The one-year mark of Steve Ross taking control of the Dolphins from H. Wayne Huizenga didn’t pass quietly this week. Ross was overseas, but on Wednesday his stadium got its second new name of the year: Sun Life Stadium.

It’s been an eventful –- emphasis on the event -- year for Ross’ Dolphins and his stadium. Remember, it was Jan. 20, 2009 when Huizenga made sure the papers finalizing the $1.1 billion sale were signed just hours before President Barack Obama’s inauguration -- as something of a symbolic gesture in case Obama raised capital gains taxes.

Ross promised he’d jazz up the entertainment experience for fans at the stadium then called Dolphin Stadium. In May, he began that transformation signing a cash-less naming rights/marketing partnership with Jimmy Buffett’s Land Shark Lager for the 2009 season. The announcement came complete with a short Buffett concert, hundreds of Parrot Heads and a new version of Buffett’s hit Fins written specifically for the Dolphins. Bringing brand new meaning to “Fins to the Left…”

This week, the stadium got its second new name in a year – make that three, if you count the two weeks it reverted to Dolphin Stadium between the Orange Bowl on Jan. 5 and the Sun Life announcement on Wednesday.

So, a short by the numbers:

6 World Baseball Classic games: the stadium was host to round two games in March

6 limited partners: Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony (and by marriage his wife Jennifer Lopez), Venus and Serena Williams, Fergie. (Asked whether more limited partners could be brought on board, Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said, “I wouldn’t say it’s an active pursuit. We continue to keep an open mind toward additional partners. But it’s not a high priority.”)

2 stadium names: Land Shark, Sun LIfe

2 press conference concerts: Buffett’s to introduce Land Shark in May; KC & the Sunshine Band’s booty shaking serenade to introduce Sun Life on Wednesday. (Dee said KC wasn’t likely to become a limited partner, but “he could be a promotional partner.”)

1 new (much maligned) fight song: Can you forget T Pain’s autotune version of the old song?

1 new theme song: Buffett’s revamped Fins, which is played every time the team scores -- and then some. (Dee said Buffett’s song is here to stay. “What was important about the Land Shark involvement wasn’t necessarily the name on the building, but the vibe, if you will, in the stadium, the theme areas.”)

1 artist: Romero Britto’s neo pop art graces the helixes and gates at the stadium.

0 playoff appearances: Both the Dolphins and Marlins missed the postseason.

1 World Cup finalist site: The stadium was included this month among 18 in the U.S. bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

2 (at least) stadium dissings by the NFL: Both NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Senior Vice President of Special Events Frank Supovitz told the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee and community leaders the 23-year-old venue needs upgrades to keep it competitive with other stadiums across the country vying to host future Super Bowls.

Stay tuned….

Just in time to host the 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV, the Miami Dolphins reached a long-term agreement with a corporate naming rights partner to rename their multi-monikered home, Sun Life Stadium.

Sun Life Financial, a Toronto-based financial services and insurance company, has agreed to put its name on the Miami Gardens venue for at least five years.

Financial details weren’t disclosed, but a source said the deal is initially five years with multiple options that could stretch the deal to 20 years. The Dolphins are to receive roughly $5 million a year but that could rise to the $7 million range if the certain incentives occur, including securing another Super Bowl and team playoff appearances.

The Dolphins and Sun Life officials from the company’s U.S. headquarters in Wellesley, Mass., announced the deal on a stage on the field inside the stadium. A medley of songs about the sun, including Sheryl Crow’s Soak up the Sun, Smash Mouth’s Walking on the Sun and Katrina and the Waves’ Walking on Sunshine, helped introduce the name.

“Boy does it feel good under the sun,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said before sharing the name with invited season ticket holders, Super Bowl Host Committee officials and volunteers and students from American Heritage.

Sun Life officials said what attracted them to the Dolphins home stadium was that it is home to football, baseball, the Orange Bowl, Super Bowl and other events and exposes them to lots of new potential customers. It will also help the company overcome the fact that many people in the U.S. aren’t familiar with what they do.

“It really has been about building our brand in the United States," said Wes Thompson, president of Sun Life Financial U.S. "We’ve got great presence in Canada, great presence internationally, but we’ve really lacked brand presence in the U.S., as you’ve seen we’ve with our most recent commercials, our efforts are to really get our name out, so sooner or later you’ll know our name. This is another step in that journey to build our brand.”

And just as they have been doing in their recent advertising campaign launched in November, Sun Life Financial called on KC & the Sunshine Band to help spread the word about its brand. In the ad campaign, two Sun Life representatives try to convince KC to change his band’s name to the “Sun Life Band.” KC still hasn’t done that, but did perform a medley of Shake Your Booty and Get Down Tonight.

Sun Life also agreed to contribute $250,000 annually to the Dolphins Foundation and the team and Sun Life together established “Sun Life Miami Dolphins Haiti Relief Fund” with $200,000 and will match contributions made at sunlifestadium.com two to one.

Priscilla Brown, senior vice president and head of U.S. marketing for Sun Life, who attended the announcement, and Sun Life Financial President Jon A. Boscia, are no strangers to football stadium naming rights deals. Brown served as chief marketing and brand officer for Lincoln Financial Group, where Boscia was CEO. In 2002, Lincoln National Corp., struck the $139.6 million, 20-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to name the team’s new stadium Lincoln Financial Field.

Brown said what made the two deals different was the Lincoln Financial used the Eagles Stadium as a way to announce the company's entry into the Philadelphia market, but the Dolphins' stadium allows the company to make a statement both nationally and internationally.

"Here the primary objective was to make this really big given that we don’t have most of our employees in this area," Brown said. "We want to make sure people around the globe knew about it."

Dee said he didn't think the dollars from the Sun Life deal had been earmarked as yet, but were intended to be used to continue to build a winning franchise. He said he hoped the naming rights deal, which marks the first one in more than a decade that will generate revenue for the team, lasts well beyond the initial five-year term.

"We’ve made clear we want a partner for the long haul," Dee said. "We hope this is the last name this building ever has."

The Dolphins’ home venue, which opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium, has had a series of name changes. For the 2009 season it was known as Land Shark Stadium, after Dolphins owner Steve Ross struck a cash-less marketing deal with Jimmy Buffett’s Land Shark Lager. That deal was only through the 2009 season.

From 1996 to 2005, the stadium was named Pro Player after then-team owner H. Wayne Huizenga struck a deal with sports apparel maker Pro Player. In 1999, Pro Player’s parent company, Fruit of the Loom, filed for bankruptcy and the Pro Player brand was shuttered. The team regained the naming rights in 2000, but never struck a new corporate deal. The stadium was called Dolphins Stadium in 2005; the ‘s’ was dropped in 2006. The Land Shark deal was announced last May.

Thompson said he hopes the lack of a consistent name for the stadium helps fans remember the Sun Life Stadium name going forward.

“In a sense no one’s established a beachhead because of that," Thompson said. "It’s not as if we have to fight a 20-year nomenclature of any type that may have existed before. So we kind of view that as an advantage for us, and we are in this for the long term per the agreement we have with the Dolphins.”

