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Feeling Mayor Baker's Name Pain

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 21, 2008

Regarding "Making Rays A St. Pete Brand Would Be Error, Mayor Baker" (Our Opinion, June 16):

I have very strong feelings about St. Petersburg Mayor Baker's possible initiative to alter the Rays' name.

I've lived in Tampa over 50 years, other than being away in the military, and have always been proud to call it "home." I believe it was in the '60s that the Rowdies decided to become the first Bay area entity to call themselves "Tampa Bay"; when they did so I saw the handwriting on the wall.

I commented to the local media at the time and was told "we're patronizing all of the communities in the area." In my opinion we, as a region, have perpetuated an irreversible and very unfortunate situation. Do you know how many news and sportscasters around the world often say such and such is occurring "in Tampa Bay"?

Look on any map - there's no area called "Tampa Bay," just a great body of water. The largest airline operating at Tampa International Airport refers to this city on their Web site as Tampa Bay, Florida; so does our area's largest theme park. To me that's great ignorance on their part.

Many people live in Tampa, not Tampa Bay, but I'm not so naive to believe we can "undo" this egregious situation. I certainly do understand Mayor Baker's heartfelt intentions.

DAVID B. MILLER

Tampa

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