Lyash's coalition expanded to 11, not 9

Jeff Lyash, Progress Energy Florida CEO, has expanded his A Baseball Community group from 9 board members to 11.

Here are the other 10 members of the community group tapped to find the Tampa Bay Rays a new stadium:

• Alan Bomstein, president of Creative Contractors.
• Rick Davis, president of Bay Area Medical Supplies
• Barbara Heck, president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations
• Greg Johnson, president of the Pinellas County Urban League
• Russ Kimball, general manager of the Sheraton Sand Key Resort
• Judy Mitchell, president of Peter R. Brown Construction
• Steve Raymund, former CEO of Tech Data and former co-chairman of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce's baseball task force
• Craig Sher, president of Sembler Co.
• Bob Stewart, County Commission Chairman
• Chuck Sykes, CEO of Sykes Enterprises Inc

There will be at least three committees. Heck will lead the fan support group. Sykes will lead the corporate support group. Sher will lead the group on stadium sites.

Lyash is expected to reveal the board's membership to the Times editorial board at 2:30 p.m.

-- Cristina Silva, Times staff

Comments

[Steve]

This "committee" has already decided that the Rays need a new stadium. Shouldn't they first assess whether a new stadium is necessary? Just because a new stadium may be nice or preferred or wanted doesn't mean it is necessary. If public monies will be used (and of course they will), any search committee must first establish the need for a new facility. The decision has already been made here. This is a Potemkin search committee that is an insult both taxpayers, fans, and the majority who are both.

[Thomas]

So there's a Fan Support Group, a Corporate Support Group, and a Site Planning Group.

Looks like they forgot to include a "Who's Going to Pay For It Group"

Which is, once again, the most important issue of all.

We don't need a dozen people running around telling us what a great idea this whole thing is. We need a group of strong leaders who are going to create a plan that allows money made at the stadium to be used to pay for the stadium. We need to hear how the Rays are going to agree that Naming Rights, Suite Revenues, Concession Money, et al are going to be used to pay for construction.

Becuase if it's another one of those "public builds it; team keeps all the profits" deals - this plan is dead on arrival.

[colt]

Not one regular person out of the group. not one little league coach. how about a checker from Publix.

A bunch of catered to Yahoos who do not have a clue..

Let me know when you reach something in 2012!

[T]

I noticed that too Colt-these are MORE people who will sit in the airconditioned luxury suites with no cares about the "regular" fan sitting in the T-storm and 99% humidity. These are also the ones who will have a limo drop them off and not have to drive and fight traffic and search for 20 minutes for a parking space then hike 30 minutes to the gate like us regulars either.

[Arena & Stadium Expert]

These are all very successful business executives who have years of experience in public-private partnerships. I praise Mr. Lyash for selecting a group of individuals who understand the politics, tourism, and financial undertaking to market and build a new stadium in tough economic times.

[Carl]

Ok people, here is Business enterprises in sports 101. There are 2 kinds of owners. "A"-the owner that has a personal intrest in a team and it's success and is loyal and apreciative of the community where they are located. And "B"-the owner that can buy an under valued team that is struggling. Turn it around and then sell it for a huge profit (can you say Davidson Group). It would be easier for ol' Stew to sell the team with a new community built stadium. But he can still make a big profit selling it to another city that wants a team. Either way Just enjoy the success of this season and maybe another because this will eventualy turn bad because the community is'nt going to build a stadium for that team just because the one they are in is not "Tres' Chic."

[Thomas]

And now we have our anonymous "Expert"...

I always find it amusing when an "expert" posts without giving their name or credentials. The cyber world is curiously ripe with these self pronounced, yet anonymous, "experts".

Further, it is laugh out loud amusing to see our "expert" proclaim that Mr. Lyash has selected "a group of individuals who understand the politics, tourism, and financial undertaking to market and build a new stadium in tough economic times." No one on this list has been extensively involved in any new stadium planning. Not during tough economic times nor any other times for that matter.

It seems our "expert" is nothing more than a pro-stadium honk with a bunch of inaccurate praise and not enough courage to even post their name.

[Mike]

Whatever happened to a "regular Joe" being put on this group? I support a new stadium, somewhere, at some point, but I really wanted a more balanced group. I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose.

[Tim]

Hopefully, the vocal minority will finally be ignored and a new retractable roof stadium will be built in a location accessible to both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. St Pete really doesn’t deserve professional baseball anymore. They do not attend the games and the county is in declining growth. It is an aging population who only care about what is it in for them RIGHT NOW. They really do not care about how the community will be in 20 years and what financial benefits a successful professional franchise can bring to a city. They want another park built that is never used, except for a nice camping ground for the homeless. Maybe a new bingo hall or shuffle board court?? The same people who constantly complain about this rarely go to baseball games anyway and were probably the same fools who voted for Amendment 1. I hope you enjoy for $100 property tax savings and reduced police and fire patrol.

[Bob]

I wanted to be on that group...but my bank account was too small.