Here’s the stadium name chronology:

Aug. 16, 1987-Aug. 25, 1996: Joe Robbie Stadium
Aug. 26-Sept. 9, 1996: Pro Player Park
Sept. 10, 1996-Jan. 9, 2005: Pro Player Stadium
Jan. 10, 2005-April 7, 2006: Dolphins Stadium
April 8, 2006-May 7, 2009: Dolphin Stadium
May 8, 2009-Jan. 5, 2010: Land Shark Stadium
Jan. 6, 2010-Jan. 19: Dolphin Stadium
Jan. 20, 2010: Sun Life Stadium

Watch a video from the announcement here:

The Miami Dolphins are auctioning off those orange jerseys their players wore in the Monday Night victory over the New York Jets at Dolphin (it was Land Shark then, in case you’re keeping track) Stadium.

Jerseys for 31 players are on auction until Wednesday at miamidolphins.com. Some are already running more than $1,000. As of this posting, quarterback Chad Henne’s is more than $4,000. Proceeds will benefit the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. .

“This was only the third time in team history that our team wore orange jerseys,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said in a statement. “The game was an electric night and exciting contest for all of our fans.”

The end of the decade also corresponds with my first decade as the Sun Sentinel’s sports business writer. When I first got the job in September 1999, people would congratulate me and then ask: “What are you going to do with the rest of your time?” As if this somehow wasn’t a full-time job!?

Just in case those people are still wondering what I do with my time, here’s my $2 added to the end of the decade lists with a by the numbers sampling of South Florida sports business stories. (Disclaimer -- this does not purport to be a full or complete list):

5 NEW TEAM OWNERS: Alan P. Cohen and his group bought the Panthers from H. Wayne Huizenga in 2001. Jeffrey Loria took ownership of the Marlins from John W. Henry (by way of Major League Baseball) in 2002. Steve Ross completed his purchase of the Dolphins from Huizenga in 2009. And Cohen’s partners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel (I’m counting them as two) took over majority ownership of the Panthers this fall.

5 (at least) TEAM MOVES: The Heat moved to AmericanAirlines Arena in 2000. Hurricanes football moved to Dolphin Stadium in 2008. FAU moved from Dolphin Stadium to Lockhart Stadium. FIU football moved into a new stadium. The Baltimore Orioles ended their spring training run at Fort Lauderdale Stadium and are moving to Sarasota next year.

10 (and counting...) TEAMS LOST: Miami Fusion (Major League Soccer); Miami Sol (WNBA); Miami Tropics (Spring Football League); Miami Manatees (minor league hockey); Florida Bobcats (AFL); Florida Pitbulls (ABA); Miami Morays, Palm Beach Phantoms and Florida Frenzy (all of the National Indoor Football League); Miami Diamantes (baseball); and others too numerous to count…

2 VENUES BUILT: UM opened BankUnited Center in 2003; FIU opened its new football stadium in 2008.

2 TORN DOWN: Both the Orange Bowl and Miami Arena came down in 2008.

4 TEAMS STARTED (and still exist in some form): Miami FC (soccer), Miami Caliente (Lingerie Football League); Miami Fury and Palm Beach Punishers of the Independent Women’s Football League.

NAME CHANGES get their own section: In 2001, Sports & Sponsorships President Scott Becher was more prophetic than he might have imagined when he told me this for a story about the golf tournament at Doral changing its name to Genuity:

"You're going to start to see names change for a second and a third time," Becher said. "I think by and large, fans get it, but from the sponsor's standpoint, it's like buying a used car. The car is never going to smell like new. The value of the sponsorship is diminished when you have to untrain fans to think of it as one name and reteach them a new name."

3 (Three-way tie) – Dolphins’ home stadium: Started the decade as Pro Player, then Dolphins Stadium, followed by Dolphin (no s) Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium. It’s set to become Dolphin Stadium again in January.

-- Key Biscayne tennis tournament: Lipton became Ericsson Open then Nasdaq-100 Open. Now it’s Sony Ericsson Open.

-- Golf tournament at Doral: Doral Ryder Open became Genuity Championship, then Ford Championship, and now it’s CA Championship.

2 (two-way tie) – Panthers home arena: National Car Rental Center became Office Depot Center and is now BankAtlantic Center.
--
FIU’s basketball arena: Golden Panther Arena started the decade as Golden Panther Arena, became Pharmed and is now U.S. Century Bank.

1 ZILLION Marlins ballpark plans: But the ballpark is under construction and scheduled to open in 2012.

Iowa Hawkeyes and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets players visited the Orange Bowl “gift suite” last night to pick out items ranging from clock radios to iPod docking stations to mountain bikes and luggage sets.

Also among this year’s gifts for playing in the 76th FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 5 at Land Shark Stadium: a Tourneau watch, New Era hat and an Ogio backpack.

+ Meanwhile, ticket prices have been set for Super Bowl XLIV, which will be played Feb. 7 at the same stadium, known then as Dolphin Stadium. They’re topping out at $1,000 – just as they did this year in Tampa for Super Bowl XLIII.

The NFL is doubling the number of $500 seats reserved for fans of the two competing Super Bowl teams to 2,000 – up from 1,000 this year. Of the roughly 74,000 seats at Dolphin Stadium, 50 percent will cost $800; 35 percent cost $900 and 13 percent cost $1,000.

Face value for tickets to the 2007 Super Bowl in South Florida? $600 and $700.

Looking for a less expensive alternative to see some of the NFL’s biggest stars, who won’t be playing in the Super Bowl? Tickets to the Pro Bowl on Jan. 31 range from $50 to $195 with most priced less than $100. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, NFL.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

+ With sadness: The sports business reporting ranks weren’t that big to begin with, so it always hurts to lose another member – particularly as part of the newspaper industry’s slow painful death march. The Washington Times publishes its last sports section Friday. Good luck to sports business and media writer, Tim Lemke, whose last TWT blog post can be found here.

The Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council announced plans today for at least 14 events to be held in the county next year in conjunction with the 2010 Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, which will both be played at Dolphin Stadium.

That’s up from the one big festival, Super Clematis By Night, the county hosted prior to the Super Bowl in 2007. That event attracted some 25,000 people, and the Super Bowl, as a whole, accounted for about 6,000 hotel room nights in the county, and pumped more than $42 million into local businesses, TDC officials said. (See photo by PB County's Pat Truscello -- of South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee President Mike Zimmer, County Commissioner Burt Aaronson and TDC Executive Director Roger Amidon)

Even though the poster with the game logos hung up for the press conference fell off the wall during the event, officials remained optimistic. Those figures have warmed the hearts of politicians who are looking for ways to stimulate the local economy. The lineup of Super Bowl -related events kicks off with Super Art & Jazz on the Avenue in Delray Beach on Jan. 28 and includes youth football clinics at four schools. Super Clematis returns on Feb. 4.

"It's going to stimulate the economy in Palm Beach County. That's the most important thing, stimulating the economy," County Commissioner Burt Aaronson said.

But Aaronson wasn’t so bullish when asked if the county would be willing to help pay for renovations at the Dolphin Stadium, which the NFL says are needed to keep it on par with newer, glitzier venues that are scheduled to host future Super Bowls.

“I think the owners of the stadium can improve the stadium and keep on bringing Super Bowls here,” Aaronson said. “They’re the ones that are the greatest beneficiaries of the money that comes here. I think mixing taxpayers dollars for private enterprise only works to a certain extent. But I think the owners of the stadium and the owners of the Dolphins have enough at stake, they will fix it and make it up to standard that the NFL wants If they want to continue having Super Bowls. And I know for a fact they want to continue having Super Bowls. We want to continue having Super Bowls, Miami-Dade and Fort Lauderdale want to continue having Super Bowls. I think everything will work out, without Palm Beach County having to put money into fixing the stadium. And that’s my personal opinion. “

With just two months until South Florida hosts its record-setting 10th Super Bowl, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was in town today for the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee's kickoff luncheon. (Billboards counting down the days until both the Jan. 31 Pro Bowl and Feb . 7 Super Bowl are now up on I-95).

