Tampa Should Reopen Rays Ballpark Talks: Mayor

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https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/10/09/tampa-should-reopen-rays-ballpark-talks-mayor/

Tampa Should Reopen Rays Ballpark Talks: Mayor

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says representatives from throughout the region should meet with the team in an effort to restart new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark talks, as the team’s success in the playoffs may revive stalled discussions.

The effort to replace St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field was previously focused on Tampa’s Ybor City, where a proposal for a new $892-million ballpark (rendering above) was discussed throughout much of last year. The Rays ultimately walked away from negotiations in December, believing that the plan was financially unfeasible. Since then it’s been all quiet on the new-ballpark front–in Tampa, at least.

But with new details emerging on a Montreal ballpark and the realization that the team could walk away at the end of its Tropicana Field lease, there’s apparently the feeling that it’s time to revive ballpark talks on a regional level. There are an abundance of options here: besides bringing the Ybor City proposal back for consideration, there’s also the potential of building a new ballpark at the Tropicana Field site, and there’s also the potential of looking elsewhere in Tampa–say, near Raymond James Stadium–for a site that would combine development and a new facility. Castor’s point is that the talks need to occur in more than just on a city or county level. Tampa is a hot market right now, and the right development / ballpark proposal could keep the team in Tampa Bay. From the Tampa Bay Times:

“I really feel like we should probably maybe just start over again,” Castor said as she greeted people behind home plate at Tropicana Field on Tuesday. “Everybody just come back to the table and start over again. Finding out what the Rays want and need, and then which community can best fulfill those needs.”…

Castor confirmed there are not any active talks to bring a stadium and the Rays to Tampa or Hillsborough County. She said the Rays’ playoff run reminds the community of the need to work together to keep the team in Tampa Bay.

“We need to support that as a region and show the Rays we want them here,” Castor said. “I just want to sit down and have those discussions with the Rays. If it’s in conjunction with St. Pete, with Pinellas, with Hillsborough, with Tampa, just bring everybody together and figure out what’s best for the region.”

Currently there’s little appetite for tax dollars going for a new Rays ballpark, as Castor stressed. But the rules might change a little if there’s a proposal for a development that financially supports a Rays ballpark.

Rendering courtesy Tampa Bay Rays.

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https://www.abcactionnews.com/sports/mayor-castor-talks-for-where-rays-should-call-home-should-go-back-to-the-beginning

Mayor Castor: Talks for where Rays should call home should go back to the beginning

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tropicana Field was filled with more than 30,000 loud, screaming fans for Tuesday’s game against the Astros.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor was front and center at Tuesday’s game, tweeting out support before the game.

Jane Castor
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@JaneCastor
 The only thing the @astros are going to be able to say when @RaysBaseball are done with them is ,“Houston, we’ve got a problem.” #RaysUp #StayHungry

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Castor said she believes all the key players on the future of the Rays should go back to the beginning.

“Maybe we just start over, with some of the talks, and bringing in the entire region, making sure we make a decision as a Tampa Bay area of where the best location may be for a stadium ,” she said.

Castor and Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan have been strong supporters for moving the Rays across the bay.

However, Mayor Rick Kriseman, will not be commenting on any other ideas.

He has stated publicly that there will be no Rays talks during the playoffs.

Full Circle: The uncertain future of the Tampa Bay Rays
ABC Action News anchor Paul Lagrone did a special Full Circle report on the future of the Rays.

There’s been plenty of criticism and questions about Rays owner Stuart Sternberg’s plan to share the team with Montreal but few answers.

But all the other major players who shape the Rays' future did go on record and had a lot to say, including Kriseman, who sat down with LaGrone just days before he would meet with the Rays owner for the third time since the team announced in June that it wants to split its season between here and Canada.

"If we were to get to a point where we allowed the Rays to explore the split season, I believe and I may be wrong on this, but I believe it would end up showing that the challenges are too great," Kriseman told LaGrone in September.

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https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/rays-excitement-grows-tampa-mayor-says-focus-playoffs-not-ballpark-talks

As Rays' Excitement Grows, Tampa Mayor Says Focus Is On Playoffs, Not Ballpark Talks

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is arm in arm with Rays Mascot Raymond at a watch party

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor roots on the Tampa Bay Rays with mascot Raymond at a watch party earlier in the Rays-Astros playoff series. She said talks for a new ballpark will have to wait. CREDIT: JANE CASTOR/CITY OF TAMPA VIA TWITTER

The Tampa Bay Rays are heading to Houston for a deciding Game 5 Thursday night with the Astros as watch parties around the region gear up.

The Rays revealed their official watch locations on Wednesday afternoon: Sparkman Wharf in downtown Tampa and North Straub Park and Park & Rec in St. Petersburg.

Listen Listening...1:07 As the Rays keep winning, the issue of a new ballpark remains.
The team’s playoff run also renewed questions about a new ballpark after St. Pete officials gave the green light for talks to resume across the bay.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor was exuberant on the day after the Rays victory. She says the crowd and excitement for Game 4 shows that the region can support the team.

Like the Rays, however, she says she is taking negotiations one game at a time.

"The only thing that we're focused on right now is getting to the World Series,” Castor said Wednesday. “And once we bring home that trophy, we'll find out where the best location is to store it."

A proposal to move the Rays to Ybor City failed last year. No other relocation sites have surfaced since.

Rays fans spent Wednesday on Twitter awaiting word about the watch party locations and hoping -- to no avail -- that the team would open the Trop to TV viewers.

#RaysUp
@TBwinningtheWS
 How could I forget about the Trop. How about a @RaysBaseball watch party there?!? https://twitter.com/tbwinningthews/status/1181908609187360769 …

#RaysUp
@TBwinningtheWS
Sooooo @RaysBaseball watch party at Al Lang Stadium again?

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11:21 AM - Oct 9, 2019
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Marybeth
@marybeth_f37
 Me waiting for Game 5 watch party details @RaysBaseball

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The official Rays parties are set for:

Straub Park - North Downtown Waterfront Park, 400 Bayshore Drive NE, St. Petersburg. The site is off Beach Drive between 4th and 5th Avenues NE. Live music from George Pennington starts at 5:30. The party will feature food and beverage vendors but Rays fan can also bring their own food.  Bring a low lawn chair and/or blankets, pets allowed, door prizes, DJ Kitty and the Rays Street Team will be present.

Park & Rec, 100 Fourth St. S., St. Petersburg.  The Rays Street Team will be on hand, along with drink specials such as $3 Budweiser tallboys and $4 cowbell shots. The event gets started at 5 p.m.

Sparkman Wharf, 615 Channelside Drive, Tampa. The party starts at 5 p.m., with the Rays Street Team and pictures with Rays mascot Raymond.

Other watch party sites announced on social media include:

Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill, 1320 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. The iconic bar across from Tropicana Field boasts 84 television screens inside and will have a large-screen TV truck outside. Watch party doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. game.

The Lure, 661 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. The party starts at 7 p.m.

World of Beer Westchase, 9524 W Linebaugh Ave, Tampa. The watch party is co-hosted by Blend Lounge.

Linksters Tap Room, 1911 W Brandon Blvd., Brandon.

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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/expansion/miami/mls-expansion-inter-miami-cf-usl-league-one-2020-mcdonough-lauderdale/

Inter Miami CF to field USL League One team in 2020

The USL League One side will play all of its games in Fort Lauderdale.

Inter Miami CF owners Jorge Mas, left, and David Beckham introduce the club's plan to play at Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium for 2020 and 2021 MLS Seasons. (Photo courtesy Inter Miami)

When Inter Miami CF takes the pitch in 2020, it won’t just be on Major League Soccer fields.

The MLS expansion club will also field a USL League One team next year. League One is the third tier of professional men’s soccer in the United States and will have 13 teams next season.

The USL League One side will bridge the gap between Inter Miami’s MLS team and academy, the club said Wednesday in a statement. The new team’s name, branding, schedule and ticket information will be released at a later date.

“We are proud to close this deal and join a competitive league where our youth players can compete against quality opponents,” Paul McDonough, the sporting director for Inter Miami CF, said in the statement. “USL League One will provide more opportunities for players from South Florida as well as elite international prospects.”

The MLS, USL League One and academy sides will all train at a 64-acre complex in Fort Lauderdale, which is currently being renovated to feature a 50,000-square-foot training facility with seven fields and an 18,000-capacity stadium. Both teams will play games at that stadium, which is scheduled to open in February, until the MLS team’s Miami Freedom Park stadium is constructed.

USL League One featured 10 teams this season, it’s first year competing in the newly-organized tier system. Above League One is the Championship, which features 36 teams, and below it is USL League Two, a development league with 72 teams made up of mostly college players.

In 2020, the Inter Miami CF side will be one of three additional teams joining League One. Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution will also field a team, along with a club in Nebraska, Union Omaha CF.

The other MLS sides who field teams in League One include Orlando City SC, Toronto FC and FC Dallas.

“We’re thrilled to have Inter Miami CF join League One,” USL senior vice president Steven Short said. “It’s exciting to watch our league as it continues to grow in both size and intensity and we’re already looking forward to our second year of competition. We know that this club will be a tremendous addition.”

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https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/afc-ann-arbor-unveiled-as-newest-usl-league-two-expansion-club

AFC Ann Arbor Unveiled as Newest USL League Two Expansion Club

The logo of AFC Ann Arbor

The United Soccer League (USL) announced today that AFC Ann Arbor will become the newest member of USL League Two, with the league excited to see them join the competition in 2020. The club will be added to the Great Lakes Division and play its home matches at Concordia University of Ann Arbor.

“The move to USL League Two is an exciting new chapter for our club,” said AFC Ann Arbor Men’s Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland. “The competition will present a welcome new challenge for our players and staff in terms of preparing to play new rivals and shifting how we go about building our roster.”

"Just as our city grows, so must our club,” said AFC Ann Arbor Chairman Bilal Saeed. “Joining USL League Two is a thrilling new chapter for AFC Ann Arbor."

In joining USL League Two, AFC Ann Arbor will offer a proven pathway to professional soccer for its players, both those at the elite collegiate level and others who are younger. On top of the valuable experience of playing in the nation’s most competitive pre-professional environment, League Two also provides growth opportunities for its coaches, executives and communities.

“We are honored to have AFC Ann Arbor bring their professionalism and quality to League Two for 2020,” said Vice President of USL League Two Joel Nash. “Their community support and executive leadership have built a foundation that has been coupled with on-field success. Their ambition for what the game can do for Ann Arbor is what sets them apart.”

Founded in 2014, AFC Ann Arbor has begun to demonstrate the ability to develop young players, and the club will have greater opportunities to do so as a member of League Two. In 2017, Lars Eckenrode became the first former AFC Ann Arbor player selected in the MLS SuperDraft, and Joseph Stanley Okumu signed with Real Monarchs of the USL Championship the following year.

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https://www.tampabay.com/arts-entertainment/food/2019/10/09/a-guide-to-tampa-bay-food-and-drink-events-this-weekend/

A guide to Tampa Bay food and drink events this weekend

Brews by the Bay samples 100-plus beers, wiener dogs lead Marker 48’s Oktoberfest, seasonal sweets at local restaurants and Mastry’s Brewing celebrates three years.

You can taste more than 100 beers during Brews by the Bay, now in its 11th year at Tampa's Florida Aquarium. [Courtesy of Florida Aquarium]

AFTER HOURS: BREWS BY THE BAY

More than 100 beers invade the Florida Aquarium for Brews by the Bay. Showcasing breweries in town and beyond, the 11th annual late-night sampling sesh pairs its main...

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https://www.cltampa.com/food-drink/openings-closings/article/21091440/new-coffee-and-wine-bar-ybor-beverage-co-is-now-open-in-tampa

New coffee and wine bar Ybor Beverage Co. is now open in Tampa

Get ready to connect with fellow Ybor City cuties.

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C/O YBOR BEVERAGE CO.

New food and beverage concept Ybor Beverage Co. is officially open at 1925 6th Ave. The new Ybor City resident is celebrating its grand opening Friday, October 11.

The locally-owned and family-operated joint’s mission is to create a communal space in Ybor City, where customers can connect and form new relationships over a drink.

The space also plans on hosting monthly events like yoga and wine tastings.

“Ybor City is a really special place, and we saw Ybor Beverage Co. as an opportunity to introduce something new to the area with a focus on bringing the community together,” said owner Lauren Mincberg in a statement. “We wanted to create a comfortable gathering place that offered local brews and bites, and we can't wait to open our doors this Friday [for the grand opening].”

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YBOR BEVERAGE COMPANY/ FACEBOOK

The 2,000 square-foot space has a coffee and wine bar built to seat up to 80 people. There's a bar, a couch and table seating, and the room is covered in greenery. Espresso drinks are on the menu along with Coppertail Brewing Co. drafts and wine on tap. These pours make Ybor Beverage Co. prime for a happy hour hangout (happy hour is from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday).

