The Tampa Bay Rays are in need of a lot of upgrades in terms of facilities. They actually had the chance to land $35 million toward a new spring training facility but after the organization tweeted out against gun violence following the shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo, Florida governor Ron DeSantis is now punishing the Rays. He's vetoed legislation to stonewall the potential multi-million project, per Front Office Sports.
The Rays sent this message out after the killings in Texas and New York:
“We all deserve to be safe — in schools, grocery stores, places of worship, our neighborhoods, houses, and America,” the Rays tweeted. “The most recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde have shaken us to the core. The Tampa Bay Rays are mourning these heartbreaking tragedies that took the lives of innocent children and adults.”
Clearly, DeSantis was bothered by the Rays actually speaking out against the horrific shootings. But, he refused to admit that's why he wouldn't allow the franchise to receive the money.
On Friday, he said he eliminated the funding because “I don’t support giving taxpayer dollars to professional sports stadiums.”
Truly disgusting. The Rays also donated $50,000 to a gun reform society, which likely upset DeSantis even more. Tampa still needs funding from the state to build a new stadium though, with Ybor City and St. Petersburg emerging as potential destinations. If DeSantis has anything to say about it, he may just veto any possible moves again.
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