Congrats Rays - But Your Fans Don't Deserve It

I don't want to recap the game, and so I won't. As it stands, the Rays are currently going to the World Series. Good for them, they're an exciting young team that was built from the ground up. The team deserves it, their fans do not, and I have a few things to say to those cowbell-ringing, blue-hair-dying, mohawk-wearing, bandwagon-jumping pseudo-fans.

I have said already that being a baseball fan through this long season is a journey that you take with your team. When times are tough, and good, you stick with your team. The Rays fans, however, could not even recognize their team was talented in September, where it was obvious they were making the playoffs. Seeing the Rays fans "celebrate" over their ALCS victory, I was disgusted at the full sight.

First, the Rays fans were at least 90% gone during the celebration. Has anyone else ever seen that? If you take a full journey with your team, you stick around for the celebration. Look in the background of this photo:


If you look in the background, you will see the stands are empty. REALLY!? No one wanted to stay for the celebration? Game over, time to go home? WHY!?

Second, the cowbell thing is preposterous and obnoxious. Fans who need help being loud and into a game aren't really fans. You need to be into the game for the game, especially when your team is young, talented, and fun to watch.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I have some attendance figures. From 2003-2007, the Tampa Bay [Devil] Rays were last in attendance percentage (percent of their stadium filled per home game) except for 2004, when they performed better than the Montreal Expos. That's right, they continually lost to the city that lost their team. But in 2008 they had a decent team, so their numbers must have gone up - and they did. How much? They ranked 24th in the league (a head of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Texas, KC, Oakland and Florida). Let's look at all the playoff teams and their numbers. And their ranks.

Boston: 104.0% (1st)
Chicago Cubs: 99.1% (2nd)
Philadelphia: 97.1% (4th)
LA Angels: 91.4% (6th)
Milwaukee: 89.3% (8th)
LA Dodgers: 82.2% (12th)
Chicago Sox: 76.0% (13th)
Tampa Bay Rays: 52.8% (24th)

That's right, the Rays barely averaged filling over half their stadium. Let's throw in... ohh... the worst teams in baseball.

Washington: 68.2% (15th)
Seattle: 60.2% (21st)

The Nationals and the Mariners, the only 100 loss teams in baseball, filled more of their stadium on average than the Rays this year. And the Rays are going to the World Series. So when it comes down to it, do these fans deserve an ALCS Championship?

No, they do not.


Written by Real Baseball Fan, Kyle Baxter