As a life-long (and once long-suffering) Red Sox Nation native son, it pains me somewhat to admit just how remarkable Tampa Bay's story book season has been. Manager of the Year shoe-in Joe Maddon has done an astounding job as has Tampa's front office. The Rays ability to identify and develop young talent has been text book perfect.
However, I have a coupla major-fucking-problems with the whole Tampa Bay Ray vibe:
- Due to chronically poor home game attendence, the Rays felt compelled to pipe in artificial crowd noise over the Tropicana Field PA! They've done this for a few seasons now. That is so totally bush league. It works great on the radio but looks foolish when you watch the game on TV and you can see the rows upon rows of empty seats when the cameras pan following fly balls.
- Before the season began, their management dropped the "Devil" from Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Chickens! Apparently they felt it was the "Devil" that was keeping their Bible belt attendence. It didn't work. They didn't come consistently sell out any games not featuring the Red Sox and Yankees. There were a lot of empty seats ALDS vs. the White Sox. The jam-packed ALCS games at the Trop were jam-packed with Sox fans.
- It irked me to no end to see the throngs of Rays fans agonizing over every pitch or every play that didn't go their way in Games 6 & 7. Please. Where the fuck were you bandwagon-jumpers the previous 166 games?
- Those goddamn cowbells. Y'all are sure stuck on your artificial noise down there. Look, I know I'm old skool. But first you damn Rays fans are too lame to sell out 98% of yer team's home games this season and then when you do show up clapping, yelling and stomping your feet aren't good enough for you? That's weak.
-AF
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NP: Dropkick Murphys - Tessie
via FoxyTunes
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