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THE AUDIBLE COMMENTARY

Reds fans blue about spring in the desert

> Send us your thoughts on the Reds' potential move

By Hal McCoy

Staff Writer

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Goodyear makes nice, round tires, but judging from reactions, even though Goodyear, Ariz., has nothing to do with tires, Cincinnati Reds fans may be switching to Firestone and Michelin.

Even my wife, Nadine, is disturbed that the Reds may move their spring training site from Sarasota, Fla., to Goodyear.

Extras

"I like the beach," she said. "I'd miss the beach."

I told her Arizona has nothing but beach — sand everywhere. It just doesn't have the water.

E-mails tell me that fans are upset about the prospects of the Reds moving west. Many take their vacations in Florida to coincide with spring training. Many own condominiums in and around Sarasota. The parking lots at the ballpark, the mini-marts and the Olive Garden are stuffed with cars bearing Ohio license plates.

They cite the extra costs of getting to Arizona. Most fans drive to Florida, but the drive to Arizona would consume enough gas to pay for a week's lodging in Florida with enough left over for a Haagen-Dazs.

Personally, I fret over the three-hour time difference. A game starting at 7 p.m. desert time would be 10 p.m. Dayton time and I couldn't get a story in before deadline.

Isn't one of the major reasons for spring training to coax interest from fans who buy tickets during the regular season? Oh, yeah. Forgot. The business side. A new stadium means corporate boxes and big bucks — just like at home in Great American Ball Park.

See ya in Arizona. Bring snake bite medicine.

Contact this reporter

at hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews.com.

The Cincinnati Reds are negotiating to take their spring training game elsewhere, and we want your spin on that.

Home sweet Sarasota, Fla., might be bumped for Goodyear, Ariz., by 2010. We want to know if that's a possible hit with fans, or a Reds error. E-mail your comments to sports@DaytonDailyNews.com

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