As far as bites go, the concept serves small plates utilizing locally-sourced ingredients, and there's a heavy emphasis on partnering with local companies like Zeal Coffee Roasters, La Segunda Bakery, Natalie's Juices, Gulf Coast Sourdough bread, MADE cold brew coffee, and Alessi pastries.

YBC is also looking to act as a late-night meetup spot by offering up charcuterie boards, great to pair with vino, in the evenings.

Hours from Ybor Beverage Co. are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

DSC1346
C/O YBOR BEVERAGE CO.

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https://www.tampabay.com/arts-entertainment/2019/10/09/tampa-bay-halloween-parties-haunted-houses-and-events-this-week/

Tampa Bay Halloween parties, haunted houses and events this week

As we head into Halloween season there’s lots of both scary and kid-friendly choices to get into the Halloween spirit this week.

For Creatures of the Night, the Halloween event being held weekends at ZooTampa at Lowry Park, there are activities for all ages includes scare zones, nighttime animal encounters and a ghoulish dance party. [Courtesy of ZooTampa at Lowry Park]

Haunted Ape Escape: Stroll the haunted trails after dark to watch the primates monkey around. Ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. $6. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday. Suncoast Primate...

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https://www.cruisehive.com/cruises-out-of-tampa-the-pros-and-cons/35024

Cruises Out of Tampa: The Pros and Cons

Find out the pros and cons on cruises out of Tampa, Florida before you head out on your vacation from the port. Also, plenty of tips and ideas for the city.

Some people love cruises out of Tampa while others prefer to use an alternative cruise port. It’s all about options. If you want a convenient cruise port that is easy to reach from the airport, has free streetcar transportation and parking just steps from the cruise terminal, Tampa is the best port for you.

It is less crowded, offers a scenic departure through Tampa Bay and has plenty of attractions to keep you busy before and after your cruise.

However, if you are keen to hit the casino and duty-free shops, want to avoid the risk of choppy waters in the Gulf of Mexico and prefer a wider choice of cruise options, you should probably consider cruising out of a different port.

Our Cruise Videos

Here’s a full list of 14 pros and 8 cons for cruising out of Tampa. Read them all and then decide for yourself whether cruising out of Tampa is the best choice for you!

14 Pros for Tampa Cruises

Stunning views and photo ops

Cruising out of Tampa Bay provides plenty of interesting scenery as you sail down the channel and out into beautiful Tampa Bay. While other ports have a departure that reaches open waters in less than 30 minutes, when you cruise out of Tampa you get several hours of coastal scenery.

Sail past small islands, tankers, car carriers, pleasure boats, parks, waterfront hotels, Florida Aquarium and MacDill Air Force Base and take photographs of Tampa’s high-rise architecture followed by the skyline of St Petersburg before reaching the Gulf of Mexico.

Sail beneath Sunshine Skyway Bridge

The famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a majestic landmark with its sail-like supporting cables. It is over 4 miles long and the longest single span is 1200 feet.  The current contemporary cantilever bridge was completed in 1987 and carries 59,000 vehicles and around 100,000 people every day. It makes a great photo op as you sail beneath the four-lane I-275 highway, especially at sunset.

The bridge is 430 feet at its highest point. Currently the largest Oasis-class cruise ships are 236 feet in height, so there’s plenty of room for them to sail comfortably beneath. However, as cruise ships get higher and require a deeper draught, the bridge could limit the size of cruise ships sailing in and out of Tampa port in the future.

Walking distance of downtown and the Riverfront

You don’t need a car to explore the area around Tampa Bay port. Stroll along the Riverwalk enjoying the views of pleasure boats, commercial ships and cruise liners coming and going in the port. This rejuvenated waterfront area is home to the massive Florida Aquarium, voted one of the Top 3 Aquariums in America. It has a plethora of different habitats and marine life including turtles, sharks, reef fish and rays with an emphasis on conservation of the ocean.

You can also walk to Channelside Bay Plaza (shopping and dining), Tampa Bay History Center, Amalie Arena, Glazer Children’s Museum, Center for the Performing Arts and Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park. History lovers will enjoy a guided tour of historic Ybor City, once the world’s largest cigar-making area.

Historic Ybor City

Ybor City is one of only two National Historic Landmarks Districts in the whole of Florida. This Historic Landmark District is just three miles from the Tampa cruise terminal. Formerly the largest cigar-making district in the world, it has brick-paved streets lined with 2,054 historic buildings although the former cigar factories have been repurposed. Take a guided walking tour, enjoy a Cuban sandwich or treat yourself to a hand-rolled Cuban cigar in this charming downtown area. 

Port cruise parking right across the street

Very few cruise ports have cruise parking within walking distance of the cruise terminals, but Tampa does! There’s no need for a shuttle or taxi from your cruise car park, just book self-parking at the cruise port and you can wheel your luggage across the street to cruise check-in.

Prices are $15 per day to park at the port cruise parking lot at 810 Channelside Drive. It is convenient and secure with 3,500 spaces, including half in the covered garage. For other parking options, check out our Tampa cruise parking guide.

Free streetcar transportation

Another excellent benefit of cruises out of Tampa is the free TECO Streetcar System. It runs around downtown Tampa daily from 7 am (8.30 am on weekends) until 11 pm (or 2 am Friday and Saturday nights) with renovated streetcars running every 15 minutes.

Stay on-board for a full tour of the area or hop on and off as you wish for shopping, restaurants, museums and hotels. It even stops right at the cruise port if you don’t want to pay for a taxi or use a hotel shuttle service.

International cuisine in over 2,000 restaurants!

Tampa has over 2,000 restaurants serving international and American cuisine from take-outs to gourmet restaurants in five star hotels on the waterfront. Whether you fancy a juicy steak or fresh seafood before embarking on your cruise out of Tampa, you’ll find plenty of choice close to the port.

Historic Ybor City has many authentic Cuban restaurants and is home to Columbia, the largest Spanish restaurant in the USA which serves delicious seafood paella in a series of historic dining rooms.

Great winter climate for cruises out of Tampa

While other US cities and airports grind to a halt when snow falls, Tampa basks in a sub-tropical climate all year round. The sunny temperatures mean you can sail out of Tampa Bay in January while waving from the deck in your summer gear. The mild winter climate also means that Tampa Airport is never closed due to snow in the busiest cruise months.

Easy to reach by road

Tampa is the northernmost cruise port in Florida, and the only one on Florida’s west coast. Served by the I-75 and I-4, it is about 150 miles closer to the northern states than Port Miami and Port Everglades cruise port so why drive further than you have to?

If you’re driving to Tampa for a cruise, it’s wise to drive down a day or two earlier in case of bad weather further north. Once you get the Sunshine State, you’ll have no more problems with ice and snow, unlike some other cruise ports.

Easy to reach by air

Tampa cruisers have a good choice of flights to Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Orlando International Airport (MCO). Depending on the time of your flight, you’ll probably need to stay overnight at a hotel near Tampa Cruise Port before departing from Tampa on your Caribbean cruise. Most hotels in Tampa offer a free airport shuttle service to pick you up.

Cruises out of Tampa are close to Orlando

Why not combine your cruise out of Tampa with a visit to Orlando? Enjoy visiting your favorite theme parks or head to the Florida Mall, the upscale Mall at Millennia or Orlando International Premium Outlets for some great deals as part of your cruise-and-stay vacation.

Great live entertainment

Book tickets to watch Tampa Bay Lightning ice hockey, see a top UFC fight, watch a Cirque du Soleil performance or get seats to a live concert – all the big names come to Tampa’s Amalie Arena!

Combine cruise with beach

If you want a head start on your suntan before cruising out of Tampa, some of the best beaches in the USA are less than 30 minutes’ drive from Tampa cruise port. Tempted?

Good choice of affordable hotels

Book one of Tampa’s hotels with a free airport shuttle service and transfer right from the airport to your air-conditioned room without paying a penny. From there, if you stay in the downtown district you can explore, dine and sightsee using the free TECO Streetcar. When it’s time to head to the cruise port, most hotels offer a shuttle service for guests and their luggage.

8 Cons against Cruises out of Tampa

Limited choice of cruise lines out of Tampa

The Port of Tampa Bay is currently limited to just three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). Celebrity Cruises will be making Tampa the home port for Celebrity Constellation from 2020.

However, this limited choice means Tampa cruise port is much less crowded and busy than Miami, the “cruise capital of the world”. PortMiami is home to over 20 cruise lines and serves at least 60 different passenger ships. If you want choice, consider cruises from Miami, but if you want easy uncrowded access to a smaller port, think about cruising from Tampa.

Poor services at the Tampa cruise terminal

Tampa has fewer services at the port when it comes to bars, restaurants and coffee shops. You will find a good choice within walking distance of the port, but the actual terminals only offer seating and restrooms. For this reason, don’t want to arrive too early for cruises out of Tampa and be left hanging around waiting to check in and board.

Personal safety issues

The Port of Tampa Bay is much older than other cruise ports and is in a less desirable area near the downtown district. You should take sensible precautions after dark. Avoid dark streets, leave valuables in your hotel safe and use public transport.

Less time in the casino with cruises out of Tampa

Due to US gaming rules, cruise ship casinos cannot open until they are in international waters. If you are departing from the port of Tampa Bay, that could mean a delay of several hours before the slot machines and gaming tables can open for business. If you’re a cruise gambler, that could be a serious disadvantage to cruising out of Tampa.

Duty-free shopping delays

Cruises generally offer duty-free shopping in their on-board shops. However, they cannot offer duty-free shopping until they are in international waters. If you are sailing out of a cruise port on East Coast USA, international Atlantic waters start just three miles offshore.

You can be hitting the on-board boutiques and duty-free shops before Miami is even out of sight. However, on the Gulf of Mexico, international waters are nine miles offshore. This means a longer delay until the shops are legally allowed to open for business.

Added sales tax

Another issue with the delay in reaching international waters on Tampa cruises is sales tax on drinks. Once the cruise ship is in international waters, sales tax is not added to those pricey cocktails, icy beers and bottles of wine. However, as you set sail from Tampa port you will no doubt want to toast the start of your cruise with a drink or two. Sales tax will be added to drinks until you reach international waters, adding 6-7% to your bar bill.

Hurricane season

Most cruise ships out of Tampa relocate to Alaska or the Mediterranean ports during the summer season. This not only meets the demand for summer cruises from these temperate ports, it also avoids the hurricane season which lasts from June 1st to November 30th each year. The peak months for hurricanes are late August through October. If a hurricane is likely to affect your cruise, you may be delayed or your itinerary may be changed.

Related: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise

Choppy seas in the Gulf of Mexico

Once you leave the sheltered waters of Tampa Bay, the Gulf of Mexico can have rough seas. If you suffer from seasickness, you may prefer to sail out of one of the cruise ports on Florida’s East Coast and hit the calm Caribbean a little sooner.

FAQs about Cruises out of Tampa

Where should I stay when cruising from Tampa?

There are several hotels just along the Tampa Riverwalk and less than a mile from the cruise port. Other budget hotels in downtown Tampa are served by the free TECO streetcar system. Whatever you budget, you’ll find all you need to know in this comprehensive article 17 Ideal Hotels Near Tampa Cruise Port.

How far is Tampa cruise port from airport?

Tampa International Airport is 9 miles northwest of Tampa Bay cruise port. The journey by taxi takes less than 20 minutes and the flat rate from the airport to the cruise port (or vice versa) is $28.

What’s the best thing to do near the Tampa cruise port?

Tampa cruise port has several top attractions within easy walking distance. Take a tour of historic Ybor City nearby. Learn the history of the cigar-making industry and browse the shops, museums and Cuban restaurants.

You can walk to the incredible Florida Aquarium (2 minutes) or stroll along the Tampa Riverwalk to Channelside Bay Plaza (shopping and dining), Tampa Bay History Center, Amalie Arena, Glazer Children’s Museum, Center for the Performing Arts and Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park.

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https://thatssotampa.com/alessi-and-la-segunda-under-one-roof-at-new-ybor-beverage-co/

Alessi and La Segunda under one roof at new Ybor Beverage Co.

Exterior of a cafe in Ybor City

Coffee, wine, and pastries, a.k.a. our autumn diet. A new hub for tasty treats and strong drinks has officially opened in Ybor City. Ybor Beverage Co. is a locally owned and operated concept that will offer treats from Zeal Coffee Roasters, MADE Coffee, Alessi, La Segunda, Gulf Coast Sour Dough and Natalie’s Juice products.

