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Rays Fan Heckles Owner With Sign, Yelling During First Game in Temporary Stadium

Stu Sternberg has owned the Tampa Bay Rays since 2005.

Mike Kadlick

The Rays are a mess right now.
The Rays are a mess right now. / Screenshot via @EvanDrellich on X.
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Tampa Bay Rays fans are not happy with owner Stu Sternberg right now.

The Rays are being forced to play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field this season due to significant roof damage at Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton, and it looked like the team was finally gaining momentum toward building a new stadium—until Sternberg scrapped the plans earlier this month.

"After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment," he said in a statement. "A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision."

For nearly two decades, fans have longed for a new facility to watch the Rays play in and have grown frustrated with the team's ownership. One fan made his feelings known at Friday's game in Tampa. During their opener against the Rockies, the fan in the video below took it upon himself to heckle Sternberg from the crowd, holding up a sign that read "$ELL" on one side and "$ELL STU" on the other while loudly calling for him to sell the team.

Here's a look at the clip:

Sternberg didn't look too pleased.

On a lighter note, the Rays opened up their 2025 season with a win on Friday, and they did so in dramatic fashion. With the game tied at two in the bottom of the ninth, outfielder Kameron Minser hit a walk-off home run to deep right field, leading Tampa Bay to a 3-2 victory over Colorado.

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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.

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