ESPN still struggles to locate the Trop

ESPN seems to understand that the Dallas Cowboys play in Irving, Texas, not Dallas. We think they could even correctly tell you that the New York Giants and Jets play in New Jersey, not New York. And we're fairly certain they could even direct you to a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim home game.

But the network persists in its stubborn refusal to learn that the Rays play in St. Petersburg, as evidenced by this ESPN.com home page announcement of the White Sox victory over the Twins in last night's one-game playoff. (Click image to enlarge)

Ken Walker, Times staff writer

Comments

[Amanda]

Brent-
Yes, they're still doing the free parking for four or more in a car.

[Brent]

Does anyone know if parking is still free if you have 4 or more in your car for the playoffs?

[Brent]

Wouldn't you all agree perfection is great but can be very boring. Being proactive is the key.

[Brent]

If everyone was 100% correct in everything they did, wouldn't it be a boring world? Just a question. GO RAYS.

[Sal]

Because its another city's name on the arena. It may be a business but the paper represents St Pete not Tampa.

[Amanda]

I'm trying to figure out how the St. Pete Times sponsoring a regional arena is hypocritical. It's called the "St. Pete TIMES Forum", not the "St. Pete Forum". It's named after a sponsoring business, not the city.

[Sal]

I like how the SP times crys about stuff like this but they were the ones that had to put their name on one of Tampa's arenas. Hypocrites.

[Jason's Right]

After hours of phoning it has been revealed by Bristol that the trouble seems to have originated in the copywriters room. Seems that Ken Walker, no kin to Johnny, was under great duress, not spirits, to have his headline fit within the "headline guidelines" as set forth in the ESPN constitution. He was told not to exceed eleven characters including spaces, so he did the best that he could. BAY got nixed after he hit eleven. To his credit, Kenny made up for it with a fully ascribed "Tampa Bay" in first paragraph of his article. In a secret interview with the Poynter Institute, Kenny apologized for the alledged headline flubbup. PI understands that every now and then a writer for the world-wide leader in sports publishing and media makes a foolish headline mistake. The Poynter Institute also reminded that some of their own have made similar faux pas'.

[Clark]

I live in tampa and it matters to me.

Jimbo got it right; nobody's asking them to call them the St. Pete Rays, just to get the name right. If you choose to go by the name of Charlie, aren't you entitled to correct someone who repeatedly insists on calling you Chuck? Or would you just shut up and get over it because technically they're getting it right? It's about simple respect.

They've had YEARS to figure this out. They never say Tampa Buccaneers or Tampa Lightning. At least Fox's Jeannie Velasco (sp?) acknowledged her error and apologized for it. The fact that this is still going on with ESPN and only with the baseball team is ridiculous and smacks of obstinance on somebody's part. I wonder if someone with ESPN has an ax to grind with somebody in the Rays front office because this just doesn't happen with any other team anywhere else.

[Ron]

JJ Jones, Actually, most teams fly charter jets and arrive/depart at St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport.

[PJ]

I wouldn't admit to being from Wesley Chapel either...

[joeknowsbaseball]

If you are a journalist, it matters.
If you are a fan of baseball, it doesn't.
If you are a blogger, it is your opinion that counts; not whether someone respects your opinion or even if you can speel.

[Amanda]

Anonymous 4:21 -

He said Tampa was "the" major city, not "a" major city. He means that of all the cities that comprise the Tampa Bay area, Tampa is the biggest and most well-known.

Agreed, though, that journalistic accuracy is the most important issue here.

"Tampa is the major city." Having returned on Saturday from a week in NYC, all I have to say about that is HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!

Thank you Joe Nall for a good laugh. Outside of South Tampa, Seminole Heights and Ybor City, the "City" of Tampa is nondescript sprawl. Downtown is dead after 5:30 in the evening, there is no mass transit, it is VERY pedestrian unfriendly, there is minimal culture. (We don't have nasty winters - that's the real reason most of us are here).

As several posters have noted, this isn't about Tampa vs. St. Pete its about journalistic integrity. Referring to Tampa as a "major city" would certainly violate any integrity.

[JJ Jones]

Who cares? There are on their way to Tampa. Tampa airport.

[Jay]

Hey Joe Nall,

How about the San Francisco Raiders? I mean, one city is bigger than the other. It's not like Oakland is known for anything else...