Ybor Beverage Co.’s menu consists of coffee drinks, six breakfast toasts, Coppertail draft beers, and three different wines on tap, including a rosé, chardonnay and cabernet. In the evenings, charcuterie boards are served to complement the wine selection.

“Ybor City is a really special place, and we saw Ybor Beverage Co. as an opportunity to introduce something new to the area with a focus on bringing the community together,” said Owner Lauren Mincberg. “We wanted to create a comfortable gathering place that offered local brews and bites, and we can’t wait to open our doors this Friday.”

Lauren Mincberg designed the space, and the prolific Boyd Construction handled the buildout.

Seriously though, a new spot to nom on Gulf Coast Sourdough’s sensational sourdough cinnamon rolls is all right by us.

Ybor Beverage Co. is located at 1925 E 6th Avenue. The 2,000-square-foot space can seat up to 80 people.

The coffee and wine bar is open Monday – Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday and Saturday from 8am-10pm., and Sunday from 9am-5pm. Happy hour is from 3-6pm Monday-Saturday, and the space will also host monthly events such as yoga, wine tastings, and more.

Follow Ybor Beverage Co. on its website, Facebook and Instagram for updates on special events.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/83870/back-to-the-future-chicago-fire-returns-to-soldie.html

Back to the future: Chicago Fire returns to Soldier Field

Soccer America

New owner Joe Mansueto was on hand at Soldier Field along with MLS ... Their Major League Soccer teams are bringing their cities together and ...

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https://www.soccerwire.com/news/inter-miami-fc-new-england-revolution-launch-usl-league-one-teams/

Inter Miami FC, New England Revolution launch USL League One teams

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http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/mls-espn-regular-season-tv-ratings-social-impressions

ESPN’s MLS ratings up 2% for 2019 regular season

North American soccer league also records major growth on social channels.

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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/expansion/miami/mls-expansion-inter-miami-cf-usl-league-one-2020-mcdonough-lauderdale/

MIAMI

Inter Miami CF to field USL League One team in 2020

The USL League One side will play all of its games in Fort Lauderdale.

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/10/08/jorge-mas-inter-miamis-stadium-projects-were-time

Jorge Mas on Inter Miami's stadium projects: "We're on time"

NEW YORK — Despite working on two stadium sites, one for the interim and one for the future, Inter Miami aren't worried about either. In fact, according to co-owner Jorge Mas, it's all smooth sailing.

Miami will kick off their MLS existence playing in Fort Lauderdale on the site of a since-demolished Lockhart Stadium next season, where the club is building a stadium and training center. Eventually, the stadium will become home to the club's future USL team. All the while, they're working to get the final go-ahead to begin construction on their permanent home at Miami Freedom Park.

The club will need the first site to be up and running in about five months for their MLS home debut.

“We’re full speed ahead on Fort Lauderdale stadium and the training center, we’re on time," Mas told MLSsoccer.com on Sunday. "That should be ready to go in February or March of next year for opening day.”

“We’re moving along, we’re full speed ahead," sporting director Paul McDonough added succinctly. "We’re on target.”

When asked about contingency plans in case targets are missed, Mas didn't see the necessity.

“We’ll be ready to be home," Mas said without hesitation. "I’m anticipating that maybe our first or second game will be away, I’m anticipating that we’ll be opening in mid-March or the latter parts of March for our home opener. That should give us sufficient time. We’re targeting finishing the Ft. Lauderdale stadium on February 15 so we can have a few events there first so when we have our home opener, it’s smooth.”

As for the club's future home at Miami Freedom Park, Mas is optimistic in the timeline as well.

“With Miami Freedom Park, we’re ongoing. We got a go-ahead from the city of Miami voters in last year’s referendum to negotiate a lease, bypassing the RFP (request for proposal) process," Mas said. "We’re in the final stages of doing that. I’m hopeful in the next 45-60 days that we’ll get a green light from the city. We’re very well advanced on both tracks. The Miami Freedom Park project will be a wonderful project for the city, it’ll be an iconic destination. It’ll put Miami on the global map for soccer in terms of facilities. It’ll be an entertainment destination, a soccer destination, it’ll be a place where Miamians can gather. I’m very optimistic about where we are and what we’ll be able to build there.”

Mas was in New York with McDonough for the Expansion Priority Draft, determining who between Miami and Nashville SC would get the first selection in the MLS SuperDraft and Expansion Draft as well as the first slot in the Allocation Order and more. They won the coin toss and chose the first selection in the Expansion Draft, which will take place in November.

With every milestone, major and minor, Inter Miami is one step closer to making their long-awaited MLS debut.

“It’s been very real, especially when we got the go-ahead on the facilities and that we were a go for 2020," Mas said. "(Sunday's) coin toss was just another step. Good vibes, good karma, great energy in Miami for what we’re going to do. I’ve always said we’re here to make a difference, we’re not here to continue the status quo. What we want to build in Miami is going to be very special, it’s going to be very good for MLS and soccer in the United States. I want people when they think of soccer in the US to think of Inter Miami.”

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http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2019/10/10/beckhams-inter-miami-new-england-revolution-commit-3rd-tier-usl/

Beckham’s Inter Miami and New England Revolution commit to 3rd tier USL

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/10/08/chicago-fire-say-move-soldier-field-key-taking-club-next-level

Chicago Fire say move to Soldier Field key to taking club to the next level

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https://ussoccerplayers.com/2019/10/chicagos-forward-progress.html

CHICAGO’S FORWARD PROGRESS

WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 9, 2019) US Soccer Players - The Chicago Fire is making moves. The club is leaving a perfectly good soccer-specific stadium for an oversized American football venue that is, for lack of a better way of saying it, in a better part of town. Which is to say that they're returning to Chicago proper from the village of Bridgeview.

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https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-cb-daywatch-newsletter-october9-20191009-wvzb46g67va4vbkfcvxfmd7rdy-story.html

Daywatch: A huge weed deal fell apart, a new team’s moving to Soldier Field and some neighbors are complaining about sprawling suburban homes

Chicago Park District Superintendent and CEO Michael Kelly, from left, Mayor Lori
Lightfoot, Fire owner and Chairman Joe Mansueto and MLS Commissioner Don Garber pose at Soldier Field after a news conference Tuesday. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)

It’s official: The Chicago Fire will return to Soldier Field in 2020

At a news conference at the iconic stadium, the Chicago Fire announced an agreement to play at the home of the Bears starting in 2020, ending a 14-season stint in Bridgeview and returning to the 61,500-seat venue in the South Loop. Financial terms of the deal, which runs through the 2022 season with extension options for eight more years, were not disclosed.

The return has been a long time coming. Fire owner and Chairman Joe Mansueto in September told the Tribune he had been working for about a year to move Fire home matches back to the city.

Of all the changes that await the Chicago Fire, this is one of the biggest: Bastian Schweinsteiger is retiring from soccer.

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https://www.chicago-fire.com/post/2019/10/08/press-conference-chicago-fire-x-soldier-field

Press Conference | Chicago Fire x Soldier Field

On Tuesday, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District announced that the soccer team will return to the heart of the city and play its home games at Soldier Field, beginning in 2020. Watch the full press conference from Soldier Field -- featuring Chicago Fire Owner Joe Mansueto, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Park District General Superintendent & CEO Michael P. Kelly and Major League Soccer Coommissioner Don Garber -- in the video player above.

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https://sportstalkflorida.com/soccer/mls/https-wp-me-p81oan-1nhj/

The MLS Columbus Crew Franchise Is Getting A New Stadium

A sports league gets its way.

There is a ground breaking ceremony scheduled in Columbus, Ohio for a new soccer stadium which is a remarkably feat considering that one-time Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt struck out in his bid to get a new Columbus facility. Columbus was supposed to lose its Major League Soccer team but the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam bought the Crew franchise after some manipulation from MLS Commissioner Don Garber and league pressure applied to local Columbus politicians to find money for a facility. Anthony Precourt decided Austin, Texas offered a much better business opportunity for him and his franchise and decided to leave the Ohio capital for the Texas capital. Within months, the MLS found Haslam who bought Precourt’s Columbus team. That allowed Precourt to take an Austin stadium deal and get an expansion team. Haslam will get what Precourt could not, a new Columbus stadium. The stadium construction had been delayed because the land for the facility was not available as negotiations dragged on with the parcel owner.

In 2018, Columbus city officials vowed to fight to keep the soccer team in town as City Attorney Zach Klein prepared to go to court and force Precourt to remain in the Ohio capital. Precourt had a lease in Columbus through 2023.  That is when the league stepped in and got the Haslam deal done. Ohio has a Modell Law which is named after one-time Cleveland Browns owner, the late Art Modell, who moved in 1995 his business, the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore.  In 1996, Ohio Revised Code 9.6 was put into law. Ohio lawmakers told Ohio sports owners that if the owner’s business is using a tax supported stadium and gets financial assistance that owner cannot move unless he works out a deal to leave. The league brokered a deal. The Modell Law was never tested.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor calls for a fresh start on Rays stadium talks

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https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/10/08/tampa-mayor-jane-castor-calls-for-a-fresh-start-on-rays-stadium-talks/

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor calls for a fresh start on Rays stadium talks

Castor attended Tuesday’s Rays-Astros Game 4 at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is seen on the field just prior the Rays taking on the Houston Astros for Game 4 of the American League Division Series Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 in St. Petersburg.

ST. PETERSBURG – A crowd of 32,251 filled Tropicana Field when the Rays revived their playoff hopes Monday. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor joined the crowd on Tuesday, and is looking to revive talks of a...

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https://floridapolitics.com/archives/307683-joe-henderson-rays-can-extend-hillsborough-stadium-talks-into-extra-innings

Joe Henderson: Rays can extend Hillsborough stadium talks into extra innings

So, you thought there was no chance the Rays will move to Tampa? Never say never

Remember the reaction around the Tampa Bay area when the plan to build a baseball stadium in Ybor City collapsed? That was the old ballgame, many people said. There went the last chance to keep the Tampa Bay Rays from moving far, far away.

Or as they say in Montreal, adieu. Few people paid much attention to a statement from Rays President Brian Auld, though. Maybe more should have.

“Working for (owner) Stu Sternberg for the last decade you learn you never say never,” Auld said.

And sure enough, that which once was dead may now live again. The Tampa Bay Times reported that St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said it’s OK for the Rays to speak with Hillsborough County officials again about a stadium deal.

In my opinion, it is the only chance to keep the Rays in the area. And it’s tantamount to a concession by St. Petersburg that the team will not stay in that city after its lease expires in 2027.

Sure, fans will turn out in large numbers for special events such as Monday’s playoff with Houston at Tropicana Field. The Rays opened upper-deck seating to accommodate fans who wanted to come out at 1 p.m. on a workday.

We all know that’s not the norm, though, and everyone should know why. It’s simple geography. The Trop is located at the extreme western end of this sprawling market and traffic to get there can be beastly. Most fans pick and choose a few games to attend and watch the rest on television.

Put a new stadium in a central location — somewhere near downtown Tampa — and I think it’s a different story. There were would increased corporate support, especially as Tampa continues to grow. A team in this market can be financially successful.

That’s the good news.

Here’s the other side, though.

Coming up with a financing package to meet Sternberg’s requirement remains a mountain-sized hurdle. If it comes together at all, it will be complex and in multiple pieces — not the least of which must be a significant buy-in from the Rays. Any proposal will face scrutiny and opposition.

On the “He Said, She Said” podcast last week, former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn told co-hosts Peter Schorsch and Michelle Todd Schorsch he is skeptical a deal can be struck.

“I just don’t see it happening here,” Buckhorn said. “I think Tampa is sort of out of the equation for now.”

To be fair, that was before the news broke about this latest twist in the plot. But if Tampa is out of the equation after this development, then the Rays are out of the market — period. A stadium in Hillsborough is the only way to keep them here.

Sternberg has the leverage, too. It’s not the cockamamie split-season plan with Montreal he floated a few months ago. It’s the idea of the Rays moving to Montreal for good — assuming he can get a stadium there.

So, here we go again.

Keep this in mind as the stadium saga drags on, though.

Baseball is a timeless game, and so are stadium negotiations — maybe even more so.

These things are always drawn out, complicated, and emotional. They often look lost. But cities — or in this case, regions — almost always figure out a way to keep their team. Only one baseball franchise has moved since 1972.

It was Montreal when the Expos became the Washington Nationals.

Earlier this year, Sternberg appeared to dash any hope of Tampa Bay keeping the Rays solely to itself in the future.

Now, maybe not.

It’s like Auld said: Never say never.

