Tampa Bay Rays: Underdogs to Champions

Florida teams are good, and most of them come from Tampa Bay. Can the Tampa Bay Rays continue to execute under this standard?

Not only did the Tampa Bay Lightning manage to turn heads towards the sunshine state in 2020 after being named Stanley Cup Champions, but the Tampa Bay Rays contributed to the garnered attention when they went on to be the 2020 American League Champions and appear in the world series.

As if this isn't impressive enough, the Tampa Bay Lightning continued to dominate in the following year and claimed their second consecutive Stanley Cup alongside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were named Super Bowl champions in the same year.

After this impressive resume from the best of Florida, Tampa Bay was rightfully renamed 'Champa Bay.'

However, the Rays were the only professional sports team in Tampa to not win a championship title in these years that Florida was in the spotlight. Why and how can it change?

Unlike opposing teams, the Rays have one of the smallest payrolls in the entirety of the sport; which makes it really difficult to sign and resign.

Maintaining team chemistry is a key component to any sports team that can not only function under stress, but generate under it to out-compete opposing teams.

Due to not having the funds, their roster lacks consistent team chemistry and calls for an influx of young talent each season to make up for the deficit of experienced and known valuable players that mesh a team together.

This includes a player such as Tyler Glasnow who took his talent elsewhere after last season wrapped.

While having those repeat players who become the heart of a team isn't fully in the cards for the Tampa Bay Rays, they still find themselves nearing the top of their division because through the disadvantages that comes with a forced roster, poses a unique opportunity:

Avoiding predictable baseball.

For example, the Tampa Bay Lighting had Captain Steven Stamkos who was known for a generous amount of his goals being from the exact same spot that whenever he was on the ice it was renamed 'the office.'

His role had a significant impact in each game which contributed to the overall teams success. However, while the Lightning were doing what works for them, it started to become predictable and combated by strategic gameplay to shut down their chemistry from competing teams.

The Rays have the opportunity to capitalize off their consistent renewal of new skill and play a game that speaks to hard work being more valuable than talent in order to curate something unexpected in a game that is entirely predictable. Because there's no concrete players holding the team to a specific game, this is in the cards for them.

The Rays have proved that they play a dangerous game regardless of their roster issues which shows through to their ability to handle adversity. This actively builds the foundation to not just any successful sports, team but Tampa teams especially.

Overall, success in sports has always been more about and will always be about having the right players rather than the best players, as Herb Brooks once famously said.

And this wont change when it comes to the Rays... now they need to surpass their underdog role and claim their championship title.

The 2024 Travelers' Choice® Awards Best of the Best Things to Do list is out and there's a reason why so many people vacation in Florida. 25 of the most loved top attractions in the US made the list, highlighting the highest rated experiences and attractions around the world and in the US based on Tripadvisor reviews. 

What's number one? The Empire State Building in New York City climbed to the top as the No. 1 attraction, not just in the US, but globally. Reviewers are wowed by the 360-degree view of New York, where they can point out all of their favorite landmarks and see up to six states on a clear day. Over 300 reviews deem it a "once in a lifetime" experience and more than 8,000 5-star reviews put this tourist spot on top. Another New York iconic spot also made the top 3 top attractions in the US list.

Kristen Dalton, President of Tripadvisor states "Experiences make a trip, and our Best of the Best Things to Do Awards offer some of the highest-rated activities from across the world, highlighted by our community of travelers. Whether you're a thrill seeker or a leisurely explorer, the 'Best of the Best' badge has the seal of approval from global travelers as a source of inspiration for an unforgettable vacation."

Florida still maintains itself as a major tourist destination with 3 of the top attractions in the US being here in the Sunshine State. As a 20 year resident of Florida, I love doing touristy things, but I'm kind of disappointed in myself. I've not been to any of these 3 attractions. Yet.

Scuba diving or snorkeling is the best way to view this park, but glass bottom boat tours are also available. TripAdvisor has this park, located in Key Largo, as the 4th best attraction in the United States. So what makes it so special?

In 1960 the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was named the United States' first undersea park. The Florida Keys have the only living coral reef in the continental United States. The in 1965, it got much more interesting.

On August 25th, 1965 the Christ of the Abyss was lowered into the water at a depth of 25 feet. The bronze statue still rests there with the top at a depth of 8-10 feet below the surface. Visible to snorkelers, but best viewed with SCUBA gear.

We didn't have to go very far down the list to find the next Florida entry. The Stetson Mansion is listed as the 5th best top attraction in the US.

The Stetson Mansion is in Deland, Florida, just off I4 between Orlando and Daytona Beach. It's referred to as "Florida's first luxury estate". Built in 1886 the mansion is actually older than the city of Miami. And if you're wondering why the name "Stetson" sounds familiar, the mansion was built for famed hat maker John B. Stetson.

The mansion is not currently open for tours, but Christmas Tours are offered 2-7 times daily Nov 1st, 2024 - Jan 18th, 2025. I'm hearing Christmas is the best time to visit, so this might be something to put on your bucket list.

Another Florida keys attraction, this one further down in Key West, is not a museum, but a living exhibit. Their website sums it up "Take a walk among hundreds of free flying butterflies, exotic birds and 2 glorious flamingos inside the soaring glass-domed tropical butterfly habitat."

Let one of their guides teach you about nature, pointing out the different butterflies and colorful flowers. When you're done, don't forget to hit up the gift shop.

See the top 25 Best of the Best Attractions in the US here