What's In A Name?

[Diamond Jim]

Tampa Bay Devil Rays, I've always hated that name. Now they have dropped the Devil part and it still doesn't sound right, Tampa Bay Rays. How about dropping the the Bay part. I handled a lot of mail in my time at the Post Office and I never seen anything ever addressed to Tampa Bay, Fl. It was always Tampa, Fl. When did the word Bay get tagged on to the city's name and is it offical?

Here are some of my thoughts on a team name:

1) Tampa Rays
2) Tampa Sun Rays
3) Tampa Solar Rays

As always, your valued opinions are welcome.

 

[HD MM]

Tampa Bay Devil Rays, I've always hated that name. Now they have dropped the Devil part and it still doesn't sound right, Tampa Bay Rays. How about dropping the the Bay part. I handled a lot of mail in my time at the Post Office and I never seen anything ever addressed to Tampa Bay, Fl. It was always Tampa, Fl. When did the word Bay get tagged on to the city's name and is it offical?

Here are some of my thoughts on a team name:

1) Tampa Rays
2) Tampa Sun Rays
3) Tampa Solar Rays

As always, your valued opinions are welcome.

They also have a football team called the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the contrary, "Tampa" Buccaneers doesn't sound right either IMO. It's all about what fans are accustomed to hearing. Any change or deviation to a name will take some getting used to.

 

[HD MM]

Tampa Bay Devil Rays, I've always hated that name. Now they have dropped the Devil part and it still doesn't sound right, Tampa Bay Rays. How about dropping the the Bay part. I handled a lot of mail in my time at the Post Office and I never seen anything ever addressed to Tampa Bay, Fl. It was always Tampa, Fl. When did the word Bay get tagged on to the city's name and is it offical?

Here are some of my thoughts on a team name:

1) Tampa Rays
2) Tampa Sun Rays
3) Tampa Solar Rays

As always, your valued opinions are welcome.

Is that what this team is now? I noticed they dropped the "devil ray" moniker and also got rid of the ray-fish logo. Now they're just a glimmer of sunshine?! That's weak.

 

[SamCdbs]

Tampa: The team is not located in Tampa, it is located in St. Petersburg, in Pinellas County, which is across Tampa Bay from Tampa in Hillsborough County. The mertopolitan area (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater) is regularly called "Tampa Bay" or sometimes the "Florida Sun Coast".

Devil Rays: Stupid name. Rays is better. Tarpons, the historic name of minor league teams in that market, would have been best.

 

[jwfgeol]

Tampa: The team is not located in Tampa, it is located in St. Petersburg, in Pinellas County, which is across Tampa Bay from Tampa in Hillsborough County. The mertopolitan area (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater) is regularly called "Tampa Bay" or sometimes the "Florida Sun Coast".

Does this mean the New Jersey Giants will soon grace the NFL?

 

[cjwct]

tomato . . . tomatoe? potato . . . potatoe?

 

[HD MM]

Does this mean the New Jersey Giants will soon grace the NFL?

Or the New Jersey Jets for that matter?

 

[Diamond Jim]

I never paid much attention to what Howard Cosell was blowing off about, but he did say one thing that I agree with. If a team is not located with the city limits they should not be allowed to use that city's name. I know things have changed but at one time we would have had the Irving Cowboys, Pontiac Lions, East Rutherford Giants and Jets. There should a consitutional admendent saying if you aren't located with the city limits, you cant use the cities name. I also hate state names, but some I can understand. We won't go into that now......unless someone wants to.

 

[SamCdbs]

Not the same. East Rutherford, New Jersey is a SUBURB of NYC. St. Petersburg is a co-equal half of the Tampa Bay area, along with Tampa.

 

[HD MM]

Not the same. East Rutherford, New Jersey is a SUBURB of NYC. St. Petersburg is a co-equal half of the Tampa Bay area, along with Tampa.

How is that East Rutherford, which is in the state limits of New Jersey, a "suburb" of New York? Doesn't make sense. Anyways, it is quite funny that only one NFL team actually resides in the state of NY; ie. the Buffalo Bills!

 

[SamCdbs]

The same way Covington, KY is a suburb of Cincinnati; East St. Louis, IL is a suburb of St. Louis; or Vancouver, WA is a suburb of Portland, etc.

Millions of people drive from their homes in the suburbs, across a state line, to work every day.

Suburb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Suburbs are commonly defined as residential areas on the outskirts of a city or large town.

St. Petersburg, however is NOT a suburb of Tampa. Tampa and St. Petersburg are the twin core cites, just like Minneapolis-St. Paul or Dallas-Ft. Worth.

 

[brainiac]

Tampa: The team is not located in Tampa, it is located in St. Petersburg, in Pinellas County, which is across Tampa Bay from Tampa in Hillsborough County. The mertopolitan area (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater) is regularly called "Tampa Bay" or sometimes the "Florida Sun Coast".

Devil Rays: Stupid name. Rays is better. Tarpons, the historic name of minor league teams in that market, would have been best.

The Suncoast actually includes a lot more than the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area - it goes a lot farther south. Concerning the name, the Marlins did it right, using the name of the old Miami Marlins from the Florida State League.

 

[brainiac]

I never paid much attention to what Howard Cosell was blowing off about, but he did say one thing that I agree with. If a team is not located with the city limits they should not be allowed to use that city's name. I know things have changed but at one time we would have had the Irving Cowboys, Pontiac Lions, East Rutherford Giants and Jets. There should a consitutional admendent saying if you aren't located with the city limits, you cant use the cities name. I also hate state names, but some I can understand. We won't go into that now......unless someone wants to.

So much for the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Redskins! Those are just 2 more from the top of my head that don't actually play in their city anymore.

 

[Diamond Jim]

They dropped the "devil ray" moniker and also got rid of the ray-fish logo.

They still have a small fish (devil ray) patch on the sleve of their uniforms.