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https://www.wfla.com/daytime/100-things-to-do-in-tampa-before-you-die/

100 Things to do in Tampa Before You Die

Kristen Hare is here with her book “100 Things to do in Tampa Before You Die.” Tampa Bay offers an array of interesting places to visit and explore, including beautiful beaches, aquariums, theme parks, breweries, art museums, parks, and restaurants. But whether you’re a local or a tourist, there are plenty of spots you might be missing. Why not step into the dark night in Ybor City to discover the streets and spaces where stories of early immigrants unfold on a walking ghost tour? Or watch the 1940s sponge diving video and then soak up the Greek culture and kooky kitsch at Spongeorama in Tarpon Springs. Climb through the great above ground root forest at Edward Medard Conservation Park in Plant City. Or wait for the first weekend of each month and dig through the treasures at Brocante Vintage Market in St. Pete. In this second edition of 100 Things to Do in Tampa Bay Before You Die, you’ll find one hundred ideas to help you get to know Tampa Bay, or get to know it even better.

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https://www.tristatehomepage.com/hidden-history/hispanic-heritage-month/historic-ybor-city-walking-tours-take-you-back-in-time/

Historic Ybor City walking tours take you back in time

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – You can see it in the architecture, taste it in Cuban sandwiches, and smell it in the cigars in the air.  Historic Ybor City in Tampa is a culture rich in Cuban history.

“He wants to build what is a lasting legacy, something that will carry his name,” said Steven Stamberger as he walked past the old Centro Espanol.

Stamberger is not only a great storyteller, he’s a guide with Historic Walking Tours of Ybor, who helps to carry on the legacy of the city’s Cuban heritage through his tours. “We’re going to take you back in time. We’re going to take you to the casitas, the factory houses that Mr. Ybor will build and provide for all of the people who come to work here, and to live here. You’ll learn what life was like back then. It was a little harsh by today’s standards,” said Stamberger at the start of the walking tour.

The tour starts at the statue of Mr. Vicente Martinez Ybor, the founder of Ybor City, and creator of the legacy of the Cigar City. The 90-minute tour takes you back to the late 1800s. From the very first social club, Centro Español, to the Cuban Club, the tour gives a glimpse of how social clubs were the heart and soul of the community. “You’re entire personal life will be spent in your respective social club,” said Stamberger.

These days, many of the clubs have been turned into restaurants and other businesses. Walking through Ybor City you’ll see many pieces of history, even that no longer in operation. The tour also includes historic cigar factories, the State Museum, and a spot known to many Cubans as holy ground.

Jose Marti Park is the only plot of land in the United States owned by Cuba. “So it’s actually Cuban soil in each one of these round gardens,” Stamberger said as he pointed out the round gardens surrounding a statue of Jose Marti.

Marti is known as a Spanish Aristocrat who gave his famous speech from Ybor City, calling for the liberation of Cuba. “You’ll often see families that will purposely travel to Ybor City from all over the country to visit this park because this is holy ground,” said Stamberger.

The tour offers a living history, waiting for people to explore. “We may not be Cuban, we may not be Spanish, but we all have a link to what went on here,” Stamberger said.

The tour costs $20 for adults, $10 for Children 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. For more information click here.

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https://www.insider.com/best-cities-in-the-us-for-foodies-2019-10#2-new-york-new-york-24

The 25 best US cities for foodies

13. Tampa, Florida

Tampa's Ybor City district has restaurants and shops. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The city of Tampa is another foodie spot that's not to be overlooked. Its Ybor City neighborhood is one of the city's most historic areas and it's filled with iconic restaurants. Tampa earned the No. 13 spot out of 182 for having food diversity, accessibility, and quality.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/deiwbu/usl_power_ratings_oct_7_2019_oc/

USL power ratings: Oct. 7, 2019 [OC]

Even with a rough outing Friday night, Tampa remains the strongest team in the East. Unfortunately, the result in Virginia definitely takes a top-three finish out of their hands. Can still happen (No. 1 is still theoretically possible, even), but quite a bit of help is needed.

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https://clubcountryusa.com/2019/10/07/usl-power-ratings-oct-7-2019/

USL power ratings: Oct. 7, 2019

Welcome to the USL power ratings! Don’t forget to follow the site on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for all the content on USL, US Soccer, and Nashville SC.

Table Power

This rating method combines points per game with the quality of opposition played (also measured in points per game). It’s blind to home/away splits as well as scoring margin. The goal is to project a final table based on the games already played.

USL East power ratings:

Pittsburgh Riverhounds – 65.14 projected points
Nashville SC (+2) – 62.26 points
Indy Eleven (-1) – 61.86 points
New York Red Bulls II (+1) – 60.43 points
Tampa Bay Rowdies (-2) – 60.15 points

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https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2019/10/mls-on-espn-scores-viewership-increase-for-2019-regular-season/

MLS on ESPN Scores Viewership Increase for 2019 Regular Season

ESPN Coverage of Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs Kicks Off Next Weekend – October 19 and 20

ESPN’s English-language television coverage of Major League Soccer scored a two percent increase during the 2019 regular season, according to Nielsen. The 31-match schedule on ESPN and ESPN2 delivered an average audience of 246,000 viewers (P2+), up from 241,000 viewers for 31 matches in 2018.

On ESPN, 25 matches averaged 266,000 viewers, a seven percent gain from 248,000 in 2018 – the most-watched cable network for MLS matches this season. The six telecasts on ESPN2 in 2019 delivered an average audience of 164,000.

ESPN’s top-three MLS telecasts in 2019:

462,000 viewers – Seattle Sounders FC vs. Atlanta United FC, ESPN (Sun, July 14)
401,000 viewers – DC United vs. Atlanta United FC, ESPN (Sun, March 3*)
368,000 viewers – LAFC vs. Sporting Kansas City, ESPN (Sun, March 3*)
* 2019 season-opening doubleheader on ESPN

The top-10 markets for ESPN’s Major League Soccer telecasts through Friday, Oct. 4: Portland (0.8), Atlanta (0.5) Seattle-Tacoma (0.4), Cincinnati (0.4), Kansas City (0.4), West Palm Beach (0.3), Las Vegas (0.3), Richmond (0.3), St. Louis (0.3) and Austin (0.3).

Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs on ESPN

ESPN’s coverage of the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs will begin Saturday, Oct. 19, with Real Salt Lake vs. 2018 MLS Cup finalist Portland Timbers at 10 p.m. ET on ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes. Also this weekend, Minnesota United FC hosts Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the LA Galaxy on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. This postseason, MLS is debuting a new single-elimination playoff match format that will conclude Sunday, Nov. 10, with the 2019 MLS Cup on ABC.

Date Time (ET) Event Networks
Sat, Oct 19 10 p.m. Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers ESPNEWS / ESPN Deportes
Sun, Oct 20 8:30 p.m. Minnesota United FC vs. LA Galaxy ESPN / ESPN Deportes
Thu, Oct 24 7:30 p.m. Conference Semifinals ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes
  10:30 p.m. Conference Semifinals ESPN / ESPN Deportes
Tue, Oct 29 TBD Western Conference Final ESPN / ESPN Deportes
Sun, Nov 10 3 p.m. MLS Cup ABC
-30-

Tampa is back in the game of luring the Rays across the bay

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https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2019/10/04/tampa-is-back-in-the-game-of-luring-the-rays-across-the-bay/

Tampa is back in the game of luring the Rays across the bay

St. Petersburg officials confirmed Friday that Hillsborough County can talk to the team about a Tampa ballpark.

Tampa and Hillsborough County are back in the hunt for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark

TAMPA — Once compared to a corpse, the dream of bringing Major League Baseball to Tampa has suddenly shown signs of life.

On Friday, Kevin King, St. Petersburg’s chief of policy and public engagement,...

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https://floridapolitics.com/archives/307610-what-is-hillsborough-paying-its-rays-stadium-consultant-for

What is Hillsborough paying its Rays stadium consultant for?

Even after striking out on finding a way to pay for a new Rays stadium in Ybor City, some Hillsborough County leaders still say they know how to make a ballpark work in Tampa. But they didn’t seem to know there is nothing in the Rays’ contract prohibiting the two sides from talking about a new stadium in 2028.

The Tampa Bay Times reported Friday “Tampa is back in the game of luring the Rays across the bay,” as Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill realized he was, in fact, allowed to talk to the team about what they’ll do after their use agreement expires in St. Petersburg after the 2027 season.

Merrill told the Times it was “the most positive thing that has happened in a long, long time,” apparently referring to reporters Charlie Frago, Josh Soloman, and Anastasia Dawson educating him that St. Petersburg’s deal prohibits the Rays from discussing relocation before 2028, but not after that.

In addition to not being familiar with the Rays’ contract, it would seem Merrill doesn’t read the Times, either, as a Frago/Soloman story in June explained, “The team cannot even talk to anybody about playing games elsewhere before the contract expires — but it can talk about where it will play in 2028 & beyond.”

One has to wonder — what exactly is Hillsborough paying its stadium consultant, Irwin Raij, for?

The attorney hired in 2014 to represent and advise the county behind-the-scenes has billed taxpayers more than $750,000 over the past five years.

Raij, who did not respond to a request for comment, was contracted by the county until late last year, when Merrill and County Commissioner Ken Hagan moved his consulting contract out from under an increasingly-reluctant county commission, and over to the stadium-friendly Tampa Sports Authority (TSA), which is funded by both county and city dollars.

It’s not clear what specific services Raij is currently providing, given Hillsborough’s failure to entice the Rays during a three-year negotiating window and the ten months of confusion/gridlock since. But WTSP-TV documented how he played a key role — along with Hagan — in coordinating land and developers in Ybor City before the team went public with its preferred Tampa stadium location.

WTSP-TV also reported last year how Raij was consulting for the Oregon investors trying to lure a team — possibly the Rays — to Portland.

It seems clear the Rays are aware of their ability to talk about relocation in 2028, telling St. Petersburg officials their ongoing talks with Montreal investors pertain only to life after their current contract expires.

It also seems clear the team’s lack of talks with Hillsborough County stems not from a prohibition in its contract, but a disinterest with what’s been offered to date.

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https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/10/07/this-may-be-the-rays-last-chance-and-ours/

This may be the Rays’ last chance, and ours

John Romano: The Rays have their first playoff game at Tropicana Field in six years on Monday. Will it also be their last?

Groundskeepers hand paint the ALDS logo on the turf at Tropicana Field on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 in St. Petersburg.

ST. PETERSBURG — Come 1:05 p.m., the past does not exist.

Not the warnings from the owner, nor the insults from the outsiders. Not the shortcomings at the box office, nor the trespassing of Montreal.

On...

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/dctsja/eggcellent_prank_espn_fc/

Eggcellent Prank (ESPN FC)

Y'all it got shared by ESPN FC!

https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1179775953641377792

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https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1179775953641377792

ESPN FC
@ESPNFC
An eggcellent prank 😂

(via
@TampaBayRowdies
)
0:15
11:11 AM · Oct 3, 2019·Spredfast app

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/dccg2r/tropics_wflawtta_announce_partnership_for_live/

Tropics, WFLA/WTTA announce partnership for live television broadcasts of all 12 home MASL games

BIG NEWS OUT OF LAKELAND!

Would be great to have Rowdies on WTTA from March-November & Tropics from November-April

Yes and yes!'

Especially away games. ESPN+ Is nice but a weird request in a pub!


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https://www.fltropics.com/news/tropics-wfla/wtta-announce-partnership-for-live-te

TROPICS, WFLA/WTTA ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP FOR LIVE TELEVISION BROADCASTS OF ALL 12 HOME MASL GAMES

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https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2019/10/04/race-to-first-loudoun-stuns-rowdies/

Race to First: Loudoun stuns Rowdies

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nxGrM3PBps

Tampa Bay Rowdies Highlights at Loudoun United FC - October 4, 2019

Tampa Bay Rowdies

🎥 FULL HIGHLIGHTS of tonight's 2-0 defeat to Loudoun United FC.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/dd9hb9/rays_game_2_watch_party_this_saturday_night_at_al/

Rays Game 2 Watch Party – This Saturday Night at Al Lang...

meh..... we've worked so hard to get stick ball out of Al Lang, and now this? lol

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https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1180116432090259459?s=20

Tampa Bay Rays
@RaysBaseball
Take these games in amongst friends.

Here are our official watch party locations for the ALDS!

#StayHungry
9:44 AM · Oct 4, 2019·Twitter for iPhone

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/ddh1ps/that_sucked/

That sucked.

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https://www.caughtoffside.com/2019/10/04/video-tampa-bay-players-trick-teammates-into-heading-an-egg-in-hilarious-dressing-room-prank/

Video: Tampa Bay players trick teammates into heading an egg in HILARIOUS dressing room prank

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https://www.draysbay.com/2019/10/4/20898613/baseballs-better-with-a-crowd-here-are-your-alds-watch-parties

Baseball’s better with a crowd! Here are your ALDS watch parties.