While he praised the region's hospitality and track record for hosting the big game, he also warned -- again -- that the Super Bowl won't be back unless Dolphin Stadium (currently Land Shark) stays current. A $250 million renovation that vastly spruced up the club level isn't enough to compete with newer, glitzier venues in Dallas, Indianapolis, Arizona, the commish said.

"I think the key thing, it’s a great community, they've done a great job hosting Super Bowls in the past, so I think they have that as an advantage," Goodell said of South Florida. "The key thing is making sure this stadium is state of the art and that it can compete with the stadiums in some of these other communities. They are moving to another level some of these stadiums."

It's not Goodell that makes the decision about Super Bowl host locations - it's the 32 owners. But you can be sure he knows the clubs' marching orders. Sure South Florida has its advantages, but without the lighting needed to high definition nighttime broadcasts and other amenities, the dual-purpose stadium won't be at the top of the owners' lists. Goodell and South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto say the Florida Marlins' move to a new ballpark, expected in 2012, presents a perfect opportunity to make what Dolphins owner Steve Ross calls "fine tuning" changes to the 22-year-old stadium.

Ross and Barreto say alterations and funding possibilities are being considered. While it's too early to say precisely what changes will be made and how they'll be paid for, it's quite likely we'll learn more soon since the region is bidding for the 2014 Super Bowl. The owners are expected to consider the 2014 site at their meeting in May.

Barreto said the community, which is awarded the game -- not the Dolphins -- needs to decide if it's worth the estimated $450 million to local businesses to host the game.

Meanwhile, Goodell said if the region successfully hosts the Pro Bowl on Jan. 31, that game could come back here regularly. South Florida's considered the test locale for the game being held prior to the Super Bowl and outside of Hawaii for the first time since 1980. So far, more than 45,000 tickets have been sold to the game. Goodell says he is hoping for a sellout and enthusiasm inside the stadium.

Ross, however, is hoping the Dolphins become the first team to both host and play in a Super Bowl at the same time. "I want to be the first city to host playing in the Super Bowl," he said. "That hasn’t happened yet and it should only happen in Miami. This year wouldn’t be soon enough."

Other topics Goodell addressed include the ongoing labor negotiations with the NFL Players Association, lengthening the regular season and replacing the NFL Experience. Goodell said the good news is the league and union are continuing to hold talks about a new contract. He said the regular season could be lengthened by shortening preseason. Goodell said fans don't like preseason games, but the league needs to be consider the impact on players.

He said the NFL Experience is being replaced in South Florida with a series of other community events since the region just hosted the Super Bowl in 2007.

+ The Dolphins just missed their goal of selling 50,000 season tickets for the 2009 season, Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said. Even so, the team sold 49,415 full season tickets up 7 percent from 46,131 in 2008. Plus, some 10,000 represent new season ticket holders.

+ Wondering why the Miami Dolphins haven’t struck a sponsorship deal with the Florida lottery now that the NFL allows such arrangements? The Dolphins told me they didn’t think a deal could be reached for this season. The SportsBusiness Journal reports the Dolphins nixed a three-team sponsorship deal with the lottery that would have also included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The journal says the Dolphins felt they deserved more in the deal. According to the piece, which you can read here, 18 teams have deals with 20 state lotteries.

By the way, through yesterday’s games, Florida’s three teams are a combined 3-11 on the season.

+ But the Dolphins don’t play until tonight – their highly anticipated matchup against the New York Jets at Land Shark Stadium. The MNF game marks the NFL’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Dolphins are wearing their orange jerseys; team owner Steve Ross’ Latin limited partners Marc Anthony and wife Jennifer Lopez, Gloria and Emilio Estefan will be out in force. Gloria’s MNF theme video with Hank Williams Jr. complete with lines in Spanish, such as “Estos listos para futbol” debuts. Anthony is to sing the National Anthem. Latin stars perform pregame and during halftime. NFLatino.com has even created a series of videos in honor of the matchup that pit a Hispanic Dolphins and Jets fan. There are four – one for each quarter – with the first showing a child in a Mark Sanchez shirt beating up a dolphin piñata. Thanks to Advertising Age’s Laura Martinez for finding these. Here’s the first one:

Watch the others here: second, third and fourth quarters.

+ The Dolphins are 2-0 when they’ve worn their orange jerseys, but just in case the Jets do win, Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company (14451 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach) reminds us, customers can get a free bagel the day after a Jets or Giants win. One bagel per customer who can share the winning score. Bagels are being given away today because the Giants beat the Oakland Raiders 44-7. If the Jets win tonight, same drill for customers who can recite the score.

+ Pro Bowl: Tickets for the 2010 Pro Bowl, which is being held the Sunday before the Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, go on sale at 7 p.m. They cost $50 to $195. Buy them at NFL.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

The Dolphins are beefing up the business side of the organization under new CEO Mike Dee. The team has hired two new executives, promoted some current ones and altered a few job descriptions.

The team, which announced the changes Thursday, called the moves “the first step in the eventual integration of the team and Land Shark Stadium businesses.”

Dolphins President and Chief Operating Officer Bryan Wiedmeier moves to the newly created position of senior vice president of NFL affairs & special projects. The team release says “Wiedmeier will work closely with Dee on NFL matters and a variety of special assignments.” Not entirely sure what that means at this point, other than it likely includes working more extensively on preparations for next year’s Super Bowl and Pro Bowl being held at Lank Shark Stadium, which will be known as Dolphin Stadium for the games.

Stadium President Bruce Schulze is to focus on the stadium’s operation and fan experience and Senior Director of Community Relations & Government Affairs Eric Knowles is to expand the team's government relations outreach, the team release said.

Dee, who previously worked at the Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres, also hired two former colleagues: Adam Grossman, vice president of marketing at the Boston Red Sox, was named Dolphins’ senior vice president of public affairs, and Mark Tilson, who worked for the Padres and most recently as the Kansas City Royals’ vice president of sales & marketing, becomes Dolphins senior vice president of sales & ticket operations.

Other changes: Ilona Wolpin becomes senior director of community relations up from community relations manager; Matt Thomas adds vice president to his General Counsel and Football Administration title; Tery Howard, who oversees the stadium and team’s technology efforts, becomes senior vice president/Chief Technology Officer; and Danielle Sergeant was promoted to director of client services.

"We have made a commitment to build a tier one organization that will be equipped to execute the great vision and high expectations that Steve Ross has set for this franchise," Dee said in a statement. “We believe that these moves were essential to make at this time in order to begin the process of positioning the franchise for future growth and to maximum efficiency."

The 2010 Super Bowl will be played at Dolphin Stadium (the venue currently known as Land Shark Stadium). Unless, of course, the Dolphins are lucky enough to land another corporate sponsor in the coming months, which is not something Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross expects to happen in this economy.

For now, the Dolphin Stadium signs are slowly being replaced with Land Shark signs. The NFL’s Super Bowl bid specifications prohibit the host venue of the Super Bowl to be named for a short-term deal, which is what the Land Shark deal is. It’s been described as a marketing or branding opportunity, since a source says Land Shark isn’t contributing money to the deal.

