Being a big baseball fan, I've always wondered which of the 2 Florida professional teams gets the most support from the sunshine state. Thought I'd post a poll since there seems to be a large handful of Floridians who frequent the boards here. If you currently live in the state of Fla and are a fan of MLB, who do you pull for? Miami Marlins or Tampa Bay Rays? Or do you pull for a team outside of your state?
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Baseball Question For Florida Residents
- Thread starter Bob Saget
- Start date
rsoxguy
Well-Known Member
Having been born in Boston, I am a life-long and die-hard Red Sox fan. It's in my blood. Because the Marlins are a National League team, and I live in South Florida, I root for them unless they are playing against the Red Sox (they will play each other this Summer, and I will root for the Sox).
I believe that the Rays have a stronger fan-base, and I'll explain my non-scientific reasoning. South Florida, Miami-Dade county in particular, has too many diversions and activities that work against any strong interest in a baseball team. Even the Dolphins (football) have traditionally had a hard time selling tickets when they were actually playing well. I remember a time years ago when car dealerships would buy tons of tickets to a game just to avoid a television blackout of the game on any given Sunday. The three counties that provide the most potential for interest in a "local" baseball team like the Marlins (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach) provide too many diversions that work against the great game of baseball. We live, in essence, in a huge playground. Consequently, there's plenty on which to focus beyond sports teams and the money or effort needed to remain truly devoted to them. Many South Floridians become Marlins' fans as soon as they reach the second game of the World Series. I believe that issues involving diverse nationalities also work against cultural interest in the game.
Anyhoo, count me in as a Marlins fan, although my devotion to them is faint at best. My wife is a huge Marlins fan, but she's delusional and calls my team the "Dead Sox". Weirdo.
I believe that the Rays have a stronger fan-base, and I'll explain my non-scientific reasoning. South Florida, Miami-Dade county in particular, has too many diversions and activities that work against any strong interest in a baseball team. Even the Dolphins (football) have traditionally had a hard time selling tickets when they were actually playing well. I remember a time years ago when car dealerships would buy tons of tickets to a game just to avoid a television blackout of the game on any given Sunday. The three counties that provide the most potential for interest in a "local" baseball team like the Marlins (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach) provide too many diversions that work against the great game of baseball. We live, in essence, in a huge playground. Consequently, there's plenty on which to focus beyond sports teams and the money or effort needed to remain truly devoted to them. Many South Floridians become Marlins' fans as soon as they reach the second game of the World Series. I believe that issues involving diverse nationalities also work against cultural interest in the game.
Anyhoo, count me in as a Marlins fan, although my devotion to them is faint at best. My wife is a huge Marlins fan, but she's delusional and calls my team the "Dead Sox". Weirdo.
^That makes a lot of sense about the Marlins. I've always wondered why so many empty stadium seats despite two World Championships in the last decade & a half. :shrug: That's a lot like what the Dodgers & Angels suffer from out west. Good teams...(well, pre-Pujols era that is), and pretty heavy fan bases each. But too many other offerings for entertainment in the area.
Lol, don't feel bad. Once Valentine is outta a Boston uniform and back hosting ESPN programs where he belongs...the Sox will go from dead to red again. The talent is certainly there.
joanna71985
Well-Known Member
I'm a Mets fan (as I was raised in NJ). I guess if I had to go with either, I'd probably go with Tampa (as the Marlins are in my team's division).
SpongeScott
Well-Known Member
I live in the Tampa Bay area, so I am a proud Rays fan. Obviously, baseball struggles here and no one can pin it on any one major reason. There are not a lot of natives here, so we get a lot of transplants from other areas of the country that keep their sports allegiances, so both Florida franchises do suffer from that. The Rays have decent ownership and have done a tremendous job of turning the franchise around, but something is still missing. There is talk of moving the team to Tampa, but not sure if that is the answer or not. The Rays fanbase stretches as far as Orlando, so in area I would say the Rays are larger.