You can choose your preferred side of the Bay, gathering either at Al Lang Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, or bringing a blanket to Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Park.

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https://www.blackandredunited.com/2019/10/4/20897881/loudoun-united-tampa-bay-rowdies-2019-time-tv-schedule-and-how-to-watch-usl-championship-online

Loudoun United vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies 2019: Time, TV schedule and how to watch USL Championship online

The last game of a home run won’t be easy.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilyprice/2019/10/05/these-are-the-best-beers-in-america/#13183d1e31b0

These Are The Best Beers in America

The Great American Beer Festival is underway this weekend in Denver, Colorado. In addition to being one of the country’s largest beer festivals, the festival is also one of the nation’s largest beer competitions.

This year 2,295 breweries submitted 9,497 beers to be judged in the competition. Only 283 of those breweries walked away with medals, 37 of those for the first time.

Here’s the official list of winners:

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer - 80 Entries Silver: Cumberland Punch, East Nashville Beer Works, Nashville, TN Bronze: Termes Beer, Spearfish Brewing Co., Spearfish, SD

Category 2: American-Style Fruit Beer - 144 Entries Gold: Salt River, Historic Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ Silver: Quat, Tampa Bay Brewing Co. - Ybor City, Tampa, FL Bronze: Boom Dynamite, O.H.S.O. Brewery + Distillery, Phoenix, AZ

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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/10/04/creators-of-blair-witch-project-and-final.html

Creators of 'Blair Witch Project' and 'Final Destination' franchise share plans for filming in Ybor City

The duo are working together on two different films that will highlight Ybor City.

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https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/american-food-tourism-florida

America’s Next Major Food Destination Is Not Where You Think

While the shiny, lauded food scenes in cities like Portland, Austin, and L.A. continue to inflate, another, quieter culinary movement also thrives, likely unbeknownst to you. That movement lives in Florida.

Beyond the scenic beaches, the Miami-bound bachelor parties, and the hordes of families fraternizing with life-size versions of their favorite cartoon characters, new, eclectic kitchens and classic haunts across the state are expanding the scope of Florida's reputation.

With the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic on the other, fresh seafood in Florida is a given — but landscape aside, the real reason for the state’s culinary prominence lies with its people. One in every five Florida residents is an immigrant, the vast majority of whom hail from Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, and Colombia, bringing with them rich culture, history, and of course, flavor. The state’s population continues to grow larger and more eclectic by the day — and as a result, so too does its food scene.

Florida has always had a pretty impressive roster of iconic, staple dishes: stone crab, key-lime pie, fried gator. And perhaps most prolific among them is the Cuban sandwich — a delicacy that is, counterintuitively, native to Florida rather than Cuba. The riff on your classic ham and cheese has been popular since the mid 1800s, when they were crafted en masse to feed Cuban workers in Key West and Ybor City, Tampa — two of Florida’s largest Cuban immigrant communities. There are a number of variations, but the classic is a sub sandwich, grilled and stuffed with melted Swiss cheese, sliced ham, roast pork, mustard, and pickles.

All across the state, beloved old-school haunts sling authentic Cuban fare — like Versaille, a local institution since 1971 in Miami’s Little Havana. By day, La Ventanita, the restaurant’s narrow take-out window, serves charred guava pastelitos and cafecitos — a popular order amongst regular patrons. Come evening, the eccentric, 275-seat dining room fills instantly: While popular among tourists, the place remains a community gathering space — an “unofficial town square” — for Cuban immigrants. At the same time, Florida's Cuban food scene is not stagnant. New, experimental kitchens are constantly looking for contemporary, innovative ways to build on classic Cuban flavors — like Finka, where the menu is derived from a mélange of Peruvian, Korean, and Cuban influences.

While Florida is indisputably Southern in the geographic sense, it may not be the first spot that comes to mind when you think of classic Southern eats. That said, chefs across the state are bringing culinary influence from their Southern hometowns, and in the process, rethinking what Southern cooking even means. First, consider Cask & Larder, labeled one of the “best new restaurants in America” upon opening in Winter Park. From husband and wife duo James and Julie Petrakis — the recipients of many a James Beard Award nomination — the restaurant slings updates on classic Southern fare with dishes like fresh Key West shrimp in a spiced pepper relish with stone-ground grits, or corn fritters served with smoked honey aioli and micro cilantro.

Following suit, Soco is yet another venue with a distinctly Southern accent. Located in Thornton Park, Orlando, the restaurant is helmed by exec chef Greg Richie, who cut his teeth cooking for two major celeb chefs, and here, serves dishes like chicken-fried cauliflower steak in vine-ripe tomato gravy, lobster dumplings with chicken breast and soy butter, and fried green tomatoes loaded with thin-cut country ham and drizzled in a horseradish remoulade.

This new wave of Floridian cooking is not all about the South, though. Miami in particular is also home to some wildly innovative, globally inspired, and locally sourced restaurants, like Ghee. Here, the creative Indian venue’s chef, Niven Patel, draws the majority of the menu’s ingredients from his own two-acre farm, Rancho Patel, located just south in the town of Homestead. “His Gujarati background penetrates through all of the flavors,” says Diana Garcia, the restaurant’s GM. “Dining here is sort of a culturally enriched experience.” From an open kitchen, the restaurant serves bold and eclectic dishes, utilizing the best of Florida’s local offerings — namely: Gulf Coast catch of the day, marinated in turmeric and served with coconut, fennel, and curry leaves.

Rooster & The Till, stationed in Tampa Heights, comes from another chef of note: Ferrell Alvarez, who was born to a Colombian immigrant father and a Long Island Italian mother — the influence of which can certainly be seen in his cooking. Alvarez was among 2017’s James Beard Foundation semi-finalists for Best Chef: South, and the restaurant itself has twice earned the top slot in the Tampa Bay Times’ restaurant rankings — along with the numerous mentions across notable food magazines highlighting the place for its innovative American cooking (think: foie gras with sous vide pear, house-made cashew butter, and local huckleberry).

Alvarez and his team are long-time local residents — and rather than adhere to long-standing culinary tradition, they’ve made it a priority to maintain a kitchen far more focused on evolving along with Florida’s population. “We love this city,” says Rooster & The Till general manager Myles Gallagher, “and we’re so proud of our growing neighborhood.” Within the past year, the team has opened two other Tampa spots: a sprawling, fast casual venue with shuffleboard courts and room for bocce ball called Nebraska Mini-Mart, and a take on the classic taqueria called Gallito. And Gallagher says he doesn’t expect that growth to stop anytime soon — as the state’s lively, varied population expands, the food scene does too.

Finally, beyond the influx of newer craft kitchens, the state is still home to a number of what you might call “classically Florida” venues: Unassuming, old-school seafood spots, all of which have been dishing out fresh fish to Floridians for several decades. You’ve got The Back Porch in Destin, Stewby’s Seafood Shanty in Fort Walton Beach, Schooners Seafood House in St. Augustine, and perhaps most notably, Miami Beach's Joe’s Stone Crab — a legendary local crustacean institution since 1913. Your order here is obvious: stone crab. Native to the area, it will arrive alongside a wedge of lime, hash browns, and creamed spinach. Naturally, this will be the best stone crab you've ever had.

As with its population, there is no one thing — or person, for that matter — that defines the Florida food scene. “The culinary scene in Florida is a perfect representation of the people that are here,” says Bradley Kilgore, foreman at Kilgore Culinary Group, one of the largest and most notable dining groups in South Florida. “It’s eclectic and electric, there is so much going on. The rapid growth of our culinary scene reflects the growth of the state, which keeps our company inspired.”

It’s not the Cuban sandwiches or the fresh fish or the swath of old-school haunts that make Florida’s dining scene so unique. It’s not the new, exciting roster of experimental kitchens. Instead, it’s the compound of everything at once: the ever-changing, ever-growing amalgam of cultural influences and advancements blending together in service of some truly remarkable plates of food.

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https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/fans-ready-to-support-rays-during-playoffs-despite-uncertain-future

Fans ready to support Rays during playoffs, despite uncertain future

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning have turned playoff watch parties into big events, with thousands showing up.

But Wednesday as the Rays return to the post season for the first time in six years, the team is not hosting its own official event.

RECOMMENDED: What to know about the Rays Wild Card showdown with the A's

“I’m not seeing the team capturing in the fan’s interest," said Michael Lortz.

Lortz is a big Rays fan, he even blogs about the good and bad of baseball in Tampa Bay.

He says what the team has done on the field is great.

But he questions the franchise’s commitment to marketing.

“What are they doing to get fans involved. You see these gigantic banners for the Lighting, the Bucs, even the Rowdies have some really good marketing in downtown St. Pete.”

RELATED: Rays fans travel across country to cheer on team and favorite coach

Down Central Avenue we didn’t see any grand gestures for support as the Rays enter the playoffs.

No flags. No signs. No banners.

Meanwhile, Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan says Rays leadership is pumped for the playoffs and keeping baseball here.

“As a Rays fan all season long they had dozens of watch parities so I still believe they are fully committed to Tampa and Hillsborough County.”

RELATED: Tampa Bay Rays enter 2019 MLB postseason with longest odds to win World Series

Hillsborough County is where Hagan would like to see the Rays relocate and even though the first attempt at getting a new stadium in Ybor City failed, he’s not giving up.

Fans like Lortz aren’t either.

“Carpe Diem. We seize the day. Just root for the team today. And let the front office business play out as it is," said Lortz.

There are watch parties at several bars and restaurants around Tampa Bay, even one at Charlotte Sports Park where the Rays play their spring training games in Port Charlotte.

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https://www.hawkeyenews.net/features/2019/10/02/look-at-all-those-chickens/

Why did the chicken cross the road?

The Hawkeye

An Ybor City chicken crossing the road.

You’ve seen them on your way to school, strutting across the street with a puffed chest and a cocky attitude.

They’re unrestrained, oftentimes reckless and almost always vocal. One was accused of destroying property, a few have been caught engaging in “romantic frenzies” out in the open.

Their history of delinquent behavior has led most of their neighbors to go so far as to label them pests. Still, others retain the belief that they’re a staple of our historic community.

But whether you like them or not, one thing is for certain: while some places are known for their breathtaking landscape and others for their distinct cuisine, Ybor City is known for its chickens.

The chickens are the descendants of the earliest residents’ livestock and are protected by a law that declares Tampa a sanctuary for all birds. Over 100 years later they still live in the neighborhood, amusing tourists and cawing their way into the hearts of citizens.

As absurd as it sounds, the feral chicken population is integral to the city’s culture. Their presence has inspired an annual New Orleans-styled parade, which honors the death of a beloved chicken by the name of James E. Rooster. At one point they even managed to draw attention from the likes of ABC Action News and The New York Times.

Despite this, their residency in Ybor has ruffled the feathers of a few members of the community for decades now.

The Hawkeye

According to Dylan Breese of the Ybor Chicken Society, there are roughly 300 feral chickens in Ybor City.

In 2017, Dylan Bresse rose to their defense by establishing the Ybor Chicken Society. An organization that, according to their website, aims to “preserve harmony between Ybor’s business and chickens.” Breese’s movement was able to get more than 2,000 signatures for a petition that aimed to keep the chickens included under the city ordinance.

A topic that has been the subject of numerous political debacles, with many believing the birds no longer warrant special protection. The debate eventually made it to the city council in 2018, where it was ultimately decided not to remove their rights.

The city’s decision came as a victory to some and an annoyance to others.

About the differing views of the chickens that endure, Ybor City Online wrote, “If you live in Ybor City, you can’t dislike the chickens, because like it or not they have been there longer than you.”

Ybor City has recently unveiled a vision plan for the neighborhood in 2020, which provides a road map for the historic district’s future. While it appears that in the next few years there will certainly be some changes to the city, our feathered-friends will remain with us for the ride.

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https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2019/10/02/jane-castor-says-tampa-is-a-baseball-town-as-she-raises-team-flag/

Jane Castor says Tampa is a baseball town as she raises Rays flag

The mayor says Tampa’s long tradition of baseball has the city excited about the Rays first playoff appearance since 2013.

ampa Mayor Jane Castor at a City Hall flag-raising for the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

TAMPA — As a Tampa Bay Rays flag was raised atop Old City Hall in downtown Tampa on Wednesday, Mayor Jane Castor said the sport’s long tradition in the state’s third-largest city made tonight’s...

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https://www.lavidabaseball.com/ybor-city-and-its-longtime-latino-baseball-roots/

IS YBOR CITY AND ITS LONGTIME LATINO BASEBALL ROOTS THE KEY TO KEEPING THE TAMPA BAY RAYS IN THE AREA?

Baseball in the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., area is a complicated present built on a proud past. How locals mitigate the aesthetic of Tropicana Field (or lack thereof) against a vibrant, colorful, cigar-fueled history of an area that has produced almost 100 major leaguers is fascinating.