[9equals8.com]

It's actually more about respect than anything else. All this talk on the board comes back to respect. The team is named the Tampa Bay Rays, so call them that. The team plays in St. Pete, so mention that. The simple fact is that the media does not respect the Rays, so they don't put the effort in to get it right. That is what makes people mad. No one likes to be disrespected. The only way this gets fixed is by WINNING IT ALL! Go Rays! You have to earn respect (that may not be fair, but it's real life)!!!

[joe nall]

Tampa is the major city so that's what the nation refers the team to...so everyone knows what they are talking about....st pete is not nationally known geez. st pete is the only city in the nation with a hang up like this. no other city gives a crap.

[RFN]

To those of you who think St. Pete has an inferiority complex to Tampa - THINK AGAIN!

I've lived on both sides of the Bay - now in St. Pete, while working in downtown Tampa.

One has a downtown that's alive after dark. One has me jogging to my parking space if it happens to be dark when I'm leaving. One has museums, including Dali, Holocaust, Fine Art and Smithsonian Designate. One has "one" museum (which I like, but I can see it all in 30 mins). One has the majority of good music venues (State Theatre, Jannus Landing, Straub Park) one has SPT Forum and god-awful Ford Amphitheatre. Dining out is about a toss-up, clubs are better in St. Pete since Ybor "folded." Tampa traffic is a mess and Tampa has more crime.

If you want to pick at St. Pete residents for wanting the press to get the city right (or just want the press to include the 3 letter word "Bay") go-ahead. But, get it out of your heads that the 4th largest city in FL has a complex about the 3rd largest city in FL.

[Jason]

Get a brain people!!! TAMPA BAY RAYS. Not St. Petersburg, they had there chance with the Pelicans. Its not Tampa. It is Tampa Bay!!! Once you get that into your brainless heads we will all be a better off. Brainless = Our Governmet, ESPN, and people that don't understand that Tampa Bay Area are a group of cities that make up the name Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay = St Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater and everything in between. Can you find the city of Tampa Bay on the Florida map. No!!! Now get over it!

Go Tampa Bay Rays!!!

[Amanda]

"Tampa Bay Fan"-
You must have misread it. The problem is, they DID print "Tampa", not "Tampa Bay". "Tampa Bay" is what everyone wants, because it includes the whole area.
My personal take on it, and this is just me...
I have no problem with teams or whoever saying "down in Tampa" or "we're going to Tampa". It's the bigger and better known city, and it's pretty obvious that it refers to the whole region when it's put that way.
I also have no problem with referring to "Tampa's pitching" or "the Tampa players". It's really just shortening Tampa Bay for the sake of brevity.
I DO, though, have a problem with comments like "it's a great day for the city of Tampa". That's specific, and excludes the rest of the region. I'm sure that sounds silly to people from Tampa, but maybe it is a bit of an inferiority complex; I love St. Pete, and I'm really proud of where I live. Can't we just get a little recognition? In fact, I really don't even think they should say "proud day for the city of St. Pete" as much as I think they should say "proud day for the Tampa Bay area". But again, that's just me.

The only people it matters to are the people who care if it's wrong or right, actually. If St. Pete gets its feelings hurt, it needs to get over it. That's not the issue. For the "world wide leader in sports" to say the Rays are in Tampa is just ignorant, and embarrassing.

[Tampa Bay Fan]

The only people it matters to are the few and I mean few who actually live in St Pete. The Rays are a Tampa Bay Area team. Their fans are from the whole area not just St Pete. So Tampa Bay does not mean where they are it is the whole area fan base. If you want to alienate those not in St Pete by making a big issue out of this go ahead and then see how many seat you fill next year. Get a grip, they did not print Tampa - the team is Tampa Bay and they were correct.

[Jazzitt]

Thats why Gene my wireless network in Manatee is 'theRaysnation'

but joedoesNotknowbaseball we are the Tampabay Rays bad joke joe

[Gene]

It is about journalistic accuracy. If you are going to print it, then it should be correct. As Jimbo said, major league sports is about regions, not cities. We are all part of the Tampa Bay region. All the print bylines I see from stories about Rays games cite the location as St. Petersburg, but the team represents all of us. I will postpone the parochial stuff till after the season, right now I'm cheering on the Tampa Bay Rays!

[joeknowsbaseball]

Their NEW name is...

