Bucs-Falcons game is blacked out in Tampa

1 in 5 mortgage holders in Florida are behind on their mortgage. The national unemployment rate is 9.8%, in Florida it's closer to 12%. I just got notified myself on 12/1 that my job will be going away by June 2011, so I will be in the same boat as plenty of others around here.

Fan support cannot not be measured just by filled stadiums. The Rays had the 5th highest TV ratings of all the major league teams, but were down around 25th in league average attendance. The support for the team was there, but the means to afford to go to a game is not. When you have to choose between putting food on the table or keeping a roof over your head versus using those funds to watch millionaires play a game that billionaires are threatening to shut down in 2011, the choice is easy and clear.

Tampa Bay is notorious for having bandwagoning and frontrunning fans, but if the 2010 was like it was in 2005, RayJay would be filled to capacity each home game. Right now people are struggling, and sports teams are low on the list.