ST. PETE, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays fans all agree they love their favorite team, but where they disagree is where their favorite team should play.
You don’t have to go any further than a few blocks from Tropicana Field, inside Floyd’s Barber Shop, to get various opinions on the roof of the Trop and the future of the Rays.
“I think they should repair it if they are not going to make a new one right there because we definitely need it and miss it, that’s for sure,” said barber Gary Robinson.
Watch full report from Robert Boyd
However, the customer in Gary’s chair may have the same name, but a totally different view.
“I think they should tear it down and develop, nobody wants baseball in St. Pete,” said Gary Philips.
I think it’s definitely beneficial for everybody in St. Pete to fix the roof, I feel like it makes no sense to demolish it and put something else in there,” said fellow barber April Krause.
Further down Central Avenue, fans wonder if the cost of repairs is worth it in the long run.
“Take that money and put it into something else that our city can use instead of repairing a dome to bring them back here for a couple years when the contract is up,” said Sheryl Spector.
“However, it’s an asset to the community as well, so it would be good if they fixed it and the team would come back to us,” said Lota Foster.
Across the bridge in Tampa, fans are getting used to having a team in their own backyard.
“Have you ever been to a Tampa Bay Rays game in St. Pete? The attendance is low. We need more people to show up for the Rays, that’s what brings the excitement to the game,” said Jake Singletary.
“I want the Tampa Bay Rays to win a World Series in Tampa,” said Vincent Camacho.
When it comes to this debate, one factor seems to always rise to the top, and that’s traffic.
“We don’t need it in Tampa, man. We got enough traffic. At noon there is traffic,” said a fan named Kathryn.
“A lot of people don’t want to travel to St. Pete, it’s a pretty good hike,” said Scott Mendor.
One thing these fans agreed on is that wherever the Rays end up playing in the future, they want their favorite team to stay in Tampa Bay and not relocate to another part of the country.
Clearwater Senior Condo owners still waiting for elevator to return to service 5 months later
Residents at "On Top of the World" senior condominium have been forced to live without a functioning elevator for more than four months. The latest notice posted on the elevator stated that it would likely return to service on June 4, but by the end of the day, they were still left without service.