Now, local leaders are building up the area as a place for baseball to stay long term. Can the Rays get a deal done to finally put down permanent roots in a new, adequate facility? The community hopes so, because baseball is part of the soul in Ybor City.

THE PAST

The Tampa area has a long history and connection to baseball. The first organized baseball team in the area took the field in 1878. Soon thereafter, Cuban immigrants flooded the area as the cigar industry exploded, bringing with them an exquisite knowledge of tobacco and a passion for baseball.

Since then, Tampa has been a part of the history of the game. The Cubs were the first team to open a spring training camp in Tampa in 1913. They were later joined by the Reds, Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Yankees and Washington Senators. In the minors, the Tampa Smokers were a founding franchise in the Florida State League in 1919.

For many in the area, like Jason Fernandez, baseball was part of the family.

Today, Fernandez is one of the leading restauranteurs in the Tampa area. He is a proud fourth generation Ybor City local who came back after a few years away to reinvest in the community. He now owns three of the area’s top restaurants in the entertainment district and is working hard to attract locals and tourists alike to spend their time and money in Ybor City.

Fernandez grew up with baseball and food in his family. His great-grandfather was one of the original bartenders at the famous Columbia Restaurant, one of Florida’s most historic establishments. His maternal grandfather, Nilo Priede, played in the Dodgers organization in the early 1950s with the likes of Don Zimmer, Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson. The stories he told kept the family captivated as he later traveled the world as an engineer.

Fernandez, like so many kids, chose to be the contrarian in the family. He didn’t cheer for the Dodgers growing up. He was a Yankees fan.

Ironic, then, that one of Fernandez’s high school classmates – Tino Martinez – would play such an important role in the Yankees returning to dynastic prominence in the mid-1990s. And years later Fernandez would become friends with the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner; they spent a great deal of time together opening Malio’s steakhouse in Tampa.

Like Fernandez’s life, baseball and food are tied together in the heart of the Tampa community. When the Rays looked to find a location for a new stadium last year (again), Ybor City was an area the team targeted.

“Ybor City is the definition of local authenticity,” team president Brian Auld said at a press conference unveiling a stadium proposal last year. “It is brimming with multi-cultural history. It has an incredible baseball history to tell, too. Jackie Robinson stayed at the Jackson House. Babe Ruth cavorted at the Columbia Restaurant.”

How would the cigar-rolling history of Ybor City embrace a dynamic new stadium?

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THE PRESENT

On March 9, 1995, the area was granted an expansion franchise by Major League Baseball. The inaugural season of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was played in 1998. Ten years later, the club won its first American League East title, making it all the way to the World Series behind AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria and manager Joe Maddon. Tampa made the postseason in three of the following five seasons.

Over the years more than 80 baseball players from the area have made it to the majors. Teams still call the area home for spring training each year, and young players travel to the city for guidance from legendary coaches like Orlando Chinea, who has worked with stars like the late José Fernández.

However, over the past five years the Rays have finished last in the American League in attendance; they rank 29th out of 30 teams this season, ahead of only Miami. The Rays have finished last in the AL in attendance in 14 of the 22 seasons the organization has existed. Many point to “The Trop,” their home ballpark, as one of the biggest issues holding the Rays back.

Tropicana Park has had almost as many tenants as it has had names. It has housed the Arena Football League’s Storm and Lightning as well as the Rays. It is also the last stadium in MLB that has a fixed roof. Driving up to the stadium doesn’t elicit the same awe as Fenway Park, Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium.

The Trop isn’t the only issue, however. Many kids, including Fernandez’s, have opted to play other sports. Fernandez has a son who plays hockey and a daughter who chose volleyball.

Hockey has grown in the area in recent years, and for good reason. The Tampa Bay Lightning have done a great job of evangelizing the Tampa area for hockey and are only four years removed from a Stanley Cup Final. Selling hockey in a baseball town hasn’t been easy, but according to Fernandez the commitment of the Lightning and their principal owner, Jeffrey Vinik, is important.

“[The Lightning] embrace the community,” Fernandez said. “They’ve done a fantastic job. They have embraced the community and I feel like they are always giving back. … The things that are important to the community are important to Mr. Vinik and important to the organization. What Mr. Vinik is doing down at Channelside is fantastic. It’s changing the city for the better.”

Local restaurateur Jason Fernandez wants to bring the Rays home to Ybor City.

THE FUTURE

This year, the two teams at the bottom of MLB’s attendance rankings are both in Florida. Fernandez acknowledged the ever-present argument that the state is better at supporting college teams and spring training than a full 162-game major league calendar. From the weather to the other options, Fernandez noted that entertainment is always available in Florida, and baseball has become expensive.

“There are so many different options for entertainment even within the stadium itself,” he said. “It’s so expensive. You go to a Rays game and it’s $14 for beer, and that’s not just the Rays stadium – it’s all stadiums.”

A transient population and the feeling of constant rebuilding has amplified the issues that begin with the building. Fernandez, a business leader in the community, also noted that the Rays and MLB didn’t do themselves any favors when there was news of a proposed split season between Tampa and Montreal for the Rays.

With new transportation options, including a speed train between Orlando and Tampa, and the continued improvements in the entertainment district, Fernandez has hopes that the Rays will find a way to get their stadium done and become part of the new foundation of Ybor City.

“Obviously I’m biased in this, but I think the Ybor City location is perfect for a new stadium,” he said. “In my heart I want baseball to grow. I want to figure out how to get more kids involved in Little League – something the Rays do very well. In the Latin community where I come from, baseball is it. It’s been part of our community for more than 100 years and is still very important to our Latin community.”

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https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/learning-how-to-roll-cigars-at-tabanero-in-ybor-city/

Learning how to roll cigars at Tabanero in Ybor City

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – People who call Tampa home might not realize it was once known at “Cigar City.”

Tampa’s historic district, Ybor City was founded in 1885 by a group of cigar manufacturers, and Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants worked factories in the once-thriving industry.

It’s a labor of love, to keep the art of hand rolled cigars alive.

In the heart of Ybor City is Tabanero Cigars.

Every Cuban cigar at Ta is handmade from start to finish.

“We do everything Cuban style. We make cigars like they did 100 years ago. One artisan will start and finish the cigar we don’t work in pairs,” said owner Yanko Maceda.

Tabanero Cigars has a large window where tourist can see how cigars are made, and maybe roll inside for a slow burn and a hot cup of café con leche.

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https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/ny-rays-al-wild-card-montreal-20191002-26nuwh4pfbafbd75iphexcguay-story.html

Rays owner will host group interested in bringing baseball back to Montreal at AL Wild Card game

Tampa Bay Rays’ owner Stuart Sternberg invited Stephen Bronfman — head of the Montreal group interested in bringing the Rays to play future home games in the Canadian city — to the team’s American League Wild Card game in Oakland.

Sternberg had organized Bronfman’s tickets, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin, though there’s no word yet whether the two will sit together.

The Rays play the A’s Wednesday in the win-or-go home affair.

Though the plans are still up in the air, it’s likely Bronfman would be minority owner of the team in that split-city scenario.

In June, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the league was giving formal permission to the Rays to explore splitting the location of half of their regular season home games. Prior to that there had already been a movement to bring baseball back to Montreal and to move the Rays out of its current situation in St. Petersburg.

William Jegher
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 The Montreal Baseball Group is on its way to Oakland for the AL Wild Card game. Hoping for a ⁦@RaysBaseball⁩ victory! #RaysUp

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Aside from long-standing attendance woes, Tropicana Field has plenty of issues. In the beginning of the season while playing against the Yankees, there was a power outage inside the dome and Yankees players said they weren’t surprised given the condition of the stadium.

The Rays are likely to make a move from the St. Petersburg-Tampa area following the end of its Tropicana Field lease in 2027. Sternberg even said it’s “highly unlikely” the Rays would pursue a full-time home in the Florida cities.

“I just don’t see it happening in St. Petersburg and I’d be hard-pressed to see it working in Tampa from what I know.”

Following news of the potential Montreal plan in June, St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman said he would bar all talks between the Rays and Bronfman’s group. The mayor and other local leaders in both cities would prefer the team explore different options in the surrounding area, though negotiations over permanence in Florida have seemingly fallen flat with Sternberg fully intending to move forward in the split game decision, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Charlie Frago.

“None of us, Montreal, Tampa, St. Petersburg, can support 81 games on their own,” Charlie Gerdes, chairman of the St. Petersburg City Council, said Friday. “(Sternberg) told St. Petersburg, to our face, to the mayor, to me... You build me a stadium on the Al Lang site, on the water, I will not give you 81 games. He’s told us that. I don’t think he’s negotiating. I think he’s being honest.”

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https://theathletic.com/1266890/2019/10/04/bronfman-nows-the-time-and-this-is-the-place-for-baseballs-return-to-montreal/

Bronfman: “Now’s the time, and this is the place” for baseball’s return to Montreal

Public hearings at the Office de consultation publique de Montréal, an independent body that issues recommendations on civic planning initiatives, take place in a large, nondescript space on the 14th floor of a downtown office building.

Presentations have a tendency toward the tedious, and thus tend to be sparsely attended. But on Thursday night, the room was better than half full, although the numbers were skewed by the number of reporters in attendance. The topic they were there to cover was baseball.

The wheels of civic bureaucracy turn slowly, in Montreal and elsewhere, and a few minutes before 8 p.m., Stephen Bronfman walked in through a set of double-doors to try and nudge them a few degrees.

The man who would bring baseball back was on hand to pitch his “dream project” to the OCPM, which will issue a report in the coming months on how best to redevelop an industrial area the size of 400 football fields south of the city’s...

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https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/stephen-bronfman-presents-his-vision-for-a-baseball-stadium-at-the-peel-basin-1.4622189

Stephen Bronfman presents his vision for a baseball stadium at the Peel Basin

MONTREAL -- Stephen Bronfman and his right-hand man Pierre Boivin will present their vision for the development of the Peel Basin to the hearings of the Montreal Public Advisory Board for the development of the Bridge-Wellington area on Thursday evening.

The executive chairman of Claridge, who wishes to bring a Major League Baseball team back to Montreal, will present his vision for the neighbourhood, which would include a 32,000-seat baseball stadium.

Boivin, president and CEO of Claridge, is leading the neighbourhood's residential and commercial development, which will be done in partnership with developer Devimco, which will be heard in the afternoon.

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https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/10/03/the-rays-arranging-for-montreal-group-to-be-in-oakland-is-a-bad-look/

The Rays arranging for Montreal group to be in Oakland is a bad look

John Romano: Accommodating a prospective Montreal partner on wild-card night reminds Tampa Bay that the Rays are eager to stadium shop in Canada.

Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg, left, and Rays president Brian Auld are seen on the field just prior to the America League wild-card game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 in Oakland.

OAKLAND — Why not invite Bud Selig, too?

Or Jerry Reinsdorf? How about Bill White? Why not invite every other owner/executive who has teased, impeded or otherwise been a thorn in the side of Tampa Bay...

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https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/10/02/rays-sternberg-will-host-montreal-group-leader-at-wild-card-game/

Rays Sternberg arranged for Montreal group leader to attend wild-card game

Stephen Bronfman and colleagues are heading west to see the team they hope will play part of future seasons in Montreal.

Tampa Bay Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg, far right, is seen on the field just prior to the America League Wild Card game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 in Oakland.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg arranged for the leader of the effort to bring baseball back to Montreal to attend Wednesday’s AL wild-card game.

And he didn’t think there was...

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https://patch.com/florida/southtampa/visit-these-sites-if-you-dare-tampas-most-haunted-places

Visit These Sites If You Dare: Tampa's Most Haunted Places

Here are some places in Tampa where spooks reportedly roam year round.

According to locals, the Tampa Theatre is haunted by a number of spirits including Foster "Fink" Finley, the theater's first projectionist. (Visit Tampa Bay)
TAMPA, FL -- It's one thing to visit a staged haunted house during the Halloween season. But are you brave enough to venture into a building where visitors have reported seeing real spectral figures?

There are a number of historic buildings in Tampa where spooky happenings are reported year round.

Tampa Theatre

Movie-goers enjoyed silent films featuring actors Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Buster Keaton when the Tampa Theatre at 711 N. Franklin St. opened in 1926. Today, the theater continues to be a popular venue for classic films for movie lovers - alive and dead.

According to locals, the Tampa Theatre is haunted by a number of spirits including Foster "Fink" Finley, the theater's first projectionist. Finley worked in the theater starting in the 1940s and reportedly died there from a heart attack in 1965.

