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Letter to the editor

Placing third causes rumble at Rays game

A couple in a costume contest lose out on a trip to New York.

By STEPHANIE GARRY
Published July 12, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Special to the Times] Christine Sullivan and Bob Phibbs took third place with their I Love Lucy costumes. Your call: Rate their photo

ST. PETERSBURG - Christine Sullivan and Bob Phibbs stood on Tropicana Field before thousands of fans, dressed in white rumba costumes with frilly rainbow trim, based on an episode of I Love Lucy.

Sullivan felt sure they would win. Their costumes were great, planned down to the details, like the $50 I Love Lucy poster and the bongo drum Phibbs, 40, had made himself.

But an audience applause meter put them in third place at the June 23 game. First prize - a trip to New York to see the Yankees and a Broadway show - went to a woman in a pink sweater and her son.

Sullivan, a 53-year-old legal assistant, wasn't just disappointed. She was mad. She and her husband believe the other contestants didn't follow the rules and should have been disqualified.

They told the Devil Rays as much. Sullivan said a staff member at the game explained, "They gave it to the kid."

"That bugged me the most," Sullivan said. "Next year, I'll bring five little Rickies with me if that's what it'll take."

The couple, who describe themselves as avid Rays fans, say the other contestants weren't dressed as "'50s icons" as the rules required. Instead, they were dressed in generic period wear.

Last week Sullivan asked the Rays for a duplicate first-place prize, to make things right, she said.

The Devil Rays declined.

The contestants did follow the rules, the Rays said in a statement from spokesman Chris Costello. The winner was dressed as actor Sandra Dee. She was older than 18, a requirement in contest rules, and the official entrant.

"We understand their disappointment but hope they continue to be loyal and dedicated Rays fans," Costello wrote.

Furthermore, he added, the contest rules stated that the decision of the judges, "in their sole and absolute discretion," would be final.

tbt*/Tampa Bay Times, a free daily newspaper published by the St. Petersburg Times, was the promotional sponsor of the contest.

tbt* brand manager Kerry O'Reilly said paper picked the three finalists at the game that day based on photographs taken after contestants filled out the entry form. The Devils Rays took it from there, he said.

Sullivan and Phibbs did receive a runner-up package, which includes two tickets in the Whitney Bank Club at Tropicana Field, Don Zimmer's book and a Sha Na Na CD.

Originally from New York, the couple have been married for 10 years and have spent nearly as long entering contests together.

One year, they dressed up as Fartman, Howard Stern's flatulent superhero, and Robin Quivers, his radio co-host.

They've also been the duo from Dumb and Dumber, complete with a cardboard imitation of the dog groomer's van.

They plan to stick with the Rays, despite their disappointment.

"I was expecting to win," Sullivan said. "We felt we had great costumes."

Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Stephanie Garry can be reached at 727 893-2374 or sgarry@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 12, 2007, 09:50:32]