tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28 2012-02-12T17:10:58Z This blog is dedicated to understanding the business of sports and enhancing the enjoyment of the games, teams and athletes in South Florida and throughout the sporting world. Movable Type 3.36 tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.314632 2012-02-12T17:06:41Z 2012-02-12T17:10:58Z

BOCA RATON Success in golf tournaments center on the greens, and golf courses depend on maintaining a lush, green landscape. To do so stresses the enviroment. So the sport hasn’t been able to claim to be all that green in...

Craig Davis support BOCA RATON Success in golf tournaments center on the greens, and golf courses depend on maintaining a lush, green landscape. To do so stresses the enviroment. So the sport hasn’t been able to claim to be all that green in the that regard. Broken Sound Club and the Allianz Championship have undertaken an admirable effort to do something about that through various recycling energy conservation initiatives. The tournament and the club were lauded Saturday with a citation from the Golf Environment Council and a Florida state Senate proclamation praising their green energy initiatives. ]]> Broken Sound last year became the first among more then 1,100 Florida golf courses and the second in the United States to earn GEO certification, part of an effort that also includes this week's tournament. The club has also earned certification by the Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary. The Allianz has set a goal of reducing waste from 50 tons last year to zero. “We are striving to be the greenest golf tournament on the Champions Tour,” said tournament director Ryan Dillon. “This is not a light undertaking at all. We’re not just doing this to get P.R. out of it. “What we’re trying to do here is teach the golf world that you can do this without having raised costs that are going to take away from our charity. It can be done. We can streamline operations. It’s now becoming economically viable to be more efficient and more green without taking away from the golf tournament or the charity dollars.” To that end the tournament partnered with the Smart Group, an organization of ecologists, scientists, educators, and academic researchers who help clients make sound decisions about environmental management. To keep The Old Course green, an environmentally “green,” all irrigation is done with reclaimed waste water. “It is performing a community and environmental service because this final treament of waste water is happening on the golf course. There is nothing nasty in the water that we’re irrigating with. It just that it has some elevated nutrients, which of course the grass does very well with” said Russ Bodie, a scientist with the Smart Group. Broken Sound composts all clippings and food waste, and uses it as fertilizer on the course. “I talked to the superintendent, and it looks like they’re going to be able to reduce their fertilizer budget and fertilizer use by about 30 percent,” Bodie said. “Not only are they taking something normally sent to the landfill, they’re using as fertilizer on the golf course. “A lot of the power for the generators is bio diesel which is generated from used cooking oil from restaurants in the area.” About 65 percent of the food served at the Allianz was produced in South Florida. All of the plates and utensils are plant-based and recyclable. Even the signs are made from recycled material and will be recycled. Dillon said the goal is to send no waste from the tournament to the landfill, and to expand the effort in future years. “Everything looks pretty much the same. Underneath the skin of everything it is compeletly different, from the plates to the forks and knives and napkins. Everything was made from recycled material and is going to be re-recycled,” Dillon said. “We’re minimizing our carbon footprint as an event, because it is very vast. But we’re working with our vendors to try to minimize that.” A notable first step for a South Florida club and tournament, the hope is it will fit in with a greater effort around the world. The Golf Environment Organization is attempting to mobilize 50 million golfers and 35,000 golf courses around the world to make the sport environmentally sustainable by 2020. “Golf must take advantage of its popularity to be a catalyst for re-educating its spectator following about the importance of good environmental stewardship,” said Ralph Avallone, president of the Green Energy Council. “More courses across the land must follow suit.” tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.314483 2012-02-08T17:01:20Z 2012-02-08T17:23:10Z

