* The Buccaneers did the right thing by agreeing to buy enough unsold (discounted) tickets to get home-game blackouts lifted for the remainder of the season. It’s called savvy–and necessary–PR to help keep fans engaged in the product. Only possible downside: If the Bucs don’t turn it around after this fan-unfriendly 0-4 start, it merely means more people will now be able to see losing, frustrating football played at RayJay.
*The Rays continue as one of the most successful franchises in the Major Leagues with six consecutive winning seasons. That they’ve done it without bloated payrolls gets them additional respect among their peers. But a dubious distinction comes along with it. This year’s Rays became only the second team in MLB history to win 90 or more games and finish last (30th) in attendance. The first? Last year’s Rays.
* Hardly unexpected that Tampa is in the hunt for college football’s national championship game in either 2016 or 2017. Tampa’s competition for 2016 is reported to be Jacksonville, New Orleans and Glendale, Ariz. Those reportedly vying for 2017: Jacksonville, Miami, San Antonio, San Francisco and Minneapolis. Once again, we are reminded that Tampa’s track record–including the successful hosting of four Super Bowls–makes this town an automatic player in recruiting such mega events. But it’s also a reminder that such bids are about more than RayJay and Tampa. Area tourist attractions and the region’s hospitality industry are major selling points. This is very much a Tampa Bay pitch. The inaugural game will be held in the Dallas suburb of Arlington in 2015.
* For obvious reasons, it’s really, really hard to root for the New York Yankees, but it’s always been easy to feel good about their Hall-of-Famer-to-be closer Mariano Rivera. He’s that good, but he’s also that uncommonly classy. How appropriate that Rivera, 43, retired when he was still at the top of his game. He had an excellent final season and ended it with an emotional–and hitless–stint against the Rays last week at Yankee Stadium. That’s not the way so many iconic athletes–think Hank Aaron and Willie Mays–finished their careers. There will be no more like Rivera. Make that no Mo.
* Increasingly, we’re seeing school districts, including Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, limiting the tradition of cheerleaders wearing their uniforms to school on game days. What used to be a tradition is seen in some quarters as a dress-code double standard. Perhaps the rule of thumb should always have been: What’s appropriate for Friday Night Lights is not suitable for algebra class. Of course it isn’t. And maybe we don’t need to further reinforce the in-crowd dynamic all too prevalent during the high school years.