New angle of Rays ALCS clinch crowd pop from outside Tropicana Field is electric

Packed to the roof with 40,230 fans, Tropicana Field was loud for the Tampa Bay Rays' pennant clinch on Monday. Saying it was loud may be an understatement.

There's how it sounds inside, and then there is feeling the energy from the outside. A video was posted that reflected it. Originally posted in the replies to a tweet from Pardon My Take by a man named Bryan Robinson, the video featured the sounds of Tropicana Field after the final out.

It was later reposted by notable Rays fan on X/Twitter, Paul Driscoll with the captaion, "Warning: May cause extreme goosebumps."

On the inside, there was no empty seats. It was a soldout crowd. Few were fans of the road team.

It was sea of navy and light blue with hints of green and gray city connects. Oh, and there were plenty of Devil Rays logos all around, too.

Once again, Rays fans took heat. No Yankees in the building meant another excuse to throw a dig their way.

They took it personally. They packed the Trop for a moment that hadn't happened in that building in 18 years. The World Series is already sold out, too. So, they aren't done yet making a statement.

The reality is that this took effort, and the geography of the region is why it gets major credit. This isn't like New York, Chicago or Boston, where it's densely populated over a small footprint. Tampa Bay is a region where the ballpark is on the tip of a peninsula, and half the population is an hour away in another county.

Forget the Howard Frankland Bridge. Forget about the Gandy and the Courtney Campbell, too. We talk about crossing the bridge enough. It's not just about crossing a bridge. It's having to go across one country, then go through a good chunk of another before reaching the ballpark.

It's hard for other fanbases to fathom, but it's really that different compared to nearly every other market. Picture a Red Sox fan from Salem, Mass., driving to Fenway Park for a game. They had a shorter drive than someone who came from some Tampa suburbs. If they drove from Portland, Maine, it's the same as driving to the Trop from Orlando.

It's doubtful many of these fans are going on a Tuesday night after work.

When people go red in the face over location, it's because the new ballpark is going to be right smack dab in the middle of the region. It'll still be fine for those in St. Pete, Clearwater and Largo. However, those in Plant City, Lutz, Brandon and Lakeland have a fighting chance to get off work and not miss the first couple of innings of regular-season games.

It's a shame the new building will be smaller. With a projected capacity of 31,000, it's still going to miss the full potential of what could be coming.

But this is postseason. It's different. This is why on a Monday night, everyone was there past midnight. They have a team. It's not going anywhere after years of doubt. They can finally just relax and take in a potential World Series.

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