The deal elicited some unusual responses from some NFL team owners at the spring meeting in Fort Lauderdale this week.

“I think Steve Ross is a great entrepreneur. He knows what he’s doing,” New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said.

“I certainly have no objection to it,” Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said. “We look at all types of businesses and we sell beer along with food. You know, it could be Wiener Stadium or something. So I don’t view that as a problem. They might think, though, that Greg Norman might have an interest in it, too.”

With the New York Giants and Jets seeking a naming rights partner for the new stadium they will share, Giants co-owner John Mara told my colleague Ethan J. Skolnick, the Land Shark deal wouldn’t be his choice for a corporate sponsorship.

“It's such a unique deal. I just don't know,” Mara said. “Certainly, it's not the deal we're looking for. But there are a lot of circumstances that went into that, and I don't pretend to understand them all. I don't think we'll see too many more of those.”

Meanwhile, Land Shark Lager wasn’t in the Anheuser-Busch section at our neighborhood Publix last week. It wasn’t in the premium domestics either, but there was one 12-pack nestled between the Mexican and Dutch beers. (It’s brewed in Jacksonville). It was on sale for $12.99 – a savings of $1.70.

Several hundred Dolphins fans and Parrot Heads dressed in jerseys, Hawaiian shirts, and everything from balloons fashioned into fins, stuffed cheeseburgers and parrots on their heads reveled and swayed at a quick Jimmy Buffett concert at newly re-named LandShark Stadium Friday morning. Check out a photo gallery here.

As LandShark Lager’s tagline says: “Let The Fin Begin.”

Buffett and new Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ushered in a brand new era at the Miami Gardens venue, merging football with fun.

“We gave half the tickets to the Parrot Head clubs and half to Dolphans and you can’t tell the difference,” Buffett said during his three-song set. “I know I’m home.”

He sang his anthem “Margaritaville,” at one point saying “It’s all Steve Ross’ fault,” rather than blaming a woman as the song does, followed up with “Volcano” and ended with his newly rewritten “Fins” to honor the DolPHINS.

We drive down on Interstate 95,
And up on U.S. 1.
It’s game day in Miami town
Where the Dolphins are Number 1 (numero uno)
We play down by the ocean
In the warm South Florida sun
The tailgate’s down so gather round
For some pre-game LandShark Fun

Sharp-eyed colleague Ted Hutton, who was covering Thursday’s Marlins-Atlanta Braves game, looked up about an hour after the game ended and saw the Dolphin Stadium scoreboard outfitted with the LandShark Stadium logo. He snapped this photo quickly – when he looked up again, the image was gone. In anticipation of Friday’s press conference in which Jimmy Buffett and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross are to announce a business deal that is to include the branding of the Dolphins’ home as LandShark Stadium for one season, enjoy.

Wondering what those Q’s are in left field at Dolphin Stadium during Marlins games? No, they’re not some obscure translation of the K’s that represent strikeouts.

Marlins fans sitting in the power alley are keeping track of yet another baseball stat -- what’s being called “Quick Outs” – outs recorded in three pitches or fewer. Nancy Olson, executive director of the Marlins Community Foundation, who came up with the idea, has a group of loyal foundation volunteers putting up a white sign featuring a black ‘Q’ every time a Marlins’ pitcher records a quick out. There’s one teal sign that’s used to delineate when a relief pitcher comes into the game. (See photo by Kelly Gavin, courtesy of the Marlins). The radio and TV broadcasters are aware of it -- and even asked that the Q's be clumped in sets of three to make it easier to keep track of them, Olson said.

Olson was urged by her brother, who saw Q’s at Arizona Diamondbacks games, to adopt the idea as a fundraiser for the foundation. Olson is hoping to secure a corporate sponsor, which would get its name on the Q’s -- and she hopes make a donation to the foundation either on a per game or per Q basis.

The team has 20 Q’s, which is typically plenty for a game, but when Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds stretched to 14 innings, the supply just ran out, Olson said.

Perhaps a sponsor will help pay for more signs, too. Some ideas for potential sponsors? A couple of suggestions I’ve heard are Sir Speedy and Jiffy Lube.

But what about the Nasdaq-100, former title sponsor of the tennis tournament on Key Biscayne? The Nasdaq-100 is an exchange traded fund similar to a mutual fund, but trades like a stock. It holds shares of the 100 largest companies on the world’s largest electronic stock market. Its ticker symbol? QQQ.

NFL, South Florida Super Bowl XLIV Host Committee and Dolphin Stadium officials officially unveiled the logos for next year’s Super Bowl and Pro Bowl on Wednesday.

They also announced the “Your Seat, Your Price” program that allows Dolphins season ticket holders to lock in the same seats they have during the season for the 2010 Pro Bowl at the same regular season price. Those tickets are to go on sale in July. Regular Pro Bowl subscribers (yes, apparently there are people who buy tickets to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii every year) also get priority. After that, the general public can buy tickets, starting in October, but anyone seeking tickets should register their interest now at miamidolphins.com/2010ProBowl.

Tickets for the general public are only expected to be slightly more than the Dolphins regular season price with most seats selling for less than $100, NFL Senior Vice President of Special Events Frank Supovitz said. The idea, he said, is to try to attract as many fans as possible, who might otherwise be shut out from the Super Bowl.

“There will be some people who will be lucky enough to score tickets to both, but by and large, it will be two different audiences,” said Supovitz, who was sporting a Super Bowl XLI tie honoring the last Super Bowl in South Florida in 2007. “The Super Bowl is a higher priced ticket, the Pro Bowl really is meant to be open to everyone, the whole idea was to bring more fans to the Pro Bowl and more fans to the stadium than we’ve ever been able to do.”

Next year, the Pro Bowl is being held Jan. 31 at Dolphin Stadium – marking the first time it’s being held outside of Hawaii since 1979 – a week before the Super Bowl, which we be played at the Miami Gardens venue on Feb. 7. The game will move back to Hawaii in 2011 and 2012. The game is expected to have a regular presence in Hawaii, but also could move to other cities in the continental United States, Supovitz said.

Pairing the two games together and holding the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl, Supovitz said, will provide the community with a longer period of football and festivities.

“Our hope is to capture the fervor and the passion of the football fan, while it’s still at its height,” Supovitz said.

He said the Super Bowl attracts as many as 150,000 visitors who pump $350 million to $500 million into the host community’s economy. He said he does not know the economic impact of the Pro Bowl, but it is expected to draw more local fans.

Other changes planned for next year’s events include an area called “NFL Plaza,” which will replace the NFL Experience theme park area just next year. The Plaza will be open on Pro Bowl Sunday and will serve as a gathering area for activities, merchandise sales and stadium tours. Supovitz said with the Super Bowl last in South Florida in 2007, the league wanted to provide different types of activities. Next year will be South Florida’s record-breaking 10th time hosting the Super Bowl.

The NFL Flag National Championship will be moved to January and South Florida – from November at DisneyWorld -- during the festivities with the winners among the 9- to 14-year-old players being honored on the field during the Pro Bowl. The region will also host Super Bowl Saturday Night – an event started in Arizona two years ago. The free night of football, fireworks and music is expected to attract tens of thousands of fans. The location has not yet been announced.

