Can't Beat St. Pete....Rays Get Endorsement from Commerce on Plans

For the Rays, stadiums are the talk of the town, and more specifically, the talk of which town. 

Many fans want the Rays to relocate their operations from the St. Petersburg area in order to bring baseball back to Tampa, FL, a thirty-minute drive away. 

But with the most recent news, is Tampa even a consideration any more?

As it stands, the Rays are in a better situation in St. Pete than Tampa, but only time will tell if this is something that gets accepted.

Friday, the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce "put their endorsement on the Hines plan," a plan that will feature a domed stadium with a surrounding area that will feature shops and restaurants.

This endorsement points to the possibility of the team remaining in St. Petersburg, but will a new stadium attract the additional fans that the Rays seek? 

If the Rays picked up and moved to Tampa, there would be no question that people would go to games, and it truly would be a sports fan's dream.

Having all three pro sports teams' stadiums within a reasonable distance of each other would attract crowds while also creating a sense of unity in the sports community. 

Also, with less travel to a stadium in Tampa, it would make for a more attractive spot.

However, with the St. Petersburg area offering backing and support and the Rays staying in the city, it may be their best chance to be able to land a stadium, even if the team had other thoughts.

Only time will tell with this situation, but it's a sure thing: the Rays need a stadium, and we may be at a point where, as fans, we take what we can.