04/24/24
October 08, 2008
A Prayer for the Tampa Bay Rays: While the Cubs fan has the pity of national baseball writers and the consolation of a fraternity of similarly deluded millions, Rays fans are seen as a possibly spectral phenomenon. Dick Vitale is the team's only celebrity fan; a great proportion of the typical Rays crowd shows up wearing a Manny Ramirez or Derek Jeter shirt. In enemy territory, even at home in Floridathat's the life of a Rays fan.
The article brings up sone fair points, but I'm going to have to agree with Joey on the fact that it sucks more for Cubs fans. I'll admit I feel little to no pity for Cubs fans, but that's really gotta suck.
And to Joey's point about living in an area without a sports team, I can echo to that. I don't even have a professional sports team (top-tier, that is) in my state. You never know how a person's fanships were/will be decided, but picking a team that appeals to you is certainly one way to do it.
posted by boredom_08 at 11:54 PM on October 08, 2008
I don't think you were intended to take this article seriously. It reads like the writer is being silly to me, a Rays fan.
But, Joey M., the Marlins absolutely don't count. They are further from Tampa than the Red Sox are from the Yankees.
The Tampa Bay area has tons of spring training teams, and they move around and come and go. Then all the years of trying to get a team, the close calls, every owner using us as a threat to get a nice new stadium. Tampa really loves baseball. When we first get a team, they put them in St. Pete and are an absolute disaster for years. So, don't make light of our suffering. It's real.
As far as Cubs fans, their city just won the World Series, they should have enjoyed that.
posted by bperk at 05:55 AM on October 09, 2008
Bperk:
I agree that this wasn't meant to be taken too seriously (although there may be some real points in there), but are you seriously saying that Tampa fans didn't support the Florida Marlins (particularly in '97, before the Rays even existed), but Cubs fans should be happy about the White Sox winning the title?
posted by bender at 07:52 AM on October 09, 2008
Here I am living in Red Sox country and I'm looking forward to the upcoming series with the Rays with an open mind. I won't be frantically rooting for the Sox. I just want to see some good baseball.
I like how the Rays are currently being run as a franchise. The real suffering for Rays fans was how the team used to be run back in the day. Everyone knew that the previous management had to go, and it took forever to get that done.
The current Rays ownership and management team will put a team on the field that will be superior for the next few years to anything the Orioles or next generation Steinbrenner Yankees can muster. So that division looks like an annual Sox/Rays showdown for some time to come, unless the Jays get better.
So this ALCS series might be the start of a next level Sox/Rays rivalry. Should be worth watching.
And I love it that the Rays are doing well with the tiny payroll they've got.
If the Cubs ever do win it all in my lifetime, I'll be watching the final pitch, because anyone that witnessed the Cubs freaky history (in my case going back to 69) would need to see the final out recorded for sure rather than leave things to chance.
Then I will immediately grab my relatives living in Chicago and move them across the lake for a few weeks, until the National Guard can retake and secure the city of Chicago on a block by block basis.
I think any sports fan, regardless of what team they support, would want to see what would happen if the Cubs finally came through. The Cubs winning a Game 7 at Wrigley would be the most unbelievable looking and sounding sports event you might ever get to see.
posted by beaverboard at 08:34 AM on October 09, 2008
I agree that this wasn't meant to be taken too seriously (although there may be some real points in there), but are you seriously saying that Tampa fans didn't support the Florida Marlins (particularly in '97, before the Rays even existed), but Cubs fans should be happy about the White Sox winning the title?
Miami and Tampa are two totally different cities, they are more than 200 miles apart (i.e. more than 4 hours away). There is also history. Tampa was vying with Miami for the expansion team that became the Marlins. Also, when Tampa had a deal in place to get the Giants, Huizenga helped to submarine the deal. I know the history of Tampa and Miami Marlins. I don't know why Cubs fans wouldn't be happy about their city winning the World Series.
posted by bperk at 11:58 AM on October 09, 2008
As a fan (oh dear Lord) of my Seattle sports franchises Seattle Mariners (The Horror!), Seattle Seahawks (the team that ALMOST won it all), and Seatlahoma SuperSooners (Die, NBA, die), I will not give one thought or prayer to Tampa. It all started when they entered the NFL at the same time as the Seahawks and I have always bore them an unreasonable grudge. The Bucs won a Super Bowl before the Seahawks even got to the Big Game, and that eats me up. And now the Rays are poised to reach the promised land (at least there is that chance). I vex thee! A curse on your city's sports franchises!
Am I being unreasonable? Of course.