Theater staff believes he continues to roam the theater. Finley was a chain-smoker and, at times, staff has seen cigarette smoke hovering in the air of the projection booth. Theater-goers occupying the back two rows of the balcony nearest the projection booth swear to smell cigarette smoke although smoking has long been prohibited.

The ghost of Rosa Rio may also linger in the theater.

The theater's Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ is a 1,400-pipe instrument installed to accompany silent films and Rosa Rio was the organist who played it until she died in 2010 at the age of 107.

Video by Aaron1912

On nights when the public has gone, staff claim to hear Rosa playing the organ. She's also very protective of the antique instrument. A theater manager accidentally stepped back into the orchestra pit and was about the fall on top of the organ when Rosa diverted her fall so she wouldn't damage it.

Then there's the Lady in White who has been seen pacing backstage and the mysterious man who appears in seat 308.

Courtesy Tampa Theatre

The theater hosts the Ghosts of the Tampa Theatre Tour on selected nights in October but reservations are a must because tours sell out quickly.

The 75-minute tour kicks off in the lobby and includes climbing stairs and extended periods of standing. Doors open 15 minutes before tour time.

Tickets are $15. There are still tickets available for tours at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18; 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 and 26; 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20 and 27; 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 21-25 and Oct.28-29; 10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25; and 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31.

Ybor City

No place in Tampa Bay can claim more hauntings than Ybor City.

Founded in 1885, the city was built on the backs of Cuban and Italian immigrants who came to America seeking a better life. Many ended up working for one of the city's cigar factories. And hundreds were killed in fires in the city's hastily constructed wood-frame buildings and during the yellow fever epidemic in the 1900s.

The largest fire in Tampa's history occurred on March 1, 1908, at 1914 12th Ave., according to Tampa Fire Rescue. The fire originated in the wood-shingled roof of a boarding house and quickly spread to more than 17 city blocks. An untold number of adults and children perished in the blaze. Store owners swear they can still hear the laughter of the fire's youngest victims.

During Prohibition, Ybor City became a notorious hangout for gangsters. Gambling czar Charles Wall used political connections to set up a bolita gambling racket in Ybor City during the 1920s and opened the lavish sporting parlor, the El Dorado Lounge, at 8th Avenue and 14th Street. It became a refuge for underworld figures and the scene of drive-by shootings at the hands of Wall's rival, Salvatore Trafficante Sr.

Additionally, the upper floors of the El Dorado were rumored to be the "largest house of ill-repute outside of New Orleans."

Between 1930 and 1959, Tampa witnessed more than 25 gangland killings, most of them in Ybor City. Among them, on Nov. 10, 1936, George "Saturday" Zarate, a drug trafficker for New York gangster Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was gunned down in front of the El Dorado. A year later, Joe Vaglichi, whose brother was Al Capone's bodyguard, died in a hail of bullets from another passing car in front of the gaming parlor.

Ybor City's former Don Vicente Hotel is considered one of the most haunted buildings in the United States, according to Haunted Rooms.. Built in 1895, the structure served as a hotel, a meeting house (El Bien Publico) and a medical clinic.

Jose Luis Avellena Jr. and his disembodied nurse are said to haunt the basement of the Don Vicente. There are also reports of a mad doctor who experimented on patients and then burned the bodies in the basement incinerator.

Courtesy Historic Ybor

When the hotel was operating, Room 305, in particular, was a reported hot spot for paranormal activity. Guests reported seeing the apparition of a man at the foot of the bed. Other common hauntings in the Don Vicente included flickering lights, creaky footsteps, doors opening and closing and faucets turning on and off.

Another infamous haunted venue is the The Cuban Club. Built in 1917, it was named one of the most haunted buildings in the U.S. by the Travel Channel. The hauntings at the historic club are attributed to the ghosts of two people who died in the building during the 1920s. One is an actor who committed suicide on stage. The other is a board member who was murdered by a fellow board member during a heated argument.

Courtesy Cuban Club

Visitors have reported a piano playing by itself, the elevator moving up and down although no one pressed the button and entities walking the halls dressed in period clothing.

The old Florida Brewery Company building at 1234 E. 5th Ave., is the tallest building in Ybor City. Before the founding of Ybor City, the property was the site of the Government Spring.

Discovered in 1824, the spring provided water to Fort Brooke. Later, a swimming pool and ice factory were built on the site.

In 1896, Vicente Martinez-Ybor decided to try his hand at brewing beer. The successful Florida Brewing Company produced beer until 1961. A cigar company then took over the space in the '60s, bricking over many of the windows to keep the tobacco fresh. The building doubled as a Cold War bomb shelter.

During the 1980s, the building fell into disrepair and the tower and roof collapsed.

In 1999, the Swope Rodante Law Firm spent millions to restore it but the renovations failed to discourage the spirits that reportedly haunt the building.

Photo courtesy Swope Rodante Law Firm

One ghost story dates back to the opening of the brewery. To celebrate, the brewery offered free beer and a fight broke out between two men who imbibed a bit too much. One man of Cuban descent sustained severe head injuries in the fight and died. Visitors now claim to see a drunk man with a Hispanic accent hanging around the building.

Now and then, visitors can catch a glimpse of restless spirits dressed in immigrant clothing and zoot suits and Fedoras during the official Ybor Ghost Tour. The ghost tour is expanding its schedule for the Halloween season with Sunday night tours. Tours run select nights Oct. 6 through 27 and include an exploration of the Cuban Club, the Don Vicente, cigar shops and other venues.

The tours are $25 for adults and $10 for children 8-12 . There is special pricing available on Tuesdays. The tour is not open for children under 5 years old and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For times and reservations, click here.

For those more fascinated with the mob, Tampa Mafia Magazine hosts the Tampa Mafia Tours with Scott M. Deitche, author of seven books on the mob including Cigar City Mafia and The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jr.

Deitche takes groups on 1 1/2 to two-hour walking tours through Tampa's Mafia history.

The tour takes visitors to old gambling palaces, street corners and alleys where mobsters met their demise and restaurants where wise guys like famed mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr. held court.

Upcoming tours take place Saturday, Oct. 12, 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 7 at 3 and 6 p.m. Tickets are $30. Click here.

Courtesy Tampa Mafia Magazine

Henry B. Plant Museum

The Henry B. Plant Museum with its distinctive Moorish minarets is now part of the University of Tampa. But from 1891 to 1933, it was a luxurious 511-room hotel that served as a grand winter resort for the rich and famous including Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, the Queen of England, Booker T. Washington and Stephen Crane.

Apparently, some of these guests refused to check out and continue to haunt the halls today.

People have reported hearing the disembodied voices of long-dead servants and the sounds of rolling dice in the hotel's former gambling casino. Students report an eerie feeling of being watched and doors opening and closing on their own.

The best-known specter is the entity known simply as "The Brown Man." He's described as a man wearing a brown suit with glowing red eyes. He appears and vanishes on staircases throughout Plant Hall.

There is also a phantom couple who have been seen dancing the night away in the hotel's former ballroom.

Visitors may catch a glimpse of these spirits when the museum at 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. hosts An Eerie Evening at the Tampa Bay Hotel Oct. 25-26 from 7 to 10 p.m.

Those attending will explore the museum by lantern and candlelight, hear true creepy tales of poisonings and unexplained deaths, learn about Victorian mourning and funerals customs, and create haunting images with spirit photography.

There will be light refreshments on the veranda, a close look at macabre items from Dysfunctional Grace Art Co. and an opportunity to shop in the Museum Store.

Advanced ticket purchases are strongly encouraged due to limited space. This event is intended for visitors age 16 and above. Tickets are $25 per person. Click here.

Courtesy UT

Fort Brooke Municipal Parking Garage
The last place you'd expect to find ghosts is in a municipal parking garage. But there are those who swear that the Fort Brooke parking garage is haunted.

That may be because the parking garage was built on top of a long-forgotten cemetery.

In 1823, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun ordered the establishment of a military post on the east bank of the Hillsborough River in Tampa near Hillsborough Bay. The post was named Fort Brooke after its commander, Col. George Mercer Brooke, and became a vital outpost during the two Seminole Indian wars.

The massacre of Francis Dade and 108 of his men by Seminole Indians began as a march from Fort Brooke to Fort Dade in Ocala. The main fort sat on the site of today's Tampa Convention Center.

Two cannons from the fort were relocated to the University of Tampa campus.

Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center

When the city of Tampa began building the Fort Brook parking garage in 1980, workers unearthed a cemetery that contained the remains of soldiers and Seminole Indians. The soldiers were reburied in military fashion and the remains of the Seminole Indians were relocated to the grounds of the Seminole Indian Reservation off Hillsborough Avenue in East Tampa.

Preservationist were careful to treat the remains with respect. But it's possible they didn't recover all of the bones. Parking patrons say they have heard the ghostly sounds of Native Americans drumming and chanting, and have seen strange shadow figures.

Sulphur Springs Water Tower
As evidenced by today's Gasparilla Festival, a big part of Tampa's history featured pirates and privateers who would hide their booty-filled galleons in the shelter of the Hillsborough River.

The Hillsborough River next to the Sulphur Springs Water Tower is reported to have been one of the places pirate ships landed.

Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center

The water tower was built atop an artesian well in 1927 by Grover Poole to provide adequate water pressure to the Sulphur Springs Hotel and Mave's Arcade that developer Josiah S. Richardson built next to the therapeutic sulphur springs. But before the tower was constructed, the site was supposedly home to a lighthouse that served as a marker on many pirate treasure maps.

According to local legend, it is now haunted by the spirits of long-dead pirates who are still searching for the treasure that was never recovered. Over the years, there have been sightings of a ghost ship flying a flag emblazoned with crossbones. Some have claimed to see a terrible sea creature dragging the spectral figure of a little girl into the waters of the Hillsborough River.

Two years after the existing tower was constructed, the Sulphur Springs Tower, then one of the tallest structures in Tampa, became the preferred jumping-off point for suicidal investors who lost everything in the 1929 stock market crash.

One psychic who explored the area reported seeing misty apparitions walking around the top of the tower and then leaping off. Backyard Films explored the myths surrounding the tower.

The Old Federal Courthouse

The Old Federal Courthouse plays prominently in Tampa's haunted history.

Completed in 1905, the Old Federal Courthouse building at 601 N.. Florida Ave. was designed by James Knox Taylor, the supervising architect of the United States Treasury in Washington, D.C. The Beaux Arts-style building was originally designed for the United States Post Office but also served as a courthouse and customhouse.

Today, it's Le Meridien Hotel. However, despite extensive renovations, the building hasn't been able to escape its notorious past.

Gangster Charlie Wall, who founded the El Dorado Lounge casino in Ybor City, reportedly spent a great deal of time in the courthouse dodging charges of racketeering and prostitution in the 1930s and '40s.

Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center

He became best known for testifying before a federal committee investigating organized crime in 1950. Apparently, Wall spilled it all, detailing a multitude of crimes and underworld secrets for the committee. Three days later, he was gruesomely murdered. His ghost has reportedly been seen hanging out on the courthouse steps. His murder remains unsolved so, perhaps, he's still seeking justice.

Crown Colony House

A theme park is hardly a place you'd expect to find ghosts but, believe it or not, the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant, formerly the Crown Colony House, at Busch Gardens is said to be haunted.

Both staff and diners report strange happenings like trays of food suddenly flipping over, dancing orbs, moving shadows and a mysterious waft of cigar smoke.

Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center

The ghost-hunting team, Haunted South, even recorded some of these spooky happenings when Busch Gardens allowed the paranormal researchers on its grounds in 2008 to investigate. Haunted South picked up electronic voice phenomenon and mysterious electromagnetic impulses in the restaurant.

The restaurant was built in 1964 as a Valentine's Day gift for the third wife of Anheuser-Busch founder August Busch. It closed in 1982 for remodeling and reopened in 1990. That's when employees and diners began reporting strange happenings -- cold spots, a phantom playing the piano and the ethereal appearance of an 8-year-old girl named Wendy.

Oaklawn Cemetery

The oldest public burial ground in downtown Tampa, Oaklawn Cemetery, is the final resting place of notable Tampa residents like cigar magnate Vicente Martinez-Ybor.

Located at the corner of Morgan and Harrison streets, the cemetery was founded in 1850.

Most notable about the cemetery, whites and slaves alike were buried there. It also contains the gravesites of pirates, Confederate soldiers, Second Seminole War soldiers and yellow fever victims. With that kind of history, hauntings are a given.

According to Deborah Frethem, author of Haunted Tampa: Spirits of the Bay (2014), among the spirits haunting the cemetery is a man named Charles Owen who was hanged in 1882 after he broke into the home of a wealthy Tampa family and attempted to rape the daughter.

According to Frethem, the shadow of a man hanging from a oose occasionally appears near Owen's grave at sunset.

