a pretty good following. They might fit in nicely there.

[slufan83]

For a playoff game, the Tampa stadium didn't even look sold out. I saw plenty of empty seats.

[jacobystealshome]

For a playoff game, the Tampa stadium didn't even look sold out. I saw plenty of empty seats.

for tampa to sell out, they have to be in tampa. the Lightning do fine

[spazmatastic]

Charlotte makes the most sense to me and not b/c I am in NC. The Rays already have a minor league team in NC, so they have a bit of a fan base here already. The rest of the AL East team fans are more likely to come to NC than all the way to FL for a vacation and a game. Carolina folks flock to games of their teams. Look at the Panthers and the Bobcats, even the Hurricanes in Raleigh sell alot of tix. They all sell lots of tickets EVEN when the teams are not that good. This is by NO means a hockey state! The Hornets sold out all the time too, before the ownership caused everyone to turn against them.
Also, visiting teams fans do come here quite often. I went to a Panthers/Steelers game and there were as many Steelers fans as there were Panthers fans.
The only thing that would hurt them in Charlotte at all, is that many MLB fans here are either Braves or Orioles fans (and a few Nationals fans). BUT, before the Panthers came along, most everyone in NC/SC was either a Falcons fan or a Redskins fan! Now there are LOTS more Panthers fans than there are of the other two teams.

[0mattinglyalexander0]

This thread was supposed to be about the Rays and their lack of fan support, but while we are at it didn't alot of Yankees fans damn near crucify Jeter last offseason for contract he was looking for?

Oh, they will boo their own team, that's not in question.

I boo A-Rod all the time. He broke my heart.

---

And please, bragging about championships? Really? Unless you were on the roster you had nothing to do with it. That's like me heading over to England and bragging that we won the revolution.

We didn't just WIN the revolution, we kicked their arses, then saved their arses aprrox. 160 years later!



Fans have a lot to do with it man! You never heard of Pyramid Power!

Sounds to me like you have insulated yourself through the years of losing. I wish I could do that when it comes to Kentucky football. MY TEAM sucks.