But I figure if there is going to be one city that Seattle could get passionate about unreasonably rooting against, I pick the one that is geographically about as far away from me as possible. Tampa and it's sunshine and Super Bowl ring and current baseball success. Phooey!
posted by THX-1138 at 12:05 PM on October 09, 2008
Furthermore, as a huge sports fan living in a large city with no professional sports teams at all,....
Joey, do you happen to live in St. Louis? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
posted by Miles1996 at 02:18 PM on October 09, 2008
Miles1996 for the win. :D
Nah, Honolulu. And I'm, at best, a January college football fan, so I'm basically shit out of luck.
posted by Joey Michaels at 02:54 PM on October 09, 2008
I've been following the Giants nearly all of my rooting life.
I wish nothing but the best for the Rays.
posted by igottheblues at 08:06 PM on October 09, 2008
Joey, do you happen to live in St. Louis? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
That's...not...funny...at all.
Super Bowl won by Rams in '99 World Series in 2006 Stanley Cup (coming soon...)(fingers crossed)
Although that was pretty clever for a 12 year old. 1996 is your birth year, right? (I couldn't resist either!)
posted by BoKnows at 08:43 PM on October 09, 2008
The Blues have a ways to go before they can get to a Stanley Cup.
I'm pulling for the Rays in these playoffs and wish them the best of luck. That and hopefully in the event that they do win they can get a semi-decent turnout for the victory parade.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 11:46 PM on October 09, 2008
I didn't say when, YYM. But I know, I know...
posted by BoKnows at 12:37 AM on October 10, 2008
Okay, okay. Maybe Sacramento would have been more appropriate city to pick on, but did you just defend St. Louis by mentioning both the Rams and the Blues?
Anyways....back to the topic at hand....Go Rays.
posted by Miles1996 at 02:58 AM on October 10, 2008
Nah, Honolulu.
I'm what's called a huge sports fans (proudly!), especially considering that I live in the Tri-State area (in between Philly and New York).
Saying that, if I were living in Hawaii, the last thing I'll be sweating is having a pro home team to root for. I'll be way too busy getting my luau on and also getting lei'd.
posted by BornIcon at 07:42 AM on October 10, 2008
I didn't say when, YYM. But I know, I know...
It's that Red Wing pride coming through Bo. I wish the Blues the best, as long as they finish behind the Wings of course.
posted by YIng Yang Mafia at 07:25 PM on October 10, 2008
Saying that, if I were living in Hawaii, the last thing I'll be sweating is having a pro home team to root for. I'll be way too busy getting my luau on and also getting lei'd.
Alas, with the highest cost of living in the nation - a distinction we trade off with New York and San Francisco - there is precious little time for luaus. That said, we'd love for you to come out and party in the sun for a couple of weeks! :D
(bring WS game 4 with you, pls, kthxbi)
posted by Joey Michaels at 10:08 PM on October 10, 2008
As a Pirates fan who moved to northern Florida this year, I've really become a Rays fan. Because the Rays are the team that the Pirates should have been years ago -- the team that chucked pretty much everything but the ballpark and rebuilt everything in a way to make it work. I guess the Rays are my vicarious Pirates.
Besides, if there's anything the playoffs need, it's more cowbell.
posted by dirigibleman at 10:55 PM on October 10, 2008
Those who know it best are doubtless those elderly Floridians who, like their Chicago brethren, have been waiting their entire lives for a World Series victory.
All right, yes, they're not based in the same city, but, hello! The Marlins? Yes, yes, Cubs fans take no comfort in the '04 White Sox win - and I'm sure he meant "elderly Tampa Bay" residents, but let's not forget that the Marlins have won the whole ball of wax twice now - once before the Rays even existed.
Furthermore, as a huge sports fan living in a large city with no professional sports teams at all, I've got to say, there's a real difference between being loyal to one team for your whole life and seeing them lose time after time and being without a team at all. The pain of not having a sports team is a trifling mosquito-like annoyance. The pain of seeing your beloved team fall year after year is a dagger to the ribs (I am a long time Red Sox fan and while our 21st century has been pretty awesome, I don't need to remind anyone about the 86 year gap).
Anyhow, when you live in an area with no team, you don't abandon a sport you like. You just pick a team or two that appeals to you and follow them. Know what I mean?
That all said, good for the Rays for being such an amazing team this year and I hope this season brings them thousands of new fans. In fact, I hope this is the first of many great seasons for them. It makes the AL East an even more exciting division.
And, yeah, its ludicrous to say that the Rays don't deserve a win before the Cubs or Brewers. Every team deserves or doesn't deserve it pretty much equally.
But saying the Ray's current fans have suffered more than Cubs fans? That's like saying somebody with a hangnail suffers more than a somebody with third degree burns.