History 6 Feet Under leads a tour titled "Oaklawn Cemetery: What Lies Beneath," as well as Haunted Tampa Ghost Walk and Spirits and Spirits Stroll tours.

Friends of Historic Oaklawn Cemetery

Upcoming Haunted Tampa tours are scheduled Oct. 9-12, 16-19, 23-26, 30-31, Nov. 1-2 at 7:45 and 9:45 p.m.

Oaklawn Cemetery tours are scheduled Oct. 12, 19, 26 and Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. Click here for reservations.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://ilovetheburg.com/the-rays-arent-the-only-tampa-bay-team-in-the-playoffs-rowdies-clinch-postseason-berth/

The Rays aren’t the only Tampa Bay team in the playoffs, Rowdies clinch postseason berth

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are now on the road to the USL Championship. Yes, while we’re here cheering on the Tampa Bay Rays as they face the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card round, we’re also chomping at the bit to see the Rowdies in the USL playoffs.

Come on you Rowdies!

They clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 1-0 defeat to the Ottawa Fury FC due to the Charleston Battery’s 3-1 defeat to Atlanta United 2. Yes, that’s some sports math we can’t quite do in our heads, but we trust nonetheless.

This is the second time in the last three seasons the Rowdies have appeared in the postseason. The team currently sits in 4th place in their conference, and if they can hold onto that spot they’ll automatically advance to the quarterfinals.

Final standings are still up in the air. Official standings will come down to the last few games as several teams are in contention to take the top spot.

Listen, the Rowdies deserve all the praise in the world. The team puts forth a serious effort each and every match. Their energy on the field is matched by the fervent fans who make up Ralph’s Mob. The banging of drums, the memorized chants, and the green and gold all over the place.

There’s also food trucks on hand before and during the match. Eat local, cheer local, be local.

When do the playoffs begin? The play-In round is slated for October 23 with the Conference Quarterfinals set for the weekend of October 25-27.

The Rowdies have 3 matches lined up before the postseason begins, with the Rowdies final home game of the season set for October 12. The theme for the night: Margaritaville.

That’s not all that’s going on at Al Lang Stadium. Organizers will turn it into a haunted Stadium of Screams on October 25 and 27.

Giant haunted attraction taking over Al Lang Stadium this October

(Follow link for full article.)

https://ilovetheburg.com/giant-haunted-attraction-taking-over-al-lang-stadium-this-october/

Giant haunted attraction taking over Al Lang Stadium this October

Get ready to scream, St. Pete. When the Rowdies play, fans are going wild and rowdy in support of the soccer squad. At the end of the October, the screams will be those of terror. Of course, we suppose we’ve heard some high pitched screams when the ref makes a subjectively bad call.

Stadium of Screams and Fall Festival officially takes place October 25-27 at Al Lang Stadium. Proceeds from the event benefit both St. Pete Free Clinic and the Tampa Bay Rowdies Foundation.

What can you expect? Here’s what the event organizers say: “Experience sheer terror as you step into the darkest timeline where some of Hollywood’s most horrific creations are hell-bent on making sure you leave screaming.”

The spooky fun takes pace on Friday October 25 at 6pm, and on Sunday, October 27 at 1pm. Admission is $8 for adults, and $5 for kids ages 3-17. Kids 2 and younger enjoy free admission.

Click HERE to reserve your tickets. You can also choose to make an additional donation to St. Pete Free Clinic and the Tampa Bay Rowdies Foundation.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2019/10/01/matchday-riverhounds-sc-vs-loudoun-united-735-p-m/

FINAL: Riverhounds SC 2, Loudoun United 1

Race to First

Heading into Tuesday’s match, here’s what it looks like at the top of the USL’s Eastern Conference standings…

Pos. P W L T GD Pts Form
1 Nashville SC 31 17 7 7 27 58 WLWDW
2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 30 16 4 10 25 58 DWDWW
3 New York Red Bulls II 31 17 8 6 30 57 LWLLD
4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 31 16 6 9 31 57 WDLWD
5 Indy Eleven 30 17 8 5 16 56 WWLLL
6 Louisville City FC 30 14 7 9 11 51 DDWWD
7 North Carolina FC 31 14 9 8 19 50 LDLLW

Other upcoming matches of note:

Wednesday, Oct. 2:

Indy Eleven vs Ottawa

Friday, Oct. 4:

Loudoun United vs Tampa Bay Rowdies

Saturday, Oct. 5:

Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Atlanta United 2

Indy Eleven vs Memphis 901 FC

North Carolina FC vs NY Red Bulls II

Tuesday, Oct. 8:

Nashville SC vs Louisville City FC

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.tampabay.com/arts-entertainment/food/2019/10/01/tampa-bay-restaurant-and-bar-openings-new-ice-cream-shops-in-ybor-city-south-pasadena/

Tampa Bay restaurant and bar openings: New ice cream shops in Ybor City, South Pasadena

What else? Dosi.Rak slings Korean cuisine in Tampa, Land O’ Lakes newbie Healthy & Fresco and Soul Sicilian Fusion brings more Italian to Clearwater.

Chill Bros. Scoop Shop has opened in Tampa's Ybor City with beloved and creative ice cream flavors alike.

NOW OPEN

Chill Bros. Scoop Shop

On Sept. 15, this ice cream parlor gave Ybor City another destination for frozen treats. House-made ice cream drives Chill Bros. Scoop Shop, where classic flavors like...

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2019/10/01/what-happened-to-tampas-streetcars-an-artist-mapped-the-citys-lost-transit-lines/

What happened to Tampa’s streetcars? An artist mapped the forgotten lines.

Lawyer by day and cartographer by night, Jake Berman has now mapped over 150 transit systems. His latest creation traces Tampa’s streetcar lines during the 1920s.

A Burgert Brothers photo shows the Tampa Electric Company streetcar on Grand Central Avenue (now Kennedy Boulevard) near the Tampa Bay Hotel in August of 1925. [COURTESY OF TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY | Tampa-Hillsborough County Public]

Tampa once boasted a vast streetcar network that was 53 miles long. The lines carried riders all over Florida’s second largest city for just a few cents each. When the streetcars stopped running in...

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/developers-court-city-of-st-petersburg-for-ownership-of-old-police-headquarters

Developers court city of St. Petersburg for ownership of old police headquarters

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - St. Petersburg police are settled into their new headquarters, leaving many curious about what's going to happen to the property where the old station sits.

The new police station, across the street on 1st Ave North, opened its doors in March.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://wflanews.iheart.com/content/2019-10-01-tampa-bay-food-fight-sold-out/

Tampa Bay Food Fight -- SOLD OUT!!!

Oct 1, 2019

Tonight's Event Has Sold Out!!!

Tampa Bay Food Fight goes down tonight

Benefits Metropolitan Ministries’ Culinary Arts Program

WHO: Mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor, and Mayor of St. Petersburg, Rick Kriseman, will be on stage to cheer for their cities and comment to the crowd.

Hosting the event is WWE superstar Titus O’Neil and MasterChef finalist Jeff Philbin. They will be joined by Aaron Jacobson and Tom ‘TKras’ Krasniqi of iHeart Radio’s WFLA and WDAE.

Title partner for the event are the Tampa Bay Rays.

Judges include renowned chef Norman Van Aken.

WHAT:The Tampa Bay Food Fight is the ultimate food event and top chef competition. Two teams, Tampa and St. Pete, will go head to head in a boxing ring during the event to compete for the coveted crown. Fifty of the Bay’s top restaurants will be on the floor serving up their best cuisine. Team Tampa won the inaugural battle and Team St. Pete won the 2018 crown. This year, who will reign supreme?

WHEN:Tonight, October 1, 2019from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

WHERE:The Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701

WHY:All proceeds will fund 100 full scholarships and help create 100 jobs for Metropolitan Ministries’ Culinary Arts Program for students transitioning out of homelessness.

#TBFF2019

#EatDrinkCreateJobs

#ChangeLives

#BeHope

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/articles/2019/10/1/the-10-most-expensive-homes-in-sarasota

The 10 Most Expensive Homes in Sarasota

What all 10 homes, including the three newcomers, share are a prime waterfront location and lots of square footage.

No. 8: $13,200,500

132 N. Washington Drive, St. Armands

Owners: Jeffrey and Mary Penny Vinik | New on the list

Hedge fund legend and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeffrey Vinik and his wife, Mary Penny, own this showstopping mega-mansion on St. Armands Key. One of the largest homes in Sarasota, it was reportedly nicknamed by neighbors the S.S. Magellan for its cruise ship proportions and for the $500 billion Magellan Fund Vinik managed in the ’90s. Vinik bought two existing mansions and razed them to build this stark-white, ultramodern complex of 24,040 square feet (16,245 indoors). The home includes eight bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, five half baths and a swimming pool on Sarasota Bay with a view of the Ringling Bridge. Vinik is also developing the $3 billion mixed-used Water Street Tampa project and is an investor in ventures from skin care to radiation protection gear for soldiers to video game headsets, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usa/story/3955268/jurgen-klinsmann-us-has-an-exciting-group-of-players-emerging-in-christian-pulisictyler-adamsjosh-sargent

Klinsmann: U.S. has 'an exciting group of players emerging' in Pulisic, Adams, Sargent

Former U.S. men's national team boss Jurgen Klinsmann said there is "an exciting group of players emerging" for the U.S., and that he hopes manager Gregg Berhalter is given a chance to grow the program.

Speaking to ESPN's Herculez Gomez in the wake of ESPN securing the U.S. broadcast rights to the Bundesliga, Klinsmann stated that he likes what he sees from the current crop of players, several of whom are playing in Europe.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuYzOLwg_D0

Pouring the Perfect Bay Beer

Tampa Bay Rowdies

Zach Steinberger and Sebastian Guenzatti took a trip over to Big Storm Brewing Co. to try their hand at pouring the perfect Bay Beer.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://stpetersburgfoodies.com/podcast/interview-with-margaret-covello-from-fishmonger-approved-st-petersburg-foodies-podcast-episode-57/

Interview with Margaret Covello from Fishmonger Approved – St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast Episode 57

Interview with Margaret & Rachel Covello from Fishmonger Approved

Welcome to the St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast Episode 57! Our featured interview today is with Margaret and Rachel Covello. Margaret was the founder of the famous Maximo Seafood Shack, and now she continues her FINTastic journey with her new business, Fishmonger Approved. Her wife Rachel heads up the marketing and content for the business, and she will be joining us too. Additionally, Margaret will be contributing a new monthly seafood recipe to St. Pete Foodies starting with this episode. Our musical guests today are Shua Harrell & Bucky Buckingham from the band, Oxford Noland. We will feature their song 'Save Arlene'.

Listen right here with our player above, or use your favorite podcast listening app below.

Margaret Covello - Fishmonger Approved

The St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast features interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, bartenders, and more, and covers the burgeoning food scene in St. Petersburg, Florida. Episodes air every Tuesday.

This episode of the St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast is brought to you by Pacific Counter, Salty J's, The Brass Bowl Kitchen & Juicery, Buya Ramen, and Engine No. 9. Please keep them in mind the next time you are hungry for some fantastic food.

Our announcer is Candice Aviles from Meet the Chef and Channel 10 News. Our theme music is provided by The Chris Walker Band.

Links:

Recipe: Fishmonger Tuna Burger with Double-Barreled Potato Salad

Fishmonger Approved

Oxford Noland

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/dc2q2a/come_on_out_for_the_ralphs_mob_town_hall_open/

Come on out for the Ralph's Mob Town Hall Open Meeting! Hope to see many faces!!!

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.ralphsmob.com/post/october-ralph-s-mob-open-meeting-town-hall

October Ralph's Mob Open Meeting & Town Hall

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1053577

Race to the Championship Playoffs – Oct. 1-2

WESTERN CONFERENCE CLUBS COME INTO VIEW OF POSTSEASON BERTHS AHEAD OF MIDWEEK ACTION

4. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Record:16-6-9, 57pts
Playoff Odds Clinched
Projected Final Position: 4th (24 percent)
Max Points Available: 66pts
Magic Number: N/A
Upcoming: @LDN (10/4)
Tampa Bay’s rally to earn a point on the road despite being down to 10 men was the best indicator we have seen of the club’s new-found ability this season to get it done away from home. If it can take care of business on Friday night against Loudoun United FC, it will put pressure on the teams around it to match them on Saturday night.

16. Loudoun United FC
Record:7-16-6, 27pts
Playoff Odds <1 percent
Projected Final Position: 16th (30 percent)
Max Points Available: 42pts
Magic Number: 25pts
Upcoming: vs. PIT (10/1), vs. TBR (10/4)
The end is nigh for United, which can’t quite be mathematically eliminated on Tuesday night against Pittsburgh after Birmingham took nothing from its visit to Swope Park, but could be by the end of Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.