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Craig Davis support

The Marlins are weeks away from playing their first games in Marlins Park, but PlayStation offered the first animated look Wednesday on how it will look in game action with the stands full of fans with a sneak peek of MLB 12 The Show. The graphics are excellent, and the trailer, just over a minute long, offers a glimpse of the unique features of the park, including fish swimming in the tanks behind the plate and the home run extravaganza going off with jumping marlins, flying gulls and lights flashing. ]]> On the PlayStation blog, Jody Kelsey, senior producer for the game, wrote: “Before we could add this new ballpark to MLB 12 The Show, we had to gather as much information as possible in order to faithfully recreate every inch of this stadium exactly as it stands in Miami. “Project Coordinator Jennifer Kacizak and Environment Artist Anton Napierala each started compiling blueprints, architectural concept models, and other data (thanks to our friends at MLB and the Marlins front office) of the ballpark which allowed us to get the shell or skeleton of the stadium in place. From there, more information was found via reference photos and even live online video streams. From all of this combined reference material, we’re able to bring the Marlins new home to life in MLB 12 The Show.” The video shows the Marlins in their new home whites against the Phillies. It’s a day game with the roof open. Must be very early in the season. tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.314414 2012-02-07T18:51:42Z 2012-02-07T19:19:31Z

Success in the NFL can be a burden. That is, when it becomes necessary to unload the mansion that seemed like a good idea when the big bucks started to roll in. As a Super Bowl special, Realtor.com last...

Craig Davis support Success in the NFL can be a burden. That is, when it becomes necessary to unload the mansion that seemed like a good idea when the big bucks started to roll in. As a Super Bowl special, Realtor.com last week featured 13 mega-homes that NFL figures are attempting to sell, some significantly marked down from their purchase price or original listing. Curiously, the list of owners included a dozen players and former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano. ]]> Sparano’s five-bedroom, six-bathroom manse (pictured above) in Davie’s Stonebrook Estates went on the market in October after the Dolphins’ started 0-6. Sparano said he and his wife were simply looking to downsize and move closer to the beach. They will have to do so in a colder climate now that he has moved on to the New York Jets as offensive coordinator. The need to relocate has prompted a reduction of more than $100,000 from the original asking price of $1.499 million. Take a photo tour Sparano’s digs here. The “Baker’s Dozen of NFL Luxury Homes” on realtor.com includes players with 16 Super Bowl titles and 21 total appearances. Joe Montana is seeking a buyer for his $35 million estate in Napa Valley. The handy mortgage calculator estimates a monthly payment of about $109,000. Pretty steep for a villa with only three bedrooms, but it has a skeet-shooting range, olive farm and equestrian stable. Troy Aikman is newly divorced and looking to part with his $24 million Texas estate. Terry Bradshaw, with four Super Bowl rings, has three Florida properties for sale, including a $1.4 million villa in a golf community near Bradenton. Deion Sanders has two Texas homes on the market, a 29,000-square-foot “Ultimate Party and Family Ranch” as well as a $7.5 million Dallas penthouse. Former Seahawks tackle Walter Jones is selling his expansive property in Huntsville, Ala., that features a full-size football field. TopTenRealEstateDeals.com is another place to peek inside the lives of the rich and famous. No. 1 on this week’s real estate hot list is Tom Brady’s Boston townhouse for sale for $10.5 million. According to the site, Tom and Gisele are selling it because they just completed construction on a $20 million, 22,000 square foot mansion in Los Angeles with eight bedrooms, two wings connected by a covered bridge, a weight room, wine cellar, and a lagoon-shaped swimming pool. Wonder how long before that turns up on the market. One NFL figure who could afford it is Eli Manning, whose marketability will soar since he bested Brady for his second Super Bowl ring and MVP trophy. Photo: Tony Sparano's house from the listing on Realtor.com ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.314282 2012-02-03T20:46:55Z 2012-02-03T21:06:55Z

The measure of the magnitude the Super Bowl has become as a cultural event is that the hype for the game is matched by the hype for the commercials that will air during the game. For some the anticipation...

