The Tampa Bay Area is home to many sports teams and has a substantial history of sporting activity. Most of the region's professional sports franchises use the name "Tampa Bay", which is the name of a body of water, not of any city. This is to emphasize that they represent the wider metropolitan area and not a particular municipality.

Three teams compete at the major league level. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play in the National League (NFL), Tampa Bay Lightning play in the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Tampa Bay Rays play in Major League (MLB). Additionally, six MLB teams hold their spring training camps in the area.

A number of minor league franchises play in the region as well, including the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena League, the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the new North American League, and four minor league baseball teams competing in the ClassA Florida State League.

In intercollegiate sports, the University of South Florida Bulls compete in NCAA Division I, while the University of Tampa competes in NCAA Division II.

Main article: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL began play in old Tampa Stadium in 1976 as an expansion team. After losing an NFLrecord 26 straight games to begin their existence, the Bucs reached the 1979 NFC Championship game only to sink back into futility with an NFLrecord 14 straight losing seasons through the 1980s and early 1990s.

The franchise's fortunes began a turnaround in the mid90s under coach Tony Dungy, and the success continued after the team moved into newlybuilt Raymond James Stadium in 1999. The upward trend culminated in the Buc's first championship at the end of the 2002 season under coach Jon Gruden, when they defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Bucs have made several playoff appearances since then but have not returned to the championship game. As such, a fierce crossbay competition for a potential Major League franchise developed in the 1980s and 1990s, with Tampa and St. Petersburg each vying to bring professional baseball to town. Despite warnings from MLB that expansion was not imminent,[1] St. Pete began construction of the Florida Suncoast Dome in 1987 in the hopes of eventually landing a MLB team through expansion or relocation.

Many teams, including the Oakland A's, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, and San Francisco Giants, considered moving to the vacant venue. Local investors actually bought part ownership of the Twins and, in another attempt, had an agreement to buy the Giants and bring them to St. Pete. However, for various reasons, all these attempts to bring major league baseball to the area fell short.[2]

Tampa Bay was rumored to be a frontrunner when MLB expanded by two teams in 1991, but Miami and Denver were chosen instead.[3] Finally, in March 1995, St. Petersburg was awarded a major league expansion franchise along with Phoenix[4]

Main article: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays began play in newlyrenamed Tropicana Field in 1998. The franchise struggled through its first 10 years of existence, finishing last in the American League's East Division in nine of those ten seasons. After (again) posting the worst record in baseball in 2007, however, the newlyrenamed "Rays" won 97 games in 2008, winning the AL East and the AL pennant to earn a berth in the 2008 World Series under manager Joe Maddon. Including 2008, ... David Fales Jersey the Rays have won two AL East titles and have made 4 playoff appearances in 5 seasons.

Spring training and minor leagues

The area has had a long association with spring training baseball. McKay's pledge to pay the team's expenses, trained at Plant Field.[5] St. Petersburg mayor Al Lang made a similar push, and in 1914, the St. Louis Browns became the first of many teams to train in St. Pete, being succeeded by the Philadelphia Phillies for 1915. The Phillies used a new facility called "Coffee Pot Bayou Park" along the city's bayfront area. In the 1940s, a small modern ballpark was built on the site. It would be christened Al Lang Field in honor of the mayor who had brought baseball to St. Petersburg.

Many major league teams have trained in the Tampa Bay area over the ensuing decades. Current members of the spring training Grapefruit League include:

The Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota

The New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa

The Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater

The Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field in Bradenton

The Toronto Blue Jays at Knology [url=http://www.officialbearsnflauthentic.com/authentic-kadeem-carey-jersey.html... Carey Womens Jersey[/url] Park in Dunedin

The Detroit Tigers at [url=http://www.officialbearsnflauthentic.com/authentic-kadeem-carey-jersey.html... Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland

The area also hosts four minor league baseball teams, all in the Class SingleA Florida State League. These teams all use stadiums also used by MLB teams for spring training. These teams are: