Tampa Rays? Not in this town.
As the Rays' national reputation soars, it seems the team is having a bit of an identity crisis. National journalists have been calling the team the Tampa Rays. Read more about it in Craig Pittman's story in Tuesday's paper.
What do you think? Would a new stadium send a message that the Rays belong to St. Pete? Or does all this just mean the team needs to change its name to the St. Petersburg Rays, like Mayor Rick Baker has called for?
Does it even matter that these media giants can't get a simple fact like location straight?
The Tampa Bay Rays continue to pursue plans for a new baseball stadium. Host 
(When the time comes for a new ballpark), as part of ANY "deal" to partially subsidize a stadium in St. Pete, the Rays should be forced to either waive stadium naming rights in lieu of a stadium name based on the city, and/or the Rays could change names.
St. Pete Rays may be too parochial, however.
Suncoast Rays or The Florida Rays @ St. Petersburg Park might be more appropriate.
Posted by: John | July 08, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Above link redirects to TAMPABAY.COM...
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st pete times..
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I know you can spell irony.
Rays should not RErename team so soon.
This begins to sound like old Sat Night Live skit
You can call me Ray..
Posted by: since1962 | July 08, 2008 at 11:04 AM
I think I was the first to suggest a name for a waterfront stadium along the lines of "St. Petersburg Downtown on the Waterfront"
Others have come up with other names. 1962 is billiant in pointing out the irony that this website is TampaBay.Com.
I am a bay area resident and nearly always introduce myself when traveling as being from Tampa Bay. I take great pride in the fact that the performing arts center in Tampa is named the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, that the Bucs are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that the Lightning are the Tampa Bay Lightning, that the Storm are the Tampa Bay Storm, that our soccer teams were the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Tampa Bay Rowdies, that our baseball team is the Tampa Bay Rays, and our USFL team was the Tampa Bay Bandits.
Posted by: Observer | July 08, 2008 at 12:01 PM
IMO - The naming rights should be used to fund construction. Sell them to the highest bidder.
Also, I dont know why, but I really like the "Suncoast Rays". To me that just has a cool sound to it.
Posted by: Thomas | July 08, 2008 at 12:18 PM
You guys have got to be kidding me. The "Suncoast Rays". I mean seriously. Look, no one is clamoring to rename the Bucs and Lightning "Tampa" (nor should they be), and the Rays shouldn't be called anything but "Tampa Bay" either. All of this is regardless of where they end up putting whatever stadium eventually gets built. Your suggestions are laughable. I mean honestly, I can't even believe we have to have this conversation.
Posted by: Bobby Fenton | July 08, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Wow Dude, it's okay. Just saying that I think Suncoast Rays sounded pretty cool.
Maybe I just always liked unique names, like Golden State Warriors.
I don't get tuned up if ESPN or whoever says "Tampa Rays" instead of "Tampa Bay Rays". I think that whole thing is silly. Half of them still say "Devil Rays". It takes a really sad inferiority complex to get worked up over that
Posted by: Thomas | July 08, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Don't forget Mons Venus of Tampa Bay.
Posted by: Kyle | July 08, 2008 at 02:32 PM
leave it the same ... leave it the same
St Pete needs to get over their inferiority complex ... their inferiority complex
Posted by: Jimmy Two-Time | July 09, 2008 at 10:32 AM
No one referst to the Mons as being in Tampa Bay. That one is purely a Tampa institution, as the Dali is St. Pete's.
Posted by: No | July 09, 2008 at 01:25 PM