Could there really be something in the water? Why do we keep having these highly publicized, outlandishly unnecessary issues such as the controversy over the “Welcome To Tampa/ City of Champions” signs? When you say “Champions” and then you note: “Super Bowl,” “Stanley Cup” and “Arena Bowl,” isn’t it obvious what you’re getting at? Three Tampa-based franchises recently won championships (well, 2003-04).
But to throw the New York Yankees, who spring train here and are owned by the philanthropic, Tampa-residing George Steinbrenner, into the signage mix is beyond irrelevant. Historically, the Yankees have been baseball’s gold standard, but there’s a very good reason why they’ve been called the “Bronx Bombers” for nearly a century. And, frankly, it’s been a while since they’ve won a World Series. But they do have local signage; it’s all over the taxpayer-underwritten “Legends Field.”
This whole flap about including the Yankees should actually embarrass Steinbrenner, if not certain city council members. Especially Rose Ferlita, who has most vocally made the specious point that “the Yankees are the home team.”
Maybe the only relevant point is this: Ferlita, who is stepping down from city council, is already prepping for the county commission, where parochial, needlessly divisive and petty issues are routinely raised, if not venerated.