Say this for the fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning. They sure like to dance.
And why not? You could make an argument that they get more for their money than any group of fans in Tampa Bay.
Oh, you can talk about ticket prices if you want. But like most teams, those in Tampa Bay have levels of tickets. So let’s take the prices of going to a game out of it. Who offers the best deal in sports entertainment in Tampa Bay?
Start with the Bucs. They play at home once every two weeks, so each game is something of an event. And there are more fans there, even given the poor results of the home team in Raymond James Stadium over the last two seasons.
And despite it, fans seem to have a good time. Oh, they’d like to see more highlights by the home team, of course. But fans want to make the best of things. As football stadiums go, the RayJay is still one of the finest in the league.
The thing is, it’s hot. It’s an outdoor game. You can get wet when it rains and sunburned when it doesn’t.
The Rays are climate-controlled, of course. But Tropicana Field isn’t one of the finer ball parks in the majors. Say this for the Rays: The offense was much better the last two months of the season when the offense began to do some damage.
Still, the team finished its second straight season of mediocrity.
The Rowdies’ fans have one of the best times of any group of fans in the area, chanting and singing their way through the games. Again, however, it can get wet watching an outdoor game. The Rowdies play at night, which cuts down on some of the heat.
When the Rowdies win, however, the fans certainly get their money’s worth.
But nothing compares to the Lightning as far as return on your time investment. The Bolts won the Eastern Conference title last year, and they won their opener in overtime Thursday night. Once again, they should have the best winning percentage of any team in town and the most highlights.
Ask yourself this: Which Tampa Bay athlete is most likely to be in the MVP conversation this year? Probably, it’s Steven Stamkos.
Oh, every fan loves their team, and every fan will pose and flash a No. 1 sign for the cameras. But around here, the Lightning seems to have the best bang per buck.
