Rays, Lightning, Bucs donate for statue removal

BayNews 9 (Tampa) ^ | 8/17/17

[Impala64ssa]

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has announced that over $140,000 has been raised through private funds to removed a Confederate statue at the old Hillsborough County courthouse.

Original Report: The area's professional baseball, football and hockey teams are helping pay for the removal of the Confederate statue at the old Hillsborough County courthouse.

$140,000 must be raised within 30 days, according to commissioners Bucs, Lightning, Rays donate funds toward removal

County commissioners voted 4-2 Wednesday to allow 30 days to raise private funds to move the Confederate statue.

If $140,000 isn't raised, the statue will remain where it is.

On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers said they have donated funds to help pay for the removal of the statue.

In a joint statement, the teams said:

"Recognizing that this monument does not reflect the values of our community, in collaboration with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, our organizations have dedicated funds to assist in moving the statue from the public space in front of the courthouse. Now more than ever before, we must stand united and committed to diversity and inclusion as we all attempt to heal from the tragedy in Charlottesville."

[petitfour]

I guess they will be tearing down the whole University of Alabama. Civil War soldiers lived and trained there.

[Moonman62]

If that statue comes down maybe blacks will be able to make millions of dollars for playing a game.

[jackibutterfly]

"If $140,000 isn't raised, the statue will remain where it is. "

So, then, leave it where it is. What's wrong with that???

[edh]

What’s funny (not “HA HA” funny but “PUKE” funny) is that taxpayers probably funded their playgrounds. They’re just directing playground tax money to the removal of statues not on their property.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

New York City on the Gulf.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Lightning? A bunch of Canadians?
Do they have a dog in this fight?

[pinkandgreenmom]

The Bucs aren’t good and the Rays are tanking, but as a family we attend about half a dozen Lightning games each season.

Not anymore.

[wally_bert]

I quit in the late 80s and do everything I can not spend money on anything sports related.

The spouse is the addict. Mostly college ball. I hate pretty much all sports. King sports is not my sovereign.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Is that to pay the mob $25 an hour to tear it down?

[wally_bert]

There are so many that have to have their bread & circuses fix all the time.

Cut out the 24x7 sports avalanche and cheap beer for a week. I’d love to see the addicts on withdrawal.

I get my hair cut at Sports Clips since it’s close by and they always do a good job. None of the ladies there care about sports either that I’ve found. Some of them find it kind of nice that I don’t either.

[Hojczyk]

The Yankees now out number the natives..

Any business or sports team gets political could loose half of there fans..

His will all come crashing down..

[Impala64ssa]

They replaced the old “Sunbrero”, the first Bucs stadium with tax $$$, when Malcolm Glazer threatened to move the Bucs and whatever Malcolm wants Malcolm gets. $168 million (1996 $$) to build Raymond James and the taxpaying dupes in Tampa have yet to see any appreciable return on investment. Trop Feild is more suited for basketball or hockey because of catwalks that incredibly are LOWER in the outfield. And this design flaw actually affected the outcome of quite a few games. So, guess what? Stu Stemberg wants the taxpaying schmucks to buy him a new stadium, in St Pete or Tampa, or guess what, he’ll find another place for his pwecious widdle Rays to play. It’s not just the players acting like spoiled brats.

[Deplorable American1776]

Dear Jeff Vinick, as a hockey fan, I'm saddened that you decided to alienate hockey fans. I never thought the statue was anything but a memorial to all soldiers of all American wars. Sorry, Jeff, but I'll use my money on other things that is not owned by an moronic millionaire liberal ass.

Since we aren't Bucs or Rays fans, we can't boycott them...

[edh]

That whole stadium scam sickens me. Here in Pittsburgh, PA taxpayers funded over 90% of PNC Park owned by the Pittsburgh Pirates (and that owner is a scumbag ... basically a corporate welfare recipient that takes his profit and dumps it into his various ski resorts in the area ... doesn't really spend anything on the team), they funded a bit less than 90% of Heinz Field for the running man team that is an insult to the players of the 1970s (the NFL is a disgrace ... $250M for a playground used, at most, 20 times a year for NFL and college games ... I guess the offices are used year round), and they paid a substantial amount of money for the NHL team. We heard the same promises (grow the region, lots of this and that, makes Pittsburgh a world class city having 3 sports teams, , etc.). Population in the region has remained flat at best. By the time everything is said and done, it wouldn't shock me if taxpayers paid BILLIONS for those stadiums. The various governments that funded that garbage will be paying the interest on those bonds for decades to come. Our last playground, Three Rivers Stadium, was just paid off in 2016 ... they blew that up in early 2001. Taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars for game shows ... it is sickening.

[ConservaTeen]

I saw the statue for the first time a few weeks ago...I thought it was a memorial for all soldiers in all wars...it didn't have a Confederate Flag. I feel like biking to ML King and put 'Buffalo Avenue' in place of ML King Blvd.

Soon, you might see conservatives break and start fighting back...

[ml/nj]

I hope those fans who object stop buying tickets.

ML/NJ

[Rastus]

Then they celebrated by stealing crablegs and raping white girls.

That'll all change once the last statue comes down. They'll all then work hard, raise their families, abide by the law, build up their communities. All of that will happen once statue oppression ends.

[Gene Eric]

The same that continue to subscribe to Disney, Comcast, Viacom, and now AT&T — the parent companies of the malevolent MSM.

[Old Grumpy]

I just now heard, from a friend in Tampa, that this statue is going to STAY; the vote was 4-3 to leave it alone. I HOPE this is true.