Craig Davis support The measure of the magnitude the Super Bowl has become as a cultural event is that the hype for the game is matched by the hype for the commercials that will air during the game. For some the anticipation of the ads tops that for the game. Viewers who normally reach for he mute button during commercials view the Super Bowl ads as a big part of the show. In the social media age, it isn’t even necessary to wait for them. Many that will make their television debut Sunday during Super Bowl XLVI have been playing for weeks on YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere on the Web. (See lineup of this year’s ads after the jump.) ]]> Superbowl-ads.com. The site also has videos of all the Super Bowl ads from the past 14 years. Here is the advertising lineup for Sunday, according to Superbowl-ads.com: Pregame :30 Century 21 (2) :30 Relativity Media “Act of Valor” :30 Hyundai “Victory Lap” :30 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec: Faster Acting :30 Sony Pictures “21 Jump Street” :30 Sony Pictures “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengance” :30 Lionsgate “The Hunger Games” :30 Downy Unstopables “Amy Sedaris and Mean Joe Greene” Coin Toss Kickoff :60 Hyundai “All for One – Workers sing Rocky theme” 1st Quarter :30 Budweiser Platinum “Factory” :30 Budweiser Platinum “Work” :60 Audi “#SoLongVampires” :30 Hyundai “Cheetah” :30 Mars M&M’s “Ms. Brown” :30 Walt Disney “John Carter” :30 Coca-Cola “Superstition” :30 Lexus “The Beast” :30 Best Buy “Inventors” :45 General Electric “Power and Beer” 2nd Quarter :30 Cars.com :60 Budweiser “Clydesdales – Return of the King” :30 Teleflora “Adriana Lima – Valentines” :30 H&M “David Beckham” :60 Coca-Cola “The Catch” :30 Hulu “Will Arnett – TV Star” 2 min warning end of first half :30 Sketchers “Mr. Quiggly” :30 Bud Light “Use Shazam app for free song” Half-Time Show Sponsored by Bridgestone :30 Bridgestone “Time to Perform” 3rd Quarter :60 Volkswagen “The Dog Strikes Back” – “The Bark Side” Teaser :30 Century 21 :30 Dannon Yogurt :60 Budweiser “Eternal Optimism” :30 Toyota “Reinvented” :60 Acura “Transactions” :45 General Electric “Something Big” 4th Quarter :60 Kia “Drive the Dream” :30 Hyundai “Think Fast” :60 Honda CR-V “Leap List” :30 Relativity Media “Act of Valor” :30 Bud Light “Here Weego – Rescue Dog” :60 Samsung “Galaxy Note” Postgame :30 Relativity Media “Act of Valor” First Half :30 Go Daddy “The Cloud” :30 Lexus Second Half :30 Go Daddy “Body Paint” Schedule Undisclosed TaxACT “Feel the Free” Doritos :30 Cadillac “Green Hell” :60 Chevy Sonic “Stunt Anthem – We Are Young” :30 Chevy Sonic “Joy” :30 Chevy Volt “Aliens” :60 Suzuki “Sled” :30 CareerBuilder “Business Trip” :30 History “Swamp People” :30 Etrade “Talking Baby – Fatherhood” :60 Pepsi “THE X FACTOR Winner” :30 Pepsi “Pepsi MAX – Regis Philbin” :30 Paramount Pictures “The Dictator” :30 Paramount Pictures “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” :30 Universal Pictures “Battleship” or “The Lorax” ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.314195 2012-02-01T22:50:17Z 2012-02-01T23:06:02Z

ESPN had LeBron and The Decision. Now the MLB Network hopes to captivate a national audience by featuring another Miami-bound free-agent acquisition in The Haircut. The all-baseball, all-the-time network obviously has a lot of airtime to fill during the...

Craig Davis support ESPN had LeBron and The Decision. Now the MLB Network hopes to captivate a national audience by featuring another Miami-bound free-agent acquisition in The Haircut. The all-baseball, all-the-time network obviously has a lot of airtime to fill during the offseason, and they will devote some of it to new Marlin Jose Reyes having his dreadlocks cut Friday at 6 p.m. ]]> Photo: Jose Reyes won't be sporting dreadlocks once the games start for real. (Craig Davis, Sun Sentinel) ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.314192 2012-02-01T22:15:26Z 2012-02-01T22:27:18Z

Those looking to score tickets for Opening Night at Marlins Park without committing to a partial- or full-season plan can register for a lottery through Feb. 20 at marlins.com/openingnight After that date, fans will be selected at random based on...

Craig Davis support Those looking to score tickets for Opening Night at Marlins Park without committing to a partial- or full-season plan can register for a lottery through Feb. 20 at marlins.com/openingnight After that date, fans will be selected at random based on available inventory for the opportunity to purchase two tickets to the April 4 opener against the Cardinals. Those selected will be notified by February 28. Tickets for Yankees exhibitions available Feb. 18 It was also announced that individual tickets for the two exhibitions against the Yankees at Marlins Park will go on sale Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. There will be 25,000 tickets for the April 1 game on April 1 (1:10 p.m.) and 30,000 for the April 2 game (7:10 p.m.). ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313991 2012-01-29T18:33:49Z 2012-01-29T20:18:51Z

MIAMI A fan exiting Marlins Park after Saturday’s Select-a-Seat tour as I was heading up the ramp noticed my camera. “Take a lot of pictures,” he said. “This is the most incredible structure I’ve ever seen.” Maybe he was...

