They could always sell it and move, there's no shortage of sites and stadiums in Florida.

I was in law school when the stadium was built so I wasn't paying a great deal of attention, but wasn't part of the idea that to get a team it had to be in a dome to avoid rain delays from the fairly regular afternoon and evening showers?

(06-06-2018 01:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I was in law school when the stadium was built so I wasn't paying a great deal of attention, but wasn't part of the idea that to get a team it had to be in a dome to avoid rain delays from the fairly regular afternoon and evening showers?

That was the thinking, and it wasn't bad thinking, for 1988 when they broke ground.

Problem is, it was dated when it became the home of the Rays - built 1988-1990, DR's didn't start playing until 1998, so almost 10 years had gone by, and 10 big years in terms of stadium technology, with the development of the retractable roofs that make the rain problem much less salient.

(06-06-2018 01:09 PM)Bull Wrote:  

(06-05-2018 10:00 AM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(06-05-2018 07:40 AM)Ohio Poly Wrote:  

(06-04-2018 12:14 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(06-04-2018 07:43 AM)Ohio Poly Wrote:  It's a given that Tropicana Field will be razed if and when the Rays move to Tampa. The area will be redeveloped, probably not including spring training facilities. But it may be another decade before a Tampa site is acquired and a new stadium built and opened. The Trop is not up to modern standards but has served the region well with its location near the downtown St. Pete entertainment district, attracting an expansion MLB franchise, and being an indoor facility where the game can be played and watched comfortably during the brutal Florida summers.

Incorrect. It will be within 5 years. The Rays lease with the Trop expires in 9 years. They aren't going to wait until the last minute to make a deal. That is just not done. If the Rays play out their lease, they probably will be gone.

The Rays have an agreement w/St Pete to look around for a new stadium now. The deal expires in 2019, so a deal for a new stadium has to be made soon. So at worst you'd be looking at 2023 to open a new stadium. The Rays won't sit around forever. If nothing gets done within the next 2 years, they will start looking to relocate. Guaranteed. No way in heck they play the next 9 years at the trop dump with no new stadium deal. The Trop would immediately be torn down in any new deal.

Prediction. A Rays/Tampa deal will get done in early 2019. Construction will begin in 2020, with a 2022 or 2023 opening date. If that don't happen, then the Rays are gone to Montreal, Portland, San Antonio, or somewhere similar. (Montreal and San Antonio were mentioned by the MLB commish as future expansion possibilities recently).

Maybe, but 5 years is still optimistic. Acquiring the land will take a while. Owners of the desired property are going to hold out for maximum dollars. If eminent domain is required and courts are involved it will drag out longer. There will probably be an election cycle involved to attempt to get partial tax funding. Then it still takes a couple years to get a stadium built. I don't think the team owners are eager to move to Montreal where they will have similar attendance issues and where MLB has already fizzled before. Portland is also a smaller market. And St. Pete won't give them any discount on their lease buyout if they leave Tampa Bay. Attendance is likely to be better on the Tampa side of the bay and they wouldn't have all the headaches of relocating and starting over so my prediction is they will wait it out in TB.

My understanding is that land deals had already been made with the land owners in Ybor City near downtown Tampa, right off the Selmon expressway. That should expedite the process once the complete funding process is approved.

The population base around that area of Tampa is twice what it is in St Pete, so attendance will naturally rise. People bashing the Rays attendance have no idea what the market is like and that the stadium is in absolutely the worst location in the entire Bay area for drawing fans.

Get the Rays stadium built, the USF medical school moved to that area, MOSI same move... and the USF OCS built after MOSI moves.

Now how long until we get all that done??

Now you're talking closer to 2 decades..

(06-06-2018 01:46 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(06-06-2018 01:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I was in law school when the stadium was built so I wasn't paying a great deal of attention, but wasn't part of the idea that to get a team it had to be in a dome to avoid rain delays from the fairly regular afternoon and evening showers?

That was the thinking, and it wasn't bad thinking, for 1988 when they broke ground.

Problem is, it was dated when it became the home of the Rays - built 1988-1990, DR's didn't start playing until 1998, so almost 10 years had gone by, and 10 big years in terms of stadium technology, with the development of the retractable roofs that make the rain problem much less salient.

Yeah but when are we going to see Webb City rebuilt? I loved that place as a kid.

http://www.tampabay.com/features/travel/...79/2334976

(06-06-2018 01:46 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(06-06-2018 01:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I was in law school when the stadium was built so I wasn't paying a great deal of attention, but wasn't part of the idea that to get a team it had to be in a dome to avoid rain delays from the fairly regular afternoon and evening showers?

That was the thinking, and it wasn't bad thinking, for 1988 when they broke ground.

Problem is, it was dated when it became the home of the Rays - built 1988-1990, DR's didn't start playing until 1998, so almost 10 years had gone by, and 10 big years in terms of stadium technology, with the development of the retractable roofs that make the rain problem much less salient.

This thing was antiquated, even by 1988 standards, when it was built, and now 30 more years have passed it by. It was built on the cheap and I believe was the last actual dome built. Everything else since has been a retractable roof. This thing is a dinosaur. The only good thing about it is that it brought the (Devil) Rays to Tampa Bay, and it had air conditioning. That's about it.

