A closer look at pro sports in the Tampa Bay region as Rays seal the deal on a new stadium
As the Tampa Bay Rays finalize the deal on a new stadium and head to the MLB playoffs, and the Bucs start their season in winning form, could our region be 'Champa Bay' once more? The deal has been a long time in the making, and as owner Stu Sternberg noted, the road to remain in Tampa Bay has been bumpy. The Rays talked of building a stadium in Tampa. Then they wanted to play one-half of the season in Montreal before that got shot down by Major League Baseball. Joining Florida Matters host Matthew Peddie to discuss the new stadium and what it means for the Rays are Spectrum Bay News 9 sports reporter Mike Cairns, long time Tampa Bay sports journalist Joey Johnston, and JoeBucsFan.com columnist and podcast host Ira Kaufman. They also discuss the Rays heading into the MLB playoffs, the Buccaneers in the post-Tom Brady era and the Lightning preparing for the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.