South Florida is competing against New Orleans and Arizona to host the 2013 Super Bowl. NFL owners will make a decision later this month.

But don’t expect a Super Bowl in London anytime soon, despite a number of reports. Supovitz said conversations have taken place with London officials about the bidding process, but nothing more.

“That’s where discussions began and ended,” he said. “We’ve had discussions with them. Nobody’s set any timetable. Nobody’s set any objectives to bring a game there anytime in a specific year. There’s been a lot reported there has been. None of those conversations have happened.”

We’ll learn a lot more at Friday’s press conference that promises Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross, Jimmy Buffett, “high profile sports personalities,” and a live music performance.

But the possibility of a short-term naming deal – perhaps a season – of LandShark Stadium is certainly intriguing and well, unusual. The name comes from LandShark Lager, the Anheuser-Busch-brewed beer that is produced in partnership with Buffett and his Margaritaville restaurant enterprise.

If you’re thinking it’s all about money, think again. Yes, it’s about some money, but not nearly the $10 million to $15 million that Dolphin Stadium officials would love to score for a new corporate name.

So, why change the name even for a short time at the risk of further alienating fans? The venue was Joe Robbie Stadium when it opened in 1987, named for its original owner who put together the private financing plan to build it. In 1996, it became Pro Player Stadium -- and remained that way years after the apparel company’s parent, Fruit of the Loom, filed for bankruptcy in 1999. It became Dolphins Stadium in 2005; the ‘s’ was dropped in 2006. Many fans still call it Joe Robbie; others like Dolphin Stadium for its connection to the team.

Dolphin Stadium officials weren’t commenting Friday, but what it seems LandShark is meant to do is aid in Ross’ plan to create an entertaining South Florida feel to the stadium. While we don’t know the financial terms of the deal, it’s expected Buffett will perform concerts at the venue with proceeds going to the stadium. A Margaritaville section or area of the stadium has also been contemplated.

There are reports Buffett has been approached about becoming a limited partner in the team, but this sounds more like a business deal. Perhaps Buffett will be called a limited partner as part of this arrangement, but it seems unlikely Buffett would spend the cash Ross has been seeking from potential investors. Ross is believed to have been asking $25 million for a 2.5 percent stake in the team.

Surely UM, which also wasn’t commenting Friday, must have paused when hearing about Ross’ plans for LandShark Stadium. After all, the school, which has tried to shed it’s Suntan U. image, was named the nation’s No. 1 party school by Playboy last month. Playing football in a stadium named for a beer couldn’t be high on the school’s things to do list, but apparently school officials have accepted it.

It’s likely this is a short-term deal so that Ross can infuse some South Florida lifestyle into the stadium experience while he waits for the economy to recover. Then, stadium officials can try peddling the name again.

Don’t be surprised if Buffett is song writing, perhaps a new version of Fins that honors the football team, rather than those hungry women-stalking male “landsharks”:

And just for kicks and since I’ve been receiving messages about that other “landshark,” enjoy this piece of SNL history:

via videosift.com

The ink might not be dry on the deal, but a source says Dolphin Stadium could soon be renamed LandShark Stadium.

That’s LandShark as in LandShark Lager. It’s likely a short-term branding opportunity, perhaps for one season, but the arrangement would fit with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ plan to make the venue an entertaining tropical South Florida experience. LandShark is served at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurants.

Buffett has been chatting with Ross about a business opportunity. But he wasn’t revealing anything about a business deal when I asked him about it at Monday’s Heat-Atlanta Hawks playoff game.

“You’re going to find out real soon,” Buffett said with a smile. “Real soon. It’s going to be great.”

A press conference to announce the deal could be held next week.

Word around Boston is that Fenway Sports Group President and Red Sox Chief Operating Officer Mike Dee is leaving Red Sox Nation to become CEO of Dolphins Enterprises. That's the position overseeing the business side of the Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium that's currently held by Joe Bailey, whose contract is set to expire.

Dee isn’t saying anything at this point – he sent me a no comment via email – but installing him on the business side would fit Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ overall vision for the business side of the Dolphins. The Dolphins also had no comment. But Ross has said he’s trying to create a destination and enhance the fan experience at Dolphin Stadium. His Related Cos., built Time Warner Center, the mixed use residential and retail complex in Manhattan.

Beyond the giant brand the Red Sox represent, Fenway Sports Group is the sports marketing arm of New England Sports Ventures. NESV is the holding company for the team, Fenway Park and New England Sports Network.

FSG, formed in 2004, purchased a 50 percent stake in Roush Racing and formed Roush Fenway Racing, a partnership between Red Sox owner John Henry and NASCAR team owner Jack Roush. FSG oversees the marketing for Boston College. The company also owns and operates Red Sox Destinations, which arranges unique trips to see the Red Sox, and Minor League Baseball’s Salem, Va., Red Sox. The company has an equity stake in fanfoto, which takes photos at sporting events that can be ordered and placed on mugs, calendars and other items.

Ross talked this month about making Dolphin Stadium an entertainment destination that reflects the South Florida lifestyle. Stay tuned.

Next year’s Super Bowl is 289 days away, but the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee is preparing small businesses for work related to the game and its accompanying events, recruiting volunteers, and … planting trees.

This week, representatives of the NFL, Florida Division of Forestry, the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tourism and host committee officials and representatives of seven cities across the state have been planting slash pine trees. In Tampa, Lakeland, Sebring, Belle Glade, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and on Friday in Miami Gardens, tree planting ceremonies have been held to mark the Super Bowl’s “Trail of Trees.” The idea is to connect the site of this year’s Super Bowl – Tampa – with next year’s in South Florida.

“These tree plantings will symbolize a passing of the environmental mantle from one host community to the next and will mark the final environmental project of Super Bowl XLIII and the first environmental project for Super Bowl XLIV,” according to a release from the host committee.

Super Bowl XLIV is scheduled on Feb. 7, 2010 at Dolphin Stadium. The Pro Bowl will be played at the stadium a week before.

More than 20,000 trees have been planted during the past five years in a partnership between the league and the U.S. Forest Service. The league is trying to reduce its carbon footprint in Super Bowl host communities through recycling, using alternative fuels, and other efforts. The league has planted nearly 2,000 trees in all in Tampa this year.

The Marlins are moving their Sept. 21 game against the Philadelphia Phillies to July 16 to accommodate a Dolphins-Colts Monday night game.

No such moves are being made to accommodate one of two Dolphins Draft parties scheduled Saturday afternoon. The Dolphins are holding draft parties from 4-8 p.m. Saturday at CityPlace in West Palm Beach and at Dolphin Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Marlins host their second “Super Saturday” of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies with the game starting at 7:10 p.m. Saturday at Dolphin Stadium followed by a post-game fireworks and a concert by Albita.

So, how will the stadium accommodate both events at once – something officials believe is a first? Dolphins Enterprises spokesman George Torres calls it “pretty straightforward.”

Torres said signs will direct fans attending the free Dolphins draft party at the stadium to enter the stadium grounds at Gates 1 and 7, and the stadium at Gate C – on the venue’s north side. The party, which is to feature players, alumni and cheerleaders, will be held on the stadium’s club level. Marlins fans, who are charged $10 for parking, enter at other stadium grounds gates and enter the venue on its south side.

The Dolphins’ first pick of the draft is No. 25 in the first round, meaning it will come late during the draft party. Torres said there will also be tables set up at the draft party where Marlins game tickets will be sold, should Dolphins fans want to stay for that night’s Marlins matchup.

