* Lightning owner Jeff Vinik’s full-page, color ad in the Tampa Bay Times was a thank you for fan support. It’s worth reflecting on. The Bolts sold out (19,092) every one of their 41 home games this season. Moreover, it was a reminder that the sellout streak goes back to the 2014-15 season. It’s now 107 consecutive sellouts at Amalie Arena–and (still) counting.
* First the good news. Attendance at USF home football games last season was up 41 percent. That was fourth best in the country. It comes with a winning season and top-20 national ranking.
Now for perspective. You only have huge percentage increases if you’re working from a modest base. For the Bulls, it was 26,500. It increased to 37,500.
Frankly, if USF replicates last season’s 11-2 record under new coach Charlie Strong, attendance should ratchet another 41 percent. At least.
I still go back to September 2007, when 67,000 packed RayJay to see USF defeat West Virginia. I was there. It was special. Average attendance that year was 53,000. It can be done.
* The Miami Marlins are having a 10-foot statue of the late Jose Fernandez made that they plan on placing outside Marlins Park. It will be finished in about six months.
That’s the call of owner Jeffrey Loria. Fernandez was a special talent, and in a relatively short time had become the face of the Marlins franchise.
But this also needs to be said. Loria should reconsider a larger-than-life statue of a person who negligently caused the deaths of three people.