Craig Davis support MIAMI A fan exiting Marlins Park after Saturday’s Select-a-Seat tour as I was heading up the ramp noticed my camera. “Take a lot of pictures,” he said. “This is the most incredible structure I’ve ever seen.” Maybe he was David Samson’s uncle. Unlikely -- he was a lot taller. What is clear is the Marlins couldn’t script more effective advertising than simply opening the gate and letting fans see for themselves. ]]> While fans were buying tickets, I was snapping photos from various vantage points. You can view some of them in this PHOTO GALLERY. I’ve been on several tours of the park, but this was the first time I’ve had a chance to see fans react to it. Those we weren’t in line to discuss ticket packages were in the stands staring at the field in apparent wonderment. “We had already purchased our tickets just based on the pictures. Then I walked in here [Saturday] and I was blown away,” said Dave Lareau, of Hollywood, who along with friend Charlie Caravella purchased a 20-game plan in right field. “Awesome. We finally have our own baseball stadium.” (Caravella and Lareau, left to right, in above photo) It looked more like it than on my previous visits now that the field has been graded and infield dirt placed. They sod will be laid this week. The first exhibition games will be played in just over five weeks. “It exceeds expectations,” Caravella said, and noted that the open concourse keeps the field in view at all times as you move around the field or in line at a concession stand. “The city view is nice to see from behind home plate looking out to the city.” At the center of that view is the controversial home run feature in center field that has already been the focus of much ridicule. It is the embodiment of the tacky Floridana schlock shop with flowers, flamingos and palm trees. When a marlin hits a home run, fish will leap, gulls will soar and lights will flash. It is being called a monstrosity, an eyesore and worse. It is bizarre. I suspect it will become oddly endearing once Mike Stanton and LoMo begin pumping homers into the seats. Imagine the jolt it will have to the psyche of the opposing pitcher. “Maybe a little too art deco. But it gives character, I guess,” Caravella said. Lareau said: “When they first unveiled the new logo, we were like, ‘How ugly can that be? Geez, what the heck do they think Miami is.’ But it’s growing on me. Every time I see it now, more and more I like it.” He glanced toward the home run feature, and added, “That was a little too wild, though.” My view: Be a sourpuss, if you want, about the kitschy logo, colors and wacky home run celebration. Grumble about the shady maneuvering to obtain public money to build the ballpark, it’s valid. Be skeptical about traffic flow and parking. But the Marlins are on the threshold of being fun for the first time in their history, except for those two World Series runs. That is, fun on a nightly basis, no matter how soupy and miserable it is outside the dome. So cue the flamingos and jumping fish and let it whirl. Marlins fans finally have reason to smile. Provided, that is, as Lareau, pointed out: “The reality is they can pretty this up as much as they want. Until we get a winning ball team … They did do a really nice job this [offseason]. I’m really happy with some of the moves they’ve made.” One observation: Five weeks to “Play ball” there is still a lot of work to be done. Perhaps they’ll bring in Robert Irvine from “Restaurant Impossible” to whip it into shape in the final two days. Photos: Inside Marlins Park at Select-a-Seat tour on Jan. 28. (Craig Davis, Sun Sentinel) ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313963 2012-01-27T21:44:58Z 2012-01-30T20:56:06Z

Broward County was a focal point for the most recent Super Bowl in South Florida, in 2010. It could be a fringe player in the next bid to bring it back. The Dolphins will join with the South Florida Super...