“They can stick around and enjoy good baseball,” Torres said, but he added doors to the baseball side of the stadium will be off-limits, unless fans have tickets to the Marlins game.

Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross is working hard to put his “imprint” on his football team by enhancing the Dolphin Stadium experience for fans. Ross is hoping his changes and new amenities at the stadium – which he’s keeping under wraps for now – will encourage fans to leave the comfort of their homes and High Definition TVs on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights this season.

“You’re going to see a new look, a new excitement,” Ross said Thursday.

In his first lengthy meeting with the media since taking majority ownership of the Dolphins in January, Ross said he’s close to signing contracts to add amenities at the stadium. Other than saying the changes will reflect the entertainment and lifestyle of South Florida, he wouldn’t reveal any of his plans. He says we should hear more next month.

“The three most dynamic cities in the United States are New York, Los Angeles and Miami and Miami has the benefit of the best weather. So it gives you an opportunity to do things you can’t otherwise do anywhere else,” Ross said. “I think a lot of things weren’t done in the past to really take advantage of Miami… South Florida, of what you can really create and do. So it’s kind of fun to try and put these pieces together to create a great experience for the fans.”

While the stadium has undergone a $250 million renovation, Ross said he has more changes planned. He does not, however, envision developing the surrounding land, which he says is needed for parking.

“It’s how you create the experience around the stadium and make the stadium more iconic. Those are the types of things I’m looking at,” Ross said. “I have ideas for that stadium, I don’t think it’s done being improved. It’s a work in process. You’ll see it this year. We’ll be spending money this year and doing things that are somewhat unique.”

He wouldn’t discuss his talks with potential limited partners in the team, other than to say he plans an ownership group that reflects the diversity of South Florida. He also spoke of wanting to reach out more to Hispanic fans and is starting that soon with a new Spanish-language team Web site.

“Pittsburgh has one, San Diego has one. How can Miami not have a Hispanic Web site?” Ross said.

He said he’s excited about Dolphin Stadium hosting both the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl next year and he hopes to make the stadium a regular stop – every four years – for the Super Bowl.

Ross said he hasn’t yet discussed a new lease for the Marlins, whose lease at Dolphin Stadium expires next year, before their ballpark is set to open in 2012. But he knows the team needs a place to play.

“What am I going to do? All of a sudden they can’t play there?” Ross said. “They’re a utility like we are. You have to respect that. We’re not going to squeeze them or anything.”

There are 243 home games until the Marlins’ new ballpark is scheduled to open in Little Havana in 2012. So at Monday’s home opener against the Washington Nationals at Dolphin Stadium, the team launched a new scoreboard feature: fun facts about the ballpark.

According to Marlins President David Samson there will be 243 of them – one unveiled at each home game during the next three seasons.

The first one?: The “ballpark retractable roof consists of 8,300 tons of steel, which is the exact weight of the Eiffel Tower!”

The ballpark is already part of the fabric at Dolphin Stadium. The team showed a video on the scoreboard with renderings by architecture firm Populous, the new name for architecture firm HOK Sport.

And the left field wall, which for the past five and half seasons has been covered by a giant Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida advertisement, is now back in Marlins’ hands. The tribe didn’t renew and now the team is using the wall to advertise its Super Saturday concerts; inaugural season in 1993; two World Series championships in 1997 and 2003; and projected 2012 ballpark opening. But Samson’s favorite part is the ballpark rendering and the words “Priority Seating for the New Marlins Ballpark @ Marlins.com."

“I’ve been waiting for six years to get the ballpark seating priority,” Samson said. “It’s been my dream, from the beginning. Reflecting the history was always something we’ve tried to do, this is the year we were able to do it.”

Samson said if the team received “an offer we can’t refuse,” he could see giving over advertising space, but he said the new ballpark seating reference is more valuable.

“The benefits we can derive, by having people buy tickets, priority in the new ballpark, is far greater than what we can get for an outfield wall,” he said.

Samson said the team has already created some 60 committees to consider all aspects of the new venue from naming rights to ticket prices to concession equipment storage areas to marketing.

For the first time since buying the team in 2002, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria faced an Opening Day without questions about getting ballpark financing. Loria said he’s thrilled at thinking of ways to program the new ballpark.

“It’ll be a destination. It’s going to be a beautiful piece of contemporary architecture, and there will be a lot of special things there for fans,” Loria said. “It will be a place where you know the game will be played, you won’t have any inconveniences. There will be air conditioning, so in more ways than one we’re looking at a ballpark that’s the coolest place in town.”

In the meantime, Loria hopes to keep his team competitive and to attract more fans to Dolphin Stadium.

“It may not be the ideal place, but it’s where we are,” he said. “We’re going to deal with it over the next three seasons, but at least we know the rainbow is in front of us. More than a light at the end of the tunnel, we have the rainbow, which I’m excited about. To me, to be able to watch this ballpark grow is what drives me.”

He said he wants to send a message to fans that with ballpark financing approved and ground breaking planned for this summer, the team will be in South Florida for generations.

“It’s OK for them to fall in love with your team, it’s going to be here,” he said before his Marlins opened the season with a 12-6 win over the Washington Nationals. “It’s time to make a commitment and fall in love permanently, we have a terrific baseball team.”

The Marlins are certainly going to be considered to host World Baseball Classic games in 2013, in a new ballpark, Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy said Monday during the Marlins opener against the Washington Nationals.

In town in part to thank local politicians -- several of whom attended the team's opener at Dolphin Stadium -- for approving the ballpark financing last month, DuPuy said MLB was impressed with the Marlins’ hosting of second round WBC games last month.

“The enthusiasm shown for the Venezuelan and Puerto Rican teams in the WBC was very encouraging. Clearly the market responded to those clubs and we would explore hosting a round in a new ballpark when it’s built,” DuPuy said. “Obviously for an event like the WBC, having a 60,000-seat facility is too massive.”

But DuPuy pointed out the more than 30,000 that attended the U.S.-Puerto Rico game last month, would have fit well in the team's planned 37,000-seat ballpark in Little Havana

“They’d be considered for any of the rounds,” DuPuy said of the Marlins in a new ballpark.

But a Finals in Miami raises some prickly questions. How would South Florida fans respond to a Finals like this year’s at Dodger Stadium that pitted Japan and Korea? Los Angeles has a large Asian population, but South Florida doesn’t. Could Miami host a Finals that included the Cuban team with so much anti-Castro sentiment locally? With the Obama administration looking to ease some travel restrictions to Cuba, maybe that won’t be an issue by the time a new ballpark opens.

Meanwhile, DuPuy reiterated that a new ballpark should also mean an MLB All-Star game in the Marlins’ future. This year’s is scheduled in St. Louis, followed by the 2010 game in Anaheim.

“The commissioner has made it a practice and a goal to award communities that build ballparks to showcase new ballparks and clearly the fact the Marlins are going to have a new ballpark, and that they lost an All-Star Game, will no doubt be strong considerations in awarding future All-Star Games,” he said.

DuPuy wouldn’t suggest a date for the Marlins to host one.

“For one thing," DuPuy said, "we haven’t broken ground yet.”

Michigan State and North Carolina will close out the 2009 NCAA tournament with the title game in Detroit tonight. But the question remains, will South Florida host a portion of the tournament again?

