Talalay: Dolphin Stadium switching from Coke to Pepsi
No coke. Pepsi.
Well, not yet. Dolphin Stadium is in the process of making the switch from Coke to Pepsi products, but this week there was a bit of schizophrenia at the Miami Gardens venue while the change was being made.
Soda taps at concession stands were still dispensing Coca Cola, but bottles of Aquafina, PepsiCo’s bottled water, were for sale. Marlins fans sitting in Founders seats received Pepsi products if they took advantage of in-seat ordering. Pepsi vending machines stood waiting to be installed. A Pepsi ad appeared on the team's Web site.
Dolphin Stadium officials were mum about the switch. “We’re not ready to make an announcement on our beverage partner,” Dolphins Enterprises spokesman George Torres said.
But a Coca-Cola spokeswoman said Coke no longer has the beverage pouring rights at the stadium. 
“We chose to our end relationship with the Dolphins,” said Susan Stribling, spokeswoman for Coca-Cola North America. But she quickly added the company still has a partnership with the Marlins, although not for pouring rights.
“Coca-Cola can associate with the Marlins on a local basis, local promotions, on radio stations,” she said.
A source said Pepsi is paying about $1.5 million a year, whereas Coke’s deal at Dolphin Stadium was about $800,000. Pepsi is an NFL sponsor but individual teams can negotiate their own beverage deals.
CRAIG DAVIS In more than 33 years at the Sun Sentinel, Craig Davis has written about a wide variety of sports topics from baseball to yachting, fishing to triathlons, and also worked as a copy editor and page designer. Recently he reported on local sports, including running, swimming, cycling, equestrian and beach volleyball. He enjoys sports as a participant as well as a spectator, is active in the South Florida running scene plays in the curling club at Saveology Iceplex. This blog offers a glimpse at the business side of sports in the interest of enhancing enjoyment of the games and sporting options as a spectator as well as a participant.