Rays Not Planning To Increase Capacity For Playoffs

Should the Rays make the playoffs, don't look for the team to increase capacity at the Trop. It is now 36,048; used to be 43,700. According to a Rays' spokesman, the team has no plans to unwrap that light blue tarp from those top-tier seats.

"We would not remove the tarp," states Rays' Vice President for Communications Rick Vaughn. "The building operates well at the current capacity. The seats beneath the tarps don't provide the experience we expect to deliver to our fans.

"At this early stage, it has not been made clear to us if Major League Baseball would have the right to change that policy for the postseason."

In other words, MLB might prefer maximum capacity for a World Series, should the Rays advance that far.

Speaking as someone who bought standing-room-only tickets to a Lightning-Flyers Stanley Cup playoff game in 2005, I would think utilizing additional capacity would make sense on multiple levels. Obviously, it makes for a bigger gate, and who knows how often this kind of opportunity will come around. To the Rays' credit, it's not all about cashing in.

But fans arguably would want in -- to be privy to the electric atmosphere and the history. And fans understand that not all sight lines are created equal or priced equally -- especially for playoffs. Plus, more leather-lunged fans would further fuel Joe Maddon's "Pit" atmosphere for maximum home-field advantage.

And speaking of the Rays, since when is it necessary -- and it was -- that a manager has to discipline a key player - during a pennant race - for not hustling? But that's what Joe Maddon had to resort to recently with centerfielder B.J. Upton. Or was that the ghost of Delmon Young?

Obama's Racial Crucible

In his town hall meeting at St. Petersburg's historically black Gibbs High School, Sen. Barack Obama fielded questions ranging from the treatment of Iraqi war veterans and his assessment of No Child Left Behind to a national catastrophe fund and the subprime mortgage meltdown. Important stuff with broad appeal.

Unless, that is, you're an activist with the International Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement. Then what really matters can be summarized with the curt, direct-address banner unfurled by some of their members: "What about the black community, Obama?"

To his credit, Obama handled the grievance brigade adroitly. They were chastised for their boorish interruptions but given an opportunity - via a single member - to ask a question, essentially a rebuking restatement of the banner. Basically, it was an opportunity for a racial vent about oppression and an opportunity to more than imply that Obama was still not black enough.

Another day, another racial crucible -- regardless of the predominant venue color.
For the record, Obama said -- OK, lectured -- that he has, indeed, spoken out on matters of race, even if it wasn't in Uhuru-approving fashion.

Even more telling -- in front of a largely black gathering -- was that none of Obama's responses elicited louder, more enthusiastic applause than his pointed comments on education and the key, NON-governmental factors inherently involved.

"Parents must parent."

"If your child misbehaves, don't curse out the teacher."

USF Ranked

Even after last season's flirtation with football's elite, it still seems incongruous to see the University of South Florida begin a season with a national ranking. For the record, the Bulls are rated No. 21 by the USA Today college football coaches preseason poll.

More to the point, USF - still a relative newcomer on the national football scene - is ranked higher than the iconic likes of Penn State, Michigan, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska and Notre Dame.

Go, Bulls.

P.T. Barnum Lives

Twenty-five thousand people can't be wrong, right? Wrong.

That's the size of the crowd that turned out for the Houdini Light act of Las Vegas illusionist Criss Angel at Clearwater Beach a fortnight ago. As we all know, he emerged unscathed and barely tousled from the imploding, nine-story Spyglass Resort. It seemed more video scam than sleight-of-hand stunt.

Two additional points:

The event cost Clearwater $10,000 in police and traffic overhead. What a savvy investment for the sort of publicity that is well beyond most municipalities' marketing budgets. The postcard-like gulf, the picturesque municipal marina, the statuesque palm trees, the new, $30 million BeachWalk: a nationally-televised PR coup. Plus, Clearwater makes way for the Kiran Grand Resort and Spa.
Maybe more intriguing than Angel's "escape," was his rationale for his act's appeal, skewed to a younger fan following. He said it was the same as Houdini's. "... If I can get out of a straightjacket, then you can escape poverty, you can better your life."

Speaking of illusions.