The SAINT JOSEPH RAYS...

NO bays, NO pete's,

NO WAY...NO BAILOUT!!!

Just one more on Thursday and so it goes!

Thank you St. Joe and your Rays!

[Jazzitt]

Absolutely Jimbo. Actually I figure Tampa Bay is for the bay area (duh) and St. Pete is (duh) in the bay area. I am going on a limb here it is not St. Pete folks (I live in Manatee, raised in the bay area St.Pete/Tampa) but the name refers to area.

It ticks me off because they have had 162 games to get it right and still look and sound moronic. The Rays are the top story in baseball (and one of the biggies in sports 2008) and are still getting this lazy lack of preparation or respect. Heck we get Don Orsillio of NESN Boston that does the Red Sox play by play.

So I will give this station a chance but if it gets bad (which I think the announcing will) the TV sound goes mute and our radio goes on. Don might actually get it right since I am a student of the game I try to follow all of the teams especially the Rays rivals. And Don might do a good job (sheesh giving spin to the Red Sox ugh)

[Jay]

You know what? Does Tampa pay the sales tax increases to pay for the stadium? Did Tampa gentrify an entire community to make room for the dome? Did Tampa put together a bid for a MLB team back in the 90's, then suffer the indignation of not being able to land one for 6 years? The answer to all those questions is a resounding NO.

It's insulting that Tampa, who does nothing to support the team short of attendance, gets all the credit, and none of the burdens. Yet some people here have the audacity to call us whiners when we call out the national media for constantly getting it wrong.

[Jimbo]

That's the problem. People from Tampa or outside the area say, "Who cares? St. Pete has an inferiority complex. It's all our team!" etc. But, they're missing the point.

We're not asking it to be called "St. Pete". I, personally, would feel that would denigrate most of the region. It needs to have the "Bay" added, though, because that's the same as calling Tom Brady's team the "Boston Patriots"; you just excluded 5 states because Boston the most recognizable city.

C'mon, people. If you think it's as parochial as St. Pete vs Tampa anymore, you're wrong; it's about giving the team AND the WHOLE region the respect it deserves.

Saying "Tampa Rays" is the same as ESPN calling USF last year "Florida Southern" and everyone went ballistic about that. They have every right to be upset about this, as well.

GO TAMPA "BAY" RAYS!!!

[Jazzitt]

We are unique in our Tampa Bay Lightning play in the St. Pete Forum in Tampa. While the Tampa Bay Rays play in the Trop in St. Pete. It is up to the journalists to report it right. They have not. Geeze we get the Boston Red Sox announcer for our first home game. By the way TBS is so bad while watching promo's for the world series on Fox, a promo for TBS baseball playoffs was aired. I noted the Phillies, Dodgers, Cubs, Redsox, Angels, Brewers players were highlighted. Al central was not because of it was not clear who was to play but they did show the Mets, NY (for the stadium I guess) but none, I repeat none of any Ray's player in the promo. It is their job to get it right and I am a fan of the Rays and dad-gum-it I will be in their ears loud and clear until they do.

[Bill]

Where was that St. Pete pride when the new stadium issue was hot? Note to Mr. Sternberg: Why not talk with Oren Koulis about that five acre plot at the St. Pete Times Forum...love to have you over here in a more central location.

[Mike]

I really don't care what they call us, as long as we are no longer one of espn's punch lines. I have noticed, though, and I think it isn't too much out of the realm of possibility, that radio hosts and commentators are saying "tampa rays" as a way of avoding saying "devil" rays. I heard throughout the year broadcasters start out saying: "tampa bay de....rays, ya tampa bay rays." By dropping Bay they seem to be able to get out just "Rays" easier. But like I said, who cares. St. Pete would never have a baseball team if the city was not so close to Tampa, justs as it could be said the other way around with the bucs and the lightning. It is the Tampa Bay area. Its just logical, as Madden would say.

[HFB]

WHY is this a big deal? For all the reasons people have already stated. We "the tampa bay community" are considered the Tampa Market...not the st. pete market nor the Clearwater market...when the city of St. pete promotes its beaches or tourist draws does it not reference Busch Gardens and the the whole bay area? Is the only identity for St. Pete the ball team... What happens the day they move away? Grow up for goodness sakes.

[aj]

Let the Sox go to Tampa...they won't find the Rays there and we can win by a forfeit.