Despite crowds that barely broke 10,000 at 20,000-seat AmericanAirlines Arena for the March 20 and 22 first and second round games last month, South Florida officials hope to bring men’s college basketball tournament games back. Bid specifications for the first and second rounds and regionals for 2011, 2012 and 2013 are to go out shortly, NCAA officials say.

“Most certainly,” Pete Garcia, athletic director at host school FIU, said of bidding again, “because it’s not just good only for FIU, but it’s good for the entire basketball community in South Florida.”

But it wasn’t lost on the hosts that the colleges assigned to AmericanAirlines Arena held scant attraction for South Floridians, who aren’t hugely supportive of college basketball to begin with.

“You worry about the things you control, what we couldn’t control was the matchups,” Garcia said. “We did the best with the teams that got awarded to us, it’s nobody’s fault. Team like Florida didn’t get to the NCAA tournament.”

Mike Sophia, executive director of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission, said he was disappointed with ticket sales, but understood the matchups weren’t a draw.

“This year, we had first and second round and you wound up with the eight teams that may or may not sort of fit,” Sophia said. “I think Syracuse was an interesting team for us, a Big East team for us, but the rest of the group, was certainly strange.”

South Florida also lost out on the destination factor with two teams from warm weather Arizona.

“I just think now, we’ve got to look at it and I think they [the NCAA] should look at trying to make sure all the sites have some sort of geographical or national attractiveness to the teams that are playing at each site,” Sophia said.

As a result, Sophia said the host group will look at whether to apply for first and second round games (like those it hosted last month) or a regional (Sweet 16 and Elite 8), or both.

Jeanne Boyd, NCAA director of Division I Men’s Basketball, praised the hosting of the games at AmericanAirlines Arena and said a host of factors are considered for hosting in the future.

“They’ve done a very good job, the building has been very responsive,” she said.

Boyd said a thorough evaluation of everything from the experience at the arena to hotels will be taken into consideration, as well feedback from the hosts, the schools and others.

Meanwhile, the World Baseball Classic second round games at Dolphin Stadium last month didn’t draw as well as hosts had hoped – in part because the Netherlands were among the four teams, rather than the Dominican Republic. But officials were pleased with the turnout and are planning to bid for games in the next WBC in 2013, perhaps even the Finals. The Marlins hope to be hosting games in a new ballpark in Little Havana, scheduled to open in 2012.

When tourism officials and World Baseball Classic organizers spoke of Miami as a natural location for second round games in the Olympic-style baseball tournament, they weren't counting the Netherlands among the teams that would attract locals and international tourists to the games that start Saturday at Dolphin Stadium.

"The diversity of Miami corresponds very well to all these teams," Claude Delorme, a Marlins senior vice president who is coordinating the Classic, told me before the WBC started.

USA, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, even Canada, perhaps. But the Netherlands?

The Netherlands beat the heavily favored Dominican team -- whose roster read like an All-Star lineup, including David Ortiz, the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, and Miguel Tejada -- last night for the second time in the WBC's first round. Last night's game qualified the Netherlands for a trip to Miami and sent the Dominicans home. The game, which the Netherlands won in the bottom of the 11th inning, is being re-aired this morning on the MLB Network.

The Netherlands joins the US, Puerto Rican and Venezuelan teams for the second round at Dolphin Stadium that includes six games starting Saturday and running through March 18. Tour operators in Venezuela had already purchased hundreds of strips of tickets for the games. Ticket sales should pick up now that the competing teams are known, but how much will the Dominican team not appearing hurt sales? Dominican fans at the Marlins-Dominican exhibition game in Jupiter last week were sure their team would be among those at Dolphin Stadium.

Anyone think there might be an A-Rod curse? The New Yankees haven't won a World Series since Alex Rodriguez has been on the team. Dominican fans told me Dominicans tore down posters of Rodriguez in their native country when he chose to play for the US in the inaugural WBC in 2006. This time he was to play for the Dominican team, but bowed out and had surgery on his hip this week.

Is the Netherlands knocking off the vaunted Dominicans one of those feel-good stories that fans like, even if organizers and broadcasters worry about ticket sales and viewership? Will you root for the underdog?

New Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is giving a lot of thought to the ambience at Dolphin Stadium during Dolphin games next season.

“I’m very happy to be the new owner, hopefully you’ll see a lot of new things next year,” said Ross during an appearance to promote the Fin Cup, a new Pro-Am featuring current and former Dolphins players that took place Monday at the Honda Classic at PGA National. “I dream at night about things of how we can really increase the fan experience. And It’s a real privilege to do that.”

But Ross wasn’t giving any hints as to what changes or improvements he might make.

“It’s a little premature to talk about the things we’re planning,” he said, instead encouraging fans to attend games in 2009. “I just say come to the first games and I think you’ll see a little bit of a difference. I don’t want to really telegraph anything at this point, we’re working on it.”

Ross said the main reason fans attend is to see their team win, but he wants to make the game day experience an attraction as well.

“I think just making that experience a little better for the fans and a little more exciting, much like the Los Angeles Lakers, what they are. I think South Florida has a lot of opportunities to do things so I want to really increase that.”

Ross said he has turned for advice to former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. The two know each other because Ross serves on the board of the Levin Institute, a school for global education and business, where Tagliabue serves as chairman. But Ross insisted Tagliabue will not join the Dolphins “executive ranks.”

“The opportunity I have to call upon him is something I would be a fool not to take advantage of,” Ross said.

And when it comes to his stadium’s other tenants, the Marlins and University of Miami football team, Ross is watching the Marlins ballpark proceedings. Ross seems to be indicating he’s willing to extend the Marlins’ lease beyond its 2010 expiration, but hopes the team is able to move into a new home in 2012.

“I’d like to believe 2011 will be their last year at the stadium,” Ross said.

H. Wayne Huizenga bid farewell Tuesday to nearly two decades of sports team ownership, including 19 years with his favorite team, the Dolphins.

When he completed the sale of the Dolphins to New York real estate developer Stephen Ross last month, Huizenga’s remarkable tenure owning three professional sports franchises - including two expansion teams that took the field and ice within six months of each other - came to an end.

His biggest regret: that his Dolphins didn’t win a Super Bowl. He also said in hindsight perhaps he should have waited a year to dismantle the Marlins after they won the 1997 World Series.

He oversaw a tumultuous period, bringing South Florida into the major leagues: owning three teams and taking two of them to their sport’s championship, investing in a regional sports network, selling naming rights to a stadium, and overseeing the construction of a 20,000-seat arena. It was a period the likes of which will never been seen again. If you’re interested in reading a longer view of Huizenga’s tenure in sports, click here.

The Marlins are expecting season ticket sales to be in the range of last year’s 5,000, team president David Samson said Monday.

“Our renewal rate is better than last year,” Samson said. “Our new sales are slightly below what I would have hoped. I would expect we’ll end up where we were last year, and I was hoping for an increase. It’s not over yet.”

Individual tickets go on sale during the team’s FanFest at Dolphin Stadium, from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. Fans can purchase season ticket packages there as well. The Marlins plan to release additional ticket packages prior to the start of the season.

Samson called sales of tickets to the second round of the World Baseball Classic – March 14-18 – “good,” but he expects those to improve once fans know which teams will be competing.

“We are hoping they will continue to pick up as the first week of the classic happens and we make sure and confirm the teams we anticipate coming will come, which will be Venezuela, the Dominican, Puerto Rico and the U.S.,” Samson said. “It’s going to be something people don’t realize how cool it is until they see it. The environment of these games of is very special, the national pride these countries feel.”

