Tampa Bay Rays owner calls out his worthless fanbase:

[Blue_Tires]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — While Rays players absorbed the heartache of their playoff elimination Tuesday, team owner Stuart Sternberg vented his own frustrations tied to the team's financial state and ongoing attendance problems.

Clearly, those frustrations grew over the course of the season and heightened during last week's final three-game home stand, when the Rays drew small crowds while sweeping the New York Yankees to nail down the AL wild card berth.

The Rays enjoyed a sellout Monday, but attendance dipped to 28,299 for the 2 p.m. Game 4 of the ALDS Tuesday at Tropicana Field, a ballpark Sternberg has repeatedly said is no longer financially viable for the future of his franchise. It's no secret that he is unhappy with the lack of progress in finding an alternative site on which to build a new facility for the Rays, ultimately allowing the club to increase revenues and compete for higher-priced players.

"You get to this point and you're sitting around and they lost a few games by a run, you know that another X number of dollars might have changed it," he said. "Three or five (million) wouldn't have done it necessarily, but 15 to 30 might. . . . But in the foreseeable future, that's what we've got.

http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/10/04/11/Rays-owner-vents-frustrations-after-loss/landing_rays.html?blockID=575162&feedID=3720

[rurallib]

1. run a few more commercials

there are how many pro sports teams in this country? Way too fucking many
I personally can't afford the price of a ticket even to go to the worst seats in a major league game.
I am bored to death by the endless commercials on TV and have pretty much quit watching for that reason.
But I am sure that you could scrounge some more money from TV and radio and let them stretch what should be a 2 hour game out to 5 hours.
Oh - and maybe a few more "official sponsors" like an official backscratcher or douche of the Tampa Bay Rays.

[KamaAina]

7. The official douche of the Tampa Bay Rays

would be redundant. :P

[Bake]

2. Try cutting your ticket prices, asshole!

See how many fans come out then?

Oh, and give them a GOOD PRODUCT. Business 101, dipshit, don't complain about your customers! God what a dumbass.

Bake

[PaddyBlueEyes]

3. I think they have put out a good product

and their ticket prices are very reasonable. What I am told by people who live down there, is that most people are fans of someone else. The folks who flock to Florida in their older years, already have their fandom established, hence the way the Trop sounds when they are playing the Yanks, Sox (Red and White) Cubs, Mets and Tigers. It sounds like an away game for the Rays.

[ellisonz]

18. They should go after the kids...

;)

[charlie and algernon]

4. They have the good product - The Rays have become a yearly contender

the fans just don't give a shit. It's the same problem the Marlins have: why go to a baseball game on a hot day when you have plenty of beaches to go to.

[Bake]

6. So blame the fans?

Screw that! If I moved to Florida (not likely to happen), I'd still be a Cards fan (take that, Phillies Phanatics!).

They have to CONVINCE me to be a Rays fan. Give me a reason to root for the Rays.

BAke

[KamaAina]

8. Yet the Angels and Padres do all right

as for the Dodgers, well, the weather isn't the problem there.

[Initech]

16. A ha ha ha... got that right!

Oh man the Dodgers... yeah let's put a guy who gives a wife he is in the process of divorcing the CEO position of the team! :crazy:

[gratuitous]

5. Well, who wouldn't go to a game at 2 in the afternoon on a Tuesday?

Clearly, there's only one culprit and that's the goddam fans. Mr. Sternberg figured this out all on his own, with no help from anybody. Suggestion for Stuart in the future: Get help.

[KamaAina]

9. Hey, at least their fans have those cool mullets

:sarcasm:

[MilesColtrane]

10. Maybe if you ponied up for a new stadium, instead of that toilet the team plays in now,...

your fans would turn out.

[Bake]

13. Shhhh! Or else he'll get the taxpayers to foot the bill for a new stadium!

:hi:

Bake

[Ishoutandscream2]

14. Yep

nt

[dawg]

11. Tampa has a MLB team now?

Who knew?

[snooper2]

12. The Tampa Bay Who?

:rofl:

[flvegan]

15. Move the team to Channelside in Tampa.

Problem solved.

[Enrique]

17. he calls that calling out the fan base?

now THIS is calling out the fan base: :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0CDtEz_Bo