[Fred]

The city of St. Pete doesn't want the new stadium therefore they don't want the recognition that goes with having an MLB team. Within 10 years the team will be in Tampa anyway so get used to it. How about what Anaheim has done, Rename the team the St Pete Rays of Tampa.

SCOTT at 11:04:

I was thinking the same thing when almost everyone in the city were cursing the rays and their new stadium plan six months ago.

WE ARE .... ONE BAY!!

[Scott]

Man... I swear just 7 months ago St. Pete didn't want anything to do with the Rays. I remember reading. " Go play your baseball somewhere else" or " We don't want to pay for a millionaires play ground" ect..... Now everyone in St.Pete wants the Rays as there own. I wonder what would happen if the vote for a new stadium would goto ballot right now! God this city makes me sick.

[Mike Creyton]

St. Pete really needs to get over this inferiority complex. Like many have said, they don't say the Redskins are going home to Landover, MD. They are going to DC. Its a regional thing. People on a national level aren't as familiar with the local landscapes of the different metro areas.

Nationally everyone knows Tampa. They know this area as the Tampa Bay metro area. St. Petersburg is not as widely recognized on a national level. This is getting so ridiculous. I live in Wesley Chapel. When I travel and people ask where I am from I don't say Wesley Chapel, FL. I say Tampa, FL. That is what people do in every market. You refer to the whole area by the major city that people will recognize.

[Boobaloo]

I don't like when they call them the Tampa Rays. That's like saying the Green Packers. Just lazy and dumb. If they say "on to Tampa", who cares?

[Mike S.]

Well, I never heard the folks from Palm Harbor whining that the "sports"casters at the PODS Championship at Innusbrook (sorry about bringing golf into this) kept saying the event was in Tampa. It was much closer to Clearwater anyway :)

I'm pretty sure the sports folks are pretty much geographically challenged anyway.

Regardless, the Rays are in the Playoffs! As long as I know where the field is, that's all that matters to me.

[Blurrrrg]

I live in Overland Park. Where's that? Kansas City. Get over it.

[Season ticket holder from St. Pete]

WHO CARES!!!!

[Steven]

What's the difference? This is Tampa's team and why would we expectwd anyone outside this area to KNOW or CARE that the stadium happens to be in St. Pete. We don't care that the Mets play in Queens, we just know it's New York. Would everyone be happy if we followed the Angels lead and called ourselves the Tampa Bay Rays of St. Petersburg? There are better things to write about than this, so can we all move on?

[Rob]

It's about journalism and getting the FACTS CORRECT. That is ultimately what it comes down to and ESPN is not a credible journalistic outfit if it can't get basic facts like locators correct.

On a side note, Jay Marriotti, he is without a steady journalism job, called them the "Tampa Rays" on "Around the Horn" yesterday. "Around the Horn" is.....wouldn't you know it....on ESPN.

[Jen]

Ken Walker - Get some real news. Everyone says Tampa so people know where they're talking about. this article shows how desperate the times is for news. do some real newspaper columns ken walker cause you're the only one who cares.

[Fred]

Act like you been there

DUDE - MANY PEOPLE KNOW IT'S IN ST. PETE...BUT THEY DON'T CARE...THEY JUST SAY TAMPA CAUSE IT'S THE MAJOR CITY THAT EVERYONE KNOWS. GET OVER IT AND FIND SOME REAL NEWS. ST. PETE HAS GOT TO HAVE THE BIGGEST INFERIORITY COMPLEX I HAVE EVER SEEN IN ANY CITY. TAMPA IS THE MAJOR CITY AND ALWAYS WILL BE. (AND I LIVE IN SARASOTA BY THE WAY).

[jake]

shut the heck up. why even post this article? it is Tamps Bay Rays, not ST Pete. why start this crap again? like the guy ssaid above....the Giants play in NJ but everyone....all ua st. pete folks included....refer to them as NY. get past it. Our team is in the playoffs...we should be discussing that, not this junk.

[Joe]

why is it that only folks in St Pete care that they call it Tampa or Tampa Bay..

i bet you cheered when the Tampa BAY bucs won the SB. or the Tampa BAY Lighting won the stanley cup...

If you want to have people from around the nation figure out where the Rays are from, best thing to say IS tampa.. Although all the location headers from news articles will all say (St.Petersburg, AP/Reuters/etc) so get over it...