Tampa is a perfect encapsulation of the spectrum of ownership in sports. For some, the NFL’s Buccaneers are unwatchable. They’ve made a player accused multiple times of sexual assault the face of the franchise. Watching a Bucs game means hearing Jameis Winston’s name at least fifty times and every time being reminded that the organization doesn’t care how having him in such a prominent position impacts their fans.
The Rays are a hedge fund disguised as a baseball team. They are the purest form of “asset management” in sports. The organization isn’t and has never been interested in doing the work to develop fandom.