By the way, according to Wikipedia, this thing broke ground in 1986, making even older than I thought.

(06-03-2018 09:59 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(06-03-2018 06:34 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  Tropicana Field can't be long for this world - once the Rays move to Tampa, that should be curtains for the Trop.

Camping Wor . . the Citrus Bowl will host more games simply because the four-letter network's corporate parent is based in the Orlando area. Those games aren't moving.

I could see the Holiday Bowl moving to the Rams' new playpen, simply because the Rams will have a mortgage payment to make. It may also help clear a path logistically for a new stadium in San Diego that is the more appropriate size for SDSU football. It may also make sense to try to acquire what is currently the Hawaii Bowl and move it to the mainland.

Also, that Indianapolis doesn't have a bowl by now seems to be a bit puzzling. I could see Indianapolis poaching a game like the Bahamas Bowl, especially if there could be a MAC/American matchup (think Cincinnati vs. Central Michigan).

As long as TV is willing to pay for more bowls, we will have more bowls. TV partners just have to make the money work for the participants and themselves.

Man, if there is a bowl in Indianapolis...no. Just, put one in Buffalo. Or Ft. Wayne while you're at it.

Anyway, 18-25 bowls would be solid, and possibly better overall viewership through the holiday season. We all know it won't happen, because excess is in!

I'm all for it! Why don't you go ahead and draft the memo to the SEC, ACC, Big 10, PAC 12 etc that their 8th and 9th place teams can no longer qualify for bowls because we need to limit it to 25 bowl games max, and every league has to have a spot.

I'm sure they'll go right along with that.

(06-07-2018 12:26 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  I'm all for it! Why don't you go ahead and draft the memo to the SEC, ACC, Big 10, PAC 12 etc that their 8th and 9th place teams can no longer qualify for bowls because we need to limit it to 25 bowl games max, and every league has to have a spot.

I'm sure they'll go right along with that.

Jim Delany came out in favor of changing bowl eligibility to 7 wins. Shortly thereafter he said that he thought 6 wins was OK, especially if it favored teams that hadn't been to a bowl recently.

As long as every division winner gets a bowl, I'd support bumping "eligible" to 7 wins and letting six win teams backfill after everyone with 7 or more wins is placed so if Mizzou is 6-6 and the SEC has a tie to the Independence and a 7 win Rice is without a place to go, Independence can't invite Mizzou unless Rice finds a place to go. If Rice doesn't find a place, Independence can either invite Rice or cancel that year's game.

(06-07-2018 12:26 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(06-03-2018 09:59 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(06-03-2018 06:34 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  Tropicana Field can't be long for this world - once the Rays move to Tampa, that should be curtains for the Trop.

Camping Wor . . the Citrus Bowl will host more games simply because the four-letter network's corporate parent is based in the Orlando area. Those games aren't moving.

I could see the Holiday Bowl moving to the Rams' new playpen, simply because the Rams will have a mortgage payment to make. It may also help clear a path logistically for a new stadium in San Diego that is the more appropriate size for SDSU football. It may also make sense to try to acquire what is currently the Hawaii Bowl and move it to the mainland.

Also, that Indianapolis doesn't have a bowl by now seems to be a bit puzzling. I could see Indianapolis poaching a game like the Bahamas Bowl, especially if there could be a MAC/American matchup (think Cincinnati vs. Central Michigan).

As long as TV is willing to pay for more bowls, we will have more bowls. TV partners just have to make the money work for the participants and themselves.

Man, if there is a bowl in Indianapolis...no. Just, put one in Buffalo. Or Ft. Wayne while you're at it.

Anyway, 18-25 bowls would be solid, and possibly better overall viewership through the holiday season. We all know it won't happen, because excess is in!

I'm all for it! Why don't you go ahead and draft the memo to the SEC, ACC, Big 10, PAC 12 etc that their 8th and 9th place teams can no longer qualify for bowls because we need to limit it to 25 bowl games max, and every league has to have a spot.

I'm sure they'll go right along with that.

I love the smell of sarcasm in the morning! Did you miss the sentence that said it won’t happen because excess is in? Can’t a man lament that the bowl situation (besides the playoff) was better 20 years ago?!

(06-06-2018 04:40 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  By the way, according to Wikipedia, this thing broke ground in 1986, making even older than I thought.

That stands out to me too. I know it's just a couple of years, but i could have swore it was 88 or even 89 when ground was broken.

BTW, agreed, the FSD does have good air conditioning, LOL.

Confirmed...the AAC is the primary opponent this year and either an ACC or CUSA can be selected

It appears the Heart of Dallas bowl has a similar arrangement. I would imagine if the ACC team has a team eligible they would go to Tampa if they can get over the money discrepancy compared to Dallas Bowl.

AAC needs BYU tie-in for Tampa

(06-28-2018 07:32 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  Confirmed...the AAC is the primary opponent this year and either an ACC or CUSA can be selected

It appears the Heart of Dallas bowl has a similar arrangement. I would imagine if the ACC team has a team eligible they would go to Tampa if they can get over the money discrepancy compared to Dallas Bowl.

Looks like I was (partially) correct all along. Even though many insisted that it was not so.

I have to admit, the HOD is a total surprise. I guess ESPN will decide who goes where and when since they own both bowls.

Looks like the Military bowl gets a halfway decent ACC pick.