Of the major professional sports teams that are based in Miami,Florida, The Miami Dolphins were the first team to come into existence as they began playing in 1966. By 1972 everyone knew who The Dolphins were as they became the only National Football League team in The Super Bowl era to go undefeated for an entire season. Under the guidance of head coach Don Shula, The Dolphins were the epitome of success. Shula coached The Dolphins from 1970-1995 and the team only suffered two losing seasons which was highlighted by winning two Super Bowl Championships. From 1983-1999 Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino kept the fans of South Florida on the edge of their seats as he set numerous NFL passing records. Since Marino retired in 1999, The Dolphins have had 17 different starting quarterbacks with only one playoff victory to show for it. The Dolphins have called Sun Life Stadium in Miami home since 1987 and it is in need of some renovations. Recently The Florida Legislature didn’t make any concessions towards renovating Sun Life Stadium and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and team CEO Mike Dee are not willing to finance the project without some public funding. Both sides are at a standstill and the blame for this can be blamed on the team that once shared Sun Life Stadium with The Dolphins; The Miami Marlins.
The Marlins began playing in Major League Baseball in 1993. By 1997, The Marlins won their first World Series Championship, but team owner Wayne Huizenga slashed payroll after the season due to poor attendance. This happened once again after The Marlins won The World Series in 2003.
Current Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria cited this practice of The Marlins struggles to retain players to the fact that the team played their home games at Sun Life Stadium which was designed for football. Loria was somehow able to sucker The City of Miami along with Miami-Dade County into shelling out nearly $400 million in bonds. Marlins Park was then built on the site of the former Orange Bowl Stadium which The Dolphins called home from 1966-1986. Due to the $400 million in bonds that the county borrowed, the deal will cost taxpayers in South Florida over $2 billion.
Loria promised to put a contending team on the field when The Marlins moved into the new stadium at the start of the 2012 season. The Marlins opened the season with a payroll at $118 million as they a had a crew of All-Star caliber players led by shortstop Jose Reyes and third baseman Hanley Ramirez. By the end of the 2012 season, the majority of the players on The Marlins opening day roster were shipped out of town as the team finished in last place in The National League East.
The Marlins entered this season with a glorified minor league team and their record reflects that as they entered today with a record of 10-24 as they are currently in last place in The NL East. Marlins Park has a seating capacity of 37,000, but The Marlins are currently 27th in MLB attendance at 18,864 per game.
The fans and politicians alike in Miami believe that they were duped by Loria into agreeing to building a stadium that they will be paying for from now to eternity; especially when The Marlins only forked over $155 million for the stadium. Due to Loria’s shrewd move The Dolphins and any other professional sports team in Florida will now suffer.
At this point The Dolphins still have some leverage to get what they want. The City of Los Angeles is clamoring for an NFL team as it has been nearly two decades since The Raiders moved back to Oakland and The Rams departed for St. Louis. If Florida will not give The Dolphins what they want, Los Angeles would give The Dolphins a brand new stadium.
Ross wants the upgrades to the stadium as it will be the difference in The Dolphins hosting or not hosting future Super Bowls. The Dolphins are currently in the process of bidding on hosting Super Bowl 50, but without the upgrades to Sun Life Stadium it will be a mute point.
As far as sports go we live in a world where owners want to make money without spending money and all it takes is one desperate city to give that team what they want to make a move. We witnessed it in 1984 when Mayflower moving trucks moved The Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the wee hours of the morning. Colts owner Robert Irsay wanted a new stadium which The City of Baltimore was not willing to agree to. Nobody ever expected The Browns to leave Cleveland until it finally happened in 1996 as Baltimore gave Browns owner Art Modell the stadium that he wanted. As beautiful and glamorous as Los Angeles is, both The Rams and Raiders left in 1995 so we know that it could happen to Miami. This is a money driven society and whether it be Miami, Los Angeles, or any other city that is willing to spend, Ross and The Dolphins will ultimately get what they want.
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