Samson said he expects attendance to be at least 20,000 for each of the six games. And, he said, the Marlins would like to host the WBC Finals in 2013 – in a new ballpark.

As for the new ballpark, Samson says he’s spending most of the next 10 days meeting with Miami City and Miami-Dade County commissioners and answering questions about the ballpark agreements the commissions are scheduled to consider at separate meetings on Feb. 13. If the commissions approve the agreements, any of the parties can pull out of the deal until June 30. But Samson isn’t expecting that to happen – he says with approval ground can be broken between June 15 and July 15. Read more about the Marlins' payroll philosophy in a new ballpark at our Marlins blog.

The city commission meets at 9 a.m., followed by the county commission at 1 p.m.

As he typically does, Samson refused to say what will happen if the commissions reject the agreements for the $515 million ballpark at the site of the former Orange Bowl.

“That I’m not going to address until the day after at the earliest,” he said.

A ballpark is expected to open in 2012. Samson said new Dolphins and stadium owner Stephen Ross knows the team wants to extend its lease at Dolphin Stadium through the 2011 season. Samson said he’s also spoken with UM President Donna Shalala about the need to remain in the stadium the team shares with the Dolphins and Hurricanes.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave his annual Super Bowl address in Tampa on Friday, where among other things, he got a chance to praise outgoing Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga. Huizenga completed his $1.1 billion sale of the Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium to New York real estate developer Stephen M. Ross last week.

Huizenga first invested in the Dolphins and the stadium in 1990 and became majority owner in 1994. He is maintaining a 5 percent stake in the team and stadium.

“Wayne has been a terrific owner for the NFL, the Miami Dolphins and that community, not only in football but in multiple sports,” Goodell said acknowledging Huizenga’s previous tenures as owner of the Marlins and Panthers. “I think he's had a huge impact in the Miami area. He’s had a great impact on me personally as well. He's one of those smart guys who knows how to get to the bottom of a problem pretty quick. He’s not afraid to give you his opinion, and he's done that from time to time with me. I think that’s helpful. I think the ownership will miss him at that level.”

Goodell had praise for Ross, too: “On the other hand, in typical fashion, [Huizenga’s] left the franchise in good hands. Steve Ross is a terrific man. He’s a very successful businessman and he’s spent the last year or so learning the business from Wayne. He has good people who he has surrounded himself with and I think that’s the key to everything – surround yourself with good people and put them in a position where they can make the decisions and ultimately, you’ll have a successful franchise.”

Goodell was also asked about the Pro Bowl being moved from Hawaii, where it’s been held since 1980, to South Florida a week before the Super Bowl XLIV next year. Goodell said he expects the game to be on something of a rotation, which will include Hawaii again in the future.

“What we thought, though, would be a very interesting alternative would be to play the game as part of the lead up to the Super Bowl. So we’ll be playing it on Sunday night in Miami in advance of the Super Bowl. That will bring more interest, clearly. It will bring more exposure for our great players, and we think be a positive,” Goodell said.

FedEx isn’t advertising during Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, but the express shipping company got nearly four hours of television exposure during this month’s FedEx-sponsored Orange Bowl and BCS national championship games at Dolphin Stadium.

That’s exposure valued at $383 million measured against television ad rates during the games – with the value during the BCS game being higher than the Orange Bowl game, naturally. According to Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, that value was calculated this way: $256 million from the BCS game in which Florida beat Oklahoma, and $126.8 million from the Orange Bowl game in which Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati. Joyce Julius reported FedEx got 51 mentions and an hour and 59 minutes of screen time during the BCS game and 59 mentions and an hour and 56 minutes during the Orange Bowl game.

Two other BCS bowl game sponsors scored higher values than FedEx did for the Orange Bowl game during their traditional bowl games this year. Tostitos received 43 mentions and an hour and 58 minutes of screen time during the Fiesta Bowl for a value of $138 million; Allstate received 45 mentions and an hour and 51 minutes during the Sugar Bowl for a value of $131 million. Citi, meanwhile, got 25 mentions and an hour and 21 minutes airtime during the Rose Bowl for a value of $111.4 million, Joyce Julius reported.

The Michigan firm's research shows other companies that received significant exposure time during the BCS game included Nike with a value of $61 million and Southwest Airlines with a value of $31.3 million.

The sale of the Dolphins was big news today across the country. I discussed the sale on the morning show on Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM in Seattle. Listen here.

And I was featured on the sports business segment of the Wake-Up Zone on 104.5 The Zone WGFX in Nashville this morning, where we discussed the Dolphins sale, Marlins stadium, UM, the Panthers, among other sports business topics. Listen here.

Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga was serious about wanting to sell his majority share of the team to co-owner Stephen Ross before Barack Obama became president.

Granted the sale didn’t take place during 2008, which means if capital gains taxes do increase this year, Huizenga is likely to be socked with a higher bill. But from what I’m being told, the deal to sell the additional 45 percent of the Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium was signed before Obama took the oath of office this afternoon.

Ross now owns 95 percent of the team and the stadium and 50 percent of the surrounding land. Huizenga, who maintains his attachment to the team calling the sale “bittersweet,” is hanging onto 5 percent of the team and stadium and half the land. Total value of the deal: $1.1 billion.

But with Tuesday’s deal, Huizenga gave up his last majority ownership in a South Florida sports franchise. In the 1990s, Huizenga owned three teams: the Dolphins, Marlins and Panthers. Huizenga brought both baseball and hockey to the region.

Tuesday began a new era. That wasn’t lost in Ross, a New York real estate developer and part-time Palm Beach resident.

“The United States is entering into a new climate, a new opportunity,” Ross said when asked about the sale being completed the same day Obama took office. “And I saw myself, being able to enter into a new opportunity for me that was very exciting, and I’ve always dreamt of.”

Ross wouldn't discuss the financial structure of the deal, but sources say Huizenga is holding a note on the transaction and allowing Ross to owe him a portion of the balance. He says he has been pursuing investors to buy a stake in the team.

"I always wanted to have a few people join me. And in these times, no one has joined me at this point in time," Ross said adding he is still talking with a few potential investors.

Ross didn’t reveal much about how he intends to run the Dolphins, other than he hopes to build on Huizenga’s legacy. He vowed not to increase ticket prices next season, saying now, in a struggling economy, was not the time to raise prices.

He said he plans to alter the game-day experience, but he didn't offer any details. He’ll examine the stadium and business side of the operation and the possibility for additional renovations or development, he said.

“We’re really looking into all of that and seeing the pricing of all of that and how we might put that together, but I’m examining every aspect of the business,” Ross said.

He said he never intended to offer a job to friend and former Kansas City Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson, who Ross invited to join him at the Dolphins-Baltimore Ravens playoff game.

He is still talking about former USTA CEO Arlen Kantarian possibly joining the team as a business side executive, but “there is no deal.”

And he offered some welcome news to those of us still in the newspaper business:

“When you love a sport which I do, I love all sports and am constantly reading the sports pages,” he said. “Even today, when I read the paper and I read a couple of them, the first section I go to is the sports section. You can’t get that out of your system no matter what you’re doing. I was brought up always wanting to be involved with sports, it’s always a dream. Since I wasn’t going to make it as a player, it was a dream to become an owner.”