[Patrick]

I wanted to be on the board as well, but my bank account was empty after paying my Progress Energy electric bill......

[Lisa]

I wonder how many of those people go to Rays games now? They can all afford it.

It's obvious the average Jane/Joe was excluded from this committee, when really the average person is who will be burdened with the expense of a new stadium.

Maybe Sykes will outsource that too, since that his how he built his wealth.

[Embaressed]

Alright white haired belly achers get your signs out...your pathetic life has meaning again!

NO NEW (Insert Item Here)!!

WE LIKE EVERYTHING OLD AND BORING LIKE WE ARE.

(Clever Group Name Acronym Here).

Do us all a favor and MOVE!

[mo]

Putting the stadium in st pete would be a bad decision, heck they didnt want there in the first place, put it in tampa

[Joe 6 Pack]

I also would like to have been on the board, but I'm in jail for overdrawing my bank account to try and pay my (Lack of) Progress Energy bill AND my St. Pete city taxes. Anyone know a good bail bondsman?

[Greg]

I absolutely agree with Steve--the question should first be deciding if we NEED a new stadium, and the answer is clearly obvious--after a brief increase in attendance, people are bored, and attendance is down again. If people won't come to an indoor, air-conditioned stadium with adequate parking, they certainly aren't going to come to an open air stadium with completely inadequate parking. Stop this nonsense now.

[Village Idiot]

These comments are case #1 for moving the stadium and team to either Tampa or another city with a clue.

If you do not understand the pro's of a new professional stadium to the city's economy by now my little post isn't going to make a difference.

Tampa! Tampa! Tampa!

[Fan]

Greg - I think the answer as to whether we need a new stadium is obvious too - YES! Unless you don't want baseball in the Tampa Bay area, there has to be a new stadium. There is no way that Stu and the management team will keep the team here in a stadium that is not fun to watch a game in. They have obviously put effort into making the stadium a more fun place to go, but the fact is that baseball is not fun to watch in an indoor concrete dome. It is also clear that people from Hillsborough don't come that far into St. Pete. We need a new stadium in Tampa or closer to the bridge so people from Tampa can be there within 20 min. Otherwise, bye bye Rays.

[John]

At least the current stadium can double as a hurricane shelter for all the south st peters.

[Thomas]

I like Tim because he presents the most moronic argument of all. "St Pete really doesn’t deserve professional baseball anymore." Let's take a look at exactly how stupid that statement is.

1. St Pete built the Trop and gave the Rays a sweetheart lease deal.

2. Over the past decade the Rays have fielded the worst team in MLB - bar none.

3. While playing in a free stadium with a great lease and fielding the worst team in the league, the Rays charge $55 to sit in a box seat.

4. After you pay $55 to sit in a box seat, you may have the joy of spending $8 for a beer or $5 for a soda.

5. After all of this the Rays want to leave just 10 years into a 30 year commitment they signed.

So really Tim, who "deserves" what? The people of St. Pete have already paid hundreds of millions of dollars for a decade of AAA baseball. And now 5 months of actual competitive play and it's time for the public to repeat the cycle? I don't think so bud.

[kris]

I love having a winning baseball team, but hate the prospect of $500 million of public money going towards a stadium.

If it means loosing the Rays I'm fine with that. The money would be more well spent on the community, and not a sweaty outdoor venue.

In a state that has cut over $5 billion from its' budget, that is also in a recesion, it is so silly to propose spending that much money on an entertainment venue.

Spend the money on something to better the community.

[Amanda]

Thomas-
I'd like to expand on your assessment of Tim. He claims that St. Pete doesn't deserve the stadium because we don't support the team. However, it's the Tampa people who whine and moan about how they refuse to come here to St. Pete. And *we're* the ones who won't support the team? I believe St. Pete people are the majority attendees, since all I hear from Tampa is how they refuse to cross the bridge.
Note: This is not a slam against Tampa fans. I know there are quite a few of you who make the trip. I'm not saying the stadium should absolutely stay where it is, either. I'm just pointing out the idiocy of Tim's erroneous argument.

[Village Idiot]

Kris,
Money spent on a stadium IS money spent on the community...why can't some of these posters grasp this simple concept.

It's money spent on the community to establish a product that generates tax benefits for the community.

[Thomas]

Village Idiot,

The point is the stadium does not generate near enough to cover its construction and maintenance costs.

$450M can be spent in numerous other ways that would actually generate a return on the investment.

For reference of how stadiums don't improve surrounding area or economy please see "Field, Tropicana"

[New POWW member]

POWW and Fans for a Waterfront stadium representatives were excluded from the "coalition"?? It's mostly all corporate execs?? Not one single "regular Joe baseball fan/season ticket holder"??

That says it all.

Get your red signs back out folks...

I'm going to the game early tonight to cancel my deposit on 4 season tix for next year. And then I'm coming home to watch it on TV. I am done supporting the Rays and this absolute nonsense.

If only I could dump Progress Energy too, but hey, I'm at the mercy of their monopoly and 31% rate hikes.