and we are legion Seriously though, St. Pete is just as far to go for residents of northern parts of Pinellas County as a Tampa based stadium would be. It isn't like those potential fans are flooding to Rays games, either.
Poor E. I take time off from these boards now and then but why do they hate you so much? To stay on topic: I loved the idea of the Rowdies playin St. Petersburg. I was one of their huge supporters of it. Now, having said that I have a change of heart. I think where the stadiums at in downtown is nice, but not many are coming to the games. I am starting to think you build a new SSS somewhere in downtown Tampa and it will change things.
OK I heard a sports show today and basically they blamed Tampa fans for everything happening with Rays. They said that when Lightning played in St. pete they had better attendance than now in Tampa. and which boggles my mind is they said that Rays are number 1 and last week around 9k showed up to games and basically they were saying that Tampa fans are boycotting because they want a stadium in Tampa, which for me is truly ********ed-up. So when the team plays good like Bucs back in the day they show up, but when they suck they don't. For me all those people aren't fans at all. The reason they were pinpointting on Tampa fans is that Tampa is the metro city in area with the greatest population. So the only reason they don't want to cross the bridge it's because it's inconveniant. Now back to our situation doesn't anybody remember when FCTB sucked and they played in Tampa when the weather was bad it was around 1,4k ish and when it was good weather it's basically what St. Pete draws now, saying that I would not sacrifice my team to fair-weather fans, so we would get around maybe a 1,000 more fans whoopeee. 1. What happens when Rays move and they probably will due to boycott.? 2. What happens when that USL team opens shop in Tampa? Would it still be a good idea to move or stay in St. Pete and we would be the only team in town?
All the posts and shows say one word "inconveniant" for Tampa fans, if NY or Boston had fans like that their teams wouldn't exist.
I don’t know how much of an impact this has on attendance, but I’ll bring up the fact that the Tampa Bay area is a “transplant” town. There are just so many people, including myself, who weren't born and raised here. Most of these people just don’t appreciate the History of the Rowdies because they weren't around back in the day. I would also bet that, over the years, a good number of those individuals who were here during the original Rowdies’ run have either moved away from the area, passed away, or have been emotionally detached from them since the old NASL folded. I know it’s quite a stretch, but I feel it’s worth mentioning.
However, I do strongly believe in the cliché that “if you build it, they will come”. I bet the same will happen with the Rays once they have a new stadium (wherever it’ll be built), as long as they remain competitive as a club.
Everybody needs to listen to this podcast especially Michelle Kaufmann she is right , you can only sell soccer in a urban setting and she says Lockhart sucks, so we are in a great situation to build something big. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/soccersupportersradionetwork/2012/05/22/ultras-alive-49
Al Lang is the perfect place for the Rowdies right now, I'm not sure why there is even a debate. Not only is it downtown with a great location on the water with plenty of bars and things to do before and after the game, but the only hope for us to get a SSS is if St. Pete renovates Al Lang into one - which I think there's a good chance for that since nobody else plays there. The only other good option is Raymond James, which doesn't make sense unless we get into the MLS. The whole Tampa v.s. St. Pete debate is stupid. No matter where the team is located, people will have to cross the bridge. People live in St. Pete too. I have to cross the bridge to go to Bucs/Lightning/USF games. Actually I cross the bridge every freaking day to go to work. So cry me a river, Tampa.
There is exactly no chance that St. Petersburg converts Al Lang or redevelops it into a SSS for the Rowdies. Zero, nada, zip. They will collect the rent checks and that is it. Even if the city had the money, why would they spend it on that? BTW, nobody was playing at the Bayfront Center either and they tore it down.
Chances might not be great, but it's the only chance the Rowdies have. St. Pete was willing to re-develop that area for a new baseball stadium before the Rays pulled the vote off the ballot, so surely they could add some stands on the other two sides of the field for a tiny tiny tiny fraction of that cost. Obviously if there is a better use for the land, like Mahaffey was instead of Bayfront, it would probably get chosen over a SSS. But so far there isn't really, unless the Rays do indeed build a stadium there. If a SSS will bring more people downtown to spend their money, you can guarantee the city will get behind it. There's not really any pressure to do it right now, you're right, but eventually someone else might decide to build a SSS in the area and St. Pete will want to do whatever to keep the Rowdies downtown - especially with the threat of the Rays possibly moving.
No, not really. Doesn't mean they would. People get so hung up on a "cheaper alternative" scenario, they ignore the fact that there's absolutely no reason for them to do this. And, yes, they were willing to keep the Rays. I don't think they're going to stress about losing the Rowdies. Well, we'll see. City leaders - in many cities - have to make these types of decisions all the time. I doubt very seriously, though, that St. Pete will move heaven and earth to keep a D2 soccer team that hasn't shown it can consistently draw more than 3k. There's not much upside in it for them.
I hope you are wrong, I really do, but logic stipulates that St Pete would not be terribly upset if the Rowdies moved to Tampa or folded for that matter. This is a three year old team that draws 3,000 a game in a minor soccer league. They are not going to spend a dime on this team....yet. Start selling the current facility out and they might spring for some temporary seating, but a new stadium or major upgrades just isn't in the cards. And the Rays leaving and the Rowdies situation are completely unrelated.
Have you been to downtown St. Pete lately...it sucks so bad that rich radio personalities are buying up restaurants and nightclubs like hot cakes.
It's so funny that Tampa folks are willing to sit during rain and 90 degree humid ass-sweat weather so that they can have a Rays stadium in Tampa when that happens I bet you Rays will leave town.
Everybody is so delusional about attendance, when the team has no marketing whatsoever, why don't we give away tickets like Orl that way we can say WOW we have attendance above 5k.
No, I have not. My point was so many people said playing in downtown St. Pete was great because everybody would go to museums and stuff before the game. Just wondering how the museums are doing. Saw an article in the TBT a couple weeks back about the bars and restaurants seeing increased traffic, which is great, but the article had so many errors of fact, I didn't know whether or not to believe it at all. When there's a Rays Stadium in Tampa....the Rays will leave town? I'll give you that one. When they build a stadium for the Rays in Tampa, I'll bet you the Rays will leave St. Petersburg, yes.
There were, and still are, a few people who say this. Really only those few denizens of St. Pete that go to the games would be likely to say it these days. And usually only in defense of St. Pete whenever we talk about where the team should play, which is often. Most fans of the team have to travel to the games, either from further north in Pinellas County (you know, where most people in that part of the area who are likely to go to a game actually live) or from Hillsborough, and I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of them spend zero time in museums before Rowdies games.
You would figure people would like to do different things that downtown St. Petersburg has to offer. I also realize you can't please everyone. I'm starting to think the it really doesn't matter where the team builds the alleged new SSS with this area being so fickle, ambivalent and fairweather. Fans will show up no matter where the Rowdies play. I'm just over hearing about the 20 plus mile drive. So what? If you're a fan you make the drive (and then some). At least we have a team, and we should enjoy it while it's still here. Man up. If this SSS is built in Plant City, Frostproof, Dunnellon or Marco Island I'll still be there. We as fans should be too.
And that's the thing. They don't have enough fans who will do that. Things have changed since 1979. To be a fan who makes the drive, first you have to be a fan. And you can't create those people (a) by playing away from the population, ( b) by making a series of bad decisions and ( c) relying on the magic of a brand that can't possibly resonate with anyone under the age of about 36 to do everything for you.