Craig Davis support Broward County was a focal point for the most recent Super Bowl in South Florida, in 2010. It could be a fringe player in the next bid to bring it back. The Dolphins will join with the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee in the 50th anniversary championship game in 2016. Mike Dee, CEO of the Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, said this week that it has yet to be determined if the bid will be a regional effort, as in 2010, or a Miami-Dade initiative. “That doesn’t mean Broward and Palm Beach counties don’t benefit from people who are coming here for the game. But in terms of NFL-sanctioned events and functions and where teams stay and where the epicenter of the event is, should that be Miami-Dade or should it be as it was in 2010. We’ve got to figure that out,” Dee said. Significant upgrades are needed to keep Sun Life Stadium a viable Super Bowl site. Dee pointed out that Broward's opposition scuttled the Dolphins' latest bid for tourism funds for stadium improvements despite the economic benefit the county received in the last Super Bowl. Though economic impact estimates of hosting the Super Bowl is hotly debated, it was documented that the 2010 game generated more direct spending in Broward than in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties combined. It was the first of the 10 Super Bowls in South Florida that Broward was host for the NFL headquarters and Super Bowl media center. One of the team hotels was in a Fort Lauderdale, as were several media hotels. Despite South Florida hosting more Super Bowls than any other region (New Orleans will host its 10th in 2013), there is much uncertainty about when the game will return. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made it clear that improvements are needed to ensure Sun Life Stadium remains a viable site. Last year the Dolphins sought hotel tax revenue from Broward and Miami-Dade via state legislation to help fund about $200 million in stadium renovations. Broward County Commissioners, who would have had to grant approval, expressed vehement opposition, using terms like “vile” and “shameful.” The measure failed. The 2016 game also coincides with the Dolphins’ 50th anniversary, which gives the Dolphins extra motivation for hosting it. “This is not your ordinary Super Bowl. It’s going to be a commemorative edition with a lot of special events and nostalgia,” Dee said. “We have a reputation. We have the history and tradition and know-how to put on big-time events. What we have to make sure is we don’t have a facility that falls below the minimum standard that is required to continue to host them.” The Dolphins are revising their master plan of needs for upgrading the stadium, not only to keep it in the rotation for Super Bowls and BCS Championship games but to meet the needs of the Dolphins for the next generation. They are not currently seeking public money for renovations, but it will come. Dee said that the team is at the debt limit allowed by the NFL due to stadium improvements in 2007. “Super Bowls are awarded to communities, not to teams or franchises,” Dee said. “We’ll make the decision as a community as to whether or not we believe that Super Bowls and BCS Championships are important. “If the community decides it’s important, we would love to partner with the community to make sure we have a best-in-class facility that enables us to compete over the long haul to get those events. If the community decides it’s not important, we’ll do our best with what we have to continue to get them.” tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313944 2012-01-27T18:00:00Z 2012-01-27T20:14:55Z

The Dolphins built an iconic reputation on the 1972 Perfect Season and names like Shula, Csonka and Marino. In recent years they’ve become more often associated with failure on the field and mocked for accumulating celebrity minority owners in...

Craig Davis support The Dolphins built an iconic reputation on the 1972 Perfect Season and names like Shula, Csonka and Marino. In recent years they’ve become more often associated with failure on the field and mocked for accumulating celebrity minority owners in lieu of playoff victories. Asked this week about the franchise’s tarnished image, Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said that success on the field would restore the luster. ]]> Photo: Tyrone Culver, left, and Nate Garner were among several Dolphins players who helped with renovation on the Hollywood home of Navy veteran Leslye Lea and her family. (Courtesy Miami Dolphins) ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313849 2012-01-25T20:58:52Z 2012-01-25T21:02:48Z

The NFL will have a different tailor next season. It remains to be seen whether players will look radically different in their new Nike threads. There has been speculation, since Nike wrestled the role of uniform provider away from...

Craig Davis support The NFL will have a different tailor next season. It remains to be seen whether players will look radically different in their new Nike threads. There has been speculation, since Nike wrestled the role of uniform provider away from Reebok more than a year ago, that NFL teams will resemble something out of a bizarre video game. Or the other-world look of the Oregon Ducks. Nike brand president Charlie Denson fueled that expectation in an interview with CNBC soon after the five-year deal with the NFL was announced in late 2010, saying, “We plan on changing the NFL jersey dramatically just like we’ve done with the college programs.” ]]> ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313770 2012-01-24T20:57:37Z 2012-01-24T22:32:07Z

It’s New Year’s all over again for the Heat in Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers. The Heat, who already played on Christmas and Jan. 1 this season, will take part in a league-wide observance of Chinese New Year’s. The...

