Creative Contractors, Inc.

Of Championships and Tax Dollars

The euphoria that surrounds the entire Tampa Bay region following the Stanley Cup victory of the Tampa Bay Lightning is not unlike the prideful joy the entire community felt when the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl 17 months ago. It occurs to me that there are only 2 things that bind a broad (multi-county) community together: tragedies and sports championships. Given the choice, I‘ll take the sports route.

Which leads me to the conclusion that it’s OK to spend tax dollars on building sports arenas. What other use of tax dollars can lead to this kind of joy, camaraderie, and euphoria? Not to mention the national publicity for the region and the economic impact of all the fans and visitors. What other events bring people from five or six counties together to celebrate and feel good about themselves? Sports are a good thing, and sport championships are a great thing. Embrace the moment. We are all part of it.

Part II:

So the natural question is when will the Devil Rays be a championship team. My own take on this is that it will not happen under the present ownership structure. Mr. Naimoli has abandoned any commitment to success in favor of the economics of the game. As Mr. Culverhouse did with the Bucs, the Devil Rays ownership has figured out how to make good money with a bad team.

Championships start at the top. The Glazers had the commitment, the gumption, the money and the desire to WIN. The Davidson group brought the same attributes to the Lightning. Three previous Lightning owners didn’t have it. The Devil Rays don’t have it. It starts with a deep pocket attitude. It means hiring smart management talent, and giving them the guidance, the leeway, and the inspiration to build a winning team. And it certainly can’t be done on a shoestring. Only when an ownership group that possesses the winning attitude traits of the Glazers and the Davidsons emerges, will the Devil Rays justify the tax dollars that we citizens are spending to support the baseball facility in St. Petersburg.