Craig Davis support It’s New Year’s all over again for the Heat in Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers. The Heat, who already played on Christmas and Jan. 1 this season, will take part in a league-wide observance of Chinese New Year’s. The game will be televised in China. To help usher in the Year of the Dragon, fans arriving at AmericanAirlines Arena will be greeted by a Chinese New Year message, and courtside advertising will be in Mandarin for several sponsors, including Chinese companies Peak and Tsingtao beer, the latter a new Heat partner. Heat Dancers will incorporate Chinese dance into their routines. ]]> Photo: Dwyane Wade is one of many NBA stars who have promoted the NBA and various sponsors in China and become well-known to millions of basketball fans there. (Getty Images)]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313718 2012-01-23T21:42:32Z 2012-01-23T22:06:34Z

Get ready for the five interlocking Olympic rings to jump out of the television and into your living room. The London 2012 Olympic Games are going to be broadcast in 3D. NBC and Panasonic have partnered to provide extensive...

Craig Davis support Get ready for the five interlocking Olympic rings to jump out of the television and into your living room. The London 2012 Olympic Games are going to be broadcast in 3D. NBC and Panasonic have partnered to provide extensive 3D coverage to all U.S. distributors that offer Olympic coverage via cable, satellite and telco. Olympic Broadcasting Services will produce more than 200 hours of 3D coverage, which will be shown on next-day delay. The 3D focus will be on at least a dozen sports, including gymnastics, track-and-field, diving and swimming, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. ]]> Photo: 3D television was a big attraction at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show this month in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Reuters) ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313592 2012-01-20T17:33:26Z 2012-01-20T17:44:09Z

That may look like Lebron under the big shades and ‘fro, but for this weekend he’s Clarence “Shonuff” McGee, who rocks out to Marvin Gaye on the 8-track in his Plymouth Barracuda on the way to games. The Heat...

Craig Davis support That may look like Lebron under the big shades and ‘fro, but for this weekend he’s Clarence “Shonuff” McGee, who rocks out to Marvin Gaye on the 8-track in his Plymouth Barracuda on the way to games. The Heat are taking their game back to the days of big hair and disco as part of the NBA’s Hardwood Classics Nights and will masquerade as the 1971-72 Miami Floridians for Saturday’s game against Philadelphia and Sunday against Milwaukee at AmericanAirlines Arena. To get into the spirit, Heat players adopted persona of ’70s ABA stars for a promotional photo and video shoot. ]]> photo gallery of all the Heat players as Floridians. “This big hair is not made for my body. But it makes me feel like somebody else. I’m smooth, I’m cool and I’m still handsome,” Wade says on the video before tossing off the wig. The Heat also played throwback games in 2005-06 as the Floridians, who performed with the ABA’s red, white and blue ball from 1968-72. As part of that promotion, the team arrived at the arena in a ‘70s-style tour bus. “For this year we really wanted to focus on the personality of the guys and let them show us what they thought it would be like if they were players in the ’70s,” said Michael McCullough, the Heat’s chief marketing officer. “The guys really got into it.” Fans are encouraged to dress in their funkiest 1970’s fashions to add to the vibe. Player introductions will feature a video of the players rocking their throwback costumes to KC and The Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight,” sung by South Florida native Harry Wayne Casey. The Heat will play six games as the Floridians. The others are: Feb. 5 vs. Toronto, Feb. 7 vs. Cleveland, March 6 vs. New Jersey and March 7 vs. Atlanta. Floridian player placards will be distributed at each of the games. Naturally, there is a commercial aspect to the promotion. Limited edition Floridians jerseys will be on sale at the arena as well as the Heat’s store at the Dolphin Mall and at MiamiHoopsGear.com. Photos: Courtesy of Miami Heat ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313539 2012-01-19T18:22:15Z 2012-01-19T18:23:17Z

The Marlins will begin selling tickets for spring training games at Jupiter’s Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Marlins.com. The spring home schedule opens March 6 with a split-squad game in Jupiter (1:05 p.m.) against Detroit followed...

Craig Davis support The Marlins will begin selling tickets for spring training games at Jupiter’s Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Marlins.com. The spring home schedule opens March 6 with a split-squad game in Jupiter (1:05 p.m.) against Detroit followed by a 7:10 p.m. exhibition at the new retractable-roof park in Miami against the University of Miami. The Marlins will play in their new Little Havana home the following night against Florida International. The games against UM and FIU are planned as soft openings for the park with about 10,000 and 15,000 tickets, respectively, to be made available. Tickets for those two games will go on sale Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. on Marlins.com. SpringTrainingOnline.com. Here is the Marlins’ home spring schedule: Site Date Opponent Time Jupiter Tue, Mar 6 Detroit Tigers 1:05 pm Miami Tue, Mar 6 University of Miami 7:10 pm Jupiter Wed, Mar 7 New York Mets 1:05 pm Miami Wed, Mar 7 Florida International 7:10 pm Jupiter Fri, Mar 9 Washington Nationals 7:05 pm Jupiter Sat, Mar 10 St. Louis Cardinals 1:05 pm Jupiter Tue, Mar 13 Atlanta Braves 1:05 pm Jupiter Thu, Mar 15 New York Mets 1:05 pm Jupiter Sat, Mar 17 Minnesota Twins 1:05 pm Jupiter Mon, Mar 19 Houston Astros 1:05 pm Jupiter Tue, Mar 20 Tampa Bay Rays 1:05 pm Jupiter Fri, Mar 23 St. Louis Cardinals 1:05 pm Jupiter Sat, Mar 24 Boston Red Sox 1:05 pm Jupiter Tue, Mar 27 Washington Nationals 1:05 pm Jupiter Thu, Mar 29 St. Louis Cardinals 1:05 pm Jupiter Sat, Mar 31 New York Mets 1:05 pm Miami Sun, Apr 1 New York Yankees 1:10 pm Miami Mon, Apr 2 New York Yankees 7:10 pm ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2012:/sports/custom/business/blog//28.313484 2012-01-18T20:19:51Z 2012-01-18T20:31:05Z

Fans attending Thursday’s Heat game against the Lakers will have a chance to join the team in getting back to its Back in Black mode. The Heat will distribute 20,000 Back in Black T-shirts at AmericanAirlines Arena. The promotion will...

Craig Davis support Fans attending Thursday’s Heat game against the Lakers will have a chance to join the team in getting back to its Back in Black mode. The Heat will distribute 20,000 Back in Black T-shirts at AmericanAirlines Arena. The promotion will sync with the Heat unveiling at special Back in Black uniform that will be worn Thursday and at five other games this season. The all-black uniform with modest white trim is a tribute to the genesis of the team’s nationally recognized color-themed playoff campaigns. The Heat began in 2004 using color as a unifying symbol among fans, encouraging fans to wear a specific color to the team’s playoff games to enhance home-court advantage and give fans an active role during the playoffs. Back in Black was the theme that season followed, by “red-dy” That season, Black was introduced in the “Back in Black” playoffs. They used the Red Zone in the 2005 playoffs. They used “White Hot” in the championship and championship-defense seasons of 2005-06 and 2006-07., and again last season in the run to the NBA Finals. Back In Black was revived for the 2009 and 2010 playoff runs. “The color-themed playoffs have become part of the culture of South Florida and we’re happy to have a uniform that reflects the significance of these playoff campaigns,” said Michael McCullough, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of The HEAT Group. “To that end, we encourage all Heat fans to wear black [Thursday] as well as the other Back In Black games this season.” Other dates: Jan. 29 vs. Chicago; Feb. 19 vs. Orlando; Feb. 23 vs. New York; March 29 vs. Dallas; and April 10 vs. Boston. Thursday, the Heat will debut a new player introduction video amid the backdrop of AC/DC’s 1980’s hit “Back In Black,” and will feature a local duo, Sons of MyStro, adding live violins to the track. Sons of MyStro, brothers Malcolm and Umoja McNeish, ages 19 and 17, use their classical violin training and talents to play contemporary music. Sons of MyStro will perform during the introduction sequence. The Back In Black video will air before each of the Back in Black games. Tickets for Thursday are still available at Heat.com. The Back In Black uniform is available for purchase at both Miami Hoops Gear locations at the AmericanAirlines Arena and Dolphin Mall as well as at